Spencer Porter – From Consumer Fraud to Facebook Scams

Pushing for my Deposit

Adam ran me through the basics, told me that installation could be included and after I requested to come and see the factory before committing to the price, he told me that as the promotion was limited, I would need to put down a deposit before moving any further. I should have walked away then.

But Adam assured me that the deposit was 100% refundable and as soon as it was made, he would book in a tour of the factory, set an inclusions meeting with himself, a meeting with the engineer and I could make up my mind from there.

In Early October 2023, right after the permit regulations changes were announced, I saw a post on Facebook from My Tiny Home Kit (MTKH). This post was promoting a “special promotional price” for 3m x 6m Tiny Home Studio kits. As I was looking for a retirement option, I made contact with MTKH, owner by Spencer Porter. My contact was Adam Sharp.

Adam ran me through the basics, told me that installation could be included and after I requested to come and see the factory before committing to the price, he told me that as the promotion was limited, I would need to put down a deposit before moving any further. I should have walked away then.

But Adam assured me that the deposit was 100% refundable and as soon as it was made, he would book in a tour of the factory, set an inclusions meeting with himself, a meeting with the engineer and I could make up my mind from there.

I looked into the company right away, but could not find much online, aside from their own website and Facebook page. There were no reviews at the time, good or bad.

As the price was just in budget for me, I didn’t want to loose the promo price and with Adams assurances, I went ahead and made a $5,000 deposit and then Adam booked in a meeting time for me and my friend.

Fake Philanthropy to Lure in Customers

At the factory, we were greeted with World Vision Sponsorship Photos, lining the walls of the foyer and the promise that Spencer Porter would be sponsoring a child with every tiny home purchase made.

Then we met Adam, who had a positive answer for every question we asked. He seemed well informed about all the permit obligations and council requirements, answered our questions about fire regulations, told us that with the new permit changes, we did not require a permit at all.

When asked about the lack of reviews and online presence, Adam told us that the company was new, they were just starting out, that they were still setting up the showroom and as they typically just provide the kits not the installation they didn’t have any photo’s of completed projects yet.

Falsely Portraying Spencer Porter as a Good Guy

Adam told us that Spencer had previously been in real estate, and that the housing crisis had led him to importing tiny homes from China. That Spencer was driven by a need to help people, and giving people in need housing options was just one of the ways he wanted to do that. That the previous company had run into some hurdles with suppliers product quality and delivery times.

Spencer apparently decided to scrap the previous business and start fresh, manufacture himself, from high quality Australian steel. He advertised as using BlueScope Steel and walked us through the factory where frames were being “printed” by a small crew and loaded onto trucks.

We sat down with the engineer Adhithyaa Ilanchezhiyan to confirm layout and with Adam to select interior inclusions. Everything was selected in person.

I left the meeting feeling positive about the company, that they were a bunch of young guys just starting out and trying to do some good and I was happy to give them a go.

Later that day I paid another $5,000 and the day after, the remaining balance of $6,929.00.

After Paying, Spencer Porter Went Silent

As soon as the final amount was paid, Adam stopped answering the phone or returning messages. At most we would get back a “sorry, too busy to talk, will call you later”.

We spent the better part of two months trying to make contact with MTHK. Requesting a delivery/installation date so we could get every on my end sorted out. (Plumber, electrician, etc.).

Threatening a Consumer Affairs Complaint

We demanded contact or we would be going to Consumer Affairs Victoria (CAV).

Once we mentioned CAV, we got emails stating that they couldn’t give us a date, as they were waiting on more information from us. Information they had not requested. Information they had already received in person. Now they wanted us to jump through various hoops before committing to a date. This list now included permits, which they had previously told us we didn’t need and required site works. That again, they had not initially requested, but I had done anyway.

Initially I had responded to their SMS requests by return SMS. They then claimed that it had to be emailed in or they couldn’t use it. So emails were sent. This went on and on. We were getting nowhere and eventually Adam passed us off to the company director Spencer Porter

During this time we started looking deeper into My Tiny Home Kit and Spencer Porter and discovered there was an enforceable undertaking against him with Consumer Affairs Victoria.

My Complaint to Consumer Affairs Victoria

After speaking with CAV, I was advised to go onto their website and follow their refund request process and to state a breach of Section 36 -WRONGLY ACCEPTING PAYMENT/ACCEPTING PAYMENT WITH NO INTENTION TO SUPPLY and Section 62 – REASONABLE TIME TO SUPPLY.

I was advised that they would have 10 business to respond to the refund request. This was sent on the 24th of January 2024. I received a response on the 2nd of February 2024 (7 business days – 9 days total) agreeing to a refund within 21 days (23rd of FEB 2024).

The Refund That Never Arrived

This date came and went with no refund. When questioned about it, Spencer Porter claimed it had been approved and should be in my account.

Further inquiries had Spencer asking for Bank Details again, claiming it had been paid, and that he would “look into it” He kept stalling and dancing around the refund.

Where I searched for information on MTHK initially, I was now searching Spencer Porter specifically. There was plenty of positive publicity on him. There were channel & news stories about him writing a book about his mothers cancer and donating proceeds to the Peter Mac Foundation, there were articles about all his achievements and sob stories about why they failed. It was never his fault, always about an excuse.

Everything was Pointing to Spencer Porter Being a Con Man

There were also articles about his previous endeavour, Property Magician being fined $4,000 for selling tiny homes without a builders license. A practice that carried over to MTHK, though he justified this by claiming not to be a builder, just a manufacturer, even though he was including installation in the sales price for many clients.

Everything was pointing to Spencer being a con man, with Adam Sharp as a devoted apprentice.

The Scale of Spencer Porter’s Deceit

I have continued digging and finding people who have also been taken for a ride by Spencer Porter. The list just keeps getting bigger every day.

From MTHK owing over $1,200,000 to the victims I am in contact with and even more coming forward every day, to Facebook Marketplace scams, where he buys items under the alias of Matt Golly, goes to collect high priced items and shows a payment transfer to the seller that happens to be forward dated. He collects the item and then cancels the payment, walking away with stolen goods he never intended to pay for. To trying sell and rent out properties without a current licence, and so much more.

There were still no reviews on social media and I found that he was keeping all comments invisible and then deleting the negatives as soon as they appeared. When I left a comment, he contacted me immediately with more false promises of a refund and apologies for the delays.

Spencer Porter Threatens to Sue Me

As I was getting nowhere, my friend and I created a Facebook group calling out Spencer Porter and his scam businesses. I got in contact with several other victims this way and Spencer joined the group under his alias Matt Golly.

I soon had a phone call from Spencer’s Lawyer demanding I shut down the page and sign a deed to silence both myself and my friend from ever saying anything negative about him or his businesses again. If we signed it, he would pay the refund. He also claimed that he was going to pay a “good faith interest payment” of 10% right away as a show of good faith.

We refused.

The Refund That Never Arrived

A 10% payment came through several days later, which was queried as we have no intention of taking payments for silence. It was insisted in writing, multiple times that it was just a good faith interest payment, though in the same sentence both Spencer and his lawyer would deduct the “interest” from the balance.

The refund has been held hostage for weeks despite us taking down the page and until now, keeping quite about him. I do not believe that if the deed was signed, he would have paid any refund, but kept us silent with threats of legal action if we spoke out.

It has now been 34 weeks since this whole ordeal began and my refund is 87 days overdue.

We have jumped through every hoop required. Reported to CAV, ScamWatch, Vic Police Fraud, IDCARE… He has been reported to VCAT, QCAT and NCAT, interstate police reports and consumer affairs cases are active. Each body tells us to report to another, in circles for months, getting nowhere.

Spencer Porter has Left People Homeless and in Financial Ruin

MTHK and potentially Property Magician are now in liquidation. Meaning there is next to no chance of anyone getting their refunds or money owed.

This is how he gets away with it. No one is willing to do the paper work and hold him accountable. It is not a civil matter when it is on this scale. He needs to face criminal charges. He needs to be stopped from doing this to more people.

Spencer Porter has left people homeless and in financial ruin, without an ounce of compassion. The very thing he would use to snare his victims.

Don’t trust him.

Roxy