Updated 3:35pm, Tuesday December 2: A Tasmanian contractor has rejected allegations he accepted deposits for work that was never completed.
Reece Polley, director of MultiConnect Group, was named in a public warning issued by Consumer Affairs and Fair Trading Tasmania last week.
The warning, which does not amount to a finding of wrongdoing, alleged Reece Polley and Scott Polley had received deposits for roofing and construction work that either never began or was left unfinished.
“We categorically reject allegations that we accept deposits without commencing or completing agreed work,” Reece Polley said in a statement.
“We note that the CAFT/CBOS public warning is not a finding of wrongdoing and remains untested.”
He said any customer who believes they have an “unresolved issue” should contact [email protected] with “supporting documentation so that we can triage, review and, where appropriate, remediate”.
“We are engaging with the regulator and will continue to do so,” he said.
“We ask readers not to conflate unverified social media claims with the formal position and we reserve our legal rights.”
Earlier: Two men linked to a web of Tasmanian building companies have been publicly named by the state’s consumer watchdog after complaints they took money for jobs that were never completed.
Consumer Affairs and Fair Trading Tasmania this week issued a rare public warning about Reece Raymond Leonard Polley and Scott Raymond Polley.
The regulator said it had received multiple complaints about the pair over the past four years.
Customers alleged they paid deposits for roofing and construction work that either never began or was left unfinished.
The director of consumer affairs and fair trading said the complaints shared a common pattern.
“The complaints typically allege that after providing quotations for roofing work and other associated building services work, the director, former director and individuals receive deposits and either never commence work or only partially complete the work to an unsatisfactory standard,” the notice stated.
Reece Polley is currently the director of MultiConnect Group Pty Ltd, while Scott Polley previously held directorships at that company and Elite Southern Construction Pty Ltd.
According to the regulator, the pair also traded under several business names, including Hobart Roofing Contractors, Concrete Power Hobart, Excavation Contractor Hobart and Excavation Hobart Experts.
The watchdog said it had “reasonable grounds to suspect” the conduct breached Australian Consumer Law provisions that prohibit traders from accepting payment without providing services within a reasonable timeframe.
It also said it was “satisfied that one or more people has suffered or is likely to suffer detriment” as a result of the alleged conduct.
The public warning was issued under section 223 of the Australian Consumer Law, with the regulator deeming it necessary in the public interest.
The notice does not amount to a finding of wrongdoing.
Consumers who believe they have been affected can lodge a complaint with Consumer Affairs and Fair Trading Tasmania.
