To Whom It May Concern
I wish to draw your attention to a removals company operating and the way it does ‘business’ if you can call it that!
The ‘Company’ has a website – www.backloads.com
And an 1800 telephone fax number but no address.
I recently contracted with them to remove my partner’s furniture from Port Melbourne Vic to Coolangatta QLD, below is a timeline of events; I have emails and can supply Statutory Declarations from myself and my partner if required.
16 Dec 2011
Asked for and received a quote for a removal from Port Melbourne VIC to Coolangatta QLD . Job number allocated was YR8939.
At no where on the quote was any cancellation policy did not mention nor was it included in the attached ‘Terms of Service’ with the exception of:
8c) Delays and Cancellations. Where the loading or unloading process is delayed by over 30 minutes due to any factors outside the Company’s control, an additional charge at the time rate shall apply. Where a job is cancelled or postponed by the Client on or after the day before pickup is due the Client agrees to pay:
i) 2 Hours at the “Time Rate” if the Pickup address for a job is within 40 Km radius of a Capital City, or;
ii) Half of the quoted job charge plus any time spent at pickup charged at the time rate with minimum charge of 2 hours for
jobs with a Pickup address greater than a 40 Km radius from a Capital City
However, the ‘contact’ was cancelled by the client (me) the day after the ‘Company’ failed to pick up any of the ‘clients’ property despite at least 5 telephone calls. (More information on this later)
16 Dec 2011
The next contact with the company was when I received a revised quote as in the first one (somehow) a motor vehicle had been added.
16 Dec 2011
The next email confirmed my booking as detailed above, as I had requested a change of delivery address to Palm Beach QLD; however the quote was for Port Melbourne VIC to Pam Beach NSW not Queensland as stipulated in my telephone call.
16 Dec 2011
I also received a tax invoice by email for the job
6 Feb 2012
I advised Backloads.com (by telephone) of a change of address to Bilinga QLD
Between 6th and 8th February 2012 several emails were exchanged (and phone calls) the majority of which were to amend the load size
10 Feb 2012 – Pick Up Day
As advised by email from Backloads.com they would be arriving at the pick up location (36 Clifford Street, Port Melbourne) between (earliest) 8am and 11am (latest) and they would call an hour before arrival.
By 1045 and no call or truck I called the company and was advised by a male that ‘they had seen our request for a pick up between 8 and 11 but were unable to do that’ (I advised the male person that those times were advised to us by his company. He asked ‘who had I spoken to that had given me those times’ I replied ‘they were in your email’ He advised me that the truck would be there ‘between 1 and 2’
By 1:45 pm 10th Feb 2012 still no sign or call from anyone so I again called the ‘Company’ and spoke to a different person who assured me that ‘there had been a delay and the truck would be there shortly and that they would call before arriving, it will be there between 3 and 5’
At 4:40 with still no truck or call from the ‘Company’ I again called them and spoke to a female who assured me they would be there and that they work until 7pm to ensure all pickups are complete on the right day’
At 6:30 I called the ‘Company’ and received no answer, the telephone was not diverted to another phone and no answering machine picked up the call
I again called at 9:05 on Saturday 11th and spoke to a male who informed me that the truck had just left the depot and its first stop was Port Melbourne, I conferred with my partner (with whom I was chatting on Skype on another computer) she asked ‘how many trucks do they have’ I asked the male from Backloads this question and he said ‘ we don’t have any trucks we sub contract to other companies’ (if this was true how did he know the truck had just left the depot?)
I informed him there would not as they had cancelled the contract by failing to arrive and also failing to notify (as specified in numerous emails and Service Terms) that there would be a delay.
The male representative them informed me the delay was due to a drivers attempting to deliver a load to Richmond Victoria yesterday where he could not gain access to the street and had to unload and walk each item up the street and as a result he ‘was frustrated and tired’ – this was within the Company’s responsibility as they should have assured delivery of this load and supplied more persons to assist in unloading – the responsibility is certainly not mine. Again no phone call from them prior to the claim (above)
I again called at 9:05 on Saturday 11th and spoke to a male who informed me that the truck had just left the depot and its first stop was Port Melbourne, a drive (by truck) of approximately 40 minutes.
I have also cancelled any transactions on my credit card and when I spoke to the bank I was informed that the latest payment on my credit card was to “Thunderbird” for $1082 at 1430 on the 10th February – I immediately disputed this change and the bank has taken appropriate action to ensure the payment is not authorized.
In closing, I do not believe this ‘Company representative’ when he informed me the truck had just left the depot, nor do I believe the story regarding the Richmond delivery
As a result of this ‘Companies’ action (or inaction) I have lost several hundred dollars in accommodation in Queensland. I formally request this ‘company’ be investigated by the Department of Fair Trading
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I obtained a quotation from this company who said they can do the job. I was moving back to the Gold Coast and had selected this company to move my furniture, which in turn has been a very bad mistake. I told them that they could pick up my furniture any where from Thursday to 12 midday on Saturday. They informed me I would get a phone call an hour prior to them picking it up. On Wednesday I got a phone call from a lady in their office who said they need to know whether I wanted to take out insurance. I selected a coverage and asked would the truck be coming on Thursday? She checked and informed me that the truck would not be there on Thursday it would be Friday or Saturday before 12pm. I stopped packing and left the remaining of my packing until Thursday due to work committments. On Thursday morning I got a phone call from a man in the office who said the truck would be there in approximately an hour, I advised the man that I was informed on Wednesday that the truck would not be coming Thursday and I had not finished my packing yet. He replied "well can't you just pack quickly" I said no I could not as I was at work. He replied well we will not be able to pick it up now to next week and I told him that I need to be out of unit on Saturday as my lease had finished. He said well we cant do it now. I rang back the company on Friday morning to make a complaint about what had happened. She looked up my booking number and told me if was fine they had another truck coming up on Saturday and they could pick it up. She said there is a note in the system to do it by 12pm. I explained that would be fine and asked them if they could definately do it as I have already been muck around they were not going to let me down again. She said no the truck is coming Saturday. I waited all day Saturday, tried to contact there office but noone answered. My items were not picked up and I never received a phone call even to say they weren't coming. I rang on Sunday morning and got the same man who rang me on Thursday. He looked up the booking and said he had another truck coming up and would get back to me. I rang numerous times to then be informed that the chances of it being pick up today was zero. He said may be Tuesday. I explained that I had to have everything out as my lease had finished Saturday and new tenents were moving in on Monday morning. He told me to just leave it there and they'll pick it up Tuesday. I replied I don't think you are hearing what Im saying to you. People are moving in on Monday, I can not just leave my furniture there so you can pick it up Tuesday. He said not his problem talk to the real estate take my issues up with them and not him.
I have been left stranded in Mackay on my own, I have no one to help me move my furniture out of the unit and the majority can not be lifted by a women on her own. The man was extremely rude even said to me well we are cheap so what do you expect. So take note from one of their own employees, they are cheap and don't expect anything from them. There service, well there is none. It was like a comical sketch taking off banks for bad service or lack there of. But it's not funny when it happens to you and your left on the street with all your furniture in the rain. DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY... You will regret it and it will cost you thousands more. Merry Xmas Backload.com.au hope Santa gives you some service under the Xmas tree this year.
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Much the same as above, they took my money, promised transit time of 4-6 days, picked up all of my worldly belongings, and now it seems, refuse to give me back my possessions. The job was to transfer ALL of my possessions, neatly packed up into 10 large moving boxes, from Ballarat in Victoria, to Coffs Harbour in NSW. It has now been 25 days since my belongings were picked up and there is no sign that I will be getting them delivered. Every attempt I have made to try and get information on what is happening with my possessions I am met with defensive and downright nasty behaviour from the staff answering the phones. On 6 separate occasions now I have been given a delivery date that has not been fulfilled. Not once have I received a phone call to explain why the delivery did not take place, instead, when I call up to enquire about what happened, more defensive "'it's not my fault'" excuses. Bottom line - These are all the possessions I have in this world, I own them, they belong to me, and I want them back. I honestly believe that a dead elephant and a quadriplegic giraffe could run a company better than this...
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Job number: XN3107 Dear David, Firstly, I would like to state that the preceeding comments are not me having a whinge, but a written complaint that I expect a response to. As our relationship is ongoing, I am very hesitant in sending this email for fear of being the victim of yet more David, I would like to make you aware of my huge amount of frustration, disappointment and anger that has been caused by my ongoing experience with Backloads.com thus far. As I am sure you are aware from my numerous phone calls to the 1800 number that your company has listed on the website, that I am far from happy with the service (or severe lack thereof as the case may be) that I have received from representatives in your company's employ. My furnitrure was picked up from my Western Australian address on the 9th October 2008 with very little fuss, which I believed at the time was a good sign and that I had made the right decision to contract your company. If I had known then what was to transpire over the last 5 weeks, I would have been happy to go with a more expensive operator to retain a little piece of mind. So far, 1. I have made close to 25 calls to various people in your office (Elizabeth, Janet, Sam, David, the list goes on), 2. I have been hung up on by Matt (one of your many operations managers) who I found to be unsympathetic, rude and very unhelpful, 3. I have been asked to "call back later", which I have done numerous times still with no result or information, 4. I have been told that my possesions will in fact be delivered on a certain date, multiple times, obviously with no result (the most recent of these dates was today, which I have since been informed isn't actually the case) 5. I have received numerous Text SMS messages from your tracking service stating delivery times and dates that haven't been honoured 6. This morning I was advised, by Janet, to call your sub-contracted removalist company here in Brisbane "The Moving Professionals", who by the way are far from professional (I spoke with Allen this morning and I was told "who the fuck do you think you are the head of the U.N or something" and "Its not my problem if you are unhappy with the situation" and "I don't appreciate having to auction for this Job, Why did you call Backloads again after I told you that I would call them". I am still unsure why I, the PAYING CUSTOMER should had to of made that call when it is obviously why I am paying your company 7. I have had to call repeatedly in regards to an invoicing issue that I am yet to see resolved, Is there even an accounts department in existence or do you just tell your customers that to shut them up and get them off the phone. 8. My Credit card has been charged without my consent( I believe this falls under Credit Card Fraud) 9. My booking, which I can access through your website, still shows that the job hasn't been payed for, which isn't the case as I paid cash on pick-up to a representative of your company, which I have a signed tax invoice/receipt for Amongst other issues that I would be happy to extrapolate on if I could actually speak with someone with any form of authority or responsibility within your organisation(and I use that term very loosely as your company so far has proved to be anything but organised) is the glaring reality that I still have not received my goods, and am still unsure when I will be receiving them. At this point in time I am not sure if this email will be read, taken seriously or even acted upon in a professional manner, I guess I can only "wait and see", which I have had plenty of practice at lately due to the issues that I have briefly outlined above. Please take this email in the vain that it is meant in, i.e a written complaint. As of 11.20am (Brisbane time) Friday 14th november 2008 I still have had no response to my latest query as to whether my goods will be delivered tomorrow(Saturday 15th november 2008). At this juncture I am considering my options as to the next course of action, I only hope that this email will inspire even a basic level of customer service from your company and prompt you to take my complaint seriously and to try and resolve it as soon as possible. Hindsight is 20/20 as they say, and I just wish that I had had the good sense to do some investigation into your company before contracting you to move my belongings. After a disturbingly short amount of time I was able to glean information from various sources, stating mostly complaints about very similar issues to that which I am experiencing myself. and even the fact that the Victorian Fair Trade commision (or some such body) has on multiple occasions commenced investigations into your company as a result of, again, numerous complaints from past and probably present customers of your company. To have a balanced view I also took the time to read the various letters that you list on your website for possible lack of customer service and or delays in delivery or pick-up. Working in a service industry myself, I do actually understand and agree with some of the points that you make. However that does not alleviate my frustration! I too can write a very long winded letter explaining away non performance. With little expectation that you will, I look forward to your response . Regards Simon Spence
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To whom it may concern, This email is written to display my disgust at the level of service that your organisation (backload.com) Ph 1800800323, has displayed. A Contract was entered into with a request that a certain day of pick up be requested due to the fact that people had to take a day off work to fit in around your level of ineptness and un-professionalism. A calendar day was accepted and it was also stated to the receptionist that a person had to take a day off work to accommodate your inability. The person taking the day off is a single mother who rescheduled everything for your organisation. It is understood that an actual time cannot be supplied but at least a calenday was requested from basckload and accepted by me. Again when phoning your company I was told that the Dresser Unit was picked up on Saturday only to have it confirmed that it was actually picked up 7.30 Sunday Night. (Excellent estimating). This level of service I find unacceptable, given that a at least one weeks notice was supplied, twice. Why ask for a day so that things can be organised only to totally disregard them. As many of my friends are current and past members of the Australian Defence Force. Rest assured that this level of service will be forwarded to many of my friends that have used your organisation and upon my contacting them, will not in the future. Read you web page of an extract below: There is no job too big or small for us. We can usually make the pick up with as little as 24 hours notice. Whether your job is local, regional or interstate we can help you. Our friendly and experienced staff are committed to making your move as easy and painless as possible. I wait for a reply, but as history has proved your organisation cannot even get a reply right, as this is my second email requesting contact and to date none has been received. All I can do now is take a week off work as you have displayed that you cannot even give a one day delivery expectation advice.
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