Bendigo gold shop closes owing thousands of dollars

Brad and Stacey Wilson ran Aussie Detecting & Prospecting in Golden Square before closing in October.

“People have lost their money and it’s affecting them and their families,” Mr Wilson said, adding he felt ashamed and horrible about what had happened.

Mrs Wilson said she spent more than four months in hospital this year, which impacted on Mr Wilson's running of the business. "I was pretty much on death's door," she said.

A statement explains Mrs Wilson's health problems further.

"Stacey spent 3 months in hospital with possibility of passing away due to septicaemia. This put great pressure on the business & shop," it says. "Months later Stacey developed staph in her mouth & spent another month in hospital." 

Mr Wilson also injured his shoulder in a car accident, Mrs Wilson said.

Mr and Mrs Wilson’s full statement is available from their website at www.aussiedetectors.com 

EARLIER: THE owners of a gold detecting shop in Golden Square that has closed down  – owing customers thousands of dollars – have filed for bankruptcy, documents confirm.

Brad and Stacey Wilson ran Aussie Detecting & Prospecting in High Street before closing their doors in October. They continue to operate a website using the same logo to advertise gold detecting equipment.

The Advertiser has received multiple complaints from customers who say they are owed money for gold detectors and other equipment that was never delivered. The closure has also sparked significant criticism of Mr Wilson in online forums, though police do not consider the matter a criminal one.

Jennie Harris said her husband paid for a Garrett gold detector and other equipment from Mr Wilson’s shop but it never arrived. The Advertiser has seen a paid $1500 invoice issued to Mrs Harris’s husband.

“Nothing has arrived, no offer of a refund, no communication at all after the shop closed,” she said. “I don’t want it to happen to anyone else.”

Other customers say they have not had answers over money owed. Another paid invoice the Advertiser has seen is for $3500. Mr Wilson told the Advertiser he “felt horrible” for customers but would not say how much he owed.

The Advertiser has seen correspondence from the Australian Financial Security Authority saying the couple were made bankrupt on November 16. The AFSA is now the trustee of their bankrupt estate and has requested the couple’s business and personal bank statements.

According to the AFSA, a person declared bankrupt cannot act as the director or manager of another company. They can, however, trade as a sole trader, provided they freely disclose their bankruptcy. Mr Wilson says this is now what he is doing.

“Under the act if we were to carry on trading it would have to be as a sole trader,” he said in a statement. “That has been approved with the ABN of 82570755337.”

However, Aussie Detecting & Prospecting still operates as an "online store only", says its website, aussiedetectors.com. 

On the same website, the couple has posted a statement detailing factors – including losing distribution contracts and encountering problems with an accountant – they claim led to their financial woes.

Senior Constable Mark Smeaton said police did not consider the store’s closure a criminal matter.

“As far as we can gather, there’s been no deception,” he said, adding the AFSA had taken over.

Mr and Mrs Wilson registered Aussie Detecting & Prospecting as a family partnership in 2011. Their ABN was cancelled on November 10, the Australian Business Register shows. 

In a statement posted to the Aussie Detectors website, the couple said they declared themselves bankrupt after unsuccessfully seeking finance to meet their orders or refund people. 

“We sent out letters to all our customers … with the intent to have their goods to them until we received news that we were not successful in receiving finance.”