Overcharging Marine Services Australia

[Coops]

Originally Posted by Wotname

Ken,

By your account is certainly does seem like you got the raw end of the prawn.

I note you were away (aboard) and I guess that gave them some license to further screw you. The only lesson I can see here is that one has to be ever watchful and be on the spot to keep on top of such situations.

I am sorry this happened to you especially as Southern Queensland was my old stamping grounds and wasn't always bad (IIRC).

Hopefully your next experience will be better.

Plenty of cowboy operators on the Gold Coast now. Hear about blatant overcharging all the time. Sad, but not only confined to boating.

Coops.

[Capt Rottnest]

Not immune on this coast either (WA). Boats would be cheap to run if it weren't for diesels.. (We use an outboard)

[AiniA]

A couple of years ago, a large number of foreign boat owners were chatting in Darwin with a beer or three about our experience with marine services in Oz (most boats had been in the country for several months, generally Sydney and north. Without exception there were complaints about the quality of service, the price or both. These are highly experienced cruisers who have come from North America or Europe and have dealt with marine trades in many countries. General sense was that as soon as someone said, "no problem mate" you were in trouble.