Not every business is a success no matter how well or poorly it is run.
I don't believe Ian set out to screw anyone intentionally, it is unfortunate that it ended this way.
s**t happens, get over it.
I saw the list of barrels that Ian was "stuck" with because people asked him to bring them in and then did not hold up their end of the bargain when it arrived. I would not have wanted, or been able, to foot those bills. This was the reason he went to a "pay upfront" system in the first place.
I am not condoning what happened in any way, shape or form, but without first hand knowledge of WHY it turned out this way everything else is just conjecture.