A Wiltshire handyman has been fined after accepting more than £2,000 from two customers for home improvement work that was never carried out.
Michael Collins, 42, of Broad Street, Trowbridge, who traded as MC's Gardening & Handyman Services, appeared at Salisbury Magistrates' Court on Tuesday 18th August.
He pleaded guilty to two offences relating to unfair commercial practices.
Collins was fined £300 and ordered to pay a total of £1,700, including £880 in prosecution costs, £700 in compensation and a £120 victim surcharge.
The case followed complaints from two Wiltshire residents who paid Collins for work that was never completed.
In the first case, a Chippenham resident agreed to pay £1,250 for painting and decorating after seeing the business advertised on social media.
She paid Collins £700 between September and November 2024, but the work never started despite repeated assurances that it would. She was not given a refund.
In the second case, a resident from Christian Malford paid £1,391.53 towards fencing work, including a deposit and the cost of materials.
The work was never started, and Trading Standards enquiries found that the materials had not been ordered despite assurances that they had been.
During an interview under caution, Collins admitted receiving the payments from both customers and confirmed that no work had been carried out and none of the money had been returned.
Cllr Paul Sample, Cabinet Member for Public Protection, said the customers had paid “significant sums of money” believing the agreed work would be carried out.
He said: “Consumers should be able to trust that traders who accept payment for services will either deliver on their promises or return the customer's money, but that trust was broken in these cases.”
Wiltshire Council said its Trading Standards team would continue to investigate and prosecute traders involved in unfair trading practices.
Residents looking for a trader are advised to consider the Buy With Confidence scheme, where businesses have been audited and approved by Trading Standards.
Anyone who believes they may have been affected by similar practices can contact the Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 0808 223 1133 or visit Citizens Advice.
Details of Trading Standards-approved businesses are available through Buy With Confidence.
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