Published 6th Jul, 2022

By Basit Jamiu

Francis Oputa, an Austria-based Nigerian, has accused Afialink International, an auto company, of refusing to release the Hyundia Sonnata he paid N2.95 million for.

Oputa told FIJ that he saw the car on Facebook and was interested in it. He also said he had followed the Afialink page and had seen several positive comments before taking the jump to buy from them.

“I saw the picture of the Hyundai Sonnata car on Afialink which they posted online. I called them and he put the price of the car at N1.6 million. I sent him a million naira and then I told him that I would send N500,000 naira in one week. I sent the N500,000 on December 12 as promised,” he said.

Receipt of Oputa’s N1 million sent to Afialink

Oputa said Afialink told him the car would be ready and shipped to Nigeria in eight weeks. He said he called Afialink’s Nigerian office in Lagos on January 23, asking for the progress of the purchase.

“The person who picked the call lied to me that the Hyundai Sonata was in Nigeria. I asked how I could get the car and they said they would call their manager to send the paperwork. They said they usually sent cars, and then papers.”

Oputa said he had not been able to reach any Afialink phone number after the call. A week later, he was told by the manager that the car was not yet in Nigeria.

“In April, he posted one Ford Edge. When I called to ask about the car he said it was in Nigeria. I told him that since the one I bought was not in Nigeria, I wanted to switch to the available one. He told me that the price of the Ford Edge was N1.66 million. I told him I had paid N1.5 million and I was willing to send the remaining N160,000.”

Oputa said he was told to add a million naira to fully buy the car. According to Oputa, Afialink told him that the additional one million naira would cover clearing and shipment. He was told that it would take two weeks for the car to be delivered.

Oputa said he called Afialink’s manager several times after two weeks, but none was answered.

“In May, I wrote to him after I saw the FIJ story on Afialink. I sent him screenshots of the report. He called me the following day and told me I would get it in one week. One week after, he called me to send the remaining N400,000 to an agent. When I called the agent to send the money to him, he told me his money was N1.45 million.”

“I told the Afialink manager and he said he would get back to me. When he finally called, he said I would only send N600,000 to the agent.”

Oputa said the agent insisted he wouldn’t accept less than N850,000. He did not have that amount but he reached out to his brother who added to the money. He said he sent the N850,000 hoping that the car would eventually be sent to him in one week as promised.

“After one week, he told me he was still processing it. When I called him again, he started shouting at me. He told me that I had to send another N600,000 and I told him that was not what we discussed. I told him that to make any further decision I needed to see the car. He asked me to come to Ikeja and I went there. For five hours, he did not show up. When I called the Afialink manager, he asked me to send my account number, but he did not send the money.”

Oputa said he eventually saw the car a week after.

“When I saw the car, I was surprised. The car was not anywhere new and the engine and bonnet were open. I was like ‘this is not the same car I saw’. I called Afialink manager asking for the money he promised to send. He said I would see the money in one week. From that time, both the agent and the Afialink manager have not been answering my calls.”

When FIJ contacted the manager, he denied Oputa’s claims.

“It is a lie. He did not give you the right information. Please tell Oputa to call me so we can clarify his claims,” he said.

A message sent to the agent mentioned had not been responded to at press time.

FIJ had reported many cases of Afialink taking money from customers without giving them value for it. In may, FIJ reported how Jude Idoke paid N1.4 million to the company for a car but it was not delivered. One Illo Della Thompson also paid N4 million to Afialink but did not receive car.

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