Big payoff for store visit

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This article was published 10/04/2015 (4048 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A casual visit to DirectBuy earned Jonachiu Yap 25 grand.

The 44-year-old Mynarski resident attended an open house at DirectBuy of Winnipeg (177 King Edward St. E) to learn about the membership-based buying club’s business model. While Yap didn’t purchase a membership, he did enter DirectBuy’s annual $25,000 Home Makeover contest, and he won.

On April 8, DirectBuy of Winnipeg presented Yap with a cheque for $25,000.

“Someone (from DirectBuy) called me about a month ago and I thought it was scam,” said Yap of his reaction when he found out he had won the contest.

“I checked the number, wrote it down and I did reverse phone lookup to make sure it wasn’t a scam. I found out yes, it was DirectBuy.”

Yap said DirectBuy offered him three options: to get a $25,000 home makeover, to give the money to a car dealership for a brand-new car, or take the cash. Yap said show me the money.

A client care co-ordinator for Home Instead Senior Care, Yap moved to Winnipeg eight years ago from the Philippines. His wife Renee and his two-year-old son Noah currently live in a condo, but Yap said he plans to buy a house in the next three to four years.

When asked what he’ll do with the money, Yap provided a very sensible answer.

“Probably pay off our debt, and maybe save enough money to go on a vacation,” Yap said.

Lynn Till, who owns and manages DirectBuy of Winnipeg with her husband Dwight Till, said this marks the fifth time the winner of the contest has come out of Winnipeg. She said the Yap clan is a “really nice young family,” and she was pleased they won.  

“It’s really nice. I’m really excited for them. It’ll give them a great step up for sure,” Till said.

Yap said he and his wife have been on a bit of a winning streak since coming to Winnipeg.

“The first time we won something in Canada was about a year after we came here, we got $180 from the lottery,” he said. “Then there was a raffle in the apartment we were living in and we won a $1,000. Now, two years later we win $25,000. I’m waiting to see what happens in two more years. There seems to be a pattern.”

As for where the family will go on vacation, Yap isn’t decided yet, but he does have his son’s best interests in mind.

“Probably Disney World or Disneyland for the kid,” Yap said.