Killer sales pitch: Convicted criminal caught out for misleading sale of accommodation vouchers

A TIMESHARE business which claims to have sent 70,000 Aussies on “promotional holidays”, and which was run by a convicted killer, has been found to have engaged in misleading conduct.

WEB GRAB .. Ismail Muhaidat, who was convicted of manslaughter in 2006 then became general manager at Destinations R Us. Source: Facebook

A VICTORIAN timeshare marketing business which claims to have sent 70,000 Australians on “promotional holidays” — and which was run by a convicted killer — has been found to have engaged in misleading conduct.

Sydney woman Karen Lindley contacted Destinations R Us (DRU) last year seeking the return of $198 for accommodation vouchers she had been unable to redeem.

Instead, general manager Ismail Muhaidat convinced her to pay $800 more.

“He’s a silver-tongued devil,” Ms Lindley told Public Defender this week.

Devil indeed. In 2006 Muhaidat was sentenced to a minimum five years jail for manslaughter, aggravated burglary and attempted armed robbery. With two others he tried to steal a cannabis crop. In the process one of his accomplices shot and killed the crop’s owner.

Last month the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal found the company behind DRU, Cedar Club Operations, had engaged in misleading or deceptive conduct — as defined by the Australian Consumer Law — by failing to disclose its full terms and conditions to Ms Lindley before she bought vouchers.

GOT A LEGAL QUESTION? BLOG WITH BRYDENS LAWYERS @1PM TODAY

SEE MORE FROM THE PUBLIC DEFENDER

Follow John Rolfe on Twitter or Facebook.

Timeshare scam vonsumer Karen Lindley / Picture: Stephen Cooper

The tribunal ordered Cedar to pay Ms Lindley more than $1000.

The deadline has passed and she’s received nothing. It’s doubtful she ever will.

In about 2006 Sydney man Mark Seeto paid $350 for accommodation vouchers. He ended up taking Cedar to court in Victoria.

He won and engaged the state’s sheriff to settle the court’s order that he be compensated $900, reflecting his legal and other costs.

But Mr Seeto said the Sheriff was unable to extract anything from the company.

Cedar’s sole director, Malcolm Ford, said he had not seen the tribunal order.

Malcolm Ford, director of Cedar Club Operations / Picture: Supplied

“The only reason she (Ms Lindley) has been granted the (order for) monies is that I did not show up (to the hearing),” Mr Ford said.

He said he would appeal the decision and that Muhaidat, who had been with the business for three years, “no longer works with us”.

Muhaidat was “liked and respected by his work ­colleagues, ”, Mr Ford said.

Consumer Affairs Victoria director Claire Noone told Public Defender Cedar had been placed in liquidation on Monday. Mr Ford would not comment on this.

“Those affected (should) make contact with the liquidator (Dye & Co),” Dr Noone told Public Defender.

CAR DEALER PRESTIGE WINS APPEAL

IN July, I reported Apurva Mishra had prevailed in his car-clocking crusade after the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal ruled Prestige Auto Centre had engaged in misleading and deceptive conduct.

The Tribunal ordered Prestige to pay Mr Mishra $18,526 after being satisfied Prestige had wound back the odometer on a car before selling it to Mr Mishra.

Prestige won its appeal last week. The appeal panel said Mr Mishra had deliberately altered a document provided to the tribunal at the initial hearing and that the original decision “was obtained as a result of fraud perpetrated ... by the respondent (Mishra)”.

There is to be a new hearing.