Green Acres Ordeal Gets Worse For Franchisee

New Zealand Herald:

The nightmare has turned from bad to worse for Green Acres franchisee Phoebe Yang, as a finance company starts demanding repayments from her for a loan to buy equipment she never received.

About 30 franchisees who bought bogus ironing franchises from Green Acres franchise master Keith Lapham for $20,000 also borrowed $5000 each from Finance Now Limited to pay Lapham for commercial ironing equipment. But at least 11, including Ms Yang, said they never got the equipment.

She told the Herald she has been having sleepless nights since she couldn’t meet a deadline last Monday set by the finance company and was told that her case would be passed to a debt collection agency, which could affect her credit rating.

‘I really don’t have the money and don’t know what to do,’ Ms Yang, who has a 3-year-old daughter, said. ‘I work night shifts as a cashier in Foodtown and there is not even enough money to make ends meet, so how do I afford to pay a loan for equipment I never got.’ More.