Warning over upfront payments for work after tradesman prosecuted

TRADING Standards teams across Bridgend county borough, Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan are issuing urgent warnings to residents about making upfront payments to tradesmen who call at their homes.

The advice follows the prosecution of a local trader who was paid £3,000 Craig Hearne by a Brackla resident after offering to lay hardstanding at their property.

Mr Hearne, of Jubilee Crescent, Sarn, had previously completed work to the resident’s garden and also came recommended by a neighbour.

According to Bridgend council, a full payment of £3,000 was made by the resident via a bank transfer to Mr Hearne in May 2016, despite him failing to issue any paperwork for the work, which is a legal requirement. Although the resident kept in touch with Mr Hearne via phone and text, and he kept making promises to start the work, he never returned to the property.

Mr Hearne then claimed he had sold the business to someone else and he would pass on the new owner’s contact details, but nothing was heard.

Mr Hearne could no longer be contacted after that point so, in August 2016, the resident reported their complaint to Shared Regulatory Services - the body responsible for Trading Standards in Bridgend county borough, Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan.

Chairwoman of the joint committee for Shared Regulatory Services, Councillor Dhanisha Patel said: “Our officers tried to contact Mr Hearne by phone but there was never any an- swer. Messages were also left for him to contact us, but he failed to respond.

“Letters to Mr Hearne went unanswered and he failed to turn up for two interviews, while on two occasions when officers visited him at home, there was no answer. We did everything we could before taking the next steps.”

The remaining option was to prosecute Mr Hearne but he failed to turn up to court on several occasions so a warrant was issued for his arrest.

On December 7, he was arrested in Neath and taken into custody. He appeared in Cardiff Magistrates Court that afternoon and pleaded guilty to four charges under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008.

Mr Hearne was fined £500 and was ordered to refund the complainant’s £3,000 in full as well as victim surcharge and legal costs.

Coun Patel added: “This case serves as a warning to residents to avoid paying such large amounts of money to traders up front, especially where there is no written contract in place. Any reasonable trader will ask for a small percentage to be paid up front with further payments in stages or upon completion.

“Keep your money safe in your bank account until you are satisfied that the work has been completed and contact us if you believe you’ve been pressured into making a payment.”

Residents can contact Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 03454 040506 to register complaints, which are then made available for Shared Regulatory Services to assess.