Vs. Newton Charity Issues

General Yo-Yo
62

Just read through all this and I really cannot understand why the authorities have not been involved yet!?

‘I’m sorry, I will get the money and donate it’ does really cut it!

People kept on mentioning that Heath got away with loads because people liked him but this is just plain ridiculous.

This is completely outrageous and the fact that everyone seems happy to let him get a loan and pay it off (which lets face it, if you think is actually going to happen, you are fooling yourself). This is a very serious offense and everyone is just going to let him get away with it!?

If I was involved and lived in the US I would not be writing this post I would be contact the relevant authorities and getting this sorted properly.

He absolutely sickens me and I’m sorry to say also sickens me that people are just letting it go and letting him just find the money to now donate :frowning:

1 Like
63

Some of the people involved are contacting the authorities, don’t make the mistake of thinking that everything that happens happens on an internet message board.

As the person at YoYoNation who played the biggest part in taking a leap with Heath to get his yoyos out there to more people, i just want to issue a personal apology. My impression of Heath was always that he was overly ambitious and in over his head most of the time, but never that he was setting out to defraud people in this disgusting fashion.

I’d just like to add to this and say that Heath has never provided proof of his not for profit stance, even after request.

Also, i have a first run Purple Skywalker that will be going up on Ebay soon, proceeds to Cancer Research UK.

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64

Good to hear people are doing something about it and maybe If I had taken a minute before making my post I would have thought about that but this has honestly made me so angry.

I don’t feel you have anything to apologise for, you we just trying to help and being the incredibly helpful and commendable person you always are (the fact you are selling your skywalker just goes to prove this).

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65

At first that was my impression too. I had a very bad experience with his shipping habits (three months to get the throws) and a good one before the auctions, so I decided to partecipate, but after I won a real nightmare began. Suffice to say that I was one of the guys who got his throw from the december 2011 auction this last july. And even though I was determined to never ever buy anything directly from him again, I 'd never imagined that the whole thing would have ended ithis way.
It sickens and angers me.

I hope no one would be so silly as to buy the VsNewton brand. To my eyes it is tainted forever.
Creating your own brand and designs is the way to go.

66

Ok, so I’ve been skimming through this and…how did we all find out? Did someone rat him out or did he just come out and say it himself?

67

Stuff like this tears me up.

I honestly have no doubts that this started with the best of intentions, but then ended up with a little taken here, and a little taken there leading to bad habits and more bad choices…

Heath,

I want you to know, I’m not mad at you. But I am sad. And I’m sure you are too. I hope that more than you being sad for getting caught, you’re sad at the broken trust and the missed opportunities to help people.

More-so, if you simply aren’t in a position to make this right and change the situation right away. Let us know.
Let us know a plan for what you can do to make this right. What timelines do you have?

Show us a plan for how much you can donate each month until this is paid back.

Is our trust broken? Yes. But I’d rather you restore that, than for us to lose a member of the community over this.
I’d rather not demand blood and jail time… I’d rather find ways that we can hold you accountable to make this right, and put you in a position to work hard to continue to make this right.

Please make restitutions and work hard to rectify this.

I don’t condemn you, but I don’t condone these actions (as I hope you don’t either)

Just know that just because you’ve hit a low-point, doesn’t mean there’s no hope. The hope is to make this right, redeem the situation, and be transparent about everything.

Dr. Yo-Yo said it best in that a heartfelt, contrite apology would have gone a lot further as a starting point than another cover-up.

I don’t want to shame you. You feeling bad, being publicly shamed, or being punished doesn’t bring back the loved ones we’ve lost to cancer.
You working hard and tirelessly to make restitutions doesn’t either… but your hard work can prevent further loss.

Please do the right thing.

Sincerely,

Adam E. Brewster

6 Likes
68

XminusmikeX, I would imagine that your intention was not to call anyone a rat for bringing this to light, but to answer your question, the pressure and questions about the incongruencies grew to a head and answers were demanded. Heath finally confessed.

69

WORD! And no, in this situation I would hope if someone other than Heath knew, I would hope they would have “ratted” him out.

70

Bro, Heath, I haven’t even met you and you still came off as a good guy. So I am here to ask: The fuck dude? I mean why? Why a cancer society? Just because of your actions, you have lost all popularity in your company, you lost your team, and pissed off a great load of people that have lost loved ones to cancer. If I were you, I would quit. I sorry dude, but you have gotten into too much shit to get your self back out of. :-\

71

You might want to reword that…

This may be a thread about “herp we all hate Heath derp”, but try and keep it clean

72

Heath:

This is my friend Luke.

http://www.circusperformers.com/sites/default/files/lukewilson_clubjuggler2.jpg

One month ago Luke was diagnosed with cancer. It was inoperable, and it spread incredibly fast. No treatments worked. He didn’t even tell any of us. And it all happened so fast, he never even got a chance to say goodbye.

Luke died this morning in a hospice center. I just found out.

I don’t care how much it inconveniences you, but you’d better find that money quick and get it where it was meant to go. You have absolutely no idea how much I hate you right now. And I honestly hope you never get a chance to find out.

17 Likes
73

And according to his feedback page he was still able to afford to buy a “LAZER TAG GUN WITH TV PLUG” on the 2nd of October*. Still buying toys when he owes 3 grand to charity…

I’ve always thought Heath came off like a good guy. Disorganised and unreliable, but good. Now it’s pretty clear at the very least he’s an habitual liar and possibly a straight out conman. With all the lies it’s hard to tell whether he simply made some stupid mistakes and lost his way, or whether he never quite had an honest way to begin with.

*Edit: Just checked the ebay listing again and noticed the auction actually ended on Aug 23 and it was only feedback that was left in October. Hopefully Heath is now actually using all his available cash to pay off his debt.

3 Likes
74

Just another reason to loose faith in humanity. I really do hate people more and more each day, and it’s because of reasons like this.

75

I wasn’t gonna post this, but i feel i need know.

I kinda looked up to heath in a way. I wanted to be just like him, grow up to be a yoyo maker, and an all around, fun guy. I thought heath was the coolest. I just don’t even know anymore. Why would he do this? How could anyone do this? I just don’t get it. It just all doesn’t make sense. Why would he di it? Why? I even kinda wanted to be sponsored by him, because i liked the company, and what it stood for. But now, I don’t even hardly want to yoyo. I recently lost my uncle to cancer, and it was a crushing blow to the family. It was so hard, some of my aunts and uncle’s got divorced, and like, just chaos was stirred up. I can’t believe Heath, good ol’, mustachioed Heath would do this. I can’t believe i actually looked up to this guy. Curse you Heath.

76

I don’t think it makes any sense to expect a person who’s demonstrated profound, repeated dishonesty over a period of several years to do something like this. Even if he went public with such a plan, who would believe that it had any legitimacy? Even in his most recent post, Heath claimed that he “disbanded” the VSYYC team, when it seems pretty clear from FB posts and the like that most/all of the team members left of their own accord.

When the guy responsible for the fraud is saying things like “as a result, i have stepped out of the yoyo making scene and have devoted my time to correcting this injustice,” it sounds less like “I want to make this right” and more like “I’m OJ Simpson and I’m looking for the real killer”.

I’d like to think, as some people have implied, that Heath was in over his head with this. I’d like to think that his actions weren’t out of malice, but out of incompetence (and dishonesty in the defense of said incompetence). At this point, though, who knows. Either way, I’m with Steve— he needs to donate the money, prove that he donated the money (at this point, screenshots hardly seem adequate), and deal with the inevitable legal consequences. He made the bed, and he needs to sleep in it.

77

I teared up as I read this. I’m sorry for your loss Steve.

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78

And you know, you guys can freely mention YoYoNation now that it’s no longer a store… And from what I remember, didn’t Heath start the Works thing on YYN (as Sottle mentioned)?

Anyway,

I was not involved with any of the charity drives as I had no desire to get Vs Newton yoyos or any from the auctions, but this drives me crazy. I am only young so I have not had the unfortunate experience of losing any of my friends and loved ones to cancer, but I don’t want that to happen in the future.

I am not the guy to judge a person just because others feel the same, but I can’t help but to do on this one. It’s really disgusting.

Even the small yo-yo community is not bulletproof from shady crooks, conmen, and thieves. So much has happened within the past year…and this is just ridiculous.

79

Oh wow, so Heath’s a massive douche. Awesome.

80

I am in shock.

Utter shock, I am disturbed too.

I lost my Aunt, GrandFather, Grandmother, and Uncle to forms of Cancer.

81

I totally agree with Steve. He needs to make good on his obligation ASAP. And sorry for your loss Steve, I didn’t know Luke Wilson, but I wish I had had a chance to meet him.