X-Message-Number: 14805
From: 
Subject: Shocking!!!
Date: Tue, 31 Oct 2000 12:35:05 +1000

This whole business has been dealt with in a shocking and shoddy manner.
What happened to etiquette and just generally being polite. I guess every
American is perfect and does everything exactly to formula. When I see
things like this, it is no surprise to me that the idea of Cryonics has not
taken off. Writing letters that treat a person (and member) like a child or
imbecile is not diplomatic! and I am not just referring to David Pizar
here.

A lot of people want to sign up, pay their dues and then have as little
involvement in the matter as possible. They want to be properly informed if
circumstances change and they want the company to make EVERY effort to
maintain contact. Alcor has NOT done this in this case. They failed in
their duty of care to a member - he was a member when the issues first
started.

Alcor did not say anything about picking up the phone and trying to call
him in any of their correspondence - it is not difficult you know. A call
to your International directory enquiries would have confirmed his
telephone number. What about a post on Cryonet asking him to contact you?
What about asking some other German or European members to see if they can
contact him by mail, phone, email etc? Did Alcor double check the details
they have on file for this man and then check that their correspondence was
properly addressed when this enquiry was made (people do make mistakes when
addressing things - especially when the address in a foreign language)? Did
Alcor try sending a recorded delivery (or even DHL) letter to this man so
that fault in the post office could be eliminated? There was no mention of
this in any of their replies. I don't expect this for just anybody but he
was a signed up (5 YEARS) paying member at this time. Why was no mention
made when he made contact to enquire about "buy back policy" a year ago
(you now had his e-mail address that you know worked and I bet it had his
name as part of it)? Be honest, if this man owed Alcor U$50 000 just how
long do you think it would take to track him down? Alcor knew that contact
had been broken, he did not, the onus is therefore on Alcor to make the
effort to try to re-establish contact NOT on him. If this man had died
during this time, Alcor would not have even known about it because they did
not persevere in their enquiries into his disappearance.

Why (at the time of signing up - and taking his money!!!) was nothing said
to this man about Alcors concerns about his insurance policy? He provided a
notarised translation to Alcor, this means that the translation is legally
certified as a correct translation - a notary in his country is a legal
entity. American immigration officials at the INS use notarised documents
as evidence all the time so foreign notaries are recognised by important
American institutions. The impression given is of a tatty piece of paper
with no legal validity. With regard to funding through insurance, ALCOR
changed its policies, not him so a bit more diplomacy would seem in order
here. How long has Alcor taken to make arrangements with any other non
American insurance company?

As for David Pizar, I do not think a person who "retired from the Alcor
Board and retired as Alcor's Vice President after many years" and who is "a
suspension member, and so is my wife"  is exactly what I would call "an
impartial observer". It is my impartial observation that you owe this man a
public apology - you must have made one great vice president with such
diplomacy.

Thomas, I recommend that you wait a while and see what happens with all
this and if Alcor do not resolve the matter to your satisfaction give
serious consideration to the other suspension providers that is what a free
market is all about. It is only a matter of time before a non US based
suspension provider starts up, providing a more internationally focused
service. In the mean time, we have to make do with whats available.

Chris Benatar

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