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ISCOVER
Jessica Darnbrough
Yesterday, the director of Consumer Affairs Victoria was forced to issue a public warning about the conduct of Mark William Whittingham and his business Connection Blue Pty Ltd which is allegedly ripping off real estate agents.
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According to the warning, Mr Whittingham has been sending unsolicited emails to real estate agents, advertising rent rolls for sale through his company, Connection Blue.
Several agents in Victoria and New South Wales have complained they paid Mr Whittingham for rent rolls but did not receive the product or a refund.
In one instance, it is claimed a Victorian estate agent paid $135,000 for rent rolls but did not receive access or a refund.
In similar complaints about Mr Whittingham, another Victorian estate agent alleges to have paid $24,200 and a New South Wales agent claims to have paid $1,000.
This is not the first time Mr Whittingham has found himself or one of his companies in hot water.
In September 2012, the director of Consumer Affairs Victoria issued a warning about the conduct of Mr Whittingham and his former company Buy a Trail.
The public warning followed a litany of complaints from brokers over the years who claimed to have paid Buy a Trail for trail books without ever receiving any assets.
In March 2011, AFG warned its members to exercise “extreme caution when dealing with Mark Whittingham and the company Home Loan Selection Services trading as Buy A Trail”.
In a communication to its brokers, AFG said it had “received complaints from members alleging difficulties completing transactions, including difficult recovering deposits”.
“It is strongly recommended you consult with your AFG state manager or BDM in every case prior to entering into arrangements to buy or sell a trail book,” the communication read.
When Mr Whittingham was contacted by sister publication Real Estate Business, he denied that he had taken any deposit for rent rolls and that he had anything to do with the business. He did, however, admit that he was a director of Connection Blue.
