Consumers warned off portable building provider
A Queensland portable building provider that failed to provide orders to customers has been flagged by the state’s consumer watchdog.
Queensland’s Office of Fair Trading has said that property owners should avoid dealing with a company called Chace Portables, registered as Chace Roofing Sheds and Patios Pty Ltd and run by Christopher Terrance Edards. The firm also operated a website and Facebook page titled “Chace Portable Buildings”.
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According to the watchdog, complaints have been lodged by consumers after they failed to receive portable buildings, including granny flats and sheds, from the Toowoomba-based business.
Not only are they without the purchases they paid for, but questions to the trader regarding the status of their orders or whether they could obtain a refund have reportedly gone unanswered.
The consumer protection agency said that while communication with the company was initially prompt and professional for customers, responses dropped off once money had been transferred.
This is not Mr Edards’ first brush with regulators, as the Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC) records indicate that his contractor licence is currently disqualified as a result of disciplinary action.
Consumers who have paid the operator or any of his companies for goods and services but have not received them are being encouraged to contact the Office of Fair Trading.
The warning from Queensland comes on the heels of Consumer Affairs Victoria issuing a notice that a supplier of kit homes has entered an enforceable undertaking with the business after failing to supply orders to consumers.
In that instance, My Tiny Home Kit and its director, Spencer Porter, agreed to make changes to how the business operates following numerous complaints to the state watchdog. It will now be monitoring the business to ensure that orders are delivered in a timely manner, or that customers get the refund they are owed.