Suffolk trader ordered to pay £42,500 for counterfeit computer games

A rogue trader from Suffolk who sold counterfeit Nintendo Wii, DS and Xbox computer games on eBay has been ordered to pay a total of £42,500 following a final hearing at Ipswich Crown Court.

Suffolk Trading Standards brought the prosecution after test purchases of two Nintendo DS games from a seller on eBay were confirmed to be counterfeit by the Trade Mark holder.  A warrant was subsequently executed at Mr Chandler’s property in Haverhill, with goods seized which were also confirmed as counterfeit.

Mr Darren Chandler was ordered to pay a confiscation figure of £30,000 and was also ordered to pay costs of £12,500, making the total figure £42,500.

Judge Rupert Overbury told the court that the defendant, Mr Chandler from Haverhill, had benefited from a criminal lifestyle under Section 2 of the Proceeds of Crime Act.  He has been given six months to pay this amount and if he fails to do so within the time allotted, he will receive a default sentence of 15 months in prison.

Mr Chandler was sentenced in August 2010 having pleaded guilty to six Trade Mark offences, relating to the sale, possession and importing of counterfeit Nintendo, Xbox, and Wii games.

Senior Trading Standards Officer Nousha Meek said:

“This is the largest amount that Suffolk Trading Standards have recovered using the Proceeds of Crime Act. This kind of success sends a strong message to rogue traders that crime does not pay and the Courts will confiscate any earnings from criminal activity.”

Judge Overbury accepted that no harm had been brought to those that had purchased the games, but stated that Mr Chandler’s actions undermined the reputable companies.  He also stated that the customers purchasing the games were likely to be young consumers whose funds had been deceived.

Judge Overbury also sentenced Mr Chandler to a nine month prison sentence, suspended for two years, and ordered that he must complete 240 hours of unpaid work within 12 months.

Suffolk Rogue Trader Sentenced to Eight Years

Michael Williams, 33 and Anthony Field, 27 joined forces to target homes in Suffolk and Norfolk, convincing residents to have home improvement work done and in many cases not carrying out any work.  And in some circumstances they even drove residents to the bank to withdraw money. 

The rogue traders conned many elderly and vulnerable consumers out of thousands of pounds, but last night were starting lengthy prison sentences.

Katherine Moore, prosecuting, said the cases put before the court involved 28 households, but that at total of 35 homes had been targeted in areas including Lowestoft, Kessingland, North Walsham, Halesworth, Winterton and Ipswich.

Williams, of Westland Road, Lowestoft, who admitted he had targeted 26 victims between 2008 and 2010, taking a total of at least £61,000, was jailed for a total of eight years.

Field, of Chaukers Crescent, Carlton Colville, formerly of St Peter’s Street, Lowestoft, admitted his involvement in targeting 15 homes. He stole at least £16,000 and received a total of six years in prison.

The investigation that led to yesterday’s sentencing was a joint effort between Norfolk Police’s Operation RADAR team – which investigates bogus callers and rogue traders – and Suffolk Police .

Det Sgt Simon Bridgland, from Suffolk Police, said they were delighted with the result at yesterday’s sentencing.

He said: “They deliberately targeted vulnerable residents and conned considerable sums of money from them – in some cases their life savings. Many were in poor health and have since suffered both emotionally and financially as a consequence of the actions of Williams and Fields.

5 Arrested in Lowestoft for Fraud Offences

An operation to target rogue traders and distraction burglars, has lead to five men being arrested in Lowestoft.

Lowestoft police and Suffolk Trading Standards, worked together during another day of Operation Seawolf, that used Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology. Where two teenage boys were spotted pressure washing a driveway in Gorleston Road.

Following checks and speaking to the teenagers they were arrested.

During this time a Ford Transit van arrived and after enquiries about the three occupants, they were also arrested. Five people – a 52-year-old man, a 42-year-old man, a 30-year-old man, a 16-year-old boy and a 15-year-old boy – were all arrested on suspicion of possession/control of an article for use in fraud.

All five individuals were taken back to Lowestoft police station for questioning, and have been bailed until the 2nd November pending a join investigation by Lowestoft police and Suffolk Trading Standards.

Suffolk Trading Standards Round-up

A summary of the work Suffolk Trading Standards have been doing over the last few months.

Doorstep

In the last quarter there has been successful action taken against rogue traders that have targeted elderly or vulnerable homeowners.

Including a fine of £1,800 plus £2,000 costs to a trader that targeted an elderly lady in Newmarket. The trader was also given an ASBO, banning him from cold calling in Suffolk for 2 years.

In another case, a trader who targeted an elderly woman in Felixstowe has pleaded guilty to fraud offences at Ipswich Crown Court and is due to be sentenced shortly. In progressing in this case we worked very closely with police officers in Felixstowe who were keen to bring the trader to justice.

We have been working with the police and other agencies, in May we took part in Operation Liberal a national rogue-trader day. In Suffolk this was extended to a week of action, where we worked with the police and other agencies at static sites and the police ANPR (automatic number plate recognition) travelling throughout the county to target both know rogues as well as those that had travelled into Suffolk on the day.

Underage Sales

Trading Standards undertook three targeted alcohol test-purchasing operations in the last 3 months, with the following results (with £80 Penalty Notices for Disorder being issued to the seller and owner in most cases):

Ipswich: 12 attempts, 3 sales

Bury St Edmunds: 5 attempts, 1 sale

An average failure rate of 23%.

Also an 48 hour ‘closure notice’  was also served to a One Stop Store in Claydon, for persistently selling alcohol to underage children. ‘Persistently selling’ means that at least two sales of alcohol took place to underage children within 3 months. ‘One Stop’ accepted the notice and had refrained from selling any alcohol for 48 hours.

No Cold Calling Zone

We have recently launched a new ‘No Cold Calling Zone’ in Barton Mills, with two further zones being launched in Newmarket at the end of July. Taking the total of zones established in Suffolk since April 2009 to twelve. Communities that are interested in setting up their own ‘No Cold Calling Zone’ are invited to contact Trading Standards. We are also looking at hot spots resulting from intelligence, where we can identify areas which could benefit from a NCCZ.

We are now able to provide door/window stickers on request from individual residents where their area fails to satisfy the ‘vulnerabilty’ criteria of a NCCZ and where residents  do not want to be visited by doorstep sellers. These stickers are accompanied by an information pack. The stickers clearly state that any would-be callers are not invited and should leave. This will reinforce the legislation that provides for a criminal offence to take place where an uninvited salesperson ignores a consumer’s request to leave the premises.

For more information: http://www.suffolk.gov.uk/BusinessAndConsumer/TradingStandards/NoColdCallingZones.htm

Trusted Trader Scheme

Our web-based accredited trader scheme, Suffolk Trusted Trader. The launch took place at the Suffolk Show. Member businesses are carefully vetted to ensure known rogue traders aren’t admitted. The scheme allows customers of the trader to comment directly upon their performance and reliability, therefore allowing other consumers to view the web-based feedback before choosing who  to do business with. This will build into a useful reference source for all Suffolk residents, preventing them from falling into the hands of rogue traders.

Seventy-five businesses have now joined the scheme, mainly from the home improvement and repair, gardening, handyperson, and building sectors. Suffolk Trading Standards is interested in hearing recommendations from consumers of businesses they feel deserve to be part of ‘Trusted Trader’.

For more information: http://www.suffolk.gov.uk/BusinessAndConsumer/TradingStandards/TrustedTrader.htm

Rogue trader stopped by observant bank staff

A woman in her 90′s was nearly duped into withdrawing several thousands pounds by a rogue trader that drove her to the bank.  Police were alerted by observant bank staff in Lowestoft, as the customer attempted to withdraw the money.

It follows three reports of elderly and vulnerable residents in Halesworth and Saxmundham area being targeted by workmen charging thousands of pounds for work, that should be a fraction of the price.
It is important residents don’t take advantage of doorstep sellers or other unsolicited offers of work without getting several quotes from reputable companies first. Don’t feel pressurised to accept these offers; if you are interested, take their details compare the written quotes before you make a decision.

If you or someone you know has been approached by rogue traders, please contact Trading Standards at 01473 264859 or visit the website http://www.suffolk.gov.uk/BusinessAndConsumer/TradingStandards.

Trading Standards fighting under-age drinking and rogue traders

Assistant County Trading Standards Officer, Graham Crisp has been talking with the Haverhill Partnership in regards to alcohol sales to under-age people in the neighbourhood.

Trading Standards asked for reports of anti-social behaviour which maybe caused by under-age drinking.

Haverhill County Councillor Tim Marks told Mr. Crisp, that the main issue had been caused by ’proxy-selling’, where adults are buying the alcohol for the under-age residents. This has resulted in groups of teenagers gathering outside off-licensed and supermarkets trying to get the public to buy alcohol for them.

Trading Standards is warning the public that anyone that does buy alcohol for under-age individuals is committing a criminal offence.

Mr. Crisp was also keen to introduce ‘No Cold Calling Zones’ into certain areas to try to deter ‘rogue traders’ from cold calling in those area. Members stated however, that the only cold callers they had received recently had been from Eon and British Gas.

In a recent Which? Report it was stated that the Big Six energy companies (British Gas, Eon, Scottish and Southern Energy, EDF, NPower and Scottish Power), are now committed to respecting No Cold Calling  zones and signs. Trading Standards welcomes nominations from Suffolk residents of areas that would be suitable  for the establishment of No Cold Calling Zones.

To read more about the Which?Report go to : http://www.which.co.uk/news/2010/06/energy-giants-to-quit-unwanted-cold-calling-215894

Rogue Trader issued Criminal Anti-Social Behaviour Order

Magistrates have issued a CRASBO to a rouge trader, after he cold called a Newmarket house and demanded double the amount of money agreed for the work.

After an investigation by Suffolk County Council, Thomas Bryan was issued with a CRASBO by Bury Magistrates Court, fined £1,800 and ordered to pay costs of £2,000.

Mary Baines, Trading Standards Officer, said “CRASBOs are a very rare occurrence and this is only the second one ever issued following a Suffolk Trading Standards investigation. It shows just how seriously both Trading Standards and the courts have taken this case”

The case came to court after Bryan cold called an elderly lady in Newmarket in April 2009. He offered to power wash her roof, saying he can done similar work for her neighbour. On this basis the woman agreed to have the work done.

Initially the woman had been quoted £150 for the work, however on completion was charged £300.

Bryan was caught after Trading Standards implemented their ‘rapid response’ procedure, they visited the elderly lady’s home once they had been altered. Leading to Bryan being arrested and  interviewed Trading Standards officers.

The investigation subsequently revealed that Bryan had not completed work at the neighbours premises, as he had stated, and he had been prosecuted for this type of offence in Wales.

Thomas Bryan was convicted on the following four charges:

•           Cancellation of Contracts made in a Consumer’s home or place of work etc Regulations 2008 – failure to leave a cancellation notice

•           Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 – a misleading omission by failing to let the consumer know she had the right to cancel

•           Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 – a misleading action by stating he had carried out work to the neighbours’ property when he had not. 

•           Business Names Act 1985 – failing to leave a business address on the invoice.

Suffolk Trading Standards would like to remind all residents be vigilant in relation to doorstop sellers:

1. Always be wary of strangers asking to carry out work. If you feel intimidated or threatened call the police
2. Try and get three written quotes for any work you need doing. When you decide a trader, agree a timescale and ensure all details are in writing.
3. Ask family and friends for recommendations
4. Use Suffolk Trading Standards Trusted Trader Scheme, this can be found at www.suffolktrustedtrader.com