Victorians are being warned about Plumbing Australia (Vic), after Consumer Affairs Victoria received more than 60 complaints since January last year from consumers unhappy with its services.
Its ABN (44 630 796 459) has been associated with more than 200 websites – many with almost identical pages. These websites appear prominently in online searches for plumbing services.
Search this document to confirm if a website you have accessed may be linked to Plumbing Australia (Vic) businesses: Plumbing Australia (Vic) websites (Word, 47KB)
Most complaints have been about General Home Services (generalhomeservices.com.au). Others include mrdrainmelbourne.com.au, 247 Local Plumber, Plumb patrol and Revive a pipe.
Based on complaints, Consumer Affairs Victoria believes Plumbing Australia (Vic) may have:
- misled customers
- wrongly accepted payment for services it did not supply, and
- failed to refund payments when requested and required.
Reports suggest that Plumbing Australia (Vic)’s businesses follow a common approach:
- After receiving a call, the business sends someone to assess the job and provide a quote.
- The representative provides a basic inspection before telling the customer the job is complex and urgent.
- Often, they will say major works are needed and provide a quote for thousands of dollars.
- The consumer will be asked to pay a large deposit (usually 50%).
- Once paid, the representative will leave, after agreeing to send a plumber to complete the work.
- Consumers who get a second opinion often discover the works are not urgent or expensive.
- Where consumers call the business back to seek a refund, business representatives are often slow to respond, uncooperative and in some cases, refuse to return the money.
Consumer Affairs Victoria Acting Director David Joyner urged people looking for help with emergency plumbing issues to choose tradespeople carefully.
“Dealing with a plumbing emergency is stressful, but there are ways to protect yourself,” he said.
“Look for reliable reviews and ask friends or family whether they know a tradesperson they can recommend.
“If possible, get a second opinion – especially if you’re told that a job is much larger than you expected – and steer clear of any tradie who asks you to pay a large deposit before they start.”
If you have had a bad experience with Plumbing Australia (Vic) or one of its businesses, contact us through our complaint form, email or by calling 1300 55 81 81.
Read our public warning: