A recommendation to every supermarket shopper is least I can do for Franklins, Tamworth, NSW. Customer service and assistance is precisely that and not a single person in their ranks is begrudging of their position or role; always pleasant, very eager to please and very easy to deal with. Home delivery service for $6.50 fee is fantastic and such a help! Being able to recieve groceries C.O.D. for those who are too busy or house-bound is an absolute godsend to the entire community. Rewards Card system is fantastic ($1=1 point)and takes very little time to accrue to 2000 points with regular weekly shopping; $20 per 2K points is a good reserve to have accrued come Christmas!

More recently however I am sorry to see they are melding with IGA and a lot of black and gold products are appearing on the shelves of their Tamworth store; these products are more expensive than Franklins own brands.

A recent shopping experience in Man to Man has left me out-of-pocket, with nothing to show for it and my hands completely tied. I have been cheated, simple as that.

Whenever considering the laybye option in a store I always make certain to ask precisely what the terms are. When making a laybye purchase recently at ‘Man to Man' I was informed that a 20% deposit was required for an eight week payout period. Suitably adequate to my needs, I paid my $20, signed the receipt and walked away in anticipation of being able to wear my new jacket in just a few weeks time. Mistake.

Three weeks later, when walking past the store, I spotted another jacket, much more to my liking and going for less than half the price of that which I had on laybye. I toddled in and asked if I might cancel the laybye I had and transfer the $20 deposit over to the new jacket, pay out the difference and take the new jacket with me immediately. No problem at all, except for one little catch;

“A $30.00 cancellation fee will apply so you will need to pay another ten dollars off your laybye to cancel it. Then you can purchase the jacket.” This cancellation fee was non-refundable and would not be credited to my new, preferred purchase. I would lose $30 from my original laybye and pay another thirty for the jacket I wanted, so in essence my new jacket would cost me sixty dollars. I was furious, firstly at being mislead when making the laybye and secondly at the attitude I received upon pointing how unjust this was and how unimpressed I was about this fee I knew nothing about.

I had the store attendant put me on the phone to management (never, ever be afraid to do this – as a customer it is your right to speak to management at any time you wish). After some discussion the manageress agreed this once to refund my twenty dollars the following day herself when she would be in-store working a full day and allow me to credit that towards the new jacket I wanted; in other words, in this circumstance she would approve the straight swap I had initially wanted.

The next day I walked into the store as arranged, receipt at the ready, only to be told my laybye had been cancelled, the twenty dollars taken in part (reduced) payment of the cancellation fee and if I wanted the jacket I could buy it outright. The manageress stood in abject denial of any telephone agreement stating same and advised me to go to the Department of Fair Trading if I had issue with her or with her business.

According to the Department Of Fair Trading;

It is a requirement of retail law that all shops who offer laybye present a clear, legible laybye receipt at the time of purchase outlining price, product, terms and conditions, payout date and cancellation fees. Man 2 Man had done this. They had also asked me to sign the laybye receipt, which I did and in so doing unknowingly agreed to the cancellation terms outlined in fine print on the bottom of the receipt which I stupidly had not read before signing. SNAP! Neck in the noose of hidden clauses. The mistake I had made in this circumstance was actually signing the laybye receipt; retail laybye law states that a customer IS NOT required to sign a laybye receipt. Something one should bear in mind for any future laybye purchases.

So, whilst 'Man to Man' did not inform me verbally of the excessive cancellation fee, the fact that I signed the receipt means I have no leg to stand on and have lost my twenty dollars. I did not purchase the other jacket and while twenty dollars is a relatively minimal loss, it is the principal which is of importance here, not just for me, but indeed for any consumer. Never rush a purchase, always read the fine print and sign nothing!

The attitude given by Man to Man was completely uncalled for and the lack of vocalising the cancellation fee at time of asking laybye terms was cunning, if not deceitful. I would not recommend this store to anyone, ever. At ‘Man to Man' one will not find human decency or indeed ‘customer service' of any kind.

This store is profit driven and not customer oriented; not something any business can afford to be in an age where consumers are opting more and more for decent service and fair prices over fancy labels, hidden clauses and stuck up attitudes. Such an attitude and approach to business as that which ‘Man to Man' has shown, comes with a price that is all its very own.

Approximate cost: $Only to them!

Internode is an Australian owned company which offers a wide variety of internet plans, depending on your location and internet usage needs. The plan options are extensive, simple to understand and extremely well priced. Internode is one of the few Internet providers who dont' require credit card or personal account details (though these options are available to those who prefer this). B-Pay options (transferring money from your own account into theirs) and month to month accounts and service, make Internode a far more amenable and user-friendly Internet provider than any other in Australia. Accounts are emailed at your choice of monthly or quarterly. There is also a 24 month contract with a zero sign-up fee for the completely cash-strapped. Internode ‘churn' at a discounted rate for those who wish to switch over immediately.

There are no extra charges, no hidden fees and no charges for excess usage so you know that what you pay is all you will ever have to pay. Excess usage is shaped back to a free, slower speed. The option to purchase further pockets of download/upload as needed for around $5 (you won't need it!) is great for high traffic users. One gets precisely what one pays for in every plan, be it Home or Business, Wireless, Naked, Bundled, Fast or Extreme. The GB's available for money out-layed are massive and guaranteed.

Customer service is exceptional with friendly, down to earth staff who work in the individuals best interest. Internode's call back service and email ticketing system is efficient and deletes time-wasting frustrations. One never feels rushed when speaking with staff and no matter how inept one may be with computers, technology or internet tools one is never made to feel dumb! Internode staff will talk you through everything from plans, to set up and any query or difficulty you may be having. They will openly discuss all options available to you and work out which plan best suits your individual needs. One can change/ upgrade/ downgrade plans at any time. There is no marketing pressure, ever. An emailed internode bulletin (optional) keeps one updated should any changes be upcoming. With friendly, efficient service that is always available and prompt; their call back and ticketing systems are fabulous. In three years I have never had a drop out or disconnection, ever!

Internode is an internet service provider par excellence and I highly recommend them to every Australian!

Approximate cost: $49.95 per month, unlimited

I can very readily and very happily recommend Hertz for car hire. The service received was efficient and friendly. Quotes given over the phone were precise and accurate. No hidden charges. Car was in excellent condition, clean and fully fueled. Hertz own driver collected me from my premises and delivered me home again when hire period was done at no extra cost to me. Rental charges were fully inclusive of insurance; this is not an optional extra. No deposit required with the use of a credit card; your money is frozen by them in your account until the vehicle is returned. Extended hire, if needed unexpectedly is no worries – the car is yours until you return it. Discounts for weekly or long-term hire are excellent.

PROS: Weekly hire discount rates. Personal, friendly service. No cash deposit required. Cater to your needs precisely. Insurance is quote inclusive.

CONS: None.

Following the purchase of a laptop, which crashed in three months, Harvey Norman refused replacement or refund. Claimed manufacturers fault; said would 'escalate matters'. No technician to look at for 2 weeks. Fair trading advised contact manufacturer directly; manufacturer paid postage & replaced machine free within 5 days. 4 days later heard back from Harvey Norman - still 'escalating matters' with manufacturer. Useless, rude, inept

Approximate cost: $1mnths wrk!