May 4th 2024.
A group of people have come forward with shocking claims of being scammed by a builder in Devon named Steven Gent. Over the span of 15 years, at least 30 individuals have accused Gent, whom they refer to as a "cowboy builder," of deceiving them and taking their hard-earned money. In total, they estimate that Gent has swindled them out of a staggering £442,665, leaving their construction projects unfinished and their trust shattered.
According to the group, Gent has operated under various company names and aliases, and this is not the first time he has been reported to the authorities. In fact, his fraudulent activities were first brought to light in 2009, but since then, there have been over a dozen more complaints. Unfortunately, Wendy Craig, a 66-year-old from Preston, South Devon, claims that the authorities have been "useless" in taking action against Gent.
Feeling frustrated and helpless, Craig has called for stricter measures to regulate and monitor construction workers. She fears that Gent's case is just a small part of a much larger problem, and that other builders are getting away with similar fraud on a much larger scale. Trading Standards has confirmed that they are currently investigating Gent, as they have received numerous complaints against him.
Craig, who herself fell victim to Gent's scam when she paid him £7,000 to renovate her garage in September 2021, describes him as a "con artist" who has ruined many lives with his deceitful ways. In an effort to warn others and expose Gent, Craig created a Facebook group where people can share their experiences and warn others about his fraudulent behavior. Before long, she discovered that there were many more people who had been scammed by Gent.
It seems that Gent has a pattern when it comes to his scams, as Craig has noticed through comparing people's stories. He presents himself well and promises to start work immediately, but then demands a deposit. Once he has started the project, he requests further payments before suddenly disappearing without a trace. Not only does his work often fail to meet the expected standards, but it also requires additional repairs that cost thousands of pounds.
In the past 16 years, Gent has been associated with nine different companies, all of which have since been dissolved. These include Ocean Construction Devon Ltd, Gent & Son Building Contractors Ltd, Broadsands Building Contractors Ltd, Bay Build Ltd, Torbay Build Ltd, Transformations SW Ltd, Gent Enterprises Ltd, Torbay Beach Hut Company Ltd, and SOB SW Ltd. In an attempt to cover his tracks, Gent has also used various aliases, such as Martyn Evans, Steve Ringmore, Steven Taylor, Andy Styles, and Mike Jones.
Many of those who have fallen victim to Gent's scams have reported him to the authorities, including the police, Trading Standards, building control, and Torbay Council, as early as 2009. However, Craig claims that all of their efforts have been in vain, as the authorities have not taken any significant action against Gent. Despite her persistence, she has received little help in recovering her lost money.
In a desperate attempt to regain her money, Craig took her case to court and was awarded a sum of £12,416.48, to be paid by Gent by June 5, 2023. However, to this day, she has not received a penny from him. Unfortunately, she is not alone in this struggle, as many others have also been left empty-handed by Gent's scams. One such victim is Sidney Rose, a retired school teacher, who was scammed out of £30,000 by Gent. Rose and his partner, Catherine Beetham, also 73, took out a loan against their home in order to make it more comfortable for their old age. However, they were left with an unfinished and poorly done project, and their home and garden were left in a disastrous state.
Craig emphasizes that this is not simply a case of a corporation owing money to individuals, but rather a situation where an individual has taken advantage of and cheated others. She is disappointed with the system, as she feels that the authorities have not done enough to protect the public from fraudulent individuals like Gent. Despite all of her efforts, Craig has yet to receive any help in recovering her money, and she fears that the same will be true for other victims of Gent's scams.
When asked for a comment, Gent denies all allegations and claims that they are unproven. He even goes as far as to accuse Craig of being under police investigation herself. However, the Heart of the Southwest Trading Standards Service has confirmed that they are currently investigating Gent's activities and urges anyone who has been scammed by a tradesperson to report it to the Citizens Advice Consumer Service and pursue a civil court claim.
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