I have been very much enjoying my time in Mexico over the last 8 months. But bad things also happen and those experiences need to be shared to protect other people.
So let me tell you of Sonia D.
Sonia makes a living helping foreigners living in Mexico to deal with immigration. According to her website, she does so in San Miguel and in Puerto Vallarta.
That is how I met Sonia, over the internet.
After exchanging 6 emails, she proposed her services for a new visa, and asked me to pay $5000 for her assistance. So I went to the bank and sent the money.
And I never got any news from her from that moment onwards.
So I went to immigration to work things out by myself.
At one of the visits to immigration I saw Sonia because I recognized her from the photo on the website. When I asked, she said she never heard of me, when I showed the bank statement of my payment she said that 鈥渄oes not prove anything鈥� and refused to further talk to me.
So I contacted a lawyer who at first tried to call her in my presence. To no avail, it was impossible to get Sonia on the phone.
Then the lawyer sent this letter asking Sonia to pay me back:
Se帽ora Sonia D. ,
Reciba un cordial saludo, le escribe el Licenciado Jos茅 David Garc铆a V谩zquez, en atenci贸n a un problema suscitado con mi cliente el se帽or Adrian Smolders 鈥︹��
Mi cliente tiene documentada su relaci贸n contractual con diversos correos, entre los cuales usted le solicito el pago de la cantidad de $5,000.00 pesos y le indico a donde deb铆a depositar ese dinero, no obstante lo anterior, al parecer usted nunca atendi贸 a mi cliente pues 茅l tuvo que viajar de Mazatl谩n a esta ciudad para hacer el proceso por s铆 mismo.
En virtud de lo anterior, mi cliente me pide que le informe que requiere le devuelva el dinero que le deposito m谩s la cantidad de $3,000.00 pesos por los da帽os ocasionados en virtud de su omisi贸n o de lo contrario tendremos que accionar los procesos legales correspondientes en su contra, para lo cual le pido de la manera m谩s atenta, responda a la brevedad el presente correo y se ponga en contacto conmigo, ya que si para el d铆a 24 de julio Usted ha sido omisa en contactarme para arreglar este problema, proceder茅 judicialmente en contra de Usted.
Le tuve que escribir porque nunca contesta su celular y es la 煤nica manera que creo conveniente para contactarla.
Quedo a sus 贸rdenes para cualquier duda o aclaraci贸n.
Atentamente.-
Jos茅 David Garc铆a V谩zquez
Then Sonia D. paid back my $5000, but refused to pay the lawyer.
Her undented assurance, even confronted by a lawyer for irrefutable malpractice, convinces me that my case is not unique, but I may be the only one who pushed this all the way.
Beware of your money, beware of Sonia D.
I send a copy of this to the Immigration Office.
