Part 5: Aftermath & General Practice

In late August, I created a new account and revisited Twitter. Not my preferred window into the communities, yet many artists use it exclusively, so it's worth a look on occasion. One such artist being Zaros, who's work I remembered fondly, but had not seen since his existence on YouTube. In all that time, I could only recall his enduring satisfaction and gratitude to Oz for his suit. He refused to say anything to the contrary, so thus became his testimony. However doubtful it seemed after my own, his experience with Oz was "to my skeptical understanding", the best he'd ever enjoyed, out of a dozen or so suits he's ever commissioned...

Therefor, can you imagine my astonishment to see this?

While most other inflation fanatics where probably feeling a sharp stab in their guts to behold, it is no great difficulty for me to confess "as one influenced by his unboxing video"; I smirked like the devil on finding this post. After my own experience with Oz, I could have guessed Zaros's glowing showcase of Squeak Latex was a joke. Yet never would I have dared to dream that he would actually deliver, to us all, the punch line.

Those where my immediate, honest sentiments as one fellow client who sought his own experience and was probably spurned. It felt good to know he got screwed over too. Yet, before I committed to that opinion, I did at least hear his side of the story, as he offered in his corresponding video. So I watched, and I "even I", could not laugh at that. While I exercised patience in my contact with Oz, I always thought myself too cautious in the back of my mind. Too soft, not to push for prompter service, or mention the problems with my order. After the fact, I ascribed my caution and fear for what Oz might say or do to the irrational fears of an star-struck fan; that I suspected wrongly of a kind, talented individual... It's chilling to see my suspicions confirmed.

We know, from Pablo Picasso, that a great artist does not necessarily make a great person. Now we know, from Oz Kangaroo, that it neither makes a great businessman. Verily, I make no judgments of Oz as a person; I don't know him as a person. I do however know him as one most certainly unfit to run a business. You may recall, dear reader, my earlier suggestion; if I where going to run a business dishonorably, I would at least prioritize my clients by order of their influence. That he would have any client —let alone one who commands a following of thousands— begging "please don't ", as though locked with them in a vicious domestic dispute, I can scarcely believe Oz would be THAT stupid.

I could understand such outburst of emotion —I would never excuse it, but could still understand it— if Oz where slaving away in putting the suits together himself... If he where a chef in his own restaurant, and he put in the time and effort, all day, every day, to assemble high quality dishes from scratch, I could empathize with Oz's grief. I could understand his upset when Zaros refuses a crown roast of lamb and sends it back because Oz forgot one manchette on the bones. I could even understand if Oz yells a curse through the order window after a long shitty day, for a great dish he still put his heart into. Instead, Oz is pulling T.V. dinners out of the freezer and blasting them in the microwave. He's charging $40 for what costs $10 in a grocery store. The first tray, Zaros sent back because it had rocks in it, so Oz picks them out and sells it to another guest. The second tray, Oz leaves sitting in the microwave while he's busy fooling around on FetLife. Zaros sat down at 6 P.M. and does not walk out because he's heard such great things about Oz's food. Yet by 11:45, when he complains "What the Hell is going on?", Oz threatens to throw him out on the street...

Chef Oz! Look for his face on a can, next time you're in the pasta aisle.

As for Zaros, I might have felt angry towards his false portrayal, and refusal to advise. Yet by his previous aptitude to speak his mind on other suit makers, I don't believe him the sort to purposefully deceive. Instead, I think my anger, and disgust, is better directed at that which should encourage such silence. Sure enough, Zaros received this reply, soon after he posted his tweet...

...I've been a fan of Oz for a over a decade, yet here I am; denouncing his service, without threatening anyone's life. Perhaps fellow fans should try doing business with Oz before defending his company... It's strange to admit but, what's most embarrassing about the inflation community "of all things", is the lack of openness, honesty and tolerance among members; that we can't criticize, or even question a relevant business without fear of being chastised, ostracized, shunned, and other such petty nonsense...

Also, though however belated to give warning, I do still thank Zaros for his initiative in coming forward with his experience at all. I'm grateful, because his information answered for me a most nagging question; Why did Oz never respond to my custom request?

Until this, I was under the impression that Oz prefers custom orders, which he may showcase, to promote his service. Here, to my surprise, I see what a great misunderstanding I labored under, all that time. I felt abashed to place such a bland, unimaginative order on first contact. Little did I know, it was exactly the sort of order to steal Oz's heart; he didn't have to lift a finger, but to take my money. So once again, looking back on my final email, my suspicions are confirmed. When Oz opened my last email, he must have hissed at it, recoiled and shielded his face, like a vampire opening shutters mid-day. I know he didn't miss it. I don't think he misses any email. I know Oz took one look at my email, said "To Hell with this fucker!", then tore it up and threw it over his shoulder. This is why Oz is a terrible businessman; because he cares more about his clout than he dose his sales. Such attitude is far more to his detriment than it ever could be to me. I was clay in his hands. He could have shaped me any way he pleased. Instead, in his frustration, Oz threw me on his carpet, as though I could never leave a stain. This could have all been easily avoided, if not for another dereliction on the job. Another "excuse" no doubt, he would have tried to sell me...

"Oh, I didn't see it. Oh, I overlooked it. I'm sorry. Oh, I got hung up; 8 funerals to attend this week, 15 the next. Oh, I was busy traveling; first furry to Mars, you see. Oh, I had a terrible order to deal with; the factory sent me the workers instead of the suits. Oh, a tornado came ripping through my neighborhood! Cars overturned, bodies in the trees! How can you expect me to work like this?!"

There is no excuse, between Heaven and Hell, for missing my last two emails. So many have already told Oz "communication is key". At this point, I would say communication, for him, is the holy grail; just as beneficial, yet just as obtainable. He can't do it. He just can't strap the fuck in and do his job. He can't stop portraying four or five different characters across twenty websites. He can't stop sneaking off to conventions at the most inopportune moments. And when he dose check his emails "bi-monthly", he can't ditch the dry eraser board next to his computer, upon which is written his list; "Excuses of the Day".

Instead of excuses, or petulant rejection, here's how Oz should have responded to my last email...

"Hello Natalis,

I'm very sorry, but I'm not taking any custom orders at this time. I can't do anything more to the Michelin suit than what I've already suggested. If there's any other suit you have your eyes on, I'd be more than happy to get you into it, right away.

Let me know what you think. Once again, I'm sorry for the inconvenience.

And if you have any other questions, yada yada yada...

Kind regards,

Oz"

THAT'S IT! That's all he had to tell me, and I would have been waddling around my house today, fat as a hippo, in the Huge X Suit! Not only would Oz have profited from another easy and lucrative sale, but he would have pacified me from ever rising against him. Like I said, the Huge X Suit was my next choice, and I still would have ordered one at the time. Consequently, I would have never made this article. I couldn't have even opened my mouth, for the sake of defending my investment. Zaros would have posted his video two months after, and I sure as Hell wouldn't have been laughing. I would have been absolutely ashamed to double down on Squeak Latex, while Oz would have been sitting in the international receiving bay he calls a studio, counting my money. But no; instead, Oz thought it wise to take the childish approach. I know from his end, he's "at most" deleting my email; out of sight, out of mind. From my end, Oz slammed his door in my face, leaving me stand there with a sabotaged suit and a sloppy, asthmatic hood, expecting me to go away and keep quiet like everyone ells. Welp...

I'm sure Oz would jump to the conclusion that this article "and any subsequent discourse", is the sole fault of Zaros and his video; the biggest whistle anyone ever blew on Squeak Latex. Well, during the early, frustrating stages of placing my order, I was already contemplating some sort of review. Something I never had, that was so scarce, which dispassionate, undecided buyers could use. When it became apparent that my suit was secured, I lost interest to bother. So, I resolved to forget and move on. While Zaros's own account might have inspired me to reconsider, I still didn't see the need. Someone had published a more captivating, more concise review than I ever could, so I felt the need was finally satisfied. That would have been my conclusion, if not for one detail of Oz's misconduct, which ultimately drove me to do this. It doesn't matter who revealed it or how. Oz chose to do it, so made the video AND this article inevitable. It's the exact same decision Oz made which pushed Zaros over the edge, for which Oz only has himself to blame. That being;

Attempting to destroy a client's evidence.

While for Zaros, this was the straw to break the camel's back, I take it as the torpedo that sank the Lusitania. I am enraged by this. It makes me severely angry, as one who desperately searched for any sort of advice or review, for weeks, months, years before placing an order. As one who wanted to be sure before risking their hard earned money, as AvWuff did. That's why I'm pushing my information into public view with haste; because now I know for sure that Oz would have destroyed it also, if given the chance. The goal of this article to inform, not retaliation. Nevertheless, Oz should rue the day he chose such a feeble, unscrupulous attempt to avert criticism, so long overdue.

Of course, Oz will see no blame in himself. He has a funny way of perceiving consequence and penalty as a ruthless personal attack, which I'm sure will undo this article "or others", as any sort of wake up call, for his benefit. I knew this during my order with Oz, when YouTube banned his channel because they began regarding inflation oriented content as inappropriate fetish material, unfit for a general, profitable audience. While the deletion of channels appeared outwardly bigoted on YouTube's part, I suspect a random troll was selectively reporting Oz and Zaros's channels, since similar but lesser channels are still up and running at this time. When it comes to trolls, they usually only target the biggest, brightest beacon of what they hate. That's all they can see with their underdeveloped, T-Rex vision. Someone hated furry inflation, so they reported Oz and Zaros's channels, which was only the top of that particular pyramid. A company, on the other hand, may not have the power to audit millions of accounts on their own websites, but they will behead any such account which violates a zero tolerance policy, if turned in. It doesn't matter what form the violation takes; they will destroy it if someone complains.

I don't know the great emotional distress Oz experienced in having so many cherished memories taken away from him. Nevertheless, I was still a little surprised by his conclusion, which he disclosed publicly...

Whether Alphabet Inc. concerns itself with anything other than the all-mighty dollar, I needn't wonder. Yet in the case that Oz may somehow think the same of what I say here, I wish to affirm now, with absolute solemnity, such sentiments are NOT what motivate this article. I have no objections to Oz's lifestyle, sexuality or nationality whatsoever... On the contrary, I would have Oz know that I greatly admire Australia, for a great number of reasons; it's history, it's culture and, of course, it's natural gifts "of beauty rich and rare". I admire furries; I don't think anyone contributes more to the inflation community, or does so better than them. Inflation is my first interest (the one I was "born" to), but has also been a gateway to others. Even without that connection, I've really grown to enjoy the fandom over the years. Though I have little to show for it, I love to partake as a furry myself on occasion. It really is a fun outlet if one knows how, and gives it a chance. And of course, as a life-long fan of film, art and other entertainment, my respect and gratitude for gay individuals predates my discovery of Oz... Yet for the most part, it was Oz who first influenced me so...

Oz was my positive first impression. It's because of him that I enjoy all these things today. The only issue I take from Oz now in such regard are those same positive perceptions he has impressed upon me for years, which he is now tearing asunder. It really is heart breaking to see. Even as far back as when I first discovered him, I didn't yet fully understand what a furry was at the time but "Whatever they are...", I honestly thought back then, "...Oz must be the greatest of them all.".

Still, as a long time admirer of his work, and also one fond of my own country, I was flattered and delighted when I learned Oz had chosen a life in the United States over his own native land. At the time, I "for one", would have welcomed this bright and talented son of Australia to the United States most graciously, if given the chance. Nothing has changed that (not even the ghastly rumors of his means to do so). It is still my happy pleasure to welcome Oz as warmly today; him, his partner Mozee, his exceptionally unique enterprise, his prolific contributions to all communities concerned and, of course, his adorable fursona. I really do mean all that, most sincerely... Having said that, it also my reluctant displeasure that I formally introduce Oz to the characteristic disposition of a typical brazen American, as one might imagine…

Squeak Latex is a rip-off!... RIP-THE-FUCK-OFF!!!

As I will demonstrate, that's nothing to do with personal matters. It's strictly business...

In the time preceding my order, when Squeak Latex had returned to operation, I did stop to question "among other things", the validity of it's prices. At that time, I reasoned it was fair, on the understanding that it's customer service and quality control (not necessarily the products themselves), exceeded that of any inflatable latex gear market I have previously dealt with. After my dissatisfaction with both, I think it important to contemplate what I and other clients of Oz are really paying for. I'll use the Big Blowup Suit as the example.

One must question; "What dose it actually cost to produce a Big Blowup Suit in China?" What is it's true, unadulterated value? It is difficult to surmise an exact price, as it may vary from one manufacturer to another, and we don't know who Oz hires at present. However, we do know who Oz has hired in the past. Thanks to a purloin email provided by AvWuff, we know Oz once regarded Latex Catfish as a suitable production team for Squeak Latex. Unlike Squeak Latex who operates as an intermediate entity, Latex Catfish is a manufacturing company who produces their own goods in-house. When one buys from Latex Catfish, they are buying directly from the manufacturer and paying the manufacture's fee. Therefore, we can use Latex Catfish as a model to estimate what Oz likely pays to have his suits produced. Latex Catfish produces and sells the Big Blowup Suit as well (also purloin). The base price they demand for it at present is $425.00 USD...

By that account, I can deduce that Oz pays something similar. I do take into consideration that Oz pays the fees to have his batches shipped to him, from China, and perhaps other "hidden" fees as well. Therefore, in fairness "and for my convenience", I'll raise the estimated, example cost of manufacturing the Big Blowup Suit for Oz to an even $500.

Supposing Oz pays $500 to have the Big Blowup Suit produced, that would mean he made a profit of $1,050, give or take, off my purchase; a profit of 105%. How much of this margin is actually fair? Well, all of it, if you look at it from the shoes of a small business owner. Profit is the bottom line, and a margin of 105% is to die for. Depending on the number of his commissions, Oz could easily make a comfortable living off Squeak Latex alone. Yet what about what's fair to the client? For the inflated price, what does one gain from Squeak Latex, for $1,550, that they could not have gained from Latex Catfish? I'm tempted to pay the $425 and find out, but for now, I'll simply reiterate my expectations for agreeing to Oz's price; I expected quality control, good communication, truthful advertising and discreet shipping. I was only afforded the shipping. Of course, that was the only expectation wherein I made a specific request. Should I have requested quality, communication and accuracy also? Would I have gotten them then? That I apparently bought one suit for the price of three, I'm given to wonder where my money has gone. I don't see it anywhere on the suit... I understand this may be someone's living, and means to survive, yet as my eyes are drawn to the inexplicable kangaroo now standing beside me "his pouch bulging with cash", I find myself pausing to think again, with a puzzled face... What is fair?

I do believe Oz is due appropriate royalties for his designs. I would not deny him that. After all, the Big Blowup Suit will always be a worthy design in my eyes. Let's say 60%. I think that's fair. At $600 a suit, Oz could be lazy, sell 4-6 suits and still make $2,400-$3,600 a week, give or take the style of suit, as well as accessories in addition. If Oz dedicates a bit more effort "as a small business owner should ", he could sell and earn even more. As for the remaining funds of $450, that should be allocated towards superior quality. Quality such as custom fitting (partial at least, where it counts), thorough inspection, or better secondary materials, such as zippers or valves. I doubt $450 could buy all these inprovments, but I'm sure it could have at least afforded one of them. Now for me; for the Big Blowup Suit itself ($500 for material and labor, $600 in royalties to Oz, and an additional premium of $450 atop that), I received a smelly, unfitted suit with a catastrophic seam flaw in both shoulders.

While I'm sure the workers who put my suit together where cruelly underpaid for their labor, the final product is still not worth $1,500. That value not in the material either. I shan't accept the incessant explanation that such price is somehow justified by the cost of latex... Come on; It's latex, not vicuña... And repugnant latex at that! Honestly, I don't recall the salesman in Sunset Boulevard asking "Well as long as the lady's paying for it, why not get the cheep, stinking latex?" Consider it like so; The Big Blowup Suit weighs about 7 lb / 3.2 kg (That may include the hood. I'm just referring to the weight listed on the box it shipped in.). You, dear reader, could go to a party store, or online, buy 7 lb worth of 12" latex balloons (my suit and hood's weight in latex), and you would pay roughly $170 for all of them. You know why? Because those balloons weren't nearly as difficult to make. Most of the value of latex clothing is usually for the labor and skill that goes into it, especially if cheap, sub-par latex is employed. While my $1,870 order may only value $170 in mystery latex alone, one or more people where also possibly payed only $330 to put it together for me, and it shows.

You know, there was a time when, if one participant of this particular community wanted to have a good laugh, they needed look no further than reviews of Latex Catfish orders. Oz would have likely agreed. He probably would have piss his pants with laughter at my product review "if he didn't know that suit was actually his". Compared to all accounts that I've sought over the years —as Oz has always encouraged potential buyers to do— my order from Squeak Latex equates to a Latex Catfish order, on an average day. Not even a good day; average... You know, it's funny; despite all my new suit covers, I feel stripped naked somehow...

Am I stupid? …Was I stupid, or greedy, or arrogant to think I would "or even should", get something better for over $1,000 more? Oz must have thought so. I apparently scared him away after only my third message to him. I confounded him, that someone would actually enquire about the quality and stability of his suits; if they could perform as he presents them. Scandalous of me, wasn't it? "How dare I question the quality of a Squeak suit?!"... A $1,500 suit, that Oz doesn't even trust himself. And why should he?

It looks as though all Oz dose in his "quality control ", is make sure the product is ready for the camera. The suit will "work", as soon as one gets it, but no matter how happy or exited when they open the box and see their suit, that joy and enthusiasm will die off quickly when all the hidden problems begin to surface. Not because it merely happens but "for the price they payed", it shouldn't happen. For what I payed, I absolutely expected professional communication, prompt service and quality control, if not quality construction. The problem of water seeping into the suit's inner chamber; I've never had that happen with my first suit from eBay, and I virtually traded grain to get it. At the very least, my Big Blowup Suit should have been made to measure. Even my eBay suit offered some form of custom fitting option.

While service and quality suffers greatly, I'm convinced that Oz is financially doing very well for himself; that, thanks to the imbalance between profit and improvement, he may cherry-pick who he sells to. When he initially granted me a second order, it was at his pleasure, because I was still on his good side. Yet when I made the mistake of requesting such a complex custom order, it must have recalled from his suppressed memories, such horrible flashbacks of the "yoyo personality" of other clients (what ever the Hell that means), and so he snubbed me (someone who never challenged him, who waited patiently, who made their payment promptly and in full), only for that one mistake. How was I supposed to know Oz wasn't taking custom orders anymore? The service still occupies one third of the gallery space on his website, to this day! Oz must be misappropriating a handsome sum that he can run his ramshackle service like an exclusive gentleman's club.

Even from the moment I opened the box and saw nothing but my suit, stuffed into a little sandwich baggie. Oz could have spruced up the presentation of the delivery. Forget the business card. For an order of $1,870 total, it should have come with a goodie bag (perhaps some cleaning supplies and a bottle of shine). That's not so much to ask. The fursuit maker "Lemonbrat"; I've seen unboxing videos of orders from them, which cost a fraction of mine, contain a generous amount of extras. Sure, most often cheep trinkets, but the thought really dose count. Consider the thought "or lack thereof", that preceded dumping my suit in an empty UPS box, so he could "get it off to me", as he put it. Again, I'm grateful to Oz for following my instruction of discretion. Still, the thought of Oz impatiently rushing to the UPS store in his car, with only the bear bundle of my suit riding shotgun is so discouraging, it's not even funny.

Oz could have also included instructions, for preserving such expensive gear. For example, the latex clothing company "Regulation", includes a guide for latex care with each order "great or small". Information regarding latex care is so often overlooked, especially in the case of newer users. In the case of inflatable latex, the information is even more elusive. Here's a thought; for inflatable suits, I think a guide or instructions for care and preservation a great idea, as something Oz could author for us. Who hath more knowledge, or more experience on the subject? Who could impart more tips and advice to help us take care of our inflatable latex gear than one of the communities foremost pioneers? For goodness sake, just print it on a piece of paper and put it in the box!

At this point, one of the better aspects of Squeak Latex's service I can attest to is that I did at least get something; that Oz did not just take all my money and run, like the scoundrel he's been accused of. I gather, from how many times he, *ahem* "offered", to refund Zaros his money, Oz might have learned a very valuable lesson from AvWuff, not to fuck with other people's dough. Then again, it might have been the only aspect of that particular order in which Oz had any sort of clarity regarding influence.

Don't misunderstand; my Big Blowup Suit will still serve it's purpose, and I may eventually get my enjoyment's worth out of it, just as I did with my first suit. Yet for the price I payed, vs. what I received, this is not a purchase I'm particularly proud of, or would care to flaunt. If I was the sort to show my collection off to friends, I wouldn't point to my Big Blowup Suit and brag...

"Bro, you see my Squeak suit over there! Yeah, dude! My very own Squeak suit! I managed to snag one! I know dude, it's awesome! OMG! Worth every penny, trust me... Hey, wanna see how big you can get? Of course, get in! Dude just wait, you'll get your own, I'm not even joking!"

No; the conversation would go more something like this...

"Oh, that? Yeah, well, um, that one's from uh... squeak latex. Nah, it's from uh, back during their scalper days, and uh, I had to do all this to it, um, to fix it, and make it work, but still... Huh? Wha-no! No, I didn't pay that much for it, eh-heh... Uh, I think I, bought it off someone ells, for cheap."

Speaking of pride; there's one further point of inadequacy. Something I thought rather pedestrian for the "renowned" Squeak Latex brand, is the lack of any form of actual "branding" on it's items. Consider other latex producers of a similar product and price range. Companies such as "Cocoon" or even "AngelDis", back in the day; their products are visibly branded in some way...

It's a mark of pride when latex makers do this. A token of confidence in their own product. Done in anticipation of their work leaving a strong, positive impression on potential buyers, based upon what they see and experience of the gear in person... IN PERSON... Not what they see staged on YouTube or twitter. The infinitesimal cost of a little rubber tag is of no consequence whatsoever on a maker's desire to place it, and Oz is no exception. Why not he? Consider what Oz expressed in that final message he ever cared to send me; his suits are a "fantasy come true". Doesn't Oz want all the friends of his clientele to know how to have their inflatable fantasies come true also? It's real easy; just put $1,500 under your pillow for the suit fairy, and you'll wake up six months later with a box full of rubber. Truly, the envy of the inflation community... Do you think, dear reader, that the reason Oz did not even include his business card with my order? For pride in his work?

Oh, with soft shimmering eyes and heartfelt smile would Oz lovingly stamp his company's name upon the big puffy ass of every suit he produces, before sending them off with care, to their lucky new owners... IF, he where so proud as he pretends to be. There's no pride in what he dose; ordering, receiving and shipping inferior suits, made by someone ells. When he dumped that suit in a box, Oz knew there was no "fantasy" coming my way. I wouldn't be surprised if he tried to completely disown my suit; claiming he had nothing to do with it. In deed, if not for the evidence I've provided, he could easily do so.

Considering it's similarities in quality to suits from other Chinese manufacturers, one might not be able to identify my Big Blowup Suit as a Squeak Latex suit. Except, maybe by the style of valve on the suit's left leg, which is apparently unique to the company, there is nothing to distinguish my Squeak Latex suit from just another Chinese bootlegged inflatable latex catsuit, from eBay, Catfish, etc... Do you, dear reader, still agree that $1,500 is a fair price for the Big Blowup Suit? Please don't be afraid to say yes. Above is only my reasoning to disagree. I know, it may not be yours. If you do say yes "that it's still a fair bargain, for both Oz and client", then so be it. But if so, then I must ask the question... How about $1,700?

At the time I am putting this article together, I've noticed on the Squeak Latex website that Oz has finally included prices which accompany the corresponding items. This is certainly an improvement "from a step backwards in 2020". He also includes a section which lists the color options. Though, to my astoundment, I see he's raised the price of the Big Blowup Suit considerably...

Has anyone ever taken notice of Squeak Latex's soring prices? I can't be the only one who was disappointed by the increase on Oz's return to business. Why is Oz raising his prices so rapidly? It doesn't correspond with any sort of improvement. How much, and how quickly, has the price of Squeak Suits increased since their introduction? I'll use my favorite suit once again as the example.

The earliest appearance I can find of the Big Blowup Suit is on October the 7th of 2010. At that time, the original price for the suit was $620. The first increase I can find occurred between August and September of 2012, rising to $720. Then again in 2014, to $800 (the earliest price I can personally remember). Then once more in 2017, to $900, before Oz took his break. I don't know exactly what it was on the day of his return in 2020, but I have the price he disclosed to me on September 19, 2021, of $1,550. Finally, we have the current price as of 2022's forth quarter, of $1,700. Using all this available data, a visual demonstration of the Big Blowup Suit's rise in price may be arranged...

I would have preferred to include the example of Latex Catfish's Big Blowup Suit and it's change of production cost over time. Sadly, Latex Catfish has recently changed websites, which makes tracking down that information difficult. However, it's not likely to have differed much before now, if it was once to Oz's satisfaction. If anything, it could have only been less than the $425 it is now.

I could play Devil's advocate, and suggest good intentions; that Oz is accumulating wealth and putting it aside for the purpose of making big and much needed improvements to Squeak Latex. If that is his plan, or if he can offer some more worthy explanation, then I invite Oz to please share it with us, because I will not consider it otherwise. I've already presumed Oz's innocence by placing an order, and he's proven himself guilty by what he sent me.

As it stands, the only likely reason for his price gouging is that Oz merely wants to test the limits of what he can plunder from new, uninformed buyers. After all, Oz doesn't have to price his items competitively; he has no direct established competition. So, he's become a barnacle on the inflation community; feeding off his fellow members. Taking advantage of the ignorance of people who do not recall what his items once cost, nor consider the true value of the Chinese made rubber suits he's selling them. What ells could it be? Is there some additional factor I've fail to consider? Dose Oz pay an extra contractual fee to the Chinese factory he employs? Has he come into some serious personal financial trouble (which he need not elaborate)? Is he giving to charity? …Help me understand; why should I tolerate paying so much premium if I get nothing better for it?

Again, I try my utmost to respect Oz's position. Squeak Latex is a business, that needs to ever improve it's profit like any other. That's Oz's bottom line, and it's a fair one. He was already doing wisely as a small business; offering something which no one ells does. Yet if this is the strategy he's choosing to employ, then I would offer Oz the same kindly advice he gave to me...

"Whilst I know you want to over inflate your prices. Please understand that is done so at your own risk of rupturing your profit."

When it comes to retail, Oz must heed the client's bottom line also, which dose not concern itself with due royalties, or overhead, or even living expenses. Once the facts are known, and placed on the scale, the only thing a potential client will ask themselves is "Why pay $1,700, when I could pay $425 for the exact same thing?". Believe me when I say, dear reader; I regret not asking that myself. The latter would not have satisfied my principles, but the former has betrayed my loyalty. I tried to do what was right. I supported the original creator. I always knew that would not be the easy decision, but never in a million years would I have thought it could be the wrong one. In all probability, Catfish would have been the better, fairer option. Faster, too...

And yet, I wish there was but one more option, better still...