Consumer cops investigate litany of complaints against international ad agency The Community Network

HE’S a high flier who has posed with Richard Branson, but David Ravenscroft’s also a board member of an advertising firm being investigated by Australia’s consumer cops.

British woman Shakara Taylor, originally from Blackpool, Lancashire, was found dead with head injuries in mysterious circumstances on the Cayman Islands PICTURED: David Ravenscroft and fiance Shakara Taylor from David Ravenscroft/FACEBOOK and Shakara Taylor/FACEBOOK

WHEN he’s not posing with Richard Branson, swimming with dolphins or appearing at inquests into the death in the Caymans of his former fiancee, David Ravenscroft sits on the board of an international advertising firm now under investigation by Australia’s consumer cops.

Small businesses in NSW, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia using The Community Network (TCN) have told The Daily Telegraph they have been ­incorrectly charged, experienced big ­delays and been locked into contracts they say are ­unfair.

To terminate an agreement written notice must be given one year before its end, otherwise it rolls over for ­another 12 months.

“I’ve never signed a contract that was that difficult to get out of — and the term extension is quite unreasonable,” Adelaide electrician Mick Cahill said.

He said there was a five-month delay in his ad going live. The Daily Telegraph extracted Mr Cahill from the arrangement after tracking down UK representatives of the company behind TCN, Multimedia International Services (MIS). It denied there was a delay with his ad.

Bundaberg businesswoman Selena Pitt said she was told she could take a short-term contract at a discounted rate. But the monthly payments ended up being larger and, when she tried to cancel, she was told she would have to pay out a full two years.

Ms Pitt also believes her advertisement was not playing at her local medical ­centre.

Sydney physiotherapist Peter Locke thought he had finally rid himself of TCN when a strange $2000 deduction was made from his ­account.

GOT A LEGAL QUERY? JOIN OUR LIVE EXPERT BLOG WITH BRYDENS LAWYERS NOW

Unhappy customer ... Adelaide electrician Mick Cahill. Picture: Dylan Coker

“They debited us when they weren’t supposed to,” he said.

The sum was refunded, but only after a request by The Daily Telegraph. It was said to be an “accounting error”.

The Daily Telegraph has also taken complaints from others businesses in Sydney, Perth and Ballarat.

An ACCC spokeswoman said it was “investigating The Community Network but cannot comment further”.

Queensland’s Office of Fair Trading had been scrutinising TCN, whose registered office is on the Gold Coast, but then determined it was a business-to-business issue and therefore the ­responsibility of the ACCC.

Incorrectly debited ... Sydney physiotherapist Peter Locke. Picture: Dylan Robinson

The directors of MIS ­include Cayman Islands-based David Ravenscroft, who came to prominence earlier this year during ­inquests there and in the UK into the death of his partner, Shakara Taylor.

In 2013 the body of the 31-year-old former world championship dancer was found in a courtyard of a luxury Caribbean hotel after she had plunged from a balcony on the seventh floor. Both the UK and ­Caymans inquests recorded open verdicts.

Mr Ravenscroft describes himself on Facebook as being on the “board of directors at The Community Network”, which claims to also have ­operations in Canada and Ireland. Neither Mr Ravenscroft nor TCN’s UK representative responded before deadline.

David Ravenscroft ... with Sir Richard Branson. Picture: Facebook