Nekton (Bad News)

[Ed Jackson1]

Don't feel too sorry for some of the employees. After I paid my deposit, they would not return phone calls or emails. I then set up a separate email account and pretended to be a new diver wanting to book a trip. They emailed me back immediately and said they had room but they needed my credit card ASAP. I posted the email in this thread under the name judy1997.

 

[mike_s]

yet another Nekton employee posting about not getting paid.....

new thread --> http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/wh...ekton-refusing-pay-employees-please-help.html

 

[leadweight]

It's sad to see Nekton end this way. I went with them three times and each cruise was very good.

 

[scubabarb]

so does anyone with business or legal knowledge know how this would apply for customers since Nekton is a New Mexico limited liability company with its principal place of business in Florida?

 

[DaveScuba]

so does anyone with business or legal knowledge know how this would apply for customers since Nekton is a New Mexico limited liability company with its principal place of business in Florida?

You could sue in either state, but ultimately the bankruptcy will leave no money for the customers.

 

[deepdiver4u]

I have read all of the posts about Nekton on this thread and others. Let me give a little information to keep things in the right perspective. First, John Dixon does not have any financial problems, He lives in a million dollar home, hase multiple expensive vehicles, has his own personal airplane (which he uses to fly his kids to California nearly every weekend for their sailing club.) The demise of Nekton is a direct result of pathetic management, misappropriation of funds, and flat out lies to customers and employees. Here is a little factoid about the back wages he owes his employees. As a rule, he kept his office staff paid up so they would keep coming to work. However, when it came to his boat crews, this did not happen. Here are a few numbers

Past and Current Captain's of the vessels: Exceeding $25,000
Past and Current Mates: Exceeding $15,000
Past and Current Engineers: Exceeding $15,000
Past and Current Chef's: Exceeding $5000
Past and Current DiveMaster Staff Exceeding $30,000

That's approximately $90,000!!!

Please keep in mind that the dive staff had salaries that started at $125 per week. The vast amount of wages owed come from the tips left by guests via credit card. These monies are not given to the staff, but again go to John Dixon to pad his own accounts.

Here is another little factoid. The way that John Dixon structures his business is designed to get out of having to pay staff or refund money to guests. Nekton Diving Cruises alone is broke into approximately 11 different entities!!!! Can you say "Weasel?"

And a last kicker of a factoid. John Dixon's wife Lynn has a significant trust fund from her family, making the Dixon family worth untold millions.

Ultimately the demise of Nekton can be somed up in a single, disgusting word.

Greed

 

[Doc]

Nice first post.

Have you read the Maldives thread?

 

[cappyjon431]

I have read all of the posts about Nekton on this thread and others. Let me give a little information to keep things in the right perspective. First, John Dixon does not have any financial problems, He lives in a million dollar home, hase multiple expensive vehicles, has his own personal airplane (which he uses to fly his kids to California nearly every weekend for their sailing club.) The demise of Nekton is a direct result of pathetic management, misappropriation of funds, and flat out lies to customers and employees. Here is a little factoid about the back wages he owes his employees. As a rule, he kept his office staff paid up so they would keep coming to work. However, when it came to his boat crews, this did not happen. Here are a few numbers

Past and Current Captain's of the vessels: Exceeding $25,000
Past and Current Mates: Exceeding $15,000
Past and Current Engineers: Exceeding $15,000
Past and Current Chef's: Exceeding $5000
Past and Current DiveMaster Staff Exceeding $30,000

That's approximately $90,000!!!

Please keep in mind that the dive staff had salaries that started at $125 per week. The vast amount of wages owed come from the tips left by guests via credit card. These monies are not given to the staff, but again go to John Dixon to pad his own accounts.

Here is another little factoid. The way that John Dixon structures his business is designed to get out of having to pay staff or refund money to guests. Nekton Diving Cruises alone is broke into approximately 11 different entities!!!! Can you say "Weasel?"

And a last kicker of a factoid. John Dixon's wife Lynn has a significant trust fund from her family, making the Dixon family worth untold millions.

Ultimately the demise of Nekton can be somed up in a single, disgusting word.

Greed

Once again I feel very badly for the guests who did not get refunded for their cruises that they never got to enjoy. I feel just as badly for crew who did not get their wages and tips they they no doubt earned and deserved. I was a crew member for many years and this ripping off of crew members is particularly indefensible.

Some of your "factoids" are just not correct. The private plane is a single prop four seater leased through Seagull Aviation and I have had the misfortune:depressed: of flying in that plane from Ft. Lauderdale to Mayaguana. It took us over 5 hours to get to Mayaguana. Weekend trips to California for sailing lessons for his kids kinda steps outside of the bounds of believability.

He does live in a very nice house, but his vehicles are in the company's name. I don't know how much longer he'll be driving the nice vehicles.

Lynn definitely comes from a moneyed family, but the family invested millions in the Nekton boats (the Pilot cost 6 million dollars to build, the Rorqual 8 million dollars to build) and the shipyard property. That family has lost millions on their investments. John did not have the start up capital to start the business, so he relied on these investors.

here is no doubt in my mind that the collapse of the company was caused by mismanagement (along with other circumstances), but if you are going to grind your axe on a public forum, please make sure your "factoids" are accurate. One time wonder posters with an obvious grudge don't have a lot of credibility in my book.

 

[deepdiver4u]

I too am a former employee of Nekton, starting nearly two yesrs ago. These "factoids" came directly from the horses mouth. As far as the airplane, he purchased a new one about two and a half years ago. This plane is much larger and capable of significantly longer flight times and large payloads. As far as John's extended family, it is true that they invested in the company, but not to the extent that you suggest. They provided start up money for the business, nothing more. Hence the multi million dollar mortgages on both of the boats.

I personally feel that an "honest business man and pillar of the community" that he purports himself to be would sell some of his many toys to cover at least some of the monies that he has, for lack of a better term, stolen from employees and customers.

Also, being referred to as a "One time wonder" greatly offends me. As a former employee, certainly I am upset with John about his treatment of his team, but I have provided nothing but VERIFIABLE facts. If you want to dispute these facts, please ensure that the facts you present are current and accurate.

 

[cappyjon431]

I too am a former employee of Nekton, starting nearly two yesrs ago. These "factoids" came directly from the horses mouth. As far as the airplane, he purchased a new one about two and a half years ago. This plane is much larger and capable of significantly longer flight times and large payloads. As far as John's extended family, it is true that they invested in the company, but not to the extent that you suggest. They provided start up money for the business, nothing more. Hence the multi million dollar mortgages on both of the boats.

I personally feel that an "honest business man and pillar of the community" that he purports himself to be would sell some of his many toys to cover at least some of the monies that he has, for lack of a better term, stolen from employees and customers.

Also, being referred to as a "One time wonder" greatly offends me. As a former employee, certainly I am upset with John about his treatment of his team, but I have provided nothing but VERIFIABLE facts. If you want to dispute these facts, please ensure that the facts you present are current and accurate.

I did not mean to offend, but most posters on Scubaboard frown on someone just signing up for an account to slam a person or business. As RoatanMan noted, you slammed someone on your very first post (perhaps you didn't understand his sarcasm not being a regular on the boards).

As far as the plane, your "factoid" is innacurate. I was on his plane in November, right after DEMA and I can tell you with certainty that this LEASED plane is in no way capable of going on "weekend trips to California." Do you have any more information on this alleged plane that he owns that can make these trips? Remember, you state that all of your facts are verifiable. Please verify.

Your information "from the horses mouth" is not supported with any evidence, only the word of someone who worked for the company for a relatively short time two years ago. I worked on the boat for eight years and in the office for two and i would venture to say I know a little more than you do about the initial investment in the company. You assert that Lynn's family only provided a little start up capital and not a significant amount of capital. How do you know this? I was working on the boat when it had been in the water for less than a year, I have met both John and Lynn's family and once again I would suggest I know a little bit more about the start up of the company than someone who started working on the boat as recently as two years ago.

I question where you get your figures on the crew tips that were withheld (remember, only check and credit card tips were withheld). Having worked on the boat for eight years, I know for a fact that tips averaged about $350/week, with charged tips/checks being a small portion of the overall tips. This is back in the day when Nekton went out with full charters and before occupancy rates significantly declined (which obviously causes a decrease in tips). Even assuming 50% charged tips on the average tip of $350/week/crew member (which is a stretch) for a crew of 12 the numbers just don't add up, unless crew members stuck around for YEARS without getting their tips/pay (who would do that?). Where did you get your numbers from? Please be more specific than "from the horses mouth" because if you are implying that JD is the source, I find it very doubtful that he would admit to crew members that such a significant amount of salary/tips were withheld.

Do you know for a fact that JD hasn't had to sell his vehicles/plane, etc. as a result of this business failure, or you only assuming that he is still riding around in fancy cars and planes? After his creditors, the IRS, etc. get through with him I don't know that he will be living quite so large. If you can prove otherwise, please share for us.

As a former employee of Nekon, I have no beef with you. I did it for a long time and while our experiences were very different, I do not doubt that you were wronged by the company in some way. I just think it is important that if you are going to come on here and slam someone that you are totally accurate in your claims. Claiming something is "from the horses mouth" doesn't mean that information is true or "verifiable." It's more akin to those "unamed sources" we read so many of in the tabloids.