With only a few months remaining on his agreed five year ban from working in the industry, a Tapping air conditioning salesman appears to be back in business with Consumer Protection receiving recent complaints.

Since 2005 Alwyn Robert Healy, while operating under several business names, has attracted a total of about 180 consumer complaints. These complaints mostly related to Mr Healy’s claims that the system he sells will both cool and heat the consumers’ homes but end up having no heating function. Mr Healy had also accepted substantial deposits but failed to install the air conditioning systems within a reasonable time, or at all.

Mr Healy is now trading under the business name R.E.A.C.T.Air In the past, he has either owned or worked for several businesses which included DualCycleAir, Affordable Home Comfort, Healthy Home Airconditioning and Aircon Factory Direct.

On 28 July 2015, Mr Healy signed a court-enforceable undertaking, agreeing not to work in the air conditioning sales and installation industry in WA in any capacity for five years. The negotiated settlement brought to an end Supreme Court action which sought to have Mr Healy removed from the industry.

In October 2019 Consumer Protection became aware that Mr Healy was again advertising his services under the business name of R.E.A.C.T.Air which was registered in September 2015.

Three recent complaints have been received by Consumer Protection:

• In January 2020 a Yanchep consumer paid $6,480 to Mr Healy for a system that has never been installed;
• In March 2020 a Cloverdale consumer paid $7,500 to Mr Healy for a system that has only partially been installed and the consumer is not satisfied with the work carried out so far; and
• In April 2020 a Cannington consumer paid $7,500 to Mr Healy for a system that is incomplete and is not working properly.

Commissioner for Consumer Protection Lanie Chopping said it is deeply concerning to discover that Mr Healy is back in business.

“This is a man who has no regard for his legal obligations as a businessman and has no conscience when it comes to taking money from his unsuspecting customers and failing to deliver what he promises or what they have requested,” Ms Chopping said.

“I couldn’t emphasise enough the need for WA consumers not to deal with Alwyn Healy no matter what business name he may be operating under or in what capacity.

“He has a dubious history with Consumer Protection spanning 15 years and a large part of our resources have been allocated to dealing with his vast amount of complaints and taking numerous legal actions against him.

“If you encounter any of Mr Healy’s advertising or promotional material, ignore it. And if you have had the misfortune of having unsatisfactory dealings with him recently, please contact us so we can include your complaint in yet further legal action that we are now contemplating.”

Background

In November 2010, the Supreme Court sentenced Mr Healy to 20 days jail, suspended for 12 months, for contempt of Court after breaching an undertaking that he would provide refunds to customers and adhere to installation timeframes.

In October 2011, the Supreme Court ordered Mr Healy to pay back almost $127,000 to 50 customers he had misled. No money has been paid.

In December 2016, a company in which Mr Healy was an employee and his brother, Maxwell Healy, was a Director was fined:

Aircon business to pay $187,000 in fines, costs and compensation (Affordable Home Comfort / Maxwell Healy)

Other prosecutions against Alwyn Healy occurred in December 2009 ($4,000 fine), May 2010 ($1,492 fine) and May 2015 ($3,100 fine).

If you have had unsatisfactory dealings with Alwyn Healy, please lodge a complaint on the Consumer Protection website. Enquiries can be made by email consumer@dmirs.wa.gov.au or by calling 1300 30 40 54.

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Media Contact: Alan Hynd, (08) 6552 9248 / 0429 078 791 / alan.hynd@dmirs.wa.gov.au