When Tasmanian company VIP Sheds went bust, Brett Goss lost his home.
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The Launceston man had purchased a shed from the business in 2016, with plans to convert it into a house.
He became one of more than 250 people nationally who were scammed out of more than $2 million by company directors Carl and Cassandra Dobson.
After his shed never arrived, and the company went into liquidation, Mr Goss was left $46,000 out of pocket.
He then had to purchase a new shed, through a different company, bringing his total debt to $85,000.
But unable to afford the rest of the build, Mr Goss had to leave his unfinished home, and he now lives with his brother.
THE INVESTIGATION
In 2017, Tasmania's Consumer, Building and Occupational Services found the pair had been "wrongly accepting payment for goods and services, and failing to supply within an agreed or reasonable timeframe".
The investigation was launched after 31 Tasmanian customers lodged formal complaints with CBOS, and it found 67 Tasmanian consumers who had paid a deposit to VIP Sheds had not received the product they ordered.
The Dobsons were jointly issued with 31 infringement notices, and were fined more than $95,000 ($47,740 each) in September that year.
The couple returned to court in Hobart in March this year, after pleading guilty to failing to supply goods.
Mr Goss said he "felt the need" to write a victim impact statement, which was provided to the magistrate.
In that statement he described the first time he heard the company would no longer be operating.
"I spoke to Cassandra on March 25, it was a Friday and I was assured that my house would be delivered mid-morning on Monday March 28," he said.
"You can only imagine my disbelief when I heard on that Monday that VIP had closed their doors and gone into receivership and I realised that I had just spent two months listening to false promises.
"At no time during any of this period when the Dobsons continued to take my hard-earned money did they give any indication that they had financial or business difficulties."
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Mr Goss told the court he had not slept for months after losing the money.
"I was angry, bitter and confused," he wrote.
"I was lost and very depressed ... I had lost faith in people and no longer trusted what people told me."
His shed has now been sitting empty for four years.
"At this stage it is just a building and not a home," he said.
"I long for the day when I can move in and call it my home."
The Dobsons were ordered by Magistrate Michael Daly to pay $245,472 to those affected. But the victims, including Mr Goss, have not seen a cent.
"As yet, I have had no correspondence from the Justice Department in relation to compensation," Mr Goss said.
"It is incredibly frustrating."
A Tasmanian Justice Department spokesman said the state's Monetary Penalties Enforcement Service would contact creditors who had been awarded compensation by the Magistrate's Court.
"MPES has been in contact with the former directors who reside interstate," the spokesman said.
"Monies can only be paid once they are collected. "
THE IMPACT
Not only has Mr Goss been unable to complete his home, but all of his furniture has suffered mould damage in storage.
He said it would cost another $10,000 to replace his household items.
It was a similar experience for Grindelwald resident Debbie Veevers, who ordered a shed in 2016, but never received it.
The shed was going to be used for her dog grooming and breeding business, but she has been unable to order a new one and remains $4000 out of pocket.
"Compensation orders were handed down, but no word, it is very frustrating," she said.
On the North-West, Burnie resident Sharon Filleul said her and her partner had to change their retirement plans after they lost $10,000.
They had purchased a $25,000 shed to be built on a block at Port Sorell, where they planned to live and retire.
But after paying a deposit, they found out less than a fortnight later the company had gone bust.
"Even when they knew they were going to go belly up, they still took money," she said.
"I was gutted, I tried everything with the bank."
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While some customers were able to reverse their payments due to using a credit card, Ms Filleul said she paid a direct deposit into the company's bank account.
"Perhaps we should have done our homework, but now I would never pay that up front, unless it was a local person who I could go see face to face," she said.
Mr Goss, Mrs Veevers and Ms Filleul are three of 271 members who formed an online support group "VIP Shed Victims Australia", after the Dobsons used both the VIP Sheds brand and their national Sidach Sheds brand to scam customers across the country.
THE OUTCOME
While the issue was dealt with through Tasmanian courts, Mr Goss said he had also lodged a complaint with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission.
Both Carl and Cassandra Dobson were placed on ASIC's banned and disqualified list from 2018 until 2022.
However an ASIC spokesman said the commission could not "confirm or discuss" whether they were investigating VIP Sheds.
"I am really disappointed in ASIC in not pursuing it further," Mr Goss said.
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