Glazing directors pay price for rip-off sales

FINED Jason Walchester, Paul Birks and Christopher Davies at crown court Overpriced products flogged by bullying and probably fraudulent coldcalling sales reps – that’s Ecoseal Home Improvements Limited.

One vulnerable victim, who had been diagnosed with a brain injury, paid £18,000 for double glazing worth just £7,100.

Another was persuaded to sign five finance agreements with repayments amounting to a quarter of her total income.

Stafford crown court heard that the signature on the paperwork “was most likely not her signature”.

Fines totalling £50,000 have been slapped both on the company and its three directors Jason Walchester, 49, Paul Birks, 41, and Christopher Davies, 35, after they admitted consumer protection offences.

Ecoseal and directors must also

apay more than £100,000 in costs. Judge Paul Glenn said Ecoseal exploited vulnerable customers, adding: “You failed to stop these practices despite having had ample warnings from trading standards.”

The court was told that the sales reps responsible for the rogue sales had since left the company. After the case Staffordshire County Council’s communities leader Gill Heath said the directors showed “a complete indifference to the vulnerability of its customers who they overcharged on numerous occasions”.

In 2011 Ecoseal had the cheek to apply to trading standards to join a “trusted traders” register.

The request was refused due to the volume of complaints.