Issue Date:  -  Tuesday, 29 January 2002

Consumers warned about bitumen layers

The Department of Consumer and Employment Protection is warning consumers and businesses to be cautious if approached by itinerant bitumen layers.

Consumer Protection Commissioner Patrick Walker said the Department had received a complaint about a specific supplier of bitumen resurfacing and previous complaints of a similar nature had prompted the Department's warning.

In historical complaints dealt with by the Department, traders approach consumers and businesses offering bitumen laying at a reduced rate, using left over materials from a previous job.

The current complaint is similar except the traders have used the unregistered business name of WA Resurfacing and mobile phones as their sole contact point.

"People should be very wary of so called "good deals" when approached in this manner, " Mr Walker said.

"In the past these types of bitumen resurfacing deals were found to be unsatisfactory, with very poor standards of workmanship."

Consumer Protection officers have been unsuccessful in their attempts to contact the company using the mobile numbers provided on the firm's business card.

"The danger for consumers in dealing with itinerant traders is that if a problem occurs, they are likely to have difficulty contacting the business to sort the problem out," Mr Walker said.

People approached by traders should ask for their full name and principal place of business, and then check with Consumer Protection to find out if they are a registered business.

"Another good way to check a firm's credentials is to ask for the names and contacts numbers of recent satisfied customers," Mr Walker said.

If a consumer is concerned about a firm's credentials, it would assist our investigation if they could note the vehicle registration plate details of the trader and report it to Consumer Protection.

The Department is still investigating the firm's breaches of the Business Names Act 1962 with respect to trading under an unregistered business name.

Suspicious activity should be reported immediately to the Department's Call Centre on 1300 30 40 54 at the cost of a local call from anywhere in Western Australia.