Gold Coast jewellery store Inca Gold Jewellers in Helensvale Plaza closes, owner says will meet customers and return items
A devastated single mother who has a ring on consignment at Inca Gold Jewellers says she’s had to put off a health procedure because she is owed thousands.
Gold Coast
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A DEVASTATED single mother of two who has a ring on consignment at Inca Gold Jewellers says she’s had to put off a health procedure because she is owed $2000 by the business.
The store’s owner, Robert (Bob) Dalton again failed to turn up to the business at Helensvale Plaza on October 20-21 to return customers jewellery, repairs and items on consignment. This time he told centre management he was in hospital. One of his customers advised he’d had a heart attack.
“I had a ring worth $8000 but I agreed to take $4000, but so far I’ve only got $2000,” she said.
“I work full time, my ex doesn’t provide any financial support and I had to cancel a medical procedure due to lack of funds. Now I’ve had to go into the public health system.”
Another customer, who has nearly $10,000 worth of items on consignment, said she’d received a message at 9am that “Bob all of a sudden had to be taken to the hospital because of a heart attack”.
“This is his second one,” they said.
“And the last time he couldn’t attend to unlock the tenancy because he had diarrhoea and because he’d apparently been in a Covid hotspot and he needed to be tested.”
Mr Dalton has in the past promised his “loyal” customers he’d return their items after he was locked out of his store by his landlord for failing to pay rent.
Centre management said it appreciated “this is frustrating for all involved”.
OCTOBER 15
AFTER failing to return customers’ jewellery a few weeks ago due to “very ill” health — Inca Gold Jewellers owner Robert (Bob) Dalton says he’s visit Helensvale Plaza on October 20-21.
Dozens of Gold Coasters are waiting for the return of tens of thousands of dollars worth of repairs, jewellery and items on consignment after the business closed suddenly in August.
“The news he will attend the store again has spread like wildfire through the group,” said customer Margaretha Dudok, who has jewellery worths thousands she wants returned.
“Let’s hope he keeps his word.”
Centre management’s Demelza Berry said Bob had advised her he would attend the store from 9.30am-4pm to arrange the return of any customers’ jewellery in the tenancy.
Customers are encouraged to attend, but not before contacting Mr Dalton by text or email to arrange an appointment time and find out what’s required of them.
“We have again offered to assist Bob with transport to and from the centre,” said Ms Berry.
“We will facilitate access to the premises to allow Bob to disarm the tenancy and enter.”
Security will be onsite checking ID and recording customers details, with photographic identification required.
“We hope this results in a much awaited positive outcome for you,” said Ms Berry in an email to customers.
She said in Mr Dalton’s absence, centre management was not in a position to access or disarm the tenancy or return any items held in it.
‘Best news yet’: When Coast jeweller may return items
October 1, 2021
DOZENS of customers awaiting the return of their jewellery from Inca Gold Jewellers have been told the store’s owner will attend Helensvale Plaza on October 5 and 6.
In a letter, centre management’s general manager Demelza Berry advised Gold Coasters they should contact Robert (Bob) Dalton by text or email to arrange an appointment time to attend the premises and learn what dockets or receipts were required.
“We have recently had contact from Bob Dalton who has advised that he will be able to attend at Helensvale Plaza for the purposes of disarming the tenancy and accessing the safe to be able to arrange the return of any customers’ jewellery that might be in the tenancy,” said Ms Berry.
“We have offered to assist Bob with transport to and from the centre.”
In August, the Helensvale jewellery store shut without explanation, with the owner saying he’d been locked out of his shop after 21 years of trading because he owed rent. At the time, he wrote a letter promising his “valued customers” he’d return their items.
Since that time dozens of customers, including pensioners in their 80s, have been waiting to be contacted by Mr Dalton in regards to tens of thousands of dollars worth of items they have on consignment at the property.
One customer, who did not want to be named, said it was the “best news yet” that the centre would be allowing Mr Dalton access to the store and she hoped her items would soon be back in her possession.
“Most of us have texted or emailed him for a date and hour appointment on the 5th or 6th but no answer yet,” she said.
Ms Berry said Mr Dalton would visit between 9.30am-4pm and the centre would facilitate access to the premises to allow him to disarm the tenancy and enter the store.
Centre management said it would not make appointment times for customers.
“We will have security on site who will be checking your ID and recording your details to confirm that you have attended at the tenancy,” said Ms Berry.
“Accordingly, please make sure to bring some photographic identification with you, eg drivers license, passport, student ID.
“We hope this results in a much awaited positive outcome for you.”
However, Ms Berry advised that in the event Mr Dalton “does not attend on the agreed dates at the agreed times” centre management would not be in a position to be able to access and disarm the tenancy, access the safe, deal with returning items or comment about what items may or may not be in the tenancy.
‘Seek legal advice’: Coast jewellery store stoush boils over
September 10
ANGER is growing among customers of a Helensvale jewellery store after it closed suddenly in August before returning repairs and dozens of items on consignment.
Inca Gold Jewellers at Helensvale Plaza says it was locked out of the store it used to inhabit after falling behind in rent payments, but centre management says it hasn’t been able to get in touch with owner Robert (Bob) Dalton in order to help customers get their jewellery back.
It’s understood nearly 60 people are waiting for Mr Dalton to contact them in regards to how he intends to return their jewellery and repairs.
The Bulletin attempted to get reassurances from Mr Dalton that customers would have their valuables returned. A text message was received stating he would “touch base” after a medical appointment on Friday afternoon but no contact was made.
Margaretha Dudok, of Coombabah, said she had $6500 worth of jewellery on consignment to the store and wanted it back.
“I’m furious, I just want back what’s mine,” she said
“They’ve sold pieces for me in the past but it’s always taken about three months to get full payment because I was told the items were bought on lay-by.
“I’ve contacted centre management but they’ve told me it’s between the landlord and the tenant and they can’t get involved.
“But I don’t understand why the landlord can’t have the locks changed, take out all our jewellery and help return it to us.”
Brisbane cancer survivor Beverley Bates said she helped an 83-year-old Gold Coast friend take two rings, worth $12,000, to the store to be sold.
In an email to Mr Dalton, Ms Bates said her friend was “quite ill over this happening”.
“We appreciate your position in this matter but they (centre management) have given three reasons why they can’t enter and open the safe without you,” she said.
“And you have reasons that they have locked you out, but there are many worried loyal customers of yours out there who require their items back without prejudice against you in these very hard times.
“I personally brought my friend to your shop, and feel very responsible, can you please at least inform us of the goods safety and a time of return.”
She did not receive a reply so contacted centre management for Helensvale Plaza and its spokeswoman Demelza Berry replied saying the landlord had made numerous attempts to contact the centre’s former tenant, Inca Gold Jewellers.
“Unfortunately, the landlord cannot assist you any further without the tenant’s co-operation,” she said.
“As previously advised, the landlord cannot unilaterally determine the legitimacy of your claim to any items that may have been left on the premises.
“Nor does the landlord possess keys or codes necessary to access any secured storage device that may have been left on the premises.
“In the circumstances, the landlord encourages you to seek independent legal advice as to your rights. Unfortunately there is nothing further the landlord or centre management can do to assist at this stage.”
Monica Griffiths is desperate to get 27 items worth $6000 returned and was told by centre management that the “landlord has been more than reasonable over the years in dealing with this tenant”.
“The tenant has been aware of the closure date for some time. We do not know why the tenant did not endeavour to make contact with you.”
It then directed Ms Griffiths to contact Inca Gold Jewellers.
Ms Berry told the Bulletin that the landlord had not denied access to the owner of Inca Gold for the purposes of returning customers’ jewellery.
“The landlord has attempted on numerous occasions to contact the owner of Inca Gold to arrange for him to access the tenancy so that he may attend to the return of customers’ jewellery. The owner of Inca Gold is simply not responding,” she said.
She said the landlord was “willing to provide the tenant access to its former premises to facilitate the resolution of any customer claims to items allegedly left on the premises”. “Obviously the landlord cannot determine for itself whether or not any customer claims asserted against the tenant are legitimate, or whether the claimed items are even on the premises.
“Accordingly, unless the tenant admits a customer’s claim and returns to the premises to identify and return the claimed item, the landlord cannot assist customers any further.
“For this reason, the landlord continues to encourage customers to seek independent legal advice as to their rights.
“However, any customer claiming an interest in any item left in the premises should act promptly to vindicate its rights as the landlord cannot refrain from clearing out and re-letting the premises indefinitely. The landlord reserves all its legal rights accordingly.”
Coast jeweller pens letter to angry customers, Aug 17
A GOLD Coast jeweller who says he was locked out of his shop because he owed rent has assured customers he is working towards returning their items.
Inca Gold Jewellers owner Robert (Bob) Dalton wrote a letter to his “valued customers” saying after 21 years of trading he’d been “locked out of the premises” due to back rent owing up to the 31st July 2021”.
“I thought I had enough time to move all customer’s watch and jewellery repairs, lay-bys, consignment stock and our stock,” he said.
“Unfortunately, this wasn’t the case as lockdown was put into place at this time. This prevented me from moving anything at all from the shop.”
“I am hoping that I can come to a suitable arrangement with my landlord enabling me to return all customer’s goods back to them.”
Mr Dalton then apologised for any inconvenience caused to this customers and hoped the matter would be dealt with as soon as possible.
Centre management said it would not comment to the media on the matter but did say that any customers waiting to get jewellery out of the premises should contact it directly on 5573 4300.
Shock closure of Coast jewellery store
August 12
A HELENSVALE jeweller is under fire for closing its doors without returning thousands of dollars worth of jewellery customers asked it to sell on their behalf.
But Inca Gold Jewellers owner Bob Dalton says he’s been locked out of his shop by the landlord, Pinnacle Commercial, and is hoping to resolve the problem this week.
“Yes, it’s all locked in my shop and I can’t get access to it,” he said.
“The landlord won’t let me in until the back rent is paid. He won’t let me in to even get any of my customers’ jobs out.
“The customers will get their jewellery back. It’s just a case of when they will let me get them.”
The owner said he was in discussions with his solicitor with a view to figuring out how he could gain access to the business to retrieve jewellery left inside.
A spokeswoman for Pinnacle Commercial declined to comment, confirming only that the business was no longer trading at Helensvale Plaza.
“This is a private matter between the lessee and the lessor,” she said.
One woman, who did not want to be named, said Inca Gold Jewellers had been selling rings and other items of value on consignment for her since the start of 2021.
“I went to the centre on Monday and found out that it was no longer trading and apparently the owners had been locked out,” she said.
“They’ve been selling my jewellery for months and usually take about 20 per cent and I get the rest of the profits.
“Right now they’ve got 27 pieces of mine worth about $6000.”
Disgruntled customers have taken to social media to vent their disappointment about the sudden closure.
One customer said they had left a gold necklace at the business to be repaired while another person said they were awaiting the return of two rings.
Both have contacted the store but have been unsuccessful in retrieving their jewellery.
According to centre management’s website, Inca Gold Jewellers is a family-owned business.
While it advertises itself as a manufacturing jeweller that does repairs, insurance quotes and valuations, it’s understood the majority of business now comes from selling pieces on consignment for customers and taking a commission.
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