An Oldham gardener has been fined nearly 5,000 for falsely claiming to be a member of Checkatrade and TrustATrader.
The websites allow people to search for reviews of traders in their area.
In return, traders must pay up to hundreds a year in fees for a place on the websites.
Now, Oldham Council’s trading standards department has successfully prosecuted a gardening business for falsely claiming to be a member of several trade associations in its adverts.
Council officers were first alerted to Nice and Tidy Garden and Landscaping Services by one of the trade associations after falsely using the company’s logo on adverts
Enquiries confirmed that the business, based on Oldham Road, Failsworth, had never been a member of either directory.
The business was continuing to falsely claim membership in its advertising despite having previously been issued with a warning by trading standards for making the same false claims more than a year earlier in other newspapers.
Appearing in court, Michael Collins, aged 28, of Oldham Road, Failsworth, trading as Nice and Tidy Gardening Services, pleaded guilty to four criminal offences under consumer protection laws.
He was ordered to pay a 3,000 fine costs of 1,550 costs and a victim surcharge of 190.
Councillor Jean Stretton, Oldham Council’s Cabinet member for neighbourhoods, said: “Finding a great tradesperson isn't easy, that’s why people use trusted sources of information.
“This business was falsely claiming to be something it wasn’t,...
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