Residents have been advised to ensure they carry out appropriate checks when appointing trades people to carry out work to their home.
The warning follows a successful prosecution by North Tyneside Council against a North Shields businessman who falsely claimed that he was accredited to trade associations.
Mr Richard Parker, trading as RP Preservation, from his home at Penman Place, North Shields, pleaded guilty to three offences under the Trade Description Act 1968 at North Tyneside Magistrates Court in North Shields.
They resulted from investigations by North Tyneside Council's trading standards officers who found Parker displayed logos he was not entitled to use.
The logos - displayed on his business vehicle, in the Yellow Pages and on his website and stationary - were for the 'Federation of Master Builders', 'PAM Ties Approved' and the 'European Builders Confederation'.
Parker was fined £128.00 for each offence and ordered to pay £250.00 in costs.
North Tyneside Council's Principal Trading Standards Officer Alan Burnett said: "Consumers rely on these logos as an indication that a trader has undergone certain checks and there is an added assurance that should any problems arise there is a mediation service available."
"Use of these logos without entitlement is misleading to potential customers. We will continue to seek out businesses who try to gain a commercial advantage by misleading the public into thinking they are members of these organisations."
Barry Oliver, Federation of Master Builders (FMB) Regional Director for the Northern Counties said:
"We are pleased with today's prosecution and hope it will act as a deterrent to other tradesmen who use, or are thinking of using, FMB logos, to show that they are quality tradesmen, when they are not entitled to. FMB members are carefully vetted and have to agree to a code of conduct so it is not fair to members when other builders display the FMB logo but are not members."
Oliver continued:
"This case also highlights the importance of checking your tradesman before appointing him. The FMB offers a check- a-builder service on our website, www.findabuilder.co.uk, so that consumers can check that builders displaying the FMB logo are members."
16th September 2008
