Around two dozen persons who thought they were going to seal a good deal paid down hundreds of thousands for cars which are yet to be delivered and the woman who dealt with them has since disappeared.
The woman collected hundreds of thousands of dollars from them after promising to deliver vehicles.
“Right now all we want is to get back we money, it is very hard for us and this woman only pushing us around,” an affected young man told Stabroek News yesterday.
He said that he rues the day he read an advertisement in this newspaper late last year placed by a company calling itself ‘A&J Auto Sales’ which offered a sweet deal for persons who wanted to own their own vehicle.
The man said after seeing the advertisement, which was in this newspaper up to late last month, he dialled the cell phone number listed and was told to visit the company’s Oronoque and Forshaw streets, Queenstown office.
He said when he arrived he met a woman who gave her name as Dianne De Nobrega to whom he paid $300,000 and signed a contract on November 30th, 2009 which among other things stated that when he received the vehicle he would pay another $200,000 and $40,000 monthly from then on until he completed payment.
“From then I have been running for my money and I only getting promises, I not even seeing this woman any more,” the man said.
The man said he was shocked to see the same woman appearing in court to answer charges. The woman is now out on $1M bail but neither the man nor the 27 other affected persons have been seeing her.
Whenever she instructs them to visit the office they meet with her assistant who informs them that they have to wait a while longer for their money.
“Everybody just want their money back,” said another man who paid De Nobrega $500,000 in early January but cancelled the contract a few days later because of an emergency. He has only received $100,000 of his money and was promised an additional $50,000 if he was willing to wait a few days longer for the remainder.
“That time has come and gone and I still waiting and all we getting is text from this woman saying we will get our money this day and that day but when we turn up nothing,” he said, adding that he only received the $100,000 after he “behave bad.”
The men said they have since reported the matter to the police and given statements and the police informed that they are looking for the woman but she is never at the Good Hope, East Coast address she gave whenever they visit.
It is hoped that the woman would turn up for the February 19 court date at which time action would be taken.
Stabroek News visited the location but the small office in a building with several other businesses was closed and persons stated it had not opened for the day.
“It is a lot of pushing and running around and I am coming till from Linden and you know how much money I have to spend and not getting back my money,” one of the men lamented.
The men said they were told to visit the office as recently as last week Friday but when they arrived the woman was not there and her assistant and the cleaner told them and several others that the woman was not there and they would receive their money later.
“We start to behave badly because we need our money and they went and report the matter to the Alberttown Police Station and said the police was coming but we left before.
Now she texting and threatening us,” one of the men said.
They said they were also told by the woman that “her boss in the US have to send the money” or that she expected to get some money from the “Bank of America.”
“All we really want is we money back nothing else, it hard and frustrating.”
A police officer yesterday confirmed that several reports were received in connection with this matter and an investigation is being conducted.
