Model Railway Layouts of Llandysul (Colin Harding)

[jonhall]

I don't think I've seen this reported on here?

 

https://www.tivysideadvertiser.co.uk/news/17788567.llandysul-man-conned-model-railway-enthusiasts-thousands/

 

'A LLANDYSUL man who admitted four counts of fraud in relation to supplying model railway layouts has been handed a suspended prison sentence and ordered to pay compensation of more than £4,000.

Colin Harding, of Pontsian, Llandysul, appeared before magistrates at Aberystwyth Justice Centre to plead guilty to charges brought by Ceredigion County Council that he committed fraud by making a false representation, namely that he would complete and deliver model railway layouts to four separate people during the past 18 months.'

[vaughan45]

This raises an interesting comparison to whether action could be taken against anyone running failed crowd funding schemes that have failed to supply any product, as in both circumstances there has been a failed promise and supply arrangement., I suppose the difference is in this case you have a contract with the fraudster to buy products and a services, whilst in crowd funding you are essentially just an investor open to risk, assuming you have signed an agreement to that effect.  The amounts fraudulently obtained in this case are not that great, one wonders what the sentence handed down for larger amounts would be, if a case could be made

 

 

Edited July 25, 2019 by vaughan45

[The Taff]

The amount of Compensation above to be paid back is only 25% of the total amount of the money he took from the 4 people in question. I was 1 of them and I gave him £7000 with absolutely nothing to show for it. I will receive 25% of that back from the pool of £4000 compensation to be paid back.

[Joseph_Pestell]

Did Mr Harding have any past record in professional layout building? References? If not, I really can not see why someone would pay him £7k up front.

 

To have charged him with fraud, the investigation must have proved that Mr Harding knew when he took the money that he was not going to fulfil the contract.

 

I don't think the crowdfunding comparison works. However incompetent or unlucky the producers have been, they expected to be able to deliver the goods and had a track record of sorts.

[The Taff]

Yes he did, he had a website offering his services to build Model Railway layouts. He did actually complete some too, if you read the article it tells you the one he completed for someone was dangerous. 

[scotsman1000]

Old thread, but Colin Harding took £6,350 off me in November 2018. I successfully filed a CCJ against him but of course no response. Seemed pretty complex to me to 'enforce the judgement' as I live in the USA, and it didn't look like he had any money left anyway... however I see he was up to his old tricks even last year:

 

https://www.wales247.co.uk/two-ceredigion-traders-sentenced-for-fraud/

 

It was an 80th birthday present for my father. A real shame. He strung me along for quite sometime before he gave the game away by accidentally sending me an email thread to another customer he was scamming.

 

A lesson for me indeed.

[rob D2]

Absolute shame for all of those involved.

Sad that you’ll never see the money back either 

[cctransuk]

24 minutes ago, rob D2 said:

Absolute shame for all of those involved.

Sad that you’ll never see the money back either 

 

True - but a hard lesson learned not to pay up-front; if so requested, it's end of story for me.

 

I have a local builder working at the moment, converting our garage into a railway room. He is actively discouraging me from making advance payments to materials suppliers by using his trade account, which operates on payment within 30 days from date of supply. He argues that suppliers have no incentive for prompt delivery if payment is made in advance.

 

I will make staged payments for labour - to cover the work that I can see has been completed.

 

Anyone who cannot or will not work under such financial arrangements has to be viewed with considerable caution.

 

John Isherwood.

Edited January 25, 2021 by cctransuk