B&W Cabs fail the people of Brisbane again!

The following email - published below - has been received from Trevor Michie.

The attitude of B&W cab drivers and their standard of service must be the worst in Australia.

Aren't taxi drivers supposed to complete a course before being let loose on the public with sub-standard knowledge of Brisbane suburbs and landmarks?

But the worst of all about the complaints received by Queensland Consumer Watch against B&W Cabs is that they NEVER respond adequately - or at all - and treat their customers as a joke.

No wonder B&W has been languishing as Brisbane's second-rate taxi service since 1936.

From: Trevor Michie
Date: Sat, 3 Jan 2009 19:28
To: QueenslandConsumerWatch@gmail.com
Subject: Taxi from Brisbane Domestic to Marque Hotel

To: shift.manager@blackandwhitecabs.com.au
info@blackandwhitecabs.com.au;
complaints@blackandwhitecabs.com.au
Subject: Taxi from Brisbane Domestic to Marque Hotel
Date: Sat, 3 Jan 2009 19:02

My wife has had an experience that has sent shivers down my spine.

My wife arrived from Melbourne and caught a Black and White cab from Brisbane Airport to Marque Hotel around 5pm on Saturday the 3rd of January EXCEPT the cab driver, decided that it should have been Mecure Hotel DESPITE my wife showing the driver the Name of the hotel and address of George Street on the hotel reservation confirmation sheet.

This is not acceptable. My wife was intimidated and hopped out of the cab at Mecure as she felt the attitude of the driver was not amenable to her continuing her journey.

The Turkish driver would not accept the fact that she was staying at the Marque. I am sure this does not meet your usually high quality standards and I am confident you will address the situation immediately.

I await your reply.

Trevor Michie


Dear Trevor

Queensland Consumer Watch sympathises with the shabby way in which your wife has been treated. I recall a possibly more-exasperating experience 15 years ago when a group of punters from Goodna, including myself, led by "Colonel" Keiron Butler flew to Melbourne for the Melbourne Cup. With four hours to kill, we asked the taxi driver to take us to Parliament House. Twenty minutes later, we arrived in the heart of Melbourne outside a place with flashing lights, discreet signage and concealed entrances. "Is this Parliament House," we asked. "Yah, yah - diss is Parla Massage". "No" the Colonel protested, we want "Parliament House." "Youa no pay, I calla da police," the cabbie screamed in some foreign language. The Colonel quickly forked out the fare and spent the next hour trudging across town on a hot November morning whingeing all the way to Parliament House - which was bloody well closed because it was public holiday in Melbourne!


HAVE YOU HAD A BAD EXPERIENCE WITH A TAXI DRIVER?
Do you have a contribution about a Queensland consumer issue involving
commercial exploitation, customer ripoffs or unacceptable business practices?
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Warning to all Queenslanders over water filters

The following warning has been received by Queensland Consumer Watch:

From: Dezmondo Snitchwatch
Email: niemtel@gmail.com
Date: Wed, 31 Dec 2008 19:21


Queenslanders being ripped off.

Warning to all Queenslanders


I would like to bring to the notice of all Queenslanders, that are purchasing filters and particularly Revers Osmosis filters, after the fluoridation of our drinking water.

Beware of who you purchase from: Really shop around.

Since this forced medication, there are a number of business, that are raising there prices well above there normal retail mark, particularly one that has doubled the price.

Though there is possibly more.

This is a blatant commercial exploitation, and customer rip-off.

The business that I wish to report is Filter Wizard.

http://www.filterwizard.com.au/

This company only a few days ago was selling a unit on Ebay buy it now at $280 plus $55 postage. Had quite a few for sale some with a week to go.

However within the last two days, on his web site he is selling the same unit for $650 Free delivery and free, install (which any person can do).

However when I asked how much for the unit if I picked it up and installed myself, I was quoted $580.

I went back to his site on Ebay, and noted he had removed all his listings.

So Queenslanders Beware: shop around, there are a multitude of sharks out there, now preying on people that do not wish to participate in the fluoride medication.

Deal with a reputable business, you can still get the same quality this shark is selling for around $245 to $320, in the southern states.

And of course there is Oztion and Ebay.

Don't fall prey to a shark.

People like this should be reported to the ACCC.

Des.


Do you have a contribution about a Queensland consumer issue involving
commercial exploitation, customer ripoffs or unacceptable business practices?
Email QueenslandConsumerWatch@gmail.com with full details for the whole world to read.

B&W Cabs lets down Brisbane taxi users again

Queensland Consumer Watch has received the following email from a distraught Brisbane cab user.

When will the authorities take serious action against these recalcitrant drivers?

Dear Sir/Madam

I wish to lodge a complaint about....

1. One driver in particular and several other drivers of Indian appearance refusing to take me from the cab rank opposite Brisbane casino up the hill to Wickham Terrace because the journey was too short and they only made seven dollars out of it.

2. Two other occasions 24 to 27 December where I got in with Indian cab drivers of varied cab companies. They couldn't speak proper English and they didn't know where Wickham Terrace was let alone the Metro Tower Mill Hotel.

My name is Charles Rablin I am the holder of disability pension card CRN 000-000-000T for the disability of chronic pain polyarthritis rhumatica. At approximately 9.30pm 26 December 2008 I went to the cab rank opposite Brisbane casino.

I was wearing an Akubra hat and vest. I am a non drinker. I asked the first driver on the rank of Indian appearance to take me to Wickham Terrace and he said "no see one of the drivers further down."

I walked to the end of the rank asking drivers for the destination of Wickham Terrace and they shook their heads indicating no. There were a dozen empty cabs on the rank.

At the end of the rank the driver said I had to take the first cab off the rank. I went to the front of the rank and asked a different driver to before and I said he had to take Metro Wickham Terrace because he was first on the rank. He said that he would take me but he had to charge me $20.

When I told him he should charge me what is on the meter he then refused to take me. He was driving black and white cab T99 734.

I rang Black and White cabs to send someone to pick me up and they said they were under instructions to direct all cabs to the rank and to try again what I had already done or try to find the rank supervisor.

It then began to rain a I started to walk towards my hotel. I was able to hail a Black and White cab off the streets. A kindly man of European appearance took me to my destination and charged me seven dollars.

It is fairly clear that Black and White cabs is not providing the level of service to the public that it should be providing and I intend to take this matter up with the appropriate government regulatory body.

Regards

Charles Rablin

The cowboys in the taxi industry should be given the Royal Order of the Boot for their treatment of disability pensioner Charles Rablin.

It is clear that Black and White Cabs has no interest in serving the public or resolving complaints made by the public.

A complaint was made to Black and White Cabs on 29 June 2008 by a member of the public about the actions of one of their cab drivers.

The complainant is still waiting for Black and White cabs to call him back.

So much for professional service and a proper complaint handling procedure by Black and White Cabs. You would think that the dwarf of the taxi industry in Brisbane would be at least trying to better its performance and image.


Do you have a contribution about a Queensland consumer issue involving
commercial exploitation, customer ripoffs or unacceptable business practices?
Email QueenslandConsumerWatch@gmail.com with full details for the whole
world to read.