Chester woman out thousands of dollars after paying for electric wheelchair that never arrived
CBC
Living with a neurodegenerative condition that leaves her in constant pain, Betty Myatt was looking forward to a new wheelchair that had been recommended to provide her more comfort and support.
The 72-year-old former nurse did not think twice about paying a $5,000 deposit in advance, after dealing with the person she was buying from, Ed Schijns at Dragon E-Bikes in Halifax, for about 20 years.
That was in December 2019.
She was initially told delays were due to parts for the wheelchair coming from China and soon after that the wait was being caused by COVID-19, in addition to Schijn's health issues.
But after several months passed, she began to wonder what was going on with the wheelchair and the $5,000 she had paid toward it.
"I was starting to feel really anxious about it, very concerned. We were contacting him every other day and my condition was worsening and I was in more pain and getting nowhere," Myatt explained, referring to numerous emails and phone calls that had gone unanswered.
Because her condition of adrenoleukodystrophy has deteriorated, the current mobility scooter she uses is no longer the correct fit.
"My posture is off," Myatt said. "I'm in pain, I'm constantly trying to hold myself up from falling over."
Her partner Tom Mulrooney ended up making several visits to the Gottingen Street location of Dragon E-Bikes in Halifax to try to talk to Schijns to try to figure out what was going on.
"He's just never available. Either not there or he is busy with a client, so he has just decided to totally ignore us," Mulrooney said. "Had he sat down with us and said 'Can you help me out here?' we were perfectly willing to do that."
Mulrooney began doing his own research, checking with other wheelchair companies how long it normally takes for them to be manufactured and delivered.
He discovered that delays beyond a couple of months were a clear sign something is wrong.
The last email they received from Schijns apologizing for delays was in May 2020.
It was not something they wanted to do, but with no contact or any sign of the wheelchair or the money, they decided to go to small claims court.
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