Consumer Affairs Minister Yvonne Henderson has warned consumers against a company which has been set up in such a way as to ensure that people with complaints and Small Claims Tribunal orders against it are unable to satisfy those orders.
In State Parliament yesterday, Mrs Henderson named Prestige Peak Performance and an allied company, Prestige Peek Performance.
Mrs Henderson told the Legislative Assembly that the directors of Prestige Peak Performance were Vincenzo Italiano and Paul Berghella.
She said she understood there had been a number of complaints about this company.
The Ministry of Consumer Affairs had received nine complaints during the past 21 months.
Consumers had complained that the companies charged in excess of the quoted price, charged excessively for work performed, performed sub-standard work and/or damaged the consumers' vehicles.
In one case, the Small Claims Tribunal issued an order against Prestige Peak Performance to repay $5,200.
In another, the Tribunal issued an order against the company for $915 after a consumer complained sand had been spread throughout his car and the petrol tank had been punctured.
Yet these customers, as with others, had been unable to obtain payment of the money due to them, because Prestige Peak Performance had no assets of its own.
The assets were owned by another company.
"We have had a number of other complaints and I have no hesitation in warning consumers in general against this company," Mrs Henderson said.
