I had two plumbers from Top Shelf plumbing over to replace a leaking pipe in the yard recently. To do this they had to replace a small patch of concrete that the pipe was running from. When re-laying the concrete again they managed to spray concrete backsplash all over my car.

They somehow failed to notice it for the entire time they were here. It wasn’t until they went to tell me they were finished that I went outside to check their work and had to notice it and point it out myself. They then used my hose and a soft cloth to try and clean it off. It looked ok in the shade that afternoon while it was still quite wet, so I let them leave.

It was the next day that I saw it in the sun when it had dried off that I realised that there were still tiny concrete specks all over that side of the car, as well as larger ones in the creases of the panels. I also discovered that that the “wiping” they had done at the time had actually caused the tiny concrete particles to scratch the paintwork.

This is the first car I’ve ever bought brand new, and it’s only 12 months old so I was very disheartened by what I had found.

When contacting the company they told us that it was our fault for letting them leave, that we should have said something on the day, and that they will not pay for the repairs. The whole conversation was appalling, and resulted in them taking zero responsibility for what they had done.

The fact of the matter is that their negligence has caused damage to my property by getting concrete splatters on my car and it was physically impossible for me to see this all in the shade on the day while the car was still wet.

They know that it will cost me more to pursue this with my car insurance or legally. Luckily for them I can’t afford to do that, so I have had no other choice than to pay to fix their mistake myself.

I am so incredibly disappointed in this company and the childish way they have handled this entire situation. I will never have anything to do with them ever again, and I would warn anyone who goes near them to protect yourselves, because they won’t look after you when they stuff up.

Approximate cost: $200

Thank you Danny from Top Shelf, who went above and beyond to help me out with a hot water problem made worse by an uncooperative gas company. He was very vigilant in ensuring the issue was rectified on their end and I really appreciate his willingness to "go the extra mile" during this stressful situation. Service is always punctual, reliable and thorough. Highly recommend.