Has The Society, or Any Bro or Sis, Ever Screwed You Out Of Your Money?

by LoisLane looking for Superman 41 Replies latest jw friends

LoisLane looking for Superman

This thread was inspired because of 3rdgn, and her asking, on behalf of her destitute elderly widowed Mom,
for the return of her mother's "conditional loan" to The Society of $20,000.00.
(This was stated today, under my thread of, "What Was The Effect on You of Knowing Hypocritical JW's?")
The Society more or less yes, no, it is now our money, and you can't have it back. Tell the old Lady to go on Welfare.
Do any of you have any stories about The Society or your loving Brothers ( tm ) and Sister's ( tm ) who took a loan from you,
or employed you, and never paid you?
LoisLane who too, got screwed but not in any kind of happy fun way.
Julia Orwell

Not me personally, but I have/had JW friends who had been.
One's husband was in business with an elder in the late 90's. Elder ripped AUD $10 000 off him in about 1997-8, and got stepped down and left and moved to another congo. I asked friend who got ripped off why her husband didn't prosecute. She said she would have liked to, but her husband just took it on the chin and figured it'd be best to let it go. Then in about 2008, this bro in his new cong was an elder again and got stepped down and moved away. Apparently he'd been up to his old tricks again. I always wondered how he and his wife could pioneer with a family of 4 kids and have their own house and good car. He was a rip-off merchant.
Another was my best friend who lent her flatmate $500 and never got it back.
I also met a householder out in field service once who'd been in business with a JW couple who'd taken them to the cleaners. I didn't believe him at the time and thought he was either mistaken, or if he was right, the couple would be dfd.
Another time, a friend of mine rented her factory premises out to a bro who made kitchens or something. He never paid rent and owed them over $10k and wouldn't pay. Being gentle kind sheeple, they tolerated it for ages but eventually had him leave. He snubbed them something fierce afterwards. It also turned out he was embezzling them somehow and using the money to wine and dine this sister in their 3 month courtship before marriage, giving her the impression he was well off. When they got married they moved in with his mother!!
Another friend of mine, a guy in his 20's, a convert like me, was working for a pioneer last I heard. This guy was always late in paying him, and the only leave he ever gets is for the convention. He hasn't had a break in years, except for a week off when his father died. Great boss, huh? And like so many JWs, he's a meek guy who won't stand up for himself.
An elder in my last cong who left and is now dfd, took money from the contribution box. A sister who had contributed $800 one month caught him because when the accounts were read they were less than $800 for the month. She made the accusation and got dfd for it. Later that same elder lost his job in management because he was embezzling. This was long before he ran off with the woman he'd been having an affair with for the last 5 years as an elder and got dfd.
A brother I'd known for years was selling dodgy products over the internet, making false claims about these cheap knockoff mobile phones or something, and selling stuff on ebay he didn't actuall have. Of course it all blew up in his face and he ended up losing his house over it.
I'm sure if I had asked around, I would have been able to come up with a lot more stories.
LoisLane looking for Superman

A few years back, my now ex, did some work for a brother signed, sealed and delivered for $600.00.
We thought we would do a little trip with the extra $$$.
Job is complete, brother says, I am sorry, I don't have the cash right now.
He finally, after some months, said, I am sorry, I just can't come up with the extra dough. Again, sorry.
He finally approached my now ex and said, sheepishly, I am really sorry. I cannot afford to pay you.
Could we just forget about it?
Wow... Those 3 little sentences saved that Bro $600.00, because my ex said, sure, OK.
Next years Convention, looking for seats, I find some, sit down, look next to me, and there sits a beautiful leather bound Bible,
with guess who's name embossed on it. Yes, you are right! The Bro and his wife each had the expensive custom, pick your favorite color,
Bible , that I didn't think we could afford.
At the break at Lunch, someone came up to them and said, we heard you just came back from a Cruise, how was it?
Would you believe me if I tell you this couple never batted an eye to us. In fact, even though we sat right next to them,
they acted like we didn't even exist.
LoisLane
What is your story?
Amelia Ashton

New in Spain I was looking for a second hand car because it takes 3 months for a new one to come through. It is very complicated buying second hand cars in Spain as a police officer has to stamp paper work a fee goes to some-one else and it's a nightmare.
A bro was selling an old Astra convertable for 2000 euros and it looked ok and had a year's ITV (MOT). I didn't know that if a car can make it to the test centre it will pass.
It was a death trap and constantly broke down and always in the garage. Months later after I had got my new car others in the cong told me the car was not worth what he charged and they knew it was "not a good car for me to buy with my children and wished I hadn't". WTF!
When I confronted him he replied "business is business"!
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An elder and his wife had run a sandwich business supplying sandwhiches, British chocolate and other English food to ex-pats, hotels, the airport and shops etc for 6 years which they started from scratch. I worked for the company for a whole year prior to buying it.
After 3 months I submitted my paperwork for taxes using a different accountant. He informed me the the company was illegal and without the correct paperwork necessary for running a legitimate business no taxes could be paid!!!
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An elder applied for a job as a maths teacher and lied about his qualifications. He got the job, moved congregtions and was re-selected as an elder in his new cong.
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A sister started a business arranging NIE numbers (which are free) to people wanting to purchase property and charged 50 euros. They would then discover the estate agent would have done it for free and when confronted she would tell them it was their own fault for not researching properly. True but what an attitude.
This same pioneer sister did cleaning and desperately wanted a 4 x 4 one of her clients had for sale. She offered to work for free for a year if they let her have it. After signing the paperwork she stoppped working for them as she had other "other commitments" but kept the 4 x 4.
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Our two elders both bought property at the other end of the island and consequently meetings became a round trip of over 92 kilometres for them. Between them they persuded the society it would benefit the cong if we had our own hall instead of sharing with the Spanish. The society asked for numbers of those who would consequently have to travel further if the move went ahead and they lied and only included 3 sisters that it would be detrimental to and the rest would benefit.
What a big fat lie! They even included my village of being closer even though our round trip went from 22 kms up to 70. They got the hall though.
Phew! What a crock of sh*t it all was!
designs

I added it up one time as to how much business I had given to other brothers from my business over a 20 year period and it was something like 1.3 million, never and I mean never was any business reciprocated.
As for the money sent to the Wt. that's money down the drain, three generations sending money to those guys, what a waste. My last check to them was around 1995 when I asked they use the funds for relief aid and they said no.
zound

Small fry example but it always bugged me.
I used to do a window cleaning run with my brother in law - I was maybe 16 and he in his 20's. We used to go in his car and I would contribute (far too much) for the petrol.
Anyway, we pulled up to a job and I got out and found $50 in the gutter. I could have just pocketted it, but I mentioned as we were cleaning that I found it - he went very quiet all of a sudden and remained so for a while. Then he said - perhaps I should put it in the kitty (as in add it to the money we made that day and divide it between us).
At the time, I was a pretty good JW, kind of the turn the other cheek / be humble / material things aren't important kind of thing - so I pretty much straight up said okay I'll do that.
However, for the remaining hours whilst we were working, he just would not stop with trying to justify that it wasn't me just being a decent (if slightly dumb) person by sharing my find - but that he actually was entitled to AT LEAST half of the $50. He was saying that if he didn't park the car in that exact spot I wouldn't have found the money, and if it wasn't for him I wouldn't even be out there at that time and in that place etc etc.
Not exagerating this, and he was completely serious. This went on for hours, he couldn't just accept I had offered it out of my generousity, but that it rightfully was HIS - I think he was actually trying to obtain the whole $50.
What an asshole.
OneGenTwoGroups

A widow in the Miami area was bilked of her 1 million dollars of life insurance money she recieved because her husband who was killed coming home from shepherding call in a car accident. It was her cousin and her husband, an elder in the congregation. They said they were helping her "invest" the money, and the "investments went bad". She was heavily medicated at the time and trusted them with her money. He is still an elder. She has two children by the way.
stillin

I loaned a brother who seemed to be "on the edge" a few hundred dollars, figuring that he figured if I could afford to loan it I could afford to lose it. But after a few months he surprised me with full repayment!
I can think of a few "exemplary" ones that would drag it out forever.
zound

I'll just add.
Later in life when my car broke down and I had no money to fix it, a worldy workmate that smoked, swore, and drank, offered to give me $500 to help - he offered it not as a loan, just as a gift.
JW's are nothing special. There's good people and bad people, just like everyone else in the world.
zound

I can think of a few "exemplary" ones that would drag it out forever.
Lol! "I'll pay you back in the new system."

Has The Society, or Any Bro or Sis, Ever Screwed You Out Of Your Money?

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