Court case underway as mobility furniture firm and owner accused of string of various trading offences
Pleading not guilty to a string of unfair trading accusations, Anchor Mobility Ltd and its owner David Waters appeared in Ipswich Crown Court on the 9th October in a trial that is expected to last three weeks.
The Suffolk-based mobility furniture company that sold reclining chairs, sofas and beds has been charged with 18 offences under consumer protection and unfair trading regulations, including non-delivery of paid items, misleading commercial practices and failing to refund customer money.
The charges were brought against Waters and his company following an investigation by Suffolk Trading Standards, with the alleged incidents taking place from October 2016 to October 2017.
On the opening day of the trail, the court heard that more than 20 customers were purported to have lost a total of £82,000 following transactions with the mobility company.
Alongside refusal to honour refunds and failure to deliver products, prosecutor John Goulding accused the company of using pressure selling and price conditioning tactics on elderly and disabled customers, claiming salesmen would stay in customers’ home for up to four hours.
The court also heard that Waters had previously pleaded guilty to a number of consumer protection and unfair trading violations when he ran his previous mobility company, Mobility UK Ltd, back in 2013.
“These offences show that Mr Waters has a propensity to commit these type of offences,” stated Mr Goulding.
Mr Goulding insisted that following the end of Mobility UK Ltd, Waters had set up two more mobility businesses – UK Mobility Direct and Westminster Recliners – in addition to taking out a £300,00 loan from a finance company.
The prosecutor asserted that during the January 2017 to August 2017, Anchor Mobility repaid £132,000 of the loan whilst receiving deposits from customers of Anchor Mobility, alleging the funds were being used to clear his previous debts.
Mr Goulding stated: “Over a significant period when money was being received by Anchor from customers, David Waters through Anchor bank accounts was repaying the debts of Westminster Recliners Ltd.”
Additionally, the court heard that Waters had leased premises in Felixstowe and owed £20,000 in rent arrears.
Waters and Anchor Mobility deny the 18 charges, including fraudulent trading, pressure selling and misleading commercial practices.
https://thiis.co.uk/court-case-underway-as-mobility-furniture-firm-and-owner-accused-of-string-of-various-trading-offences/https://thiis.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Ipswich-Crown-Court.jpghttps://thiis.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Ipswich-Crown-Court-150x150.jpgNewsroomRetailer NewsAnchor Mobility,beds,consumer protection,David Waters,Ipswich Crown Court,John Goulding,Mobility company,mobility firm,Mobility UK Ltd,reclining chairs,sofas,Suffolk Trading Practices,UK Mobility Direct,unfair trading regulations,Westminster ReclinersPleading not guilty to a string of unfair trading accusations, Anchor Mobility Ltd and its owner David Waters appeared in Ipswich Crown Court on the 9th October in a trial that is expected to last three weeks. The Suffolk-based mobility furniture company that sold reclining chairs, sofas and beds has...Calvin BarnettCalvin Barnettcalvin.barnett@bhta.comAuthorTHIIS Magazine