By Esther Lauaki
Residents are being urged to stay on alert for dodgy tradies.
Melton’s Julie Thomas is one of four residents in the area who say they fell victim to a tradesman advertising on Facebook who took deposits but did not complete the promised work.
Ms Thomas, who last week received a refund of her $1000 deposit after she threatened to go to police, warned others to be vigil.
“It took me weeks to get a refund but others might not be so lucky,” she told
Star Weekly.
“I did some research and found out that the ABN numbers for the business were false and the business names used in the advertisements were deregistered.”
Three more complainants messaged Ms Thomas after she posted a warning on various residents pages.
One woman said she paid a $1900 deposit for painting which was never started and the tradesman asked for more money before he would start the job.
Melton Leading Senior Constable Jo Mutsaets urged residents to report any incidents to police.
She encouraged locals to do their homework before handing over a deposit.
“This type of crime is one that often goes unreported because it’s victims are usually elderly or they are embarrassed that they could have been misled in that way,” Senior Constable Mutsaets said.
“We would ask that residents stay vigilant and report any dodgy tradesperson.
“There are a few simple signs to look out for.”
She warned residents to be weary of tradespeople who offer very cheap home repair services such as driveway resurfacing, roof repairs or painting, ask for cash up front and put pressure on to do the work that day.
Other tell-tale signs include no proof of identity, not allowing customers time to check credentials or offering to drive with residents to the bank to get the money.
“Only use established tradespeople that give written quotes,” she said.
Anybody with information about Melton door-to-door tradies are asked to contact Crime Stoppers on 1300 333 000.
