Darling Downs shed business heavily fined for failing customers
- Couple ordered to pay more than $70,000 in fines and compensation
- Office of Fair Trading (OFT) prosecuted them for wrongly accepting payment for sheds under Australian Consumer Law
- CMK Sheds received more than $87,000 in payment for sheds that were never provided
A couple behind a rural shed installing business have been ordered to pay more than $70,000 in fines and compensation after pleading guilty to wrongly accepting payment in the Toowoomba Magistrates Court.
OFT charged Sarah Kay Kennedy and Craig Michael Kennedy with five counts of wrongly accepting payment to install sheds in the Darling Downs region.
The Kennedys, operating as CMK Sheds, received $87,565 from five Queensland consumers for sheds that were never provided.
Each purchaser paid deposits between $1870 and $31,370 to CMK Sheds between 2021 and 2023.
Despite numerous efforts by the consumers between July 2022 and October 2022 for the return of the deposits, or the sheds being delivered, they received neither.
The Magistrate fined Sarah Kay Kennedy $15,000 and Craig Michael Kennedy $20,000.
They were each ordered to pay $17,913.75 in compensation and $500 in costs.
Acting Commissioner for Fair Trading, Allannah Traill said the Kennedys’ actions were unacceptable and that OFT would pursue any businesses that did not abide by Australian Consumer Law.
“Traders need to honour their commitments to consumers,” Ms Traill said.
“The OFT will continue to take up issues for consumers who do not receive what they have paid for.
“That includes prosecuting traders for breaching the Australian Consumer Law.
“If you haven’t received goods or services that you’ve paid for and haven’t been able to resolve the issue with the trader, you should make a complaint to the Office of Fair Trading.”
Complaints can be made online at www.qld.gov.au/fairtrading.
Media contact: media.relations@justice.qld.gov.au