I am from Austria, Europe.in I went to New Jersey to meet Eric Shave (Wild Copper: http://www.wildcopper.net/) and Paul Sher Jr. (Code One Costum Auto, http://www.codeoneauto.com/).
I have spent 30,000 dollars deposit on a custom movie car. I have been waiting for almost 4 years but I have not received anything but excuses and mails. I have a contract, bank transfer authentification etc to proof my claim.
I know that I am not the only victim because of a Swiss victim who paid $21,250 on a very similar car in 2001. He paid Eric Shave 100% in advance including shipping costs. Shave pretended being the head of Code One Custom Auo. Eric Shave informed him that the car was shipped in March but it never arrived. Shave told him that the car was lost by Fedex.in October the Swiss angrily contacted Code One Custom Auto and Paul Sher - the real head of Code One - replied him that his company has no such order.
Paul Sher told the Swiss that he will get the car from Eric Shave's shop and will complete it for free for the Swiss to save his reputation. At this time this was a used, unmodified VW bug Manta Montage kit car.
About at the same time in 2002 I got into email contact with Eric Shave. I wanted him to build a super high quality replica (similar to the Swiss' but with a V8 engine, leather seats..). I met Paul Sher and Eric Shave in March in New Jersey and we agreed upon details and signed the contract.
The time afterwards can be summarised quickly. I was sent nothing until August. I then threatened Shave with legal action. He sent me pictures of the Swiss' car which is a rusty wreck compared to the quality I ordered. I was told that these are old pics and work in progress etc.in January I accidentaly got into contact with the Swiss and realised the scam. May car has never been built! I have paid 30k and got nothing. The Swiss has a car which is unfinsihed, unpainted and undriveable after 5 years of work, worth a fraction of the ~$22k he paid. It is useless to him.
In January I was offered a ca. 85% refund by Sher and Shave. Contrary to their initial statements, Sher now claims that he never received any funds from me (I cannot prove how it was divided) and Shave just annonces refunds or to send notarised douments (about the division of the 30K deposit among them) but he does nothing.
The authorities (FBI) do not care or cannot do anything because they are ignored (BBB, Consumer affairs, State Police). I was frustrated and set my story online before I found usacomplaints.com: www.shavedbysher.com. I heard similar stories from US customers who lost smaller amounts.
I hope that with this site and other activities, enough information will aggregate to get attention to the activities of these companies.
Johannes
Graz
Austria
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