By BRIDGET COOK
A CRANBOURNE small business owner who was ripped-off by a tradesman is now warning others to be aware.
John Bucak, who owns Krisden Smallgoods, is $4000 out of pocket after he paid Classic Refrigeration and Catering Equipment the deposit in November 2011 to install a refrigeration system at his business.
The business owner, Robert Turner from Pakenham, did not perform the work or repay the money.
Last month, Turner was convicted in the Dandenong Magistrates’ Court for accepting payment from not only Mr Bucak, but also another Pakenham shop, but failing to complete the work.
The court convicted Mr Turner of both charges and fined him $7500. He was ordered to repay the customers in full, a sum of $6179.20, and pay $2000 in legal costs.
Mr Bucak said he still had not received the money, nor heard anything from Turner, and was doubtful if he ever would.
“Unless the law is firm on it and he has some assets they could repossess, then I don’t think I’ll ever see my money,” he said.
“It would be nice if the law can do something about it and stop people like this scamming off others.”
Mr Bucak said he lost more than just his $4000.
“I also had to pay for someone else to do the job, so that cost me even more money,” he said.
“The quote was quite a bit more, plus their were additional costs to try and get the work done in a hurry.
“It was just before Christmas, so I missed out on a lot of Christmas sales because I didn’t have refrigeration systems.
“I’ve got a wife and two kids who I need to support, and I’m just an ordinary person trying to make a living.
“And then I get ripped-off like this.”
Mr Bucak said while he doubts he would ever get his money back, he hoped he could stop other businesses from falling victim to the same tradesman.
“I want them to be named and shamed so others know they are out there and doing this to people,” he said.
“By warning others it might stop them from getting scammed.
“It’s just disgusting.”
Consumer Affairs Victoria acting director Phil D’Adamo said the conviction served as an example of how the ACL provided protection for small business consumers when they bought goods or services.
“It is simply not acceptable for a trader to charge a customer thousands, and then fail to provide anything in return,” he said.
“If a trader fails to provide goods or services they promised when accepting a payment, that is illegal.
“Consumer Affairs Victoria protects people’s rights and pursues traders such as Mr Turner, who breach the ACL.”
Mr D’Adamo said people who believed a trader had acted unfairly should try to negotiate with them to reach an acceptable outcome in the first instance, however if unsatisfied with the response, advice was available from Consumer Affairs Victoria.
Mr D’Adamo said Consumer Affairs Victoria’s hotline for small business, 1300 098 631, took 3634 calls during 2011-12.
“It is an offence under the ACL for a trader to accept payment for goods or services but fail to provide them within the agreed timeframe,” he said.
For more information, visit Consumers Affairs Victoria’s website at www.consumer.vic.gov.au or phone 1300 55 81 81.
