Unique Performance scam

[StRacerDuke]

Looks like it's all over for these guys:
http://www.6speedonline.com/forums/s...d.php?t=101484

http://www.uniqueperformancescam.com/
http://www.fixeleanor.com/

______________________________
"Shelby threatens to end licensing deal with performance car maker

Kathy Jackson
Automotive News
October 5, 2007 - 5:17 pm ET


LOS ANGELES -- Unique Performance Inc. will lose its license from Carroll Shelby Licensing Inc. to produce high-performance cars if Unique does not satisfy customer complaints.



Shelby Licensing says Unique has a backlog of 50 to 60 vehicles.

Since 2002, Unique, headquartered near Dallas, has partnered with former race car driver Carroll Shelby to refurbish and re-engineer vintage Shelby Mustangs of the 1960s. The cars include the GT500E Eleanor and the GT350SR, which sell from about $100,000 to more than $200,000.

But in a letter to Unique CEO Douglas Hasty, Shelby Licensing threatens to end the license agreement. Shelby Licensing says Unique has failed to deliver vehicles and return deposits totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Hasty declined to comment.

Customers have filed lawsuits against Unique. For instance, in a Sept. 4 lawsuit filed in federal court in Texas, Robert Garner contends he signed an agreement with Unique in May 2005 for the purchase of a $189,000 GT500E Super Snake with a deposit of $94,500. In May 2006, he made another deposit of $47,250.

To date, Garner has no car and says Unique has refused to return his deposits.

Another federal suit, filed Sept. 18 in Texas by Alan Cummins, alleges that he bought a defective Super Snake in August 2004 from Unique for $188,300 and that Unique has neither repaired the vehicle nor returned the plaintiff's money.

Cummins' lawsuit says it may add Carroll Shelby as a defendant because Shelby endorses the vehicles made by Unique.

In a press release, Shelby Licensing President John Luft said: "Carroll Shelby Licensing has had no choice but to give Unique notice that its license agreements with Shelby are subject to termination. We, as the licensor, must carry the burden of protecting the good will associated with the Shelby brand."

Besides the Shelby vehicles, Unique also manufactures vehicles designed by car customizer Chip Foose -- including a 1969 Chevrolet Camaro, 1970 Dodge Challenger and the Foose Stallion, based on the current Mustang."

Actually the proceedings on behalf of Shelby to sever ties have been filed as of 10/6/07.

Very sad for the people being screwed, but Hasty has a pretty bad rep as it is, so no surprises really.

[camcojb]

Unique has already filed Chapter 7, whomever wrote the article doesn't know it yet. There will be no fixing of customer's cars by Unique. Chapter 7 dismisses all obligations, it's not a re-organization type of bankruptcy.

Jody

[Mr.VENGEANCE]

awww ****...

[Young Gun]

Unique has already filed Chapter 7, whomever wrote the article doesn't know it yet. There will be no fixing of customer's cars by Unique. Chapter 7 dismisses all obligations, it's not a re-organization type of bankruptcy.

Jody

that just p***** me off...that disgusts me that there are people like that in the world...they refuse to make an honest living so they make their living stealing from others....theives deserve whatever they have coming to them

[BA.]

I'm just shocked here!! I had not heard of their problems.

I'm baffled at how you can have that kind of demand, for that high dollar of a product and the bonus of the Shelby and Foose names and STILL they couldn't/didn't make the business work!?!?!!

[Project69]

I saw this coming from a mile away.

[Flash68]

I think it's funny they had a booth at SEMA.....

[THX 138]

fix elenore = scary

[Mr.VENGEANCE]

I think it's funny they had a booth at SEMA.....

those tings are what got them in this mess in the first place.

taking orders when you know you cant fillem..

[TonyL]

who didn't see this coming? I remember watching a show where they interviewed the guy who runs things over there and thought "dirt bag"

[Flash68]

those tings are what got them in this mess in the first place.

taking orders when you know you cant fillem..

taking orders is not an issue.... it's when you take someone's $$$ is when the clock starts ticking...

[Flash68]

who didn't see this coming? I remember watching a show where they interviewed the guy who runs things over there and thought "dirt bag"

yep, saw that RIDES episode that profiled the Eleanor and their operations down there... not impressed.

[vintageracer]

Are you supprised? All you had to do was go to several shows or SEMA and see their big display, tractor trailer rig, expensive advertising and lavish entertainment to see this deal would not last long. Way too much overhead for someone building cars. I don't care how much money you are selling them for!

This is EXACTLY WHY YOU NEVER PAY UP FRONT FOR ANYTHING THAT HAS TO DO WITH YOUR CAR! Now I realize that this situation is different since they are selling dreams, I mean completed cars, however I'll bet none of those folks that spent all that money with deposits and payments even have a title in their name to the shell that was originally purchased to build their specific car for them. Even IF they have a title in their name they are still screwed since all Unique and the creditors have to do is file a mechanics lein on the car and they are still in the cat bird seat since they still have the car and their client's (fancy name for customer) money!!!!!

Remember this business/hobby whatever you want to call it is STILL ALL ABOUT THE MONEY! You can bet your ass it is if Shelby is involved!

[Young Gun]

since they filed 7 does that mean nobody is gonna get their cash back? that stinks =/

[Mr.VENGEANCE]

taking orders is not an issue.... it's when you take someone's $$$ is when the clock starts ticking...

same thing...

this isnt like taking orders at mcdonalds.. you take the order for the build.. take the money..

take a loss.. as it would seem.

[customcarpainter]

Basically,thats what it means.Its things like this that make it harder to convince potential new clients to let go of their cash.

[Boyd]

who didn't see this coming? I remember watching a show where they interviewed the guy who runs things over there and thought "dirt bag"

Several years ago - before the Shelby, Foose, and YearOne deals, a family friends daughter got a job right out of college with Unique Performance as their PR manager. At the time, they were only building the Eleanor's and were a very small operation. A few months after she went to work for them I made a comment to her about how cool it must be to work for an up and coming custom car builder. She proceeded to go on and on about how much of a jack @ss the owner and sales manager were. She eventually left for another job after the situation becam unbearable.

[z4me69]

they will take good trusting customers money and say sorry about your luck when they file for bankrupcy. the really bad thing about all this is they will move to the other side of the street change the name of the company and start all over again and get away with it again 7 yrs from now . how pathetic.

[bobbaganoosh]

I've heard the shop has already been emptied out, dunno where all of it went. Most people in the DFW area already knew to stay away from them.

[jaybee]

they will take good trusting customers money and say sorry about your luck when they file for bankrupcy. the really bad thing about all this is they will move to the other side of the street change the name of the company and start all over again and get away with it again 7 yrs from now . how pathetic.

I dunno, they've soiled the names of some pretty big players in the industry. I'd bet on Doug Hasty and company being persona non grata anywhere in the vicinity of someone with a reputation to protect. You're probably right that they'll try to get another shop going, but their ability to play big shots is pretty well shot.