Alarm at fire-gear selling tactics

Concerns are growing about two businessmen who are telling people their fire extinguishers have expired, selling them new ones, then selling the old ones to the next unsuspecting buyer.

The Fire Protection Association has been following the actions of two men who have been making thousands of dollars selling extinguishers in the greater Auckland area for about 18 months.

Association president Kevin Kennedy said he was aware of at least eight cases where people had been approached by the men but he feared that was "only the tip of the iceberg".

The men were brought to his attention last year when an association member visited a Pukekohe restaurant to check on some equipment.

He discovered the restaurant had been sold a new extinguisher for $280 after a salesman claimed the old one was out of date. There was nothing wrong with it.

The "old extinguisher" was then sold to another company for $250.

The salesman said he worked for a company called Aero Fire NZ. The association believes he is one of two men working for the company.

Both men are described as Fijian Indians and at least one is believed to have been the subject of similar complaints to the Fijian Fire Authority.

The men approach mainly immigrant business owners, many of whom speak limited English, and have been active in Pukekohe, East Tamaki, Rodney and West Auckland.

The Commerce Commission is aware of Aero Fire and gave it a warning in 2003 for false representations over the sale of extinguishers.

A spokesman said the commission had one more complaint about the company in April but there was not enough information to reinvestigate.

A South Auckland man called Mira Singh is listed as the director of Aero Fire and a car registered in his name was used in at least one of the incidents.

Mr Singh said he was no longer involved in the company but he would contact the man who was.

But the next day Mr Singh told the Herald, through a woman at his home, not to contact him again.

The Fire Protection Association is collecting information to give to the police and Inland Revenue.