Comber plumber charged customer for work not carried out

Comber plumber was today fined a total of £500, plus £250 costs, at Newtownards Magistrates' Court.

In a case brought by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment’s Trading Standards Service, Edward Kenneth Hopkins (60), of Carnesure Park, Comber, who traded as Comber Boiler Services, claimed that he had fitted new parts when he repaired a customer’s central heating boiler.

Following a subsequent breakdown, the customer took parts of the boiler to a different repairer who discovered that, in fact, no new parts had been fitted as claimed by Mr Hopkins.

Philip Donnelly of the Trading Standards Service said: “Consumers are entitled to get what they pay for. The ordinary customer often has no way of telling if work has been completed correctly.

“Traders are relied upon by customers to identify faults and are paid to carry out appropriate repairs. Failure by traders to do this is not only against the law and the interests of consumers, but also damages the reputation of legitimate boiler repair businesses.”

Consumers who believe they have been offered counterfeit goods by traders should contact Consumerline on 0845 600 62 62 or 028 9025 3900, or alternatively, log on to www.consumerline.org.

Notes to Editors:

1. Under section 14.1(a) of the Trade Descriptions Act it is an offence for any person in the course of any trade or business to make a statement which he knows to be false. The Act is enforced by DETI's Trading Standards Service.
2. For media enquiries please contact DETI Press Office, telephone 028 9052 9297. Outside office hours, please contact the Duty Press Officer via pager number 07699 715 440 and your call will be returned.