Issue Date:  -  Wednesday, 17 May 2000

Itinerant carpet cleaner charged in Queensland

The Ministry of Fair Trading has charged an itinerant carpet cleaner from Queensland under the WA Door to Door Trading Act.

The six counts, laid with the assistance of the Queensland Office of Fair Trading, relate to a highly-publicised series of alleged rip-offs targeting Perth retirement village occupants in March this year.

David Stranaghan of Redcliffe in Queensland is due to appear on July 11 in the Perth Court of Petty Sessions, on a charge of denying a 80-year-old Mt Lawley woman of her right to a 10-day cooling off period under the Door to Door Trading Act.

He has also been charged with not providing her with identification or contact details, not providing information about the cooling-off provision, as well as with completing the work and taking payment within the 10-day period, in contravention of the Act.

Commissioner for Fair Trading Patrick Walker said that even though Mr Stranaghan left WA in March following media attention, the Ministry had pursued him using interstate connections.

"Fair Trading will allege Mr Stranaghan was trading in Perth earlier this year as Stuart’s Cleaning Services, during which time he showed blatant disregard for a law that exists to protect home owners from shonky tradespeople," said Mr Walker.

Mr Walker said the Ministry was making other inquiries that could result in more charges.

"Consumers must remember that for any door-to-door contract over $50, they have the right to a ten-day cooling off period in which time they can cancel the contract," Mr Walker said.

"In addition, door-to-door traders who take any payment or carry out any work before those 10 days elapse are breaking the law," he said.

Consumers can get more information about their door to door rights by ringing the Fair Trading Call Centre on 1300 30 40 54 or by reading our information on Dealing with door-to-door salespeople.