Confidential Due Diligence

Fun Gear / Mad Hats
Business Intelligence Report

Comprehensive background check on Ric Lawrance, 1nsignia Factory Pty Ltd, and all associated entities, websites, court cases, and reputation signals.

Prepared: 2 March 2026 Subject: Ric Lawrance / 1nsignia Factory Market Lead Internal

At a Glance

6
Websites Found
4
Corporate Entities
2
Active Court Cases
2.4
Trustpilot Rating
71%
1-Star Reviews
0
Landlines Found

Corporate Structure

All entities connected to mobile 0460 670 954 and Ric Lawrance

Corporate Entities

Four company registrations found across ASIC and ABR, spanning 2001 to 2025.

EntityABNACNStatusLocationRole
1NSIGNIA FACTORY PTY. LTD.22 645 661 427645 661 427Active 5 Nov 2020Chatswood NSW 2067Operating company for all 6 websites
NF FAMILY PTY LTD18 626 075 161626 075 161Active 3 Mar 2025NSW 2067Contracting entity (our agreements signed under this)
NF IP PTY LTDTBCTBCUnknownTBCDomain registrant for madhats.com.au (owner: Zarina Nawaz)
RIC LAWRENCE & CO. PTY. LTD.80 010 545 034010 545 034Deregistered 26 Jun 2001QLDHistorical entity, formerly "Maresfield Holdings Pty Ltd"

Key People

Ric Lawrance (also: Ric Lawrence)

Director of 1nsignia Factory. Listed as Sales Manager at Kustom Teamwear on LinkedIn. Owner per ScamAdviser WHOIS for fungear.com.au. Primary contact across all businesses. Contact email: manager@jcsw.com.au

Zarina Nawaz

Listed as owner of madhats.com.au domain in ScamAdviser WHOIS data. Associated with NF IP Pty Ltd. Relationship to Ric unclear.

Milan

Secondary contact mentioned in Trustpilot reviews. Operational role at Mad Hats.

JCSW

Listed as Manager across domain registrations (teefactory.com.au WHOIS). May be a company name rather than a person. Email: manager@jcsw.com.au

Trademark

"Coolactiv" (Application #2262366). Apparel fabrics, Class 024. Filed and registered 13 April 2022. Renewal: 13 April 2032. Owner: 1nsignia Factory Pty Ltd, NSW 2010.

Associated Businesses

All 6 websites sharing mobile 0460 670 954

All Brands Under 1nsignia Factory

Every website is a Shopify store, registered through GoDaddy, using the same single mobile number. No landlines found anywhere.

#WebsiteBrandEmailProductsShopify ID
1fungear.com.auFun Gearsales@fungear.com.auNovelty apparel, bags, towels59579990185
2madhats.com.auMad Hatssales@madhats.com.auHats, caps, beanies, embroidery37648498824
3teefactory.com.auTee Factorysales@teefactory.com.auT-shirts, embroidery, printing57568034873
4cmflags.comCM Flagssales@cmflags.comCustom flags & banners26866974762
5kustomteamwear.comKustom Teamwearsales@kustomteamwear.comCustom sportswear & uniforms27335327842
6loveactive.com.auLove Activesales@loveactive.com.auActivewear-

Other Identifiers

Physical Address

1/8 Hill Rd, Homebush Bay NSW 2127. This is also a DHL Express Service Point, not a dedicated business premises.

Personal Email

arnb26@hotmail.com found on loveactive.com.au contact page (alongside sales@loveactive.com.au).

APPA Membership

Australian Promotional Products Association member. Job posted for Embroidery Machine Operator, $70K + Super, via sales@madhats.com.au.

Meta Ads

Facebook Pixel ID 681360763138577 on teefactory.com.au. Active ad accounts detected.

Reputation & Trust Signals

Trustpilot, ScamAdviser, and consumer complaint analysis

madhats.com.au Reviews

2.4 out of 5 stars from 39 reviews. 71% are 1-star.

28
1-Star Reviews
1
2-Star
1
3-Star
2
4-Star
7
5-Star

Key Complaint Themes

Wrong Products Shipped

Customers repeatedly receive wrong colours, designs, or quantities. One sporting club waited 11 months and sent 53 emails to resolve.

Refund Refusal

"No refunds" policy enforced even when the error is the company's. Customers forced to pay return shipping for wrong items.

Aggressive Customer Service

Described as "incredibly RUDE." Blocked customer emails, hung up phone on frustrated callers. "Absolutely appalling" communication.

Legal Threats to Reviewers

Ric reportedly emails reviewers threatening $50,000 penalties if negative reviews aren't removed. Flags negative reviews for Trustpilot removal.

Storage Fee Threats

$10/day charges threatened on stock retained during disputes.

Suspicious 5-Star Patterns

Customers allege fake 5-star reviews appear shortly after each 1-star review, with suspiciously similar wording.

Selected Reviews

"Ric has emailed me stating if I did not remove the review, his lawyers would serve me a letter and I would be liable for $50,000 penalty."
Adam, 5 August 2025
"He has about 5 different hat websites that all have the same mobile number."
Trustpilot Reviewer
"ELEVEN MONTHS and 53 emails. Now threatening $10 per day storage fees on stock we never approved."
Sporting Club Representative

ScamAdviser Warnings

Multiple sites flagged with low trust scores and an explicit association warning.

"1Nsignia Factory is associated with a number of scam shopping sites including fungear.com.au, teefactory.com.au, loveactive.com.au, cmflags.com, madhats.com.au. All are designed to advertise items that they do not supply."
ScamAdviser.com
WebsiteOwner (WHOIS)OrganizationTrust AssessmentIssues
fungear.com.auRic Lawrance1nsignia Factory Pty LtdCautionLow traffic, scam-category products
teefactory.com.auManager JCSW1nsignia Factory Pty LtdAvg-GoodLow traffic, negative social media
madhats.com.auZarina NawazNF IP Pty LtdFair (71%)Mostly negative reviews
kustomteamwear.comHidden-Very Likely SafeLow traffic only

Fair Trading & ACCC

No formal public enforcement actions found.

NSW Fair Trading

No public warnings found against any of the 4 entities. However, multiple Trustpilot reviewers confirmed they had filed Fair Trading complaints.

ACCC

No designated complaints on the ACCC public register for any of the associated entities or brand names.

Litigation & Court Cases

Two active NSW court cases, both filed BY 1nsignia Factory (Ric is the plaintiff)

Active Cases

Case #PartiesYearNatureRic's Role
2024/000144311nsignia Factory v Kalgin Holdings Pty Ltd2024Commercial (likely shipping/supply dispute)Plaintiff (suing)
2025/002819341nsignia Factory v Sebastian Tasi2025Breach of agreement + DefamationPlaintiff (suing)

Case Detail: 1nsignia Factory v Kalgin Holdings (2024)

Kalgin Holdings is a freight/logistics company at 1/151 Beauchamp Rd, Matraville NSW 2036. The dispute likely relates to shipping or supply chain issues. Full details behind courtlist.com.au paywall.

Case Detail: 1nsignia Factory v Sebastian Tasi (2025)

Ric sued a customer who left a negative Trustpilot review. Full timeline below.

Initial Contact
Sebastian Tasi (employee of a WA Council) contacts Mad Hats requesting a quote for custom hats.
Dispute Begins
According to Tasi: he never approved artwork, never signed an agreement, never paid, then cancelled. According to Ric: Tasi ordered via council email, supplied artwork, then refused to pay.
Escalation
Ric threatens legal action. Tasi calls the threats "disproportionate to the circumstances." Ric contacts Tasi's employer (the WA Council) about the dispute.
20 June 2025
Tasi leaves a 1-star Trustpilot review titled "My experience with Insignia Factory (Madhats)", publicly identifying the parent company name.
Ric's Response
Company reply on Trustpilot: "Legal action is being raised against him for breach of agreement and for defamation."
2025
1nsignia Factory files case 2025/00281934 in NSW courts against Sebastian Tasi. No published judgment yet.

Pattern: Legal Threats Against Reviewers

The Tasi case is not isolated. Multiple Trustpilot reviewers report receiving legal threats from Ric demanding review removal, with claimed $50,000 penalties. This represents a pattern of using litigation (or the threat of it) to suppress negative customer feedback.

Risk Assessment

Summary of red flags and neutral/positive indicators

Concerns

ScamAdviser Warning

Explicitly states all sites "are designed to advertise items that they do not supply."

71% 1-Star Reviews

Overwhelmingly negative customer feedback on Trustpilot with consistent complaint themes.

Suing Customers

Active defamation lawsuit against a customer who left a negative review. Legal threats to multiple other reviewers.

Multiple Hidden Entities

Six separate websites behind different brand names, different WHOIS owners (Ric, Zarina Nawaz, JCSW), but all one operation.

Contacted Customer's Employer

Ric contacted Sebastian Tasi's employer (WA Council) about a business dispute involving custom hats.

NF Family Pty Ltd Very New

The entity we contracted with (NF Family) was only registered 3 March 2025, days before our agreement. Very new entity with no track record.

No Landline, No Fixed Premises

All 6 businesses use a single mobile number. Physical address is a DHL drop-off point, not a business premises.

Suspected Fake Reviews

Customers allege fake 5-star reviews appear shortly after each 1-star review to inflate the rating.

Neutral / Positive Indicators

APPA Membership

Member of the Australian Promotional Products Association, a legitimate industry body.

Registered Trademark

"Coolactiv" trademark registered with IP Australia, valid until 2032.

GST Registered

1nsignia Factory is GST registered since Nov 2020, indicating legitimate business activity.

Hiring Staff

Job posted for embroidery operator at $70K+ super, suggesting real manufacturing operations.