By Shamsiya Hussainpoor
A senior couple from Monbulk is warning residents to be cautious after a painter they hired took a deposit of nearly $700 and never came back.
The couple, who asked to remain anonymous, noticed the painter’s sign while he was working on a nearby house.
The couple said they wanted to support someone local, which is why they reached out to him for a quote.
“We saw a sign locally. It had been there for a long time, just outside a house,” the Monbulk couple said.
“We needed work done, so I thought I’d get a local chap. He got back to us, we discussed what needed doing, and he gave us a quote, which we accepted.”
The painter asked for a deposit, which they paid via bank transfer.
“He said he’d probably start Friday…but we never saw him again,” they said.
Most of the communication took place over text, with only a few phone calls.
“He acknowledged getting (the money) it, said he’d start… but Friday came and went,” they said.
After trying to call and message him, they eventually reached him the following day.
“He said he was busy finishing other jobs and would come Tuesday or Wednesday the next week. We haven’t heard from him since,” the senior couple said.
Frustrated and feeling taken advantage of, they began reporting the incident.
“We went to the bank, we went to the police, I rang Crime Stoppers. They virtually said, ‘Well, you gave him the money, too bad, so sad,’” they said.
The couple also contacted their local MP, who referred them to Consumer Affairs.
“They were very helpful. Consumer Affairs chased him up and said they eventually got through to him and he denied ever coming here. Denied knowing us. Just denied everything,” Monbulk couple said.
Despite providing documentation, including text messages and photos showing the painter at their property, nothing has progressed.
“Consumer Affairs have it all. But unless he actually owns up to it, they can’t do a thing,” they said.
They were told their only remaining option is VCAT.
“I don’t know if I’ve got the energy to chase it anymore. It’s all a waste of time,” one of the couple said.
“It’s ridiculous. There’s this big loophole in the law that a chap can blatantly steal from you, which is what he’s done.”
They believe the painter is selective in who he does work for, and suspect they’re not the only ones who’ve been left out of pocket.
“He does do some work, obviously. He just picks and chooses,” they said.
“The neighbour who was a bit smarter than us…took the photos and got his car radio and everything.”
“We’ve lost our money. That’s bad enough. But it’s just the fact that this guy is so glib. He knows exactly what he’s doing.”
Their message to the community is to stay cautious.
“He may or may not do the job. Probably depends on what he feels like. I don’t imagine we’re the first, and we won’t be the last,” they said.
When asked about how others can protect themselves, they said, “You can’t. How can you? The only thing I can think of is: don’t pay a deposit. Refuse to pay a deposit.”
From now on, the Monbulk couple will only only hire tradespeople who come highly recommended.
“I thought I was doing the right thing by getting a local person. Turns out he probably isn’t even local,” they said.
While they know they’re unlikely to recover their money, they hope speaking out might stop someone else from falling into the same trap.
