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Ekka · 26th November 2007, 09:04 PM

I'm subscribed to the weekly newsletter of OFT here. Here's this weeks compatible bust.

Quote:

Two men have been fined more than $36,000 for breaching door-to-door trading laws and leaving several Queensland consumers with crumbling bitumen driveways fit only to be ripped up.
Petrie Magistrates Court ordered Mathew Walter Kefford, 26, of Mount Macedon, Victoria, to pay $30,000 in fines and convicted him under the door-to-door trading provisions of the Fair Trading Act 1989 (the Act).
One of Kefford's workers, Zacharia Larkham, 20, of Orange, New South Wales, was also ordered to pay $6,500 in fines.
Commissioner for Fair Trading Brian Bauer said the penalties were the serious consequences not only of the poor work on the six driveways, but also of ignoring consumers' rights under the door-to-door provisions of the Act.
"These conmen used the usual ploy of approaching people at home, saying they had some leftover bitumen from a job and they could lay a cheap bitumen driveway.
"They used high-pressure tactics, rushing consumers into making on-the-spot decisions and demanding cash upfront."
Mr Bauer said door-to-door trading laws were an important protection for both consumers and reputable traders.
"These men completed the work without a contract and breached provisions of the Act which prohibit money changing hands or work commencing within a 10-day cooling-off period.
"Mr Kefford and Mr Larkham failed to provide their contact details, refusing even to give surnames to their customers.
"Mr Kefford has previously been fined $2,000 for refusing to provide information after complaints about his sub-standard work made by two Closeburn residents.
"The Act provides important protections for consumers' rights when traders come knocking with unsolicited offers.
"Door-to-door traders must comply with their responsibilities under the Act."
Traders in breach of the Act face fines of up to $40,500 for individuals and $202,500 for companies.
For more information about door-to-door trading, visit Office of Fair Trading Home Page or phone 13 13 04.

See, send the Mexicans back I say, they're only trouble!

But seriously, just seems to be the place for conmen.