Agent fined over false claims to belong to letting bodies

An agent has been fined £3,120 and ordered to pay £3,417 costs for fraudulently making false claims about his business, which has six sales and lettings offices in the midlands.

The matter came to light following a complaint made to Sandwell Council’s Trading Standards service. 

At Warley magistrates court, Amerjit Singh Dhuga, trading as wli.uk.com whose head office is at 101 High Street, West Bromwich, pleaded guilty to 26 offences including three under the Fraud Act for fraudulently making false claims about his business.  

Dhuga admitted making the false claims concerning his business in that wli.uk.com was a member of the Property Ombudsman lettings and sales schemes, the OFT approved code, the National Approved Letting scheme, Midland Landlord Accreditation Scheme, and the Association of Residential Letting Agents. The statement ‘2010 Independent Award Winning Accredited Agency’ was also used.

The court heard that these claims were made on his website and on his business premises between January and April last year. 

Investigations revealed that despite previously being warned by the Property Ombudsman about the use of unauthorised claims, Dhuga continued to make the misleading claims.

Cllr Derek Rowley, Sandwell Council’s cabinet member for safer neighbourhoods, said: “I would like to congratulate Trading Standards for obtaining a successful criminal conviction against this individual.

“I am aware that the defendant had been quite abusive to council officers.

“I hope this conviction will send out a strong message to other traders that illegal trading practices will not be tolerated.

“Making fraudulent claims as to the quality of the service and the financial protection afforded to them is misleading to the public. It is also gaining an unfair competitive advantage over honest and decent traders who are complying with the law,” he added.

At the weekend, the website was displaying both the sales and lettings Ombudsman logos, as well as that of the OFT.