Sheera was overjoyed. Her eldest sister, Nadzirah, was going to bring her shopping at Lot 10.
Nadzirah has just got some money banked into her account, an excess of four thousand ringgit from the amount required to finance her 3-year diploma course at a public university. This amount is supposed to be used for her living expenses, but Nadzirah planned to use some of it to buy a few clothes for herself and her favourite sister.
Happily, both of them announced to their mother about their intention. Their mother had no intention on her part to pour cold water on their shoulders because as it was, she had always felt guilty of depriving them of their father's love. She had been divorced from their father when Puteri, the youngest, was only two months old. It was a love triangle since the beginning of their love affair and their mother was the one to officially marry him when she found that she was pregnant with Nadzirah.
Lot 10, at noon that Saturday, as usual, was already crowded with people, mostly teenagers and those in their twenties. Both sisters had spent the whole morning dressing up because they felt happy if they were dressed like most of the others at Lot 10. They wore the latest fashion and their usually hidden dyed golden hair gave them such a unique look that you would not know that they were actually secondary school children. Smelling like flowers, Nadzirah and Sheera found 'heaven' breezing through the boutiques they were so familiar with. They were considered regular customers in a few of them.
After buying a few blouses which had 70% discount, both of them decided to call it a day before they lost control themselves. Fortunately, they were smart enough to exercise some self control. As they were making their way to the Macdonald's nearby, they were confronted by two Chinese salespersons, one male and the other female. They looked young, more like college students doing part time work. Nadzirah was asked to pick a coupon out of a stack held by the young man. Much to her surprise, she had picked the one that offered her a new Proton Saga car with a down payment of only two thousand ringgit. She was told that after paying that amount she could drive home the car. Moreover, she would also be getting some electrical items and a 'Jade' mattress of a quality verbally guaranteed by the two excited salespersons. Sheera squealed in excitement. No more would she have to beg her mother to drive her to wherever she wanted. Her eldest sister would do the job.
Nadzirah asked if she had to pay in cash. Yes , they would prefer cash and if Nadzirah wanted the car that day itself, she would have to pay in that mode. However, Nadzirah would have to go with them to their office to do the processing. The young man convinced Nadzirah that they had a car in the shop ready for possession. Thinking that they would give their mother a big surprise, they decided not to call her to ask for advice.
Both followed the man and they took a taxi. Soon they came to Sri Kembangan and they stopped in front of a row of shops. Not many shops were opened that day and it looked quite isolated. They were ushered to a shop which did not look impressive at all. They could not see the car. Feeling nervous, Nadzirah questioned about the car and was told that it was in the store, a few shops away. She was told to fill up a form and to sign some papers. After that, the man took her to the nearest ATM machine to withdraw the two thousand rinngit and Nadzirah was made to promise to pay an extra two hundred for processing fees.
Back at the office, they apologised that they could not release the car yet because Nadzirah was needed to pay for insurance and road tax first before she could drive the car home. That came to another two thousand ringgit or so. Nadzirah wanted to cancel the purchase because she thought she had only to pay two thousand ringgit. They laughed at her , saying that it was her mistake to think that she need not pay for insurance or road tax. If she wanted to cancel she had to wait until the next day because the boss had just left the office with the money.
Both Sheera and Nadzirah took a taxi home. They had to think of a way to ask their mother to give them another two thousand ringgit to get the car. They wanted the car badly and they had thought it was their good luck that they could get it so cheap.
The next day, the 'Jade' mattress and the electrical items(a double boiler and a pressure cooker of an unknown brand) came and the transporter left after they signed the delivery note, not cooperating with them when they asked him a few questions. Their mother asked what was going on. They had to let the cat out of the bag. To their dismay, their mother told them that they had been conned and it took them a while before they were convinced.
They called and called the Sri Kembangan office for the next two days but there was no answer. Their mother went with them to the shop but they only found a closed shop. When they asked around, nobody knew anything about them. Their search came to a dead end. Finally they decided to report to the police. They learnt that there were many similar cases. They were angry as well as shocked that this was allowed to happen.
Nadzirah has just got some money banked into her account, an excess of four thousand ringgit from the amount required to finance her 3-year diploma course at a public university. This amount is supposed to be used for her living expenses, but Nadzirah planned to use some of it to buy a few clothes for herself and her favourite sister.
Happily, both of them announced to their mother about their intention. Their mother had no intention on her part to pour cold water on their shoulders because as it was, she had always felt guilty of depriving them of their father's love. She had been divorced from their father when Puteri, the youngest, was only two months old. It was a love triangle since the beginning of their love affair and their mother was the one to officially marry him when she found that she was pregnant with Nadzirah.
Lot 10, at noon that Saturday, as usual, was already crowded with people, mostly teenagers and those in their twenties. Both sisters had spent the whole morning dressing up because they felt happy if they were dressed like most of the others at Lot 10. They wore the latest fashion and their usually hidden dyed golden hair gave them such a unique look that you would not know that they were actually secondary school children. Smelling like flowers, Nadzirah and Sheera found 'heaven' breezing through the boutiques they were so familiar with. They were considered regular customers in a few of them.
After buying a few blouses which had 70% discount, both of them decided to call it a day before they lost control themselves. Fortunately, they were smart enough to exercise some self control. As they were making their way to the Macdonald's nearby, they were confronted by two Chinese salespersons, one male and the other female. They looked young, more like college students doing part time work. Nadzirah was asked to pick a coupon out of a stack held by the young man. Much to her surprise, she had picked the one that offered her a new Proton Saga car with a down payment of only two thousand ringgit. She was told that after paying that amount she could drive home the car. Moreover, she would also be getting some electrical items and a 'Jade' mattress of a quality verbally guaranteed by the two excited salespersons. Sheera squealed in excitement. No more would she have to beg her mother to drive her to wherever she wanted. Her eldest sister would do the job.
Nadzirah asked if she had to pay in cash. Yes , they would prefer cash and if Nadzirah wanted the car that day itself, she would have to pay in that mode. However, Nadzirah would have to go with them to their office to do the processing. The young man convinced Nadzirah that they had a car in the shop ready for possession. Thinking that they would give their mother a big surprise, they decided not to call her to ask for advice.
Both followed the man and they took a taxi. Soon they came to Sri Kembangan and they stopped in front of a row of shops. Not many shops were opened that day and it looked quite isolated. They were ushered to a shop which did not look impressive at all. They could not see the car. Feeling nervous, Nadzirah questioned about the car and was told that it was in the store, a few shops away. She was told to fill up a form and to sign some papers. After that, the man took her to the nearest ATM machine to withdraw the two thousand rinngit and Nadzirah was made to promise to pay an extra two hundred for processing fees.
Back at the office, they apologised that they could not release the car yet because Nadzirah was needed to pay for insurance and road tax first before she could drive the car home. That came to another two thousand ringgit or so. Nadzirah wanted to cancel the purchase because she thought she had only to pay two thousand ringgit. They laughed at her , saying that it was her mistake to think that she need not pay for insurance or road tax. If she wanted to cancel she had to wait until the next day because the boss had just left the office with the money.
Both Sheera and Nadzirah took a taxi home. They had to think of a way to ask their mother to give them another two thousand ringgit to get the car. They wanted the car badly and they had thought it was their good luck that they could get it so cheap.
The next day, the 'Jade' mattress and the electrical items(a double boiler and a pressure cooker of an unknown brand) came and the transporter left after they signed the delivery note, not cooperating with them when they asked him a few questions. Their mother asked what was going on. They had to let the cat out of the bag. To their dismay, their mother told them that they had been conned and it took them a while before they were convinced.
They called and called the Sri Kembangan office for the next two days but there was no answer. Their mother went with them to the shop but they only found a closed shop. When they asked around, nobody knew anything about them. Their search came to a dead end. Finally they decided to report to the police. They learnt that there were many similar cases. They were angry as well as shocked that this was allowed to happen.
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