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Islington Tribune by - ROISIN GADELRAB
Published: 19 September 2008

‘No-go’ zone for rogue traders

ISLINGTON will be a no-go zone for “rip-off” merchants after councillors agreed a set of tough new rules to stop rogue traders hiding behind postal forwarding addresses.
Islington Council has taken the hardline step in the wake of the SOS Master Tickets scandal, in which hundreds of people paid for but never received tickets for Reading and Leeds festivals and George Michael and Madonna concerts.
Council trading standards officers were brought in to investigate after it was discovered that the company was registered to an address in St John Street, Angel. According to a report presented to the executive, the ticket agency has since “disappeared”.
More than 300 complaints were logged on the Consumer Direct helpline as customers began to realise they had lost out.
Council leader James Kempton said: “We’re determined to make sure rogue traders have nowhere to hide in Islington, to protect our residents, customers and Islington’s good name. This abuse happens all over the UK and has cost a lot of trusting people a lot of money.
“These tough new rules should make Islington a no-go area for these rip-off merchants.”
Until now, mail forwarding businesses – who register one address but then have their mail sent on to another – have been able to abuse the arrangement because providers of accommodation addresses are not obliged to keep records of their clients.
This can make it hard for trading standards to investigate complaints.
But Islington’s cabinet members have agreed to tighten-up record keeping.
The new rules include a requirement that accommodation address providers must register with the council and keep detailed records of clients, including documents to prove their identity and address, and addresses where post is forwarded.

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