Car repair fraudster jailed after over 100 complaints

A man has been sentenced to two years in prison after operating fraudulent vehicle repair businesses under different names.

Prosecuting the case, Trading Standards said they received more than 100 complaints dating back to March 2019 about Kevin Woods, 50, from Charles Road in Ramsgate.

They found he misled consumers into paying upfront for work that was either never completed or done to a substandard level.

They described his commercial practices as "aggressive and deceptive", and on 9 January he was sentenced at Canterbury Crown Court for fraud, after previously pleading guilty to offences under the Fraud Act 2006 and the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008.

Trading Standards said customer complaints followed a pattern. Vehicles were collected and not returned, repairs were done poorly or not done at all, and promised refunds never materialised.

Investigators also found Woods drove customers' vehicles without permission.

Harman Garage Services Limited was registered as a company in October 2023, and though it was fronted by another person, Woods was found to be controlling the business and providing false details to conceal previous complaints.

At his sentencing, Miss Recorder Bignell KC noted that the victims in the case represented only a fraction of over 100 complaints.

Woods claimed his actions were "silly mistakes", but the judge said this was "a remarkable understatement".

She described the effect of his crimes on victims as "dreadful on some, serious on all".

After the sentencing, Trading Standards said Woods had caused "significant financial and emotional harm to many individuals".

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