Amateur astronomers across the country are ruing the loss of tens of thousands of dollars after the founder of a local astronomy group took their money for telescopes he never supplied.
Robert McTague, who runs a photography business, a local observatory, the website NZ Telescopes and started up the South Canterbury Astronomers Group, owes his customers upwards of $100,000 worth of goods.
"I'd say I'd like my money back, but I've probably got a few choice words around the way he operates," said customer Wayne Govenlock.
Mr Govenlock is owed $4090 for a telescope ordered last year that's never arrived.
"I was going to have two weeks off at Christmas, and I thought I'll spend two weeks setting up my telescope and it's going to be great".
But after the delivery deadline came and went, Mr Govenlock started getting worried, and asked McTague for the details of the freight company.
"[I] rang up the freight company and they denied all knowledge of picking up any goods from this company… and then I was getting fake track and trace numbers. That's when I was like uh-oh, got a problem here".
McTague told Wayne Govenlock that the order was delayed because his sister had died, and then that he was in hospital.
"It's just shocking, it's the first time I've come across an outfit like this. And it's so blatant. It's just unbelievable," Mr Govenlock said.
He's not alone – Fair Go's heard from 15 different complainants, who together are owed a total of $113,772.
Other complainants were told by McTague that he'd had a stroke, suffered a fall, been diagnosed with cancer and that his son had a car crash that delayed the sending out of orders.
McTague wouldn't speak to Fair Go on the phone, but said in a statement that he's working to repay customers as soon as possible.
He said his stock levels were low and he had few assets left to sell.
His website has now been closed for maintenance.
McTague also said he himself was owed refunds from a telescope supplier – but he wouldn’t say who that was, or how much he was owed.
McTague was convicted in February on charges laid last year after he took funds from his brother's credit card.
He was ordered to pay reparation.
Many customers have now taken their complaints to the Disputes Tribunal and Police – but they can only bankrupt McTague, as he operates as a sole trader and none of his businesses are registered companies.
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