Would you pay $4,000 for a hypoallergenic cat? One reader did and he’s still waiting for his cat, or a refund, from the Allerca corporation. Allerca founder Simon Brodie garnered lots of press a few years ago after he claimed to be able to sell genetically engineered cats that wouldn’t trigger any allergies, a designer pussy called “Ashera.” Our reader isn’t alone, you can find a slew of complaints online from people who say they’ve that they’ve forked over thousands of dollars to Allerca, and never gotten a hypoallergenic cat, or a refund.

One complaint among over 270 comments on one blog says that it took them two and a half years to get a cat, and when they did, it wasn’t hypoallergenic at all. It was just a cat, and a sick one at that.

Some sites have probed Brodie’s background and allege a history of fraud. When the Sand Diego Union Tribune investigated they found lots of skeptics, that Brodie had a history of failed companies, had been evicted from the Allerca headquarters (where he also lived), and that he owed ex-employees thousands, but no hypoallergenic cats. Also, that he had ripped off the photos from another photographer. When questioned, Brodie had lots of excuses, but again, zero hypoallergenic cats.

Now the sites say Brodie has renamed himself Simon Carradan and is on to a new business venture, selling $19,000 skis.

Felis Enigmaticus [The Scientist]
Franchised felines? [San Diego Union Tribune]
The Murky Background Of The Ashera And Allerca [MessyBeast]
Allerca Lifestyle Pet Rip-Off