“The Store with the best Offers on Cheap Mattresses, Beds and Sofas in Palma.” This is how La Tienda 3B’s, a commercial establishment dedicated to the sale of furniture and decoration, was promoted until a few weeks ago. One day, suddenly, he lowered the blinds without further explanation. What began as a temporary closure “for family reasons” became permanent, leaving more than 100 clients in the lurch who had paid, in total, more than 100,000 euros for furniture that never arrived. Now, the owners are being investigated for an alleged crime of continued fraud.
Three weeks ago, the Economic Crime and Technological Crimes Group of the National Police arrested the company’s administrator, Julia L., following the numerous complaints they began to receive from dozens of people who claimed to have paid certain amounts. for the furniture that they had bought in the two stores that 3B’s had in Palma and that they never received. In total, there have so far been 116 complaints from different affected parties who claimed that they had placed their orders several months ago and that they were never delivered.
Two weeks later, the agents arrested the owner’s son, Francisco Manuel M., who, according to the testimonies collected throughout the investigation, was in charge of the money contributed by the clients. According to the investigations, the person under investigation maintained the commercial activity of selling furniture for several months, supposedly knowing that he would not be able to meet the commitments he was making with each of the buyers, from whom he also required the payment of a deposit for reservation per order. Furniture that, as the head of the company, he was aware that was not going to be delivered, since the manufacturers had already withdrawn their trust due to non-payment and would not advance orders without prior payment.
Losses of more than 100,000 euros
Investigators estimate that the injured parties paid a total of 85,000 euros, although because part of the purchases had been financed by banking entities, the losses could exceed 100,000 euros. Some of those affected by the alleged 3B’s scam – whose legal name is Draquer Gestiona – are waiting for the financing to be cancelled. elDiario.es has tried to contact the owners of the company and their defense, but has not received a response.
Esher del Peral is one of those affected by the events and a member of the platform that those affected have decided to launch in protest of the non-payments. “In our case, my husband and I went to buy a sofa at the 3B’s store on Aragó Street in May. Since it was custom-made, they told us that it would take about 60 days to be ready. No problem. We finance it through them. But, after 60 days, no one had told us anything. We decided to wait a little longer, because there could always be a problem at the factory and they could be delayed. August began and that’s when we called. They told us that there had been a problem at the factory and that it was not ready yet. But we waited another week and went to the store, but the girl who had served us was not there,” says Del Peral.
Apparently, the person who had initially assisted them was on vacation, so they spoke with the son of the owner now under investigation. “He told us that ‘well, everyone is on vacation in August.’ We understood it. He told us: ‘Don’t worry, I’m sending an email to the factory right now so they can send it to Palma. Next week you will have it at your house,’” says the affected woman. However, two weeks passed without anyone communicating with them. Upon returning to the store, they came across a sign that said ‘Closed for Holidays’ and that they would reopen the store on September 15.
‘Closed for family reasons’
When they returned to the establishment on the 16th, they found that the blinds were still down. This time, with another sign: ‘Closed due to family problems’. They started asking around in the shops next door and no one knew anything. “But they left us with the fly behind our ears, because everything was very strange,” he adds. It was when consulting an acquaintance who also works in mattresses when he immediately called on them to file a complaint. “They are trying to sell all the goods they have left in the stores and they are going to take your money,” he told them. Del Peral began searching Facebook, where another acquaintance posted that she had been scammed at the store three times. When he contacted her, he found that several people were already in a similar situation. And that’s where it all started.
Those affected formed a group and, in less than a week, there were almost 100 members. They began putting up signs in stores, calling and sending emails to the company. But no one responded. “They were completely missing,” Esther emphasizes. It was then that they joined forces and, together, began to file joint complaints with the National Police and consumer claims. “At first we had to explain to the agents what had happened. Then all you had to do was show the store slip three times and they only asked for your personal information, because they already knew the story,” he says.
Demonstration in front of the store doors
The culminating day came on September 28, when dozens of people affected by the alleged scam protested at the doors of La Tienda 3B’s. Among posters with slogans such as “No more lies”, “Solutions now” or “Without sofas or money there is no well-being”, the protesters demanded the return of their money or the delivery of the furniture they paid for. “We have tried to talk to them to mediate and it has been one lie after another. And lately they have started to tell us that our appearance on television has done them a lot of harm,” says Del Peral, who explains that they have held two meetings with the owners and are trying to arrange a third with their lawyer: “But they are dragging our feet and now “He doesn’t even answer us.”
In the case of Teresa, another of those affected, she says that on July 2 she bought a sofa for 1,500 euros: “We were expecting it at the end of September and, when we saw the store closed, I filed a complaint with the National Police, which has been the reference for all the others. “I also decided to set up the platform.” This woman asserts that, as in some other cases, she and her husband have already had their financing canceled and their money returned, but they continue on the platform “because there are many people who have paid in cash or by transfer and do not have way to get your money back.”
Along with buyers, numerous manufacturers and distributors are waiting to invoice the denounced company due to the advance of orders placed since the beginning of this year, the figure for which could amount to around 400,000 euros. The General Directorate of Consumer Affairs of the Balearic Government has released a statement in which, among other aspects, it recommends that customers who have purchased at 3B’s keep all documentation such as the invoice, the order, proof of payment or the purchase contract. financing. If the purchase has been financed with a consumer loan offered by the establishment and linked to the purchase, Consumption calls on those affected to contact the financial institution to inform it of the closure of the activity, request the suspension of the issuance of receipts and the return of the part of the financing paid in accordance with the provisions of Law 16/2011, of June 24, on Consumer Credit Contracts.
Meanwhile, the Economic Crime Group continues its investigations with the aim of determining the existence of a greater number of people affected and does not rule out more arrests.
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