For Whom The Belle Tolls
Once again, the power of the press has prompted a wealthy company to do right by the little people who trusted their money to it.
For Whom The Belle Tolls
Ronnie Polaneczky, Daily News Columnist
Once again, the power of the press has prompted a wealthy company to do right by the little people who trusted their money to it.
And once again, that wealthy company is CI Travel. Last December, the Norfolk, Va.-based outfit brought to Philly the Philadelphia Belle, a restaurant/catering paddleboat operation, docked at Penn's Landing, that went belly-up within six months.
The closing left many customers high and dry, none of whom could get answers from CI Travel about if or when they'd be reimbursed the thousands of dollars they'd paid in advance for events (weddings, fundraisers, group outings) aboard the Belle. Once I wrote about the fiasco in the Daily News, however (click here and here), customers got their money back. Which begs the question: Why does it take the intervention of the media for fat-cats to do right by the little people whose money they've taken?
Anyway, I thought I was done writing about the Belle, until the good people at The Center in the Park asked for help in getting a $1,640 refund from CI Travel for the fees paid by elderly Center members on fixed incomes. Lo and behold, after my story appeared, the Center was reimbursed.
Thank heavens the Daily News uses this magic wand only for good.
Alas, I can do nothing for the Belle's vendors, including Linens of the Week, which is owed ten grand, spokesman Shelton Marchman tells me. Last week, the company received this form letter (PDF), sharing the news that the Belle was out of money and would not be paying any of its creditors. It directed vendors to contact Norfolk attorney Lawrence Glanzer with any questions but included only a P.O. address for them to do so.
Gosh, CI Travel, could you make it any harder for those you've screwed to find you?
So, for what it's worth, below is contact info for Glanzer. I provide it not just for vendors who want answers but for customers who've not yet contacted me about their financial losses. I'm getting weary of doing CI Travel's work for them. At least, I presume, Glanzer's firm is getting paid.
Glanzer can be reached at 757-383-7937 and glanzer@rlglegal.com.
I feel for anyone who's lost money in the 6 month tour of the Philadelphia Belle. The same mini-drama occured up the river in Burlington in the past year when the paddlewheeler Liberty Belle (must be something about a boat named Belle) one day upped and left Burlington, leaving behind some people who paid money for a wedding, I believe. The boats' owners also stiffed Burlington City in mooring fees and electrical fees. Lesson to be learned: do not invest your money in any long term arrangements with any floating tour vessel on the Delaware River!
Ah, the right to start, and fail, at business. Be wary, folks, of the new kid on the block!— Ben Fan
Anyone know where The Liberty Belle went?— hgmt- The Liberty Belle went down the river and changed it's name to the Philadelphia Belle. Same boat, same stiffs. — NJSmith
- The Liberty Belle was (is) a smaller faux paddle wheeler then the bigger Philadelphia Belle. It left Burlington last year. When reporters caught up to the owner, he stated his boat was in drydock in Baltimore, awaiting ship repairs and that once repairs were complete he was heading back to Burlington to resume operations. That never happened......different owners, same philosophy of stiffing paid customers........— DelawareRiverRat
When my phone rings here at the Daily News, nine times out of ten the caller begins the conversation with, “Yeah, so what happened was…”.
Because this is Philly, the caller doesn’t say, “My name is Bob” – or Mary – “and I wonder if I could have a moment of your time?” Philadelphians are too direct for that. They just say, “Yeah, so what happened was…”, and then tumble into a tale they think oughta be shared with a wider audience. I love getting these calls (even the ones where it becomes clear, after 30 seconds, where the caller sowed the seeds of his own misery), because they give me chance to connect with fellow citizens in a way that no other job allows. Well, okay, no other job for which I’m remotely qualified.
That’s why my blog is titled “So What Happened Was…”. To me, it’s the quintessentially Philly way of saying, “Once upon a time.” When I hear it, I know a good story is coming. And I can’t wait to see how it turns out.
Ronnie Polaneczky has been an award-winning columnist for The Philadelphia Daily News since 1999, offering a front-steps perspective on every aspect of city life, from the sublime to the stupid. In her past life, she was the editor-in-chief of Atlantic City Magazine, associate editor at Philadelphia Magazine and a fulltime freelancer published in Ladies Home Journal, Good Housekeeping, Redbook, Reader's Digest, Men's Health, MarieClaire and others. She lives with her husband, daughter and various pets in the city's Fairmount section, where she dreams of one day singing The National Anthem at an Eagles game. In addition to her column and blog, you can enjoy Ronnie's musings in podcast form here.
Read more from Ronnie Polaneczky at Earth to Philly, the Daily News blog on anything and everything "Green
Reach Ronnie at polaner@phillynews.com.
