by headshrinker » Wed Apr 19, 2023 4:23 pm
Hi just got the following response from Trading Standards:
Over the last few months I have visited the garage, sent letters and left telephone messages with a view to discussing the complaints received with the business owner and ensuring that the garage was compliant with consumer protection legislation in future, but had no replies. Unfortunately the person there, Mr Umer, who described himself to me as the manager, not the owner, subsequently appears from later checks to have been the owner.
Last month I visited the garage again and found a man there changing the locks. He stated he was the landowner and that Mr Umer had gone away, leaving a considerable sum in unpaid rent, and confirmed what I had come to suspect from other checks that Mr Umer was indeed the business owner. Mr Umer seems to have 'done a runner'.
I have reviewed all the information I have, together with the checks I have already carried out to establish Mr Umer's whereabouts. Unfortunately I have not been able to find his current home address and do not believe I will be able to do so. I understand from the garage landlord that Mr Umer may have recently moved from what I believe was his home address, which I obtained from his bank, and I have had no further confirmation he is still there, or of a forwarding address, despite trying to get this over the last few weeks.
On this occasion I am unable to progress the investigation any further and will close the complaint file. I have however made an entry regarding this matter on a national trading standards intelligence database, so that if Mr Umer begins to trade elsewhere and comes to the attention of trading standards, any colleagues nationally will be able to find the record by searching the database, see the history and act appropriately, as well as alert me.
Thank you for bringing the matter to our attention.
It seems he has moved on so there is no way of claiming anything back from him (TBH his list of debts was so long it was doubtful anyone else would see any compensation). If you have lost money then I am really sorry, I share your pain, but it feels good that he is no longer operating in this area. I also feel like the pressure on him from people connecting on here and other sites played a big part in his downfall so to everyone who shared their story, just know that it helped stop him hurting others so some good has come out of this.
Hi just got the following response from Trading Standards:
[i]Over the last few months I have visited the garage, sent letters and left telephone messages with a view to discussing the complaints received with the business owner and ensuring that the garage was compliant with consumer protection legislation in future, but had no replies. Unfortunately the person there, Mr Umer, who described himself to me as the manager, not the owner, subsequently appears from later checks to have been the owner.
Last month I visited the garage again and found a man there changing the locks. He stated he was the landowner and that Mr Umer had gone away, leaving a considerable sum in unpaid rent, and confirmed what I had come to suspect from other checks that Mr Umer was indeed the business owner. Mr Umer seems to have 'done a runner'.
I have reviewed all the information I have, together with the checks I have already carried out to establish Mr Umer's whereabouts. Unfortunately I have not been able to find his current home address and do not believe I will be able to do so. I understand from the garage landlord that Mr Umer may have recently moved from what I believe was his home address, which I obtained from his bank, and I have had no further confirmation he is still there, or of a forwarding address, despite trying to get this over the last few weeks.
On this occasion I am unable to progress the investigation any further and will close the complaint file. I have however made an entry regarding this matter on a national trading standards intelligence database, so that if Mr Umer begins to trade elsewhere and comes to the attention of trading standards, any colleagues nationally will be able to find the record by searching the database, see the history and act appropriately, as well as alert me.
Thank you for bringing the matter to our attention.[/i]
It seems he has moved on so there is no way of claiming anything back from him (TBH his list of debts was so long it was doubtful anyone else would see any compensation). If you have lost money then I am really sorry, I share your pain, but it feels good that he is no longer operating in this area. I also feel like the pressure on him from people connecting on here and other sites played a big part in his downfall so to everyone who shared their story, just know that it helped stop him hurting others so some good has come out of this.
