VCAT - Don't TRUST this service
August 27th 2008 01:48
VCAT - Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal.
If you live in the state of Victoria, Australia, and a business owner does the wrong thing to you as a customer, do not presume that your best next step is to submit a claim through this government offering.
Before I did take this extremely regrettable path, I went online and searched for options on how to seek proper restitution following my very unpleasant dealings with a Ballarat based furniture removalist.
I read a recent article that clearly stated VCAT were making decisions in favour of claimants against furniture removalists.
I didn't find another service that I could claim through.
To cut a very long story short, I was given significant runaround.
I was out of pocket by a considerable amount of money because the removalist who told me he could only book in my pickup and removal on a date that was 3 days earlier than I would be ready, didn't show up on the day, didn't call me to tell me he'd been delayed, played the "poor woe is me" violin saga down the phone at me as though I should feel sorry for him for the job he was in, and then hung up on me when I challenged him to find me a solution to the problem he had just created.
Man, there is much more to this story.
Fastforward to the 'day in court'. (This was 7 months later... not fast, and certainly makes a mockery of their "fasttracking" system.)
VCAT is a tribunal - should I have assumed it was a court process?
No.
Was I told I needed legal advice before taking the claim through the tribunal.
Indirectly.
My demeanour, I can tell you, was atrocious that day. I was wired, angry and looking to see that pathetic worm squirm. Yet, I was polite all the way through... except for once, where I rolled my eyes at the rubbish and lies I was hearing and the magistrate had a go at me over it...
The moment I walked in the court, the magistrate - yes, a bl**dy magistrate, not just a tribunal administrator - took one look at me and decided she did NOT like me. Seriously... it became clear throughout, given some of the comments she made about me. Comments that are on the court transcript.
Her manner toward me in the tone of her voice was belittling, demeaning and insulting.
She accused me of a few things that I know in the court transcriptions would show her to be a liar... yes, a magistrate BS-ing on tape...
And ultimately she saw in favour of this little furniture removing weed.
This is the same guy whose reputation I found out about later through the removalist I had to book when this intimidating little weed didn't show up. For example:
I learned of others who had found their belongings dumped on the nature strip, who were then charged an extra fee to have this weed deliver the goods inside.
I learned that he charged extra to do things that are considered by all other furniture removalists with good reputations to be included in the deal.
So - here's my thing.
If you have ever had dealings with a disreputable Ballarat Furniture Removalist...
I WANT TO KNOW ABOUT IT.
Comment away here please, and let's launch a campaign to unearth this little weed and tell the world to beware of him. We don't need to do anything more - by having enough people with the same experience, we have a story fit for A Current Affair.
If you live in the state of Victoria, Australia, and a business owner does the wrong thing to you as a customer, do not presume that your best next step is to submit a claim through this government offering.
Before I did take this extremely regrettable path, I went online and searched for options on how to seek proper restitution following my very unpleasant dealings with a Ballarat based furniture removalist.
I read a recent article that clearly stated VCAT were making decisions in favour of claimants against furniture removalists.
I didn't find another service that I could claim through.
To cut a very long story short, I was given significant runaround.
I was out of pocket by a considerable amount of money because the removalist who told me he could only book in my pickup and removal on a date that was 3 days earlier than I would be ready, didn't show up on the day, didn't call me to tell me he'd been delayed, played the "poor woe is me" violin saga down the phone at me as though I should feel sorry for him for the job he was in, and then hung up on me when I challenged him to find me a solution to the problem he had just created.
Man, there is much more to this story.
Fastforward to the 'day in court'. (This was 7 months later... not fast, and certainly makes a mockery of their "fasttracking" system.)
VCAT is a tribunal - should I have assumed it was a court process?
No.
Was I told I needed legal advice before taking the claim through the tribunal.
Indirectly.
My demeanour, I can tell you, was atrocious that day. I was wired, angry and looking to see that pathetic worm squirm. Yet, I was polite all the way through... except for once, where I rolled my eyes at the rubbish and lies I was hearing and the magistrate had a go at me over it...
The moment I walked in the court, the magistrate - yes, a bl**dy magistrate, not just a tribunal administrator - took one look at me and decided she did NOT like me. Seriously... it became clear throughout, given some of the comments she made about me. Comments that are on the court transcript.
Her manner toward me in the tone of her voice was belittling, demeaning and insulting.
She accused me of a few things that I know in the court transcriptions would show her to be a liar... yes, a magistrate BS-ing on tape...
And ultimately she saw in favour of this little furniture removing weed.
This is the same guy whose reputation I found out about later through the removalist I had to book when this intimidating little weed didn't show up. For example:
I learned of others who had found their belongings dumped on the nature strip, who were then charged an extra fee to have this weed deliver the goods inside.
I learned that he charged extra to do things that are considered by all other furniture removalists with good reputations to be included in the deal.
So - here's my thing.
If you have ever had dealings with a disreputable Ballarat Furniture Removalist...
I WANT TO KNOW ABOUT IT.
Comment away here please, and let's launch a campaign to unearth this little weed and tell the world to beware of him. We don't need to do anything more - by having enough people with the same experience, we have a story fit for A Current Affair.
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Comment by alt_ed
Alted Opinion
ArtCombat
The Inner Saintdom
But, I must add that a magistrate's job is to pass judgement based on the facts at hand, as they are presented. Sometimes a little perspective can go a long way, and perhaps, though in your mind you were doing everything right you could have prepared yourself better for the tribunal? That is, I am sure the magistrate didn't have anything against you on a personal level, just perhaps she felt you were a little ill prepared.
The eye rolling thing really isn't good though (I do this all the time, but I accept the consequences; after all rolling your eyes at someone is just like giving them the finger)...
I do hope you find some resolution to this problem though, pesky removal-man!