False advertising and illegal plumbing leads to conviction of Auckland man

In a judgment released today, an Auckland man has been convicted and fined $1,050 for doing plumbing work without authorisation, misrepresenting himself as a plumber, and falsely advertising himself as a trained plumber on Builderscrack—a popular online forum for the public to seek the services of tradespeople.

Jarron (“Jazz”) Lopez who trades as “Jazz Builders” did not hold a plumbing licence when he completed sanitary plumbing work at a property in Remuera. Mr Lopez engaged with the owners of the property at a local Panmure plumbing merchant store, told them he was a plumber, and provided them with advice on their current bathroom renovation project.

After this meeting, the homeowners hired Mr Lopez to do the plumbing bathroom renovations at the property.

Plumbing, gasfitting and drainlaying are regulated industries in New Zealand and it is illegal to do this work unless authorised by the Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board.
The Board advises all consumers to take every precaution when engaging with plumbing, gasfitting and drainlaying service providers, and recommends asking to see an authorisation card before any work commences. This way they can be assured the work is being done lawfully and by a competent tradesperson.
The Board’s Chief Executive, Max Pedersen warns consumers; “Don’t risk your family’s health and safety or your insurance by hiring unauthorised people. While New Zealand law allows anyone to purchase plumbing fittings, it is illegal to undertake any associated plumbing work without authorisation.”

“There are big fines associated with illegal work, Max continued. This type of dangerous work carried out by unauthorised people can cause injury and serious illness, as well as damage to property.”

If a member of the public believes that work has been done by someone who is not authorised, or has concerns about the competency of tradespeople, they can make a complaint to the Board. You can check to see if a tradesperson is authorised at the Board’s website www.pgdb.co.nz.

Mr Lopez was convicted in the Auckland District Court, on 10 March 2015, was fined $1,050 and ordered to pay court costs of $390.

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