Anyone know how to contact the folks from RENDEZ-VOUS 3D? I got an e-mail from them but their site has been taken down.
When I went to see their site, I get -

This site is administratively disabled. Please call Bondware Inc at 615-333-7775 for assistance.*

The e-mail roughly says that it's the end of the line for the RV3D boutiques because people aren't buying stuff and Bondware isn't honoring its contract and isn't delivering what it promised.

To access Rendez-vous 3D via the Web, point your browser to
http://www.rendez-vous3d.com/index.ez

Section: information

LES BOUTIQUES RENDEZ-VOUS 3D PRENNENT FIN
C'est la fin des boutiques sur Rendez-vous 3D. En effet, les ements se
pripitent :

• Les membres n'achent pas les produits des boutiques et le site n'est donc
  pas rentable.
• Le fournisseur Bondware alias Renderosity n'honore pas le contrat loyalement
  et dans les rles et nous fournit une solution drad par rapport ce qui
  nous avait promis pour la marketplace.

Fort de ce constat, il est clair que nous n'avons plus la trorerie nessaire
pour pouvoir continuer faire vivre ce site de 3500 membres

• Nous remercions tous les boles, les artistes et les marchands qui ont
  contribuanimer ce site pendant plus de 6 mois.

• Nous remercions tous ceux qui ont cru dans une communaut3D Francophone
  diffente.

• Nous exprimons notre peine tous nos dracteurs, en leur disant qu'il ait
  inutile de nous jeter la pierre.

• Nous nous en remettons aux vrais amateurs de 3D et leur gositbr> financie pour que les forums et galeries de ce site continuent d'exister.

http://www.rendez-vous3d.com/news.ez?viewStory=171
N'hitez pas faire un don ...

**Vous pouvez manifester votre opinion soit :

• En laissant un message dans nos forums

• Par email en cliquant ici soutien RDV3D
  http://www.rendez-vous3d.com/news.ez?viewStory=197

Attached Link: http://www.poserfashion.net/

I know that earlier this morning they had a page that I think was asking for volunteer donatations to help keep the site alive (I don't speak French so I am depending on a very poor computer translation...I could be way off the mark). There should be some people here who are members...I know Serge Marck of PoserFashion posted his beautiful free clothes there.

Ugh it would be terrible to lose access to Serge Marck's stuff!

Here is a rough translation of the message: Rendez-Vous 3D Store Closed It is the end of the shops on Rendez-Vous 3D Indeed, the events precipitate: - the members do not buy the products of the shops and the site is thus not profitable. - the supplier Bondware alias Renderosity does not honour the contract honestly and in the rules and provides us a degraded solution compared to what had been promised to us for the marketplace. Extremely of this report, it is clear that we do not have any more the treasury necessary to be able to continue to make live this site of 3500 members - We thank all the voluntary ones, the artists and the merchants who contributed to animate this site during more than 6 months. - We thank all those which believed in a community 3d different Francophone. - We express our sorrow with all our detractors, in their saying that it was useless to throw us the stone. - We rely to truths amateurs from 3d and their financial generosity so that the forums and galleries of this site continue to exist.

Gosh, if they need help it might benefit them to put their newsletter in English as well as French...I got 2 emails from them this morning and had no idea what was going on because it's all in French...I just deleted it...with help like me, no wonder they are going under!

I think if you start a business you shouldn't be asking for contributions to keep it open...sorry. If it was a site just for folks to meet and share ideas and freebies or whatever I can see it. But not a business. And I see nothing in that letter that allows for any blame to fall on themselves, appears they are only blaming other people. Could be wrong but then I only have their own words to go by. Marque

I'll echo what Dizzie said. Apparently they were only interested in marketing to the French-speaking market ... rather short-sided for a business IMO.

illusions, I wasn't knocking that they were French but making a point that their POTENTIAL target audience (as well as the other ones you mentioned) is significantly reduced. As a business, it would have been a prudent strategy to capture as much of the potential audience as possible. Sorry if I offended you.

I don't think we really know enough to speculate on a solution, but the problem may have been asking for help too late. Timing is everything in any venture. As for it being in French, I don't speak a word of it and that didn't stop me from signing up on the site and looking around. I admit I didn't buy from the marketplace, but I might have had they had a marketing outreach that let me know what they had that was uniquely theirs, and that there was a way for me to buy and feel secure about how the transaction would be handled. We have seen English sites fold up and disappear...I suspect at least some of those were related to finances. It's a difficult area to make money on...for a lot of reasons.

The problem at Rendez-Vous 3D was that a lot of products were available on other sites like 3D Commune or here at Renderosity. So people who don't speak French had no reason to buy these products at RV3D, since they could find them, for an example here. On the other hand, if I remember correctly, Bondware imposed the use of French only at RV3D. So they couldn't use a multi-language option like a lot of boutiques online use on the net. Sorry about my broken English, I'm French, not from Europe, but from Canada...And yes, I was a member at RV3D...:-) Regards

If they did enforce an English ban, then one can guess that Bondware probably didn't want them competing directly with Renderosity.

Well. I'll just say that it is sad that they are no longer there. I hope it is only temporary, that they will be able to restructure somehow and find their place in the global market. Surely there must be some place for a French forum and marketplace on the web for 3d artists. Bonne chance. Q