I'm glad I came across this site - I see there are two reports here about this person.
My report is completely factual, I hope to warn others about the practices of this person (Richard "Rick" Erving) and his so-called company, and I have all emails to back up what I am reporting.
Firstly, "red flags" when viewing the numerous sites Rick has. There are 5 that I know of:
Phpmymall.com
mysellersmall.com
theproductionarea.com
createmymall.com
multivenderstores.com
When you look at these scripts and their demos one thing becomes obvious - this person is either always rushed or is too careless to spell words properly, organize the sites and such, to create a proper demo of his scripts. There are spelling mistakes and so much rambling in the product descriptions, weird/unrealistic product images - he can't even take the time to create a proper demo of ANYTHING.
Nevertheless, Rick Erving must have some talent as a programmer - he is able to (at least in his demos) code very complex scripts.
But I am not sure that these scripts are even his own.in another report here his rebuttal stated that "the scripts are clones or modified versions" - who knows if anything was actually coded by him. My strong suspicion is that he has pieced together different scripts that were not created by him to create a new one.
Many more red flags - his emails are always a few words or fragmented sentences. EXTREMELY unprofessional, WAY too casual.
Note: He refers to "we" on many occasions - I don't think there is a "we, " I seriously think he operates on his own but fantasizes that he has an actual company with partners in coding/administration.
Anyway, here are the events that have led to my filing this report.
October 09/09: After trying most of the demos I realized that one of them "nMall" was exactly what I was looking for. Some of them appeared to have the same look/feel as oscommerce. I asked him if this were so, and was hoping he actually would say yes because I needed the funtionality for taxes that oscommerce has. He replied no..."Our mall is not os commerce it is custom made and hand coded. Our mall is a custom design etc..."
Then I sent this link, where an image of oscommerce is right on his demo (he didn't reply, and its even still there):
Http://www.phpmymall.com/nMall/stores.php? Storeid=66&itemid=9&page=itemdetail
In a later email that day he said he would call me, and did. We discussed the solution that I needed. I stressed that the "nMall" was the solution I wanted, but needed a tax sytem. I stressed that I needed the mall "right away" and would pay for custom implementation of a tax function later (asap).
Oct 11/09: He sent me some links to some different demos... I was confused - I thought I made it clear the solution I needed. I emailed him back stating it was the nMall I wanted, and to go ahead. I even sent him my cpanel login info.
Oct 16/09: Sent an email asking when things would progress.
Oct 19/09: Still nothing installed on my site. Called him, left a message. He emailed me a price to get started (to get started?) and I paid him $200 USD. Said it would take two weeks. "Let me know and we will whip it out for you." "This is 100% non-refundable so this means it is agreed on. You are however protected in that if we don't produce we refund obviously."
Later that day in an email he wrote: "Your project is now in progress your project site details will be sent within 24 hrs with notes, logins as well as any files needed to assist you in the project. You will be contacted via email on any and all updates from the system."
Oct 23/09: I sent an email asking when the script would be installed/ready. He replied "Yes I will take care of it."
Oct 27/09: I phoned him. Why this guy actually answers his phone I dont' get, but he sometimes does. "End of day" is what he promised me.
Oct 29/09: I had given him two days to complete what he said would be done "end of day." I phone him - he emailed me:
"need to upload and not sure if your getting my emails or not.
I need server access to cpanel as well as ftp"
No, I didn't get any emails lol.
Funny, I sent him my cpanel master login info 17 days earlier. Sigh... I resent it.
Oct 30: I phoned him, no answer. Tried again (blocked my caller id) and he answered. I was a bit frustrated but patient and courteous. He promised he would have everything up and running by 2:00 pm that day, and to call him then.By 2 pm nothing was done, so I called. Mailbox was full.
Frustrated, I sent him an email asking if this was a scam, and if he actually has any of these scripts. He replied, was upset that I was accusing him of these things. He ended his email with "Anyways I can upload nmall in 1 hour so let me know."
"LET ME KNOW?"!!! I had been very specific right from the beginning... And the fact that I paid him should have tipped him off.
Needless to say, in "one hour" nothing was done.
Nov 2/09: Nothing is done, I sent an email requesting an update.
Nov 3/09: Asked for access to my root directory. AGAIN I sent him the master login info for my cpanel (third time). I also created an FTP account for him to use (root) in case he wanted to use an ftp program.
Nov 4/09: Sent one last email asking for an update. It has been 28 days since this was initiated and 15 days since I paid him, I told him I was readly to abandon and move on to another solution (I can't wait forever). Haven't heard back.
"Whip it up" is what he used to describe the process. This indeed should have been the case - I wanted a script that was already up and running properly on one of his demos.
He constantly referred to the work as being "custom." Not so - again, I wanted the nMall, exactly as it was.
I wish I had found this site/reports before I paid this person. I'm pretty sure I would have done things differently.
My advice - stay away, don't pay this person a penny. Read the other reports here about Richard Erving and if you have also been treated the same way, file a report also. And I am going to review his scripts/listings/demos on all script sites (hotscripts.com etc) - I suggest you do the same. I'm hoping they will delete his listings, if enough people complain.
Furthermore, and very important, if you are in the process of purchasing ANY script, 50% of your concern should be whether or not you can count on support for your purchase. The script might be everything that you are looking for, but if you cannot get support when things go wrong (and they DO) then you will be left on your own when they do.
Being at the receiving end of his frustration and viewing his rebuttals here, I'm sure he will try to make excuses for his behaviour in my case, and place the blame on me somehow.
He can't do that... I did my part - I requested a script, paid for it, waited patiently.
If I did one thing wrong, it was in trusting and believing this person. And in paying him of course!
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