Mobile Mechanic From Falmouth Fined After Leaving Vulnerable Customers Out of Pocket

A mobile mechanic from Falmouth has been fined and ordered to pay compensation after taking money from vulnerable customers and failing to complete promised repairs.

Guilty Pleas Entered at Truro Magistrates’ Court

Jamie Leigh Wright, trading as JLW Autocare, was prosecuted by Cornwall Council’s Trading Standards team. On Wednesday, 2nd October 2024, he appeared at Truro Magistrates’ Court and pleaded guilty to two charges under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations. The charges stemmed from incidents involving misleading actions and a lack of professional diligence in late 2023.

Two Separate Cases of Unfinished Repairs

In one case, Wright, aged 41, was paid upfront to fix a faulty turbo but failed to return to complete the repair. When the customer asked for a refund, Wright falsely claimed he had already purchased the parts and was waiting for a refund from his supplier, providing a fabricated image of his trade account as evidence.

The second case involved a faulty gearbox and driveshaft. Wright persuaded the customer to pay for a refurbished gearbox in advance but delayed the repair for several months. After the customer sought help from another garage, Wright supplied a gearbox, which was found to be the wrong type and not reconditioned as promised.

Compensation and Fines Ordered

Both customers were classified as vulnerable. When questioned in court about his failure to return the funds, Wright claimed he was told not to contact the victims and provided no explanation for not arranging repayments via Trading Standards.

Wright was fined £484, ordered to pay £1,124 in compensation, a £194 victim surcharge, and Cornwall Council was awarded £3,000 in costs.