Perth Voice Interactive

AN 80-year-old man says he’s been charged $1400 for a dodgy tree-lopping job.

The company that did the job was West Coast Trees—a new company owned by the same people behind WA Tree Services (which has also registered West Coast Tree Professionals).

The flyer and services offered by the new companies are almost identical to those offered by the former company, which WA consumer protection has issued warnings against and taken various legal actions in response to complaints about the company’s business practices (Voice, June 5, 2015).

“It appears this business is deliberately targeting elderly people and scam them out of their meagre resources,” says Amrik Pala of Morley.

“The way things seem to be, there must be more elderly people in the area who have been victims of this kind of scam by these ruthless tree trimmers.”

In May 2014 an enforceable undertaking required WA Tree Services and its employees to provide consumers with an itemised, written quotation which described in detail work agreed to be carried out, the cost for each item listed and a total cost, including taxes and other charges.

WA commerce department officer Alan Hynd says the enforceable undertakings do not apply to the new companies.

Mr Pala has lodged a complaint with WA consumer protection.

South of the river, Melville city council has also warned residents about the company.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK