Thursday, 17 March 2005

CARPET CLEANING CON MAN ORDERED TO PAY UP

The Minister for Consumer Affairs, Marsha Thomson, has welcomed a Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) judgement against a Melbourne man who used his door-to-door carpet cleaning business to rip-off an 84-year-old Blackburn man.

VCAT ordered David James Donald to refund his victim $750 and pay $1500 toward the cost of replacing carpet damaged by the “cleaning” process.

Mr Donald, the operator of Donald Cleaning Services, offered an on-the-spot carpet and upholstery cleaning service of dubious quality at high cost.

The victim was charged $750 which he paid in cash. The ‘cleaning’ caused extensive damage to the carpet, which Donald attributed to ‘cat urine’. An independent insurance assessor subsequently confirmed the carpet was damaged as a result of either the use of inappropriate chemicals or excessive hot water, or both.

Ms Thomson said Consumer Affairs Victoria had received many complaints about Mr Donald.

“Since 1997 Consumer Affairs Victoria has received 19 complaints about David Donald and Donald Cleaning Services. The majority of those complaints relate to poor workmanship or failure to provide the promised service,” Ms Thomson said.

“In 2000, we prosecuted David Donald on four charges relating to breaches of the contact sales provisions of the Fair Trading Act 1999. In this matter he was convicted and fined $800 and ordered to pay costs of $568.

“What is concerning is that Donald appears to deliberately target the aged and frail. He appears uninvited at the front door, exploits their vulnerability and pressures them to have cleaning work carried out immediately and paid for in cash.

“Consumer Affairs Victoria has received complaints that when the victims relent and tell him they don’t have the cash on hand, he actually drives them to the bank so they can withdraw the money.”

Consumer Affairs Victoria would like to hear from anyone who has had carpets, upholstery or curtains cleaned by Donald Cleaning Services or David James Donald of 1/8 Mason Street, Reservoir VIC 3073, to assist with further investigations. Telephone 1300 55 81 81.