Issue Date:  -  Wednesday, 9 June 2004

Stereo Fines for Speaker Conman

A man who ripped off members of Perth’s Asian communities in July 2003 has been fined $4,500 under the Door-to-Door Trading Act.

Tuan Minh Nguyen of no fixed address approached people in public and at their businesses and workplaces offering to sell discounted stereo speakers out of the back of a hired van. Mr Nguyen, an Australian permanent resident, did not attend court.

In his absence he was convicted in the Perth Court of Petty Sessions on all ten charges, relating to two transactions, and fined two penalties of $2,250 each. He was also ordered to pay restitution of $2,600 and costs of $413.

He is presently in New Zealand where he was recently arrested on charges relating to the sale of speakers from the back of vans. On 4 June 2004 the Dunedin District Court granted him bail and ordered he reappear on 18 June 2004, with his passport being withheld.

If convicted he faces a penalty of up to 7 years imprisonment. Authorities impounded approximately 100 pairs of speakers and will seek their forfeiture.

Consumer Protection alerted New Zealand authorities of Tuan Nguyen’s activities when he left this State and has cooperated with their investigation.

"Mr Nguyen approached people of Asian appearance with speakers for sale, supposedly left over from a delivery. As an example, he presented an ‘American’ home theatre system worth $10,000 and sold it for $1,800. Documents we seized found that they were actually from two container-loads imported from China.

"Our independent valuation of the equipment was less than $100", Consumer Protection Commissioner Patrick Walker said,

Mr Nguyen was convicted of failing to provide documents that enable customers to cancel purchases within the ten day cooling off period for door-to-door sales, for taking payment within the cooling off period, and related charges to sales made in July last year.

Consumer Protection’s prosecutor Robert Lombardi submitted that containers of speakers were imported into Western Australia to be sold from at least three vans, and by about ten young men hired by Mr Nguyen.

"Thanks to cooperation received from the public, we were able to shut down a fraudulent scheme aimed directly at members of Perth’s Asian communities.

"Consumer Protection’s cooperation with New Zealand authorities has been an unqualified success in showing scamsters that fleeing offshore is no safe haven", Mr Walker said.