A north-east tradesman misled customers and left them out of pocket to the tune of £17,000.
Brian Thomson, owner of as Macduff-based TC Timber Products and Landscaping, was taken to court after 18 residents complained about his business practices to Aberdeenshire Council’s trading services department.
The officers found Thomson been taking excessively large deposits and failing to complete work to agreed timescales – or at all.
He was also failing to respond to customer complaints, failing to issue contract information and failing to issue refunds.
Customers were left out of pocket to the tune of £17,000 for incomplete or unsatisfactory work.
The local authority says several attempts were made to engage with the tradesman constructively around the consumer complaints and his business practices, but to no avail.
Subsequently, in April 2019, it obtained a sheriff’s court order against Thomson and TC Timber Products and Landscaping, ordering him to issue refunds to affected customers and immediately cease or amend certain business practices.
Mr Thomson failed to abide by the terms of the order made against him at Banff Sheriff Court, though, and after further complaints about his services were made to the council, he has been found in contempt of court for failing to abide by that enforcement order.
Mr Thomson was found in contempt last month, fined £1,000 and ordered to pay the council’s costs in pursuing the matter.
His original court order remains in force, meaning he must refund around £17,000 to former customers.
Aled Herbert, the council’s trading standards department team manager, said: “We gave Mr Thomson every opportunity to change the way in which he was treating customers and to review how he was operating as a business.
“Unfortunately, Mr Thomson failed to properly engage with us and he continued to treat customers unfairly.
“It was with the hard work of our officers that we were able to pursue this action and it should serve as a warning that we will act, where necessary, to protect Aberdeenshire residents from this type of activity.”
Thomson, however, claims there are just four people he has yet to pay back and that he has “paid back a lot of customers already”.
“It’s typical trading standards that they should forget to mention that,” he said.
“It’s an exaggeration to say 18 customers.”
He maintains he has not been given a fair chance to share his side of the story in court and now fears this will “ruin his business altogether”.
“I didn’t get a chance to do anything for my case,” the tradesman of 15-years added.
“I got a solicitor at the last minute. I was bullied.
“They have never let me discuss anything or speak about those who put in complaints against me. I never had a chance to defend myself. A lot of the things they have said are absolute rubbish.”
Any Aberdeenshire residents looking for free and impartial consumer advice, or who wishes to pass information to trading standards, can visit Consumeradvice.scot or call 0808 164 6000.
