DunRoaminTheUK

I love Australia, don't get me wrong but the thing I dislike the most about the place is a consistently crap level of quality in goods and respective service.

So far, since we've arrived we experienced:

A Fisher & Paykel dishwasher that has broken down twice within one week of being fixed.

A brand new Nev surfboard, which has never left the board-bag, which I have to repair because the factory didn't seal the board completely with resin.

A brand new dining room chair that arrived broken and took numerous calls and agressive tones to get something done (all in all, took about 6 weeks).

A brand new Kawasaki 250 motorbike (which is good) but a dealer who refused to send me the owner's manual I was entitled to until I called their head office in Springwood.

A patio table which wouldn't actually bolt together properly (not cheap either).

A $4000 sofa which arrived dirty after promising they would clean it (Harvey Normal).

I could go on and on but I think you get the message....

It's so frustrating....

jad n rich

And hes only been here a few weeks


Keep the warranty, learn to stamp feet, and accept "made in china" is velly good quawity in austrawia

DunRoaminTheUK

Do all Chinese people speak English with a Japanese accent then?

glittababe

I'm chuckling at this cos me and my mates ALL agree on this one! australia brought/made

flip

Just started working in one of the DIY stores and we've had a few things returned because parts were missing, didn't comply with each other (soap dish missing the platform but including something chrome but unidentifiable), sail shade different size to box description, etc.

All I'd suggest is if you are picking stuff up from a store like this then please check the contents before you buy and DO NOT THROW AWAY OR LOSE RECEIPT - a lot of the computer systems (that's their excuse) won't allow for a refund or exchange without the receipt no matter if the item is faulty.

Finally as customers, we're told we can't have refund if item doesn't work when we get it as warranty states manufacturer has to fix it. My induction manual says customers can have refund or replacement - I'm not sure where the truth lies as my training hasn't been particularly thorough yet.

All this said, I actually think the store sells great products for a great price and am happy to shop there myself - just thought I'd give a couple of hints about the best way to shop in Victoria's DIY stores.

wintersgills

EVERY THING I HAVE BOUGHT IN BRISBANE WAS DAMAGED IME PLEASED I BROUGHT MY WIFE :scared:

Gibbo

Gee! Where do you people shop? I've lived here for a long time and the only time I've encountered a problem was when, over 20years ago, I bought a Lemair 'fridge,from Waltons. (That firm was bought out years ago.) When the second replacement still didn't work properly they happily refunded my money.

thebears

Had no problems with any products from clive peeters. All these problems seem to be evident or prevelent everywhere not just Oz.

Quality is a big issue that people have been conned into thinking they are gradually getting something cheaper, but in fact it is lower quality.

flip

Sorry if my post seemed to say lower quality, I've found the stuff here to be great except for a strimmer which broke on the first day (whipper snipper), oh and a computer monitor that lasted just a month.

It's only that in our store it would appear that people buy stuff, take it away, then bring the boxes back with any old thing in them to get their refund. I guess this happens in the UK too.

Country Boy

Does Aus have anything comparable to the consume group Which?

Whenever I buy white goods / tv / camcorders / even insurance etc.. I always pop-along to the local library which stocks the magazine (they are on-line but you have to subscribe) to get their recommendations.

So far, touchwood, nothing wrong with everything I've bought.

CB

flip

There is something people register for, I think it's called choice but you have to pay to read their reports on line. Someone's mentioned it on here before.

Some stuff they don't have here is surprising though. They don't appear to have anything similar to "What car", let alone "What home cinema", "What mortgage" or all the other "What ..." stuff you can get in the UK. Yet they have plenty of magazines on caravaning, porches, harleys, etc. Just no help with actually choosing stuff.

spalen

The biggest shock of course is for all us pom's so used are we to 'gold standard' customer service in Currys, Dixons, B+Q, PCWorld, Sainsburys-Home-DIY-Whatever-Its-Called-Linda-Barker's-Shop, and not forgetting Kwik-Fit , Ikea, MFI ,Argos............. that getting here and finding that parts are missing from self-assembly or that shop assistants are not degree educated and haven't spent 2 yrs carefully honing their sales and customer support skills in Disney's Floridian Academy of Customer Service..... is such a total shock.

I remember back in UK Dixons computer staff were the absolute top notch, I dont ever remember having to go back to MFI for parts for a wardrobe, they used to offer to send the bits round to me if , god forbid, a piece was missing, the merest hint of a problem and a Taxi would be despatched winging its merry way to my humble abode with two more #42 screws.

Of course its pure co-incidence that all the stuff for sale in australia is made in the same factories south of beijing that the stuff in UK is made in....

flip

The service in DIY stores has of course improved dramatically in the 5 days I've worked in one! Do you think I'll be sacked for telling the seniors they qualify for 5% off?

BadgeIsBack

lol. I thought you were being serious then.

I think some things are low quality. I have not had a customer service orientated problem in 4 years.

wintersgills

look at it before you buy it MADE IN CHINA say no more its all crap :scared: