mirami

A few weeks ago I ordered a replacement battery for my V7 vacuum cleaner. When the staff member in an offshore call centre found my details, I informed him that I no longer live in Cairns where I bought it. I asked him to change my address to my Sydney one that I dictated to him. He assured me that he did that and that's where my battery would be delivered.

Imagine my surprise when I started to receive emails confirming the battery delivery to my Cairns address. That's when my nightmare began with Dyson's customer CARE. I called again and again advised my Sydney address where I wanted my battery delivered. Was assured that it was updated. More emails followed with the Cairns address. I was informed at the 3rd call that it HADN'T been updated. But that the battery was sitting in Sydney and the address would be changed so that it would be delivered to Sydney. All subsequent update emails assured me it was going to Cairns!!!!!

So it was no surprise yesterday to have received a call from Cairns post office to come and pick up my package that was waiting there for me!!!!!!! To sit on a plane in Sydney and travel ca 3000 km to get it since I haven't lived there for 3 years. And because during the many calls I had with Dyson offshore customer service over 3 weeks, NOBODY WAS ABLE TO UPDATE MY ADDRESS AND SEND ME THE REPLACEMENT BATTERY TO SYDNEY!!!! I now can't use my unit because the old battery is dead. The replacement one is in Cairns, 3000 kms away in a box I haven't rented for over 3 years! After more complaints, Dyson FINALLY managed to update my address to the correct one and order me a new battery.

I've been putting up with this FIASCO for over a month and still haven't got a battery for my EXPENSIVE V7 vacuum cleaner! Am wondering why? This company produces excellent but expensive products and I'm wondering why they choose to have this kind of offshore customer service????? Where their staff is UNABLE TO CHANGE AN ADDRESS AND DISPATCH A PRODUCT TO A CORRECT ONE???? I received a kingergarten level of service that cost me a lot of wasted time and stress. It only got resolved when I insisted on an AUSTRALIAN MANAGER to fix it.

This is to let Dyson customers know NOT TO EXPECT its customer service to match their products. If you need to deal with their customer service and DON'T want to experience what I did, insist on an AUSTRALIAN staff member to serve you.

My experience with Dyson was extremely DISAPPOINTING. The useless replacement battery is being returned to them back to Sydney. In the meantime, I CAN'T use my expensive vacuum cleaner while I wait for a new one to be delivered to my correct address. Could have easily picked it up here from their warehouse without this drama!!!!!!!!

FIRE ALARM INSTALLATION

POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE

This company was engaged by the Body Corporate of the unit I'm renting to carry out some fire safety work on the large property. They put up notices stating that they'll commence work at the beginning of October. Without specifying what it would entail. My agent wasn't notified of this.

They started DRILLING last week, giving me a headache within half an hour. They wasted my whole day of work I wasn't able to do from home. When I questioned them how much more drilling they'd do, two of them informed me they finished our block that afternoon and won't drill there any more.

Unfortunately, they started DRILLING again this morning shortly after 8am, denied what they told me last week and informed me that they were not only going to DRILL for the rest of the day but for the next 5 weeks.

I pay quite high rent to live in my rented unit so I can work from home. Many other people in the complex also work from home. We certainly can't do this with all the DRILLING going on. I for one don't appreciate being not only lied to but also being unable to work from home. I've requested compensation for my 2 lost day. Nobody is interested.

I'd like to make people aware that they don't seem to care, before they hire them. And hope other residents will also complain.

15.12.23 UPDATE: This company is STILL DRILLING here, one week before Christmas. Apparently they'll continue to do so well into the new year. I've now LOST 2 MONTHS WORTH OF INCOME because of this work. They are STILL NOT INTERESTED IN COMPENSATING ME. I DO NO RECOMMEND them to anyone!!!!

28.4.24 UPDATE: This company stopped all work after the above drilling because the Body Corporate ran out of money. The HUGE quote they received from Sure Fire Services wasn't accurate, neither was the scope of the works. The Body Corporate was forced to RAISE more considerable EXTRA levies for Sure Fire Services to finish this job. More owners, including mine, are selling their units. The enclosed notices were posted last week on every unit's doors for works commencing on 13.5. 24 Note the threats. There were obviously other complaints than mine.

Luckily for me, this is the day I will hand back the keys to the unit to my agent. Sure Fire Services having been the main reason why I'm leaving it. Judging by their previous works, I don't believe they'll finish them within the two specified weeks. In any case, I'm NOT INTERESTED in putting up with further drilling for other major works being planned for this year. I wish the new occupants of my unit very strong nerves and STILL DON'T RECOMMEND THIS COMPANY to anyone.

6.6.24 UPDATE: I, my agent and landlord attended an NCAT hearing yesterday due to my claim for compensation for losses this company caused me. We are proceeding to a 2nd hearing where I'll be submitting videos of the disturbance and a judge will decide my compensation. This matter has gone this far because neither the agent, Clisdells nor Sure Fire Services was able to resolve it since last October.

I was given yesterday some of this company's response to my complaint:

* all noisy works were conducted withing allowable hours and per the notice period. Owners and tenants were notified and notice letters were installed within all common areas on site.
(I only found out about these works from the notices in common areas and emailed a photo to my agent who confirmed she WASN'T notified either)

*although the majority of our cabling work and device fit-off onsite required drilling of multiple small 6.0mm holes, mist of this was completed at a maximum of 4 full work days within Block B (not necessarily 4 days in a row)
(NOT TRUE. The recorded fit-out outside my door was done on 15.12.23)

*Drilling in Blocks A, C and D in all fairness could have been heard by the tenant but would have caused no vibration in unit 20 and would have been of minimal disruption
( I chose to live in this unit ALONE and pay a high rent, even though I am a pensioner, to not only work on my writing projects but also record live videos for sale to supplement my pension. I could do neither between October and December while the drilling went on as it would have been heard on the recordings)

*an aside comment was made about me to the Body Corporate by one of the owners of this company: 'the lady in question on 4 separate occasions abused both my staff and myself' by telling them to 'F k off, I'm a tenant and I don't need to read that letter'. Apparently I also kept yelling at them!

I wasn't aware that the owner was one of the RUDE tradies as I HAVEN'T communicated with any of them after the SECOND conversation. I did question them in my THIRD conversation with them after they returned to our block to install the actual units in the hallway that involved more considerable DRILLING. In this conversation, I told them that I would inform my agent.
(The above statement with the tradies swear word is entirely concocted by the owner and UNTRUE. As are all defamatory statements about my interaction with them. The THIRD conversation I had with these tradies was about more drilling inside our hallway, NOT about any notices.

I finished my association with this company on 13.5. 24 when I moved out. Noting that the property agent arranged for them to install the final fire alarms in the unit drilling into the ceiling over freshly steam cleaned carpet that I paid for!

4.9.24 UPDATE: Having attended 2nd NCAT hearing because of this company who made my tenancy hell for 3 months, an order was made for the landlady to compensate me for this. She too sold her property, just in time. Shortly after the new alarms were installed in it, I was notified by the Body Corporate that they needed to be repaired! Before anyone had a chance to move in. Not only that but a short time afterwards, the alarms started going off. The first time at 5.00 am that got everyone out of bed. Apparently this company didn't leave instructions how to turn them off! And unfortunately, this is now a frequent occurrence. If it continues, $500k + would have been poorly spent. The new alarms are now being ignored by most annoyed residents.

Do YOU want to experience the same PROBLEMS or have YOUR LIFE wrecked by expensive false fire alarms? If you DON'T, find someone else!

I've recently used Nuss Removals for a second time to move my 2 bedroom unit and lots of boxes. I only have very good experiences with them and will never move with anyone else again. It's a very professional company that is a member of AFRA. Very well organised and keeps their word and time. They actually come to your place to check everything that needs moving to give you an accurate quote. The removalists will look after your possessions and wrap them up in blankets as not to cause damage to them or any property. I highly recommend Nuss Removals and will only use them from now on.

The proprietor of this business quoted us $3862.55 for pool and rubbish bin fencing a year ago.

When the quote got eventually approved, he asked for $3500 upfront deposit. Since he came recommended by a licensed tradie, body corporate approved this advance.

He then took the money and used it for his own purposes. All follow ups over next few months were met with lies and excuses. We eventually found out that he did the same with another body corporate.

The tradie that recommended him managed to recover our and the other body corporate's money.

Since his quote was the only one left approved, we tried to get him to finish the job. He got as far as ordering the material that was paid through someone else. However, when the proprietor came to install it, it transpired he had disregarded instructions and provided a fence that HE wanted, NOT the one we did.

We are now forced to get new quotes, arrange a new body corporate meeting and new votes. The motion may not get approved again.

This business cost us valuable time and money over the past year, possibly also the fence. Also the supplier as the fence had to be returned.

AUGUST 2018 UPDATE: an investigation of this business by the QLD Building and Construction Commission found this contractor to be unlicensed and an infringement notice was issued for it ending up installing the unwanted pool fence since it was difficult for our committee to go through the approval process again. Aside from the wrong fence, the finished work left a lot to be desired.

I DO NOT recommend this business to anyone. If you do want to deal with it, DO put every detail of your requirement in writing AND add drawings/photos. DO PAY for the material yourselves. DO NOT pay ANYTHING until the job if fully completed.

We inherited SSKB in late 2015 when the owner of our BC company in Cairns retired. They looked professional and promised to sort out mess inherited from the previous company.

They organised our AGM in December 2015. They labelled the Minutes file as December 2016. Inspite of repeated verbal and written requests wasting everyone's time, they took SIX MONTHS to fix this simple, yet incorrect and annoying mistake.

They then organised a Community Meeting in April 2016. Inspite of my many requests as a Body Corporate Committee member to put physical altercations by a neighbour on the meeting agenda so it could be discussed at the meeting, the Community Manager flatly refused. Stating this is not a body corporate matter. It has since proceeded to Dept of Justice. The police are currently preparing charges. The Commissioner's office assured me that this is definitely a body corporate matter and should have been handled by SSKB.

At the Community Meeting in April 2016, the Community Manager, along with the BC Chair and Secretary (all claiming to be BC experts), approved works above their allowed limit and documented them in the Minutes. Some works were carried out. Without consulting the rest of the owners.

For reasons known only to themselves, the Community Manager did not create work orders for 2 safety reports approved at the meeting and needed for preparation of new budget. Numerous enquiries about this were not followed up.

SSKB terminated our agreement with them in June 2016 since they decided to cease trading in Cairns. They refused to provide any work orders for us from the termination until the handover to our new company in September 2016.

They also refused to send out a breach of by-laws notice to owners having frequent loud arguments, using foul language and disturbing everyone else's peace.

After another altercation with the neighbour, I informed the BC Committee and SSKB of my intentions to hold them accountable, should any harm come to me. A Senior Community Manager at SSKB HUNG UP on me and refused further verbal communication.

The above describes the service we received from SSKB during our 10 month association with them. They handed over our unsorted mess to the new BC company that has just professionally sorted it out. I agree with other comments here that the SSKB "service" leaves a lot to be desired. They certainly didn't address our needs. Because of that, it's GOODBYE and GOOD RIDDANCE from us. Save yourself wasted time and money. Give this company a BIG MISS!!!!

I hired this company earlier this year to move me from Allawah to a storage company in Rockdale. Having had some negative experiences with removalists previously, I wanted professionals, not cowboys, for this move. I accepted a quote one month before the move and was pleased to be assured there wouldn't be any hidden fees, as per their advertisement on their website. I've communicated with them frequently before the move, to prevent any problems.

A couple of days before the scheduled move I received an sms informing me there may be extra charges for being on first floor and not having a lift. Even though I did say this to them during our communications. I was willing to pay a smaller extra amount as time was running out. Two young guys showed up on the morning of the move and promptly informed me they would charge me $350 extra for the stairs! When I protested that I was unemployed, they discounted this to $300. It was still a lot for me but I was pressed for time. It also rained and the guys threatened to leave, stating they didn't work in the rain! Too bad I wasn't alerted to this before the move!

For one hour into the move, the guys had to park their truck 20 meters away from my property's entrance. The rest of the time they were right in front of it, with quick and easy access. Nevertheless, they took SEVEN HOURS to load their truck with half the furniture it took other removalists 4 hours to move numerous times! Although they did a reasonable job, I started to worry at 2.00pm that we wouldn't make it to storage on time. I called their office with my concerns and the lady I had been liaising with did try her best to help me. The storage place was going to close at 5.30pm so she called other storage places to see if I could store my things with them. I specifically chose Rockdale for its location.

The two guys and I finished loading their truck and showed up at the storage at 4.30pm. The storage place refused to let us unload as we wouldn't have done so before closing time. I contacted another storage company that moved me previously and they agreed to stay back for us, at an extra cost of $100! We finished this extremely long and stressful move at 8.00pm, 2 days before my move from my flat! I was forced to pay the removalists almost DOUBLE of what I was expecting. As soon as I did, I called Visa and informed them that I made the transaction under duress and that I would be disputing it.

The complaint process with Get It Done Removals was highly negative and unprofessional. They refused to talk to me and the lady I had been liaising with lay all blame on me. The lies and excuses she came up with were truly original! After lodging a complaint with Department of Fair Trading , I was offered $140 refund that I didn't accept. It didn't even comprise the $50 discount I was offered for the stairs. I fared better with Visa and my 90 day purchase protection when Visa reversed the entire transaction. I never heard from anyone again and never received a word of apology from Get It Done Removals and their contractor, for the move from hell! I note that neither company is a member of AFRA and that the contracting company has since gone to liquidation. Hardly a surprise, with their business practices!

Because of my stressful and expensive dealings with this company, I DO NOT recommend them to anyone.

As this is unfortunately a frequent occurrence among removalists, here are some tips for a better moving experience:

• Single ladies, ask a man to organise your move so as not set yourself up as a favourite prey to unscrupulous people
• Choose a removalist registered with AFRA (Australian Furniture Removers Association). They will protect you every step of the way
• Ask them to come to your place to get an exact quote and to see who you'll be dealing with
• Keep everything in writing
• Don’t leave the move till the last minute and be backed into a corner that could cost you considerably more
• Have a plan B ready if the removalist tries to con you into something not agreed to before the job
• Pay with a credit card. It normally comes with a 90 day purchase protection
• Do register a complaint with the Department of Fair Trading. They won’t be able to do much about your individual complaint but will act if there are more
• Do give feedback on social media about the service you received to help other customers

I have recently hired BrisbaneSydney Removals to move my goods from Sydney to Cairns. Having had problems with a previous removalist, I carefully chose this company through ServiceSeeking website that offered $1000 refund if anything went wrong. Since this company was also recommended to me by the storage company holding my goods, I was confident of a smooth move.

I listed my goods on this company’s items sheet and received a quote that I accepted. When we were loading their truck, the principal was complaining that I had more items that I listed. There were 3 small trunks and a small cabinet that I didn’t remember because I hadn’t seen the goods for 6 months. Amounting to no more that 3 cubic meters. Even though the cubic meters I stated for the quote were correct, we agreed that I’d pay for the extra 3 cubic meters. I expected this to be a couple of hundred dollars.

The principal delivered my goods to my new home in Cairns on time. He insisted on my paying him upfront, before offloading my goods from his truck. Since this was a considerable amount, I paid him through my Visa card via his friend’s credit card facility. I also agreed to pay the Visa card fees. The principal refused to tell me the final amount. Imagine my surprise when I received my Visa statement and found being charged an extra $1150 for the move! Inspite of numerous emails, sms and phone calls, the principal refused to provide me with an itemised invoice and to communicate further with me. I see from other reviews on other sites that overcharging is something he does frequently. As is not answering his phone and pretending to be sick. I got these stories too!

When he was contacted by Service Seeking about my complaint and informed that he violated their terms and conditions, he advised he no longer wanted to work with them! He also insisted that he charged me correctly after he was contacted by the Department of Fair Trading about my complaint. Visa took it more seriously and recently reversed the $1150 from his friend’s credit card.

Having had this unpleasant experience with this company, not a member of AFRA, during a time of long unemployment that the principal was informed about, I DO NOT recommend this company to anyone. Apart from these problems that took up 3 months of my valuable time, some of my artwork arrived broken. A Nick Scali table chipped on the sides, after specific requests to have it wrapped and be careful with. An important screw for the leg attachments was lost, it took me weeks to replace it with something suitable. All in all, a very unpleasant and negative experience.

As this is unfortunately a frequent occurrence among removalists, here are some tips for a better moving experience:

• Single ladies, ask a man to organise your move so as not set yourself up as a favourite prey to unscrupulous people
• Choose a removalist registered with AFRA (Australian Furniture Removers Association). They will protect you every step of the way
• Ask them to come to your place to get an exact quote and to see who you'll be dealing with
• Keep everything in writing
• Don’t leave the move till the last minute and be backed into a corner that could cost you considerably more
• Have a plan B ready if the removalist tries to con you into something not agreed to before the job
• Pay with a credit card. It normally comes with a 90 day purchase protection
• Do register a complaint with the Department of Fair Trading. They won’t be able to do much about your individual complaint but will act if there are more
• Do give feedback on social media about the service you received to help other customers

Having recently moved to Cairns, I'm finding it difficult to get certain products. For example, stores don't stock furniture. If you want to buy something, you'll have to order it and then wait up to 6 months to receive it. Since I'm not interested in waiting this long, I'm always looking for alternatives.

Needing a new sofa, I recently came across Sweden to you. A company that takes IKEA orders in Central and Northern QLD, picks them up at Brisbane IKEA and then delivers throughout the remote areas. What an excellent business idea, filling an obvious gap.

This company has an easy online ordering system directly through the IKEA website. They have different, convenient payment options and professional delivery. They'll also recommend people to help you assemble the furniture at reasonable cost.

All my dealings with this company were very prompt, professional and pleasant. It didn't take me long to place my sofa order. It was delivered sooner than indicated, without any fuss and with a smile. I am now enjoying my sofa and highly recommend this company because this is the kind of professionalism I expect from any service provider.

I cannot recommend this company highly enough for their help with contesting my mum's will and winning a big chunk of her estate from the Public Trustee. I am one of the very few people that managed to beat the Public Trustee, due to the professionalism and dedication of the staff from this company.

Please read my review of the Public Trustee in another comment here and save yourself HUGE problems by NEVER leaving your will with them.

DO contact Turnbull HIll asap if you already have problems or to help you draw up/administer your will. Mine is now in their professional hands!

Having looked after my widowed and elderly mum for nearly 20 years and providing her with financial, physical and emotional support, my mum chose to leave most of estate, that I helped her to build, to overseas family. Without my knowledge, she appointed the Public Trustee to administer this estate.

Foolishly and due to my strong sense of loyalty and compassion for my mum, I always placed her and her needs first and acted in her best interest, to my own detriment. Being under the impression that I would eventually reap the rewards of my efforts from her estate. Her will and a spiteful letter she left me opened my eyes to how she and my family appreciated these efforts on her behalf. I was almost written out of her will, close to being 50 years of age. I suddenly faced everything I worked for over the past 20 years about to be given to people who did very little for mum, including my sister that claimed to be very close to her. I had a choice to walk away with this nothing or to fight for a better share of the estate.

I chose the latter and hired Turnbull Hill Partners to represent me in the Family Court. They immediately arranged a caveat on the estate and informed the Public Trustee that I intended to contest mum’s will. Thus began 3 years of personal hell with the Public Trustee, my family and various authorities. I informed the Public Trustee soon after mum’s death that I was the only one caring for mum and building her estate and had detailed proof of this. I offered the relevant family members more just and generous settlements that they, driven by greed, chose to decline. From here on, the Public Trustee, my sister and my family went into a life and death mode to hang on to mum’s estate, in this manner:

• When I asked them to change the locks on mum’s house due to my sister’s looting the estate, they did so and locked ME out. Allowing my sister to keep on looting

• They were happy for my sister having taken mum’s expensive TV, without my permission. Yet they insisted on my giving them less money I collected for selling some of her things, with their permission

• They took away whatever was left in the three bedrooms, fully furnished house and valuable garage and gardening tools. Inspite of repeated requests by me, I was never informed of where her things went. They did, however, present the estate with a bill of $300 for the LOSSES that this action incurred

• Even though there were developers willing to pay $1mil for her property at the time of her death, the Public Trustee refused to release it for sale for 8 months

• Being the public servants that they are, they happily paid huge water rates on an unoccupied property having a burst pipe. Disconnecting the water obviously never occurred to anyone. Neither did keeping the garden net and tidy, again inspite of my repeated requests

• Some time before mum’s death, I bought a car to be able to drive her and her dog to shopping and various doctors. To save paying yearly registration, mum suggested I keep the car in her name. When this came to the attention to the Public Trustee, they offered me to BUY the car from her estate at an inflated price! As it wasn’t worth it for me, I was required to surrender it for them to sell. Some of my friends offered to pay $1500 for it. The Public Trustee didn’t agree and sold it for $700!

• They left the best for last, i.e. mum’s house that I helped her to buy, take care of and grow in value. Aside for providing a beautiful home for her that I took care of on weekly basis while my sister was always “too busy”, building her own career and assets. Allowing themselves to be heavily manipulated by my sister and family, the Public Trustee finally put up the house for sale after 8 months when its value dropped by almost half. Observing this behavior, I was advised to try and buy it from the Public Trustee, if I was to get anything from the estate

• The Public Trustee organised an auction at long last and consistently refused to let me know the reserve price. I organised a loan and a friend to do the bidding on my behalf because I didn’t want to bid amongst the vultures that had gathered at the house for the kill. As soon as the auction started, it became obvious that games were being played and the Public Trustee had no intention of selling the property. Unfortunately for them, my sister and family, I and another person were determined to get it and fought it out amongst ourselves. I was the first one to reach the reserve price, set at $100K above the then market value! To everyone’s consternation, I ended up with the property and took on a huge financial burden for the next 7 years until I sold it

• With this purchase, karma immediately set into action for everyone involved. In their blind greed and fight for the estate, I, my sister and other family members were required to present claims and financial situation to the Family Court. The presiding judge was no fool and saw matters exactly for what they were. Because of that and due to the dire financial situation that my family and the Public Trustee thrust me into, he awarded ME most of the estate. Family members received token amounts that were nowhere near what I offered them at the time of mum’s death. My sister received some amount, simply for being mum’s daughter. Never contributing anything to mum’s estate or supporting either parents or me in any way.

My mum’s decision cost us $80, 0000 in legal costs. It completely destroyed our family that both my sister and I exited at the completion of the court case. All mum’s friends that had their wills with the Public Trustee changed them after witnessing the handling of mum’s estate. 10 years later, I’m now starting to recover from this experience and would NEVER recommend anyone leaving their will with the State/Public Trustee. Here’s some advice that will hopefully help you to avoid similar experiences:

• TALK to your family, friends and above all a solicitor handling estates about the State/Public Trustee

• SEARCH the internet for other complaints about this organisation

• BELIEVE all that you’ll hear/read

• DON’T get sucked in by the promise of a free will, it will cost your family dearly. DO ask for EXACT costs of all of their services. You’ll soon see that they are much higher than elsewhere

• DO remember that these people are PUBLIC SERVANTS and that your beneficiaries won’t be able to get help anywhere, should they encounter problems with the Public Trustee. Do you really want them to go through what our family went through?

• If you are ever unfortunate to have any dealings with the Public Trustee, DO start selling or taking whatever you can out of the estate BEFORE they take possession of it. They’ll take their time in doing so, best to sell/divide whatever you can before they take over. Unless specified in the will, be prepared to be offered PURCHASING items from the estate, at inflated prices

• If you are already having problems with this organisation, contact your local MP for help. Also the Attorney General in your state. The media is another option. Last but not least, do try to organise a Royal Commission into the workings of this disgusting and harmful organisation. I’d be happy to contribute my evidence

Most of all, save yourself and your family soul destroying problems and STAY AWAY from the Public Trustee. DO make a precise will through a solicitor and a trusted public servant such as your doctor, etc. Best to leave all family members out of the execution of your estate and let them enjoy their inheritance.