A used car dealership in Christchurch, iSeeCars, has been placed into receivership amidst multiple legal issues and debts. And it has emerged the owner of the has been sending images of faeces to disgruntled customers.
The yard, which operated until last week on a city-centre site, was owned and managed by Christopher Schwartz.
Recently the iSeeCars website went offline, and the yard is reportedly now vacant, with receivers appointed at the request of financier FundTap.
Industry website, AutoTalk, became aware of emerging issues at iSeeCars around three weeks ago when a member of the public, acting on the behalf of a friend, raised concerns about the suspicious sale of a Chery J1. The car lacked a Warrant of Fitness, and no documentation was supplied.
In a long email exchange, Schwartz repeatedly denied selling the vehicle, ultimately sending the complainant a photo of faeces in a toilet.
The saga ended up on Reddit and upon discovering the post, Schwartz threatened legal action against the user who posted it.
This is not the first time Schwartz has allegedly shared inappropriate images. In another dispute, CO2X, a carbon credits trader, claims Schwartz agreed to sell credits to the company, received payment, and then delayed and refused to transfer the credits.
Andrew Cassin of CO2X alleges that Schwartz acted erratically, calling late at night, proposing “double or nothing” on the debt, and offering cannabis as part of the payment. Cassin provided AutoTalk with evidence of images sent by Schwartz, including faeces in a pizza box and a picture of a naked male.
“The images coming through took it to a new level,” Cassin says.
Cassin went public with a warning to others about dealing with Schwartz.
Another concerning incident also recently came to light. A Motor Vehicle Disputes Tribunal hearing held on October 10—without Schwartz present—found that iSeeCars had failed to refund customers for a faulty vehicle, despite the importer taking it back for repair and providing the refund amount to the dealership.
Faults were discovered with the Nissan Skyline during the pre-purchase inspection, preventing the vehicle from being registered. After a month without repairs, the customer rejected the vehicle, and the finance company, Onyx, also requested a refund. Schwartz refused to accept the cancellation and told the customer they would need to wait for repairs.
Schwartz allegedly later offered a vehicle swap but reneged close to the deal’s finalisation, denying he had made the offer.
Further negotiations failed, leading to a tribunal claim.
Schwartz requested an in-person hearing, but this was declined, as he stated he would be in Japan until mid-December. He also suggested he was looking to liquidate the company.
“Just a heads up I am looking at liquidation of iSeeCars. I will be naming Janus as an unsecured creditor. This will wipe this debt and our liability entirely.”
When asked if this email was meant for him, Schwartz replied to the customer:
“Technical terms, yes. I’m sorry—an unfortunate situation for you. Hopefully, you understand? Just enjoy paying the debt.”
The customer contacted the finance company, which discovered a second security interest in the car, held by Autofleet Capital Limited, the vehicle’s wholesaler. In a shocking development, Autofleet informed Onyx that it had the vehicle back and alleged that iSeeCars claimed the customer had rejected the car and received a refund. Autofleet had subsequently paid iSeeCars for the vehicle.
Autofleet also confirmed that Schwartz was not overseas as claimed and had been seen at the yard.
An urgent hearing was ordered, but Schwartz refused to take part in a test call, citing technical issues.
The adjudicator concluded that Schwartz was deliberately attempting to avoid or delay the hearing. The hearing proceeded in his absence, and only afterward did he request it be rescheduled.
In its findings, which upheld the rejection, the adjudicator expressed significant concern over Schwartz’s actions:
“Mr Schwartz had received $15,000 from ACL to refund to Mr Cilliers for the vehicle. Instead of refunding the money, he decided to retain the funds for his own use. He has also threatened to liquidate the company in what seems like an attempt to avoid his obligations to Mr Cilliers. I find his actions improper and well below the standard expected from registered motor vehicle dealers.”
To add to the customer’s frustration, they also received images of faeces.
“Furthermore, after the hearing, Mr Schwartz sent an email to Mr Cilliers, which was forwarded to the Tribunal. This email contained two attachments with highly objectionable content. I am unsure what prompted such an action from Mr Schwartz, but this certainly raises questions about his suitability to be a motor vehicle trader. However, that decision is better suited for the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, and the Commerce Commission.”
AutoTalk has also been contacted by a former contractor who claims to have been left out of pocket and without work due to the business’s collapse.
AutoTalk reached out to Schwartz, who responded via email but declined to comment.
