Help! Proving bad experience to VCAT based on Internet Reviews

I Have opted to take a business to VCAT
I have found numerous cases of the same experience

I have got in touch with some of the reviewers to get signed legally
to support my same as and very similar experiences in order to get my money for service back + the money they unlawfully took few days later with a forged signature.

Is there a document of I certify I … wrote this review for … company is factual and true.?
so that I can produce evidence of prior pattern behaviour?

NAME REDACTED
in the last week
I recently had my carpets cleaned by this mob. When I originally contacted them, the guy on the phone quoted me ‘per room’ he quoted me $110 and considering this was a decent quote, i arranged to have the carpets done.

When the carpet cleaners arrived I was advised me that the cleaning would be $280+GST. They advised that anything over 30sq/m would be $5 per metre +GST. Considering I had to vacate the rental property within 24 hours of the cleaning, this left me no option but to accept at such late notice.

These guys are complete crooks. Beware!

NAME REDACTED
in the last week
AVOID THESE CON ARTISTS. They arrived 30 min late and immediately tried to change the pre-agreed price from $100 to $200. My two rugs were still dirty and stained after the clean. The man who was doing the cleaning was obnoxiously rude and spat on the floor outside my house.

6 months ago
$150 for a sofa clean… Wasn’t even cleaned, the manager Alex, threatened me on the phone “i no where you live i’m gonna rip your head off” If only he showed up on my door step.Hahaha silly little boy.
I have involved the police. WARNING to ALL worst company EVER. DO NOT USE PLEASE BE WARNED.

NAME REDACTED
6 months ago
WORST CLEANING SERVICE EVER EXPERIENCED! BIGGEST WASTE OF MONEY! Hired NAME REDACTED to clean our sofa and what an appalling job they did!! For $150.00 I expected the sofa to be gleaming and I couldn’t have been more disappointed I was shocked when I saw stains still on the pillows, food crumbs and all sorts still in ALL of the cracks and what’s more it didn’t even smell freshly cleaned like you would expect from a $150 clean! I then called the company who were VERY RUDE! swore at me and told me I wasn’t getting my money back or even another clean and hung up on me and that I got what I paid for WHAT!!? A couch that’s still filthy and very poor customer service and spoken to appallingly!! And that was the manager! I AM OUTRAGED and will be taking this mater further! DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY WITH NAME REDACTED!!! SHOCKING! AND NOW!!! To add to the terrible clean, rude, abusive and threatening customer service no refund and a still dirty sofa! NAME REDACTEDhas taken to attacking my own business page! Writing fake reviews on our Google page! I received another threatening call while after I had placed my own ACUTATE tale of events on this page from the MANAGER of NAME REDACTEDsaying he knows where I live AND where I work, if I do not take down my review there will be “war” and he will post fake reviews on our business page everyday! He has since created fake profiles to create these fake reviews! BE WARNED PEOPLE! A very aggressive, abusive person runs this business and the police are now VERY aware of this! AGAIN BE WARNED DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY!!!

NAME REDACTED
6 months ago
WORST experience in my life… Phoned for a quote and spoke to the manager, was very rude on the phone.
Got a quote for a clean, got to my address charged more and I paid cash and no receipt was given. Not only was they rude on the phone but the cleaning job was SHOCKING. I rang and asked for a refund and a receipt and was told to “F OFF”. I wish I checked these reviews first. WARNING DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY!!!

NAME REDACTED
a year ago
Beware, beware, beware. Recently had our offices steam cleaned and in original quote asked for tiles to be cleaned as well. They could not finish in the time they were here (as they arrived one hour late) so I was told they would come back to clean tiles. Unbeknownst to me, to return would occur extra costs. So now, I have paid $700 to have our carpets steam cleaned and received two more quotes today to finish the job. Both steam cleaners said this would have been a $500 job at most. When I called the offices to inquire about being charged $700 they couldn’t tell me anything other than “I will have to ask the cleaner.” Looks like they allow their cleaners to charge whatever they want and they do not have set costs or rules to abide by. After telling them I would like an answer or I would not use their services again the man on the phone just said “bye” and hung up.

NAME REDACTED
2 years ago
As I understand it this company has a lot of different franchises. Judging by the reviews some seem to do a good ob, however, if you get a dodgy group -which operates in the Scoresby area - as happened in our case - you will not get what you pay for.

I think the honorable franchises should be alarmed at the bad publicity some of the bad eggs are causing them. They are no doubt losing business, because nobody knows that different companies offer NAME REDACTED services.

NAME REDACTED
2 years ago
BEWARE! This company will try to trick you into paying more than double of what you were initially quoted.
I rang them up to get a quote for upholstery cleaning and described my couch in detail. The person on the phone (a guy) quoted $120, so I booked them. The next day two women arrived at my property and took a look at my couch. They said it would be $260 dollars, because it was so severely stained (which it is not). I told them I wouldn’t pay that much, because I was quoted $120 on the phone. They then said they could do it for $200.
When I still refused to pay that much, they then said that if I do not want the service I have to pay a $90 cancellation fee. I told them that no one has mentioned a cancellation fee to me and that I wouldn’t pay that.
One of the women said she’d call the office and the other tried to negotiate with me, saying they’d clean the couch for $180. I still refused and while they were on the phone, I discussed the situation with my husband who was in another room.
He came out to talk to women and once they saw that I wasn’t alone, they left almost immediately.
I absolutely urge you not to trust this company, if you could call it that.

NAME REDACTED
2 years ago
Terrible! I rang a get a price and gave my best room size measurement. Quoted me for steam cleaning $170. On the day of arrival, the guy goes and measures ups and comes up with a price of $300. These guys know how to take advantage of you if you need carpets done urgently! Best to ring other company up who are more honest in this trade!

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First, I am on your side, but forgery for financial gain is a criminal offense while VCAT is a civil tribunal. Until proven in a criminal sense it is “alleged forgery” and not a fact until proven.

VCAT is not a court and often appears to have been designed to protect business (and especially support property developers to override councils) as to make consumers think they have a fair and level avenue to seek redress. It is possible your evidence will be considered, or will be deemed irrelevant because a pattern of behaviour does not necessarily make a company guilty for any specific case. Sometimes sworn evidence is dismissed because the “defendant” is not given the opportunity to question the signatory.

Another aspect is to be sure the cleaners are employees not “independent contractors” so you are taking the legally responsible party to VCAT.

Be sure you have documentation and detailed notes supporting your claim because that could be what you may have to “hang your hat” on. If the amount is only $100-200 you could be lucky and the company will no show and default, but companies that operate badly are also known to avoid paying up so “wins” can be hollow. Good luck to you.

s/Cynical about VCAT from many reports over many years

Thanks
The officer however did advise the $500 was unlikely to be pursued by police further than a call.

yes a Constable called the proprietor and advised of the evidence she had, signature location data and the company reversed my payment.

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Sounds like a good outcome, and thank you for sharing it :slight_smile:

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