Lay-by nightmare at shop

A YOUNG Windhoek couple has laid criminal charges against a former shop assistant in an attempt to get their money back after a furniture shop said it could not compensate them for an allegedly fraudulent transaction.

Cecil and Leanne Jacobs wanted to buy a washing machine on lay-by at the Wernhil Park branch of House and Home on December 22.
They paid a N$500 deposit on the N$2 000 washing machine and received what looked like the proper documents. The sales assistant was Roderique Visagie, who has since resigned.
When the couple returned to the shop earlier this month to enquire about their account, Jacobs said he was greeted by confused looks from staff.
The customer profile account number he was given, 012441-01, was not registered on the shop’s computer system, and there was no trace of the transaction. According to Jacobs, the management told him he did not have a valid receipt and could thus not be refunded.
Jacobs told The Namibian that he called Visagie on his cellphone and was promised he would receive his money back soon.
A number of scheduled meetings between the two did not materialise.
On Monday, following the last of these failed meetings, Jacobs said he decided to lay criminal charges against Visagie.
The case is being investigated by the Namibian Police.
When contacted yesterday, House and Home Operations Manager in South Africa Rakesh Maharash said the company suggested to Jacobs that he file a criminal case and try to recover the money from Visagie.
Maharash said company policy was very strict about customers not handing over money directly to staff.
It appears that Visagie may have arranged with the Jacobs couple for them to buy the washing machine from his staff account, which promised them a discount of N$500.
When contacted telephonically for his side of the story on Wednesday night, Visagie at first denied that it was in fact he who was speaking, before later acknowledging the incident, saying it was ‘a complicated matter’.
He contacted The Namibian yesterday to say he had scheduled a new meeting with Jacobs on Saturday.
‘I’m not dropping the case though,’ Jacobs said yesterday.