A rogue builder has been fined more than £3000 for falsely claiming to be NICEIC registered.
SA Builders were fined a total of £3,320 after pleading guilty to two charges under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations in a hearing at Thames Magistrates Court in February.
The firm was employed by a couple who live in Tower Hamlets, London, after they received a leaflet through their letterbox. Action was taken against the firm following a complaint from the resident.
The building firm’s director, Adam Adaszek, 37, of Dryburgh Gardens, Brent, admitted to falsely claiming to be a member of NICEIC and Gas Safe.
The action was taken by Tower Hamlets’ Trading Standards team following information passed on to them by NICEIC.
Cllr Shiria Khatun, cabinet member for community safety at Tower Hamlets Borough Council, said: “Accreditation from bodies such as NICEIC and Gas Safe is vital to ensure that works and repairs are carried out to a high standard. We urge residents to make sure that repairs will be carried out by those registered to do so.”
Contractors caught falsely claiming to be NICEIC registrants are named and shamed on the NICEIC website and their details passed to Trading Standards.
NICEIC’s CEO Emma Clancy said: “We take misuse of our logo very seriously and we welcome this latest prosecution.
“The NICEIC name is associated with quality and we must protect those contractors who are legitimately registered with us and have the quality of their work assessed on a regular basis.
“We must also send out the message that anyone thinking about misusing our logo will be caught and dealt with appropriately by the courts.”
Anyone who is suspicious of a contractor falsely claiming to be NICEIC registered should check the NICEIC website at www.niceic.com which contains a full list of all those contractors registered with NICEIC.
Alternatively consumers who are concerned about a contractor who is claiming to be registered when they are not, can contact the Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 08454 040506 for advice and to report the matter.