Bitumen bandits back in Townsville

Consumers in Townsville have been warned by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) to beware of itinerant bitumen traders offering driveway repairs and bitumen laying services

Fair Trading Commissioner Victoria Thomson is advising residents and businesses that this is just the latest iteration of a long-running scam.

“These bitumen bandit operations are frequently set up by people from the UK and Europe,” Ms Thomson said.

“They rip off a few unsuspecting consumers leaving havoc and move on.”

“In July a couple from Black River had a workman come to their front door saying he had been doing some roadwork in the area and had bitumen left over.

“He offered to put a surface on the couple’s dirt driveway for a discount saying the maximum price would be $2800. After an hour he said he had finished the job but that the price was now $6000.

“The couple were pressured into paying the $2800 immediately, and they keep getting phone calls about the rest of the money.”

“The conduct of this trader was despicable and illegal, and I am appalled at how they preyed on unsuspecting members of our community.

“The left-over bitumen story is a common tactic, but they do vary their approaches and mix and match their sales pitches.

“Sometimes watered-down bitumen is laid on ungraded or poorly graded ground and consumers find themselves out of pocket as they later have to pay another trader to have it removed and replaced.

“On other occasions, traders quote a low cost then a much higher payment is demanded during the work for it to be completed. Consumers are almost forced to comply because if the work isn’t finished, they can’t get their car out of the garage.

“Sometimes the scammers simply take large deposits, perform no work, and never return. There is no way to get a refund as these types of traders usually vanish.”

Consumers are reminded that door-to-door traders must generally not accept payment or commence work on a property within a 10-business day cooling-off period, and consumers can cancel any agreement within this period without penalty.

Door to door traders must leave your premises if directed and must not approach any residence displaying a 'do not knock' notice or sticker. Queensland residents can order a free sticker from the OFT website.

If you think you have seen these traders, contact the Office of Fair Trading on 13 QGOV (13 74 68) so we can track their movements and warn other consumers.