Llanelli man fined for con on elderly

A Llanelli man has been fined almost £500 for conning an elderly couple over work carried out to their home.
Thomas Alfie Price pleaded guilty at Ammanford Magistrates Court on Monday to an offence under the Fraud Act and to three offences under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 with regards to aggressive practices relating to harassment, coercion and undue influence, and unfair practice with a lack of professional diligence.
The court was told that on Friday November 14 last year 26-year-old Price called at an elderly couple’s home in Ferryside and told them that their guttering needed replacing. They agreed to the work.
Price did not provide them with any cancellation rights. Whilst on site he came to the door and told the husband that he had a puncture. While the husband took his car to the garage he told the wife the job was finished and asked for his payment of £500.
The husband returned having discovered that there was no puncture and that someone had let the air out of the tyre. He returned to find that his wife had paid Price and that the work was unfinished and that he had done an extremely poor job.
Price, of the Penybryn Site, Llanelli, was fined a total of £480 (£120 per offence) and ordered to pay a contribution of £400 towards prosecution costs.
Executive board member for housing and public protection Cllr Hugh Evans said: “We are concerned that some builders are targeting elderly people in particular. They are calling at houses and telling people that they need repairs carried out when this is not in fact the case.
“It is usually best to employ a tradesman that you know or who has been recommended by a friend or neighbour and Carmarthenshire Trading Standards also operates a Registered Traders Scheme - Builders and allied Traders as well as a newly launched Handyperson and Gardener scheme - which can be accessed via the corporate website - www.carmarthenshire.gov.uk/registeredtradersscheme - or by contacting Viv Jones on 01554 742306.”
Trading Standards would encourage any Carmarthenshire residents that may have concerns regarding a trader to contact them through Carmarthenshire Direct on 01267 234567.

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