The Tribune

By RICARDO WELLS

Tribune Staff Reporter

rwells@tribunemedia.net

A LOCAL car importer yesterday contended that a “shady website” was the reason he defaulted on nearly 30 purchasing agreements in the past month, leaving clients out of roughly $60,000.

Dennis Delancey said a decision made to give his clients “the best possible deals”, resulted in the “complete failure” of the company when he started to aid those closest to him.

Mr Delancey, who appeared shaken, said while he isn’t running from the “hell hole” he now finds himself in, he doesn’t see anyway he can afford to reimburse customers and salvage his business’ reputation.

“My family and I have lost it all,” he said. “But that doesn’t change the fact that I failed my clients. My losses, while significant, do not hold a candle to the losses of the people I’ve let down with this venture.”

The Tribune was contacted last week by a number of disgruntled clients of Bahamian Imports, many insisting that they were allegedly defrauded by the business and left without answers.

Some of the customers presented signed and dated contracts that detailed down payments, follow-up payments and even correspondence in which Mr Delancey promised the delivery of vehicles.

The Tribune was told clients were asked to make a $500 down payment and subsequent weekly $100 payments for loan agreements made with respect to vehicles supposedly in the process of being shipped to the Bahamas via a Japanese company.

The Tribune found that more than 60 people either paid in full or were making payments for vehicles imported through Bahamian Imports.

Of that figure, 27 persons had not received their promised vehicle.

Clarifying this fact, Mr Delancey said: “We assumed going in that these agreements were going to be concluded like all the others – we thought we could get them their cars.”

According documents obtained by The Tribune, Mr Delancey’s business would pair the $500 down payment received from clients with company finances to order the selected vehicle.

Taking into account the regular shipping timeframe for vehicles en route from Japan - often six weeks to three months - weekly payments made would be used to cover costs associated with shipping and customs expenses, licensing and insurance.

Clients were expected to keep up the weekly $100 payment until the prescribed car value was repaid to Bahamian Imports.

“That is what we started out doing and that is how we became successful. I helped one friend, he told another and the process went on from that point.”

“Everything was above-board. All the work we did was documented. Every car we brought in from last June to today was done so in a way that the customer would walk away happy.”

In November, Mr Delancey opted do business with a Japanese company that had contacted him with a number of deals just weeks prior.

“I visited their site. Everything looked normal. The processes were the same as all the other websites I had ordered from in the past so I didn’t see anything wrong.”

Mr Delancey then placed his first order with the company and received all of the paperwork associated with the purchases within days.

“Again, it all seemed normal.”

“It wasn’t until I was notified by the company that the cars were on their way here that I knew something was wrong.”

According to Mr Delancey, when cars are imported to The Bahamas, export websites would express ship the details of the vehicle’s shipping arrangement roughly two weeks before the car is set to be shipped.

“In this situation that never happened. But they were so good with what they were doing they called me and told me which ship I should look for and what day it was coming in. When I turned up to the port – nothing.”

“Two weeks later – nothing. One week later – nothing. I called – nothing. The company ceased all communication,” he added.

Mr Delancey now had 27 customers in New Providence waiting for the arrival of their new vehicles. This list included clients who had invested as much as $4,250 to as little as $1,000 – all left without their promised vehicles.

“He said it was coming. Every time I called, he gave me the run around and told me that it was on its way,” said one client now out of more than $2,000.

That client added: “I don’t hate him, I can understand what he is facing, but it is the way he went about this process that made it this bad. People gave him money. When that’s the case you contact the person and you explain the issue. You don’t run away and hide and leave your customers wondering worried.”

Another client who has paid the company nearly $1,000 told The Tribune that they were contacted by Mr Delancey and he explained what happened. That client said they made an arrangement with Mr Delancey to get the balance of the funds invested “in due course”.

Meanwhile, Mr Delancey added: “We have been experiencing unforeseen difficulty due to car ordering problems. Our office is temporarily closed to the public until this challenging time passes. We apologise for any inconvenience caused and for any question, concerns or refunds clients can call me at 424-5257.”

“I am not able to accommodate everyone at the moment, but everyone I can, I am trying to help.”

“I take full responsibility because I took the hard earned money of people that depended on me. Mothers that wanted to make it better for their families. Fathers that wanted to improve the lives of their kids. All of that, these are the burdens I now carry and cry over everyday and all I want is the chance to make it right.”