Very expensive and tried to sell things I didn't need

I have used UltraTune to service my car since my car's warranty expired. They are pretty expensive, but they were convenient to my work. On my last visit they told me that my front brake pads needed replacing and wanted to charge $300. This seemed expensive to me and I remembered that they hadn't been changed that long ago. I didn't get them replaced and instead I went to the local Brakes Plus store (near Northland) and they inspected my car and said that I didn't need to replace them now and to come back in 10,000kms. And to top it off, they only wanted $$180 for the pads. Needless to say I haven't been back to UltraTune!

Approximate cost: $350

Hassle free conveyancing and good communication throughout the process

I have used Goodman Group for the conveyancing when buying my house and an investment property and on both occasions found the service to be excellent. The first time I bought a house, I didn't understand much about the process involved and they patiently explained everything to me. And everything went through without a hiccup. I have since reccomended these guys to a few friends and family and they have been happy too.

Approximate cost: $550

Great service for my personal tax return

I used to use a small suburban accounting firm for my tax returns, but I became unhappy with the level of skills displayed by their very young staff (although they were qualified, they had little practical experience or knowlege). I changed to H&R Block, because I just wanted a tax return completed well, with all the correct deductions that I am entitled to. I have now used the H&R Block Oakleigh office for a few years now and have been very happy. The staff there really know their stuff and have many years of practical experience, although I would add that they are not qualified accountants. The staff enter the tax return information into the computer and then its checked by an accountant at head office, before the return is lodged. In my experience the staff ask me lots of questions about myself to find out all the deductions that I am entitled to. It seems that the company has a lot of procedures that the staff follow, and these are designed to extract the right information out of clients so that the tax return is completed accurately.

Approximate cost: $180

Non profit club offers great dog training

We trained our new German Shepherd here and was very impressed. The cost is only $30 for a whole year of training - you can go to as many classes as you like. All the trainers are volunteers and they are passionate about well trained dogs. They have classes for puppies right up to high level obedience drills that take years to master. A great service for the community.

Approximate cost: $0

Lack of attention to this customer

I used Hansens for 5 years for both my business and personal tax matters. Initially they were very helpful and responsive (I dealt mainly with the founding partner, Harold Hansen), but in that short period of time, the firm grew very fast and employed a lot of young people. I noticed a drop in service levels and a very steep increase in fees. I was very annoyed when their inability to notify me about a change in due date for lodgment of my tax return was going to cost me a lot of money in interest (it was my fault that the due date changed, but they should have still notified me). But I ceased using them when they charged me over $300 for a one line amendment in my tax return. I have since been much happier with my new accountant at H+R block. Whenever the partners would come out to meet me at my business, they would always try to sell me agri business tax planning strategies, which I repeatedly told them I wasn't interested in. If you want a good SME accounting firm, consider Grant Thornton.

Approximate cost: $0

Great Sports Massage

I was given a voucher for a massage from Michael when I was training very hard to climb a mountain. It was my first sports massage and I was amazed at the benefits - it seemed to erase all the fatigue of the heavy training load I was undertaking. I then started going to see Michael once a week, and the benefits were amazing. I only wish I had known about him earlier. Michael is also a masseur for an AFL football team, so he really knows his stuff.

Approximate cost: $70

The best cycling physio in Melbourne

I have seen Emma Colsen twice for cycling related injuries. As a keen cyclist herself, Emma was able to diagnose my problem and suggest excercises and changes in technique that helped me. Each time I have only required one visit.

Approximate cost: $70

A really great vet

Was reccomended to us by a family member and he hasn't disapointed. John has looked after our two dogs for several years since we moved into the area. On the first visit he identified a problem with one of our dogs that our old vet couldn't diagnose, despite repeated visits. With some medication, the problem was fixed.

Approximate cost: $0

Awesome wedding photographer

We used Jerome and his studio for our wedding shots and were overall very happy, although there were not enough shots taken of our guests and too many of us in different poses. If you want really artistic shots of the wedding party, then I would reccomed Jerome, although he isn't the cheapest around.

Approximate cost: $0

Great filming, but they didn't follow instructions when editing

We used these guys for our wedding. They had some really great demos and the sales pitch was compelling, however they didn't live up to expectations. The quality was good, but it took several revisions to end up with a final product that we were happy with (there wasn't enough of the speeches in the edited versions). Despite constant reminders from us, it took more than a year for them to complete.

Approximate cost: $2500