To the Volvo community:

I need some help in dealing with Volvowerks and I also want to warn anyone who is planning to do business with Volvowerks.

I signed a restoration contract with Volvowerks on July 16, 2004. The contract said that Volvowerks would purchase a P1800 E for me and restore it to like factory condition in approx. 120 days. By the time of the purchase of the car by Volvowerks, Volvowerks would give a clear title to me. They were very eager to get the contract signed and told me that they had just purchased an 1800 E (1972) in Texas, which they wanted to restore for me.

8 weeks, many phone calls from my side and many unfulfilled promises (about sending me details about the car, about sending me leather and paint samples etc.), I had a discussion with "Chris" and "Bob" about installing an audio system. They asked me to pay 1000 Dollars up front to buy the audio system without being able to tell me what they actually planned to buy. As a payment method they asked to transfer the money via Western Union to a private person named "Richard Lowe", because Volvowerks was "consolidating their bank accounts" and would not be able to receive money into a regular bank account for 4 weeks. By that time I got very nervous about their financial situation and therefore asked them to fax me the title of the car. What they faxed me was a "vehicle transfer and reassignement form" for a Volvo 1800 E from 1970 which they had purchased in California on June 6 2004. When I asked them were the title was, they told me that there was no title but that I would have to apply for a lost title. Not only were they presenting me a car that had nothing to do with the car we had talked about for 10 weeks, they also were not able to present any clear title to me!

That was my last phone conversation with them on September 2, 2004. Since then I have tried to reach them every day and left messages on their answering machine. They have not returned any of my calls and today I discovered that their phone is disconnected.

I am now assuming that they went bankrupt and I am trying to figure out, what to do to get the 7,300 Dollars back that I had already payed. Do you have any idea what to do, who to involve, or how to find out whether this company still exists?

I appreciate any lead! You can reach me at: Alibaba1973@gmx.de

Andre