A Delft woman says she feels scammed out of nearly R4000 by a Mitchells Plain business that was supposed to pay her traffic fines and get a new licence disc for her vehicle.
Rachmat Toefy says she contacted Fines & Warrants, located at the Watergate mall on the corner of AZ Berman and the R300, in April last year and paid them R3750.
The company offers help with reduction of traffic fines, paying of warrants of arrests, vehicle roadworthy and licence renewals, change of vehicle ownership as well as engine clearance.
“I first saw their pamphlet in Parow and I looked online and made a few calls to make sure that they are legit,” she tells the Daily Voice.
“I then went to their offices and paid R50 for them to check on the system if I have any fines and it showed that I had R2000 fines and my disc expired in April.”
Rachmat, 48, said that the charges were R1860 for the fines and R1890 for the disc because it had expired.
“I went to Fines & Warrants because during the lockdown, the lines were so long at the traffic departments and they were able to do it for me, so I paid the R3750.
“However, since I paid them, I have not heard anything from them and nothing has been done.
“When I call the office or visit them, they just say that they are still busy with it and when I ask for my money, they say that they cannot do it because they are still busy with my case and they are waiting for my disc.”
She says when she tries to contact the owner, who she only knows as Aadil, she gets a range of excuses.
“Every time I try to call him then, if they answer the call, I get told that he is away, or he's busy and then they also blame Covid.
“When I go to the office, I cannot get hold of him and when I ask the secretary to call him then they cannot get hold of him.”
When the Daily Voice visited the offices, we were told that Aadil was not there, and when his secretaries tried to call him, he also did not answer his cellphone.
One of the women, who declined to be named or give Aadil’s surname, told the Daily Voice that “he often changes numbers”.