What Are Your Top 3 Most Hated Companies? *Due to First Hand Interactions

TerryJustTerry on 25/08/2023 - 10:46
Last edited 01/09/2023 - 08:05

Vent space for one and all

What are your top 3 most hated companies due to personal experiences with them?

Everyone knows of some companies with unhelpful employees or bad policies, here is your opportunity to share them with the ozb community :)

I will add a poll of every company commented to see who the most disliked company is !

Feel free to share why you dislike them so much as well as the company itself

A reminder that most people working these roles are just working within the work guidelines/resources - try to be decent with them where possible (Credit: Jimothy Wongingtons )

Edit: Samsung has lost its crown as number 1 :(

Edit 2: removed two options with 0 votes and added Ticketek and Foxtel

Edit 3: removed five options with only 1 vote to make room for larger companies (Australia post, Linkt, Citibank, Jetstar, GoPro)
)

Edit 4: removed 3 options with 1 vote to make room for new companies

Edit 5: * Note Terrywhite Chemist is excluded as it carries the best name ever in its business name.

Poll Options expired

  • 281
    Harvey Norman
  • 167
    ARAMEX/FASTWAY COURIERS
  • 99
    Telstra
  • 90
    Samsung
  • 78
    Optus
  • 76
    Coles Insurance/ Coles Financial services
  • 74
    Qantas
  • 55
    Apple
  • 39
    Kogan
  • 35
    Australia Post
  • 28
    TPG
  • 24
    CentreLink/Australia post
  • 18
    IKEA
  • 14
    Ebay
  • 14
    Big 4 Banks (ANZ/Westpac/CommBank/NAB) *Note Citibank is owned by NAB
  • 13
    Weak ACCC/Toothless ombudsman
  • 13
    Big 4 consulting firms (PwC/Deloitte/KPMG/EY)
  • 12
    Ticketek
  • 11
    Jetstar
  • 11
    Chemists (Amcal/Chesmit warehouse/Priceline)
  • 10
    Paypal
  • 7
    CPL (Computers and Parts Land)
  • 7
    Ali Express/Temu/Wish
  • 6
    Amazon
  • 5
    Macdonalds
  • 5
    American Airlines
  • 3
    Foxtel
  • 3
    Allianz
  • 3
    Mobile carrier resellers (Kogan/Tangerine/Catch connect/Belong/Flip/Felix/Adli)
  • 1
    Google
General Discussion

Comments

  • stralya on 29/08/2023 - 10:21

    Budget Direct for abandoning home insurance repairs half way through because the cost of materials increased.

  • johnfuller on 29/08/2023 - 10:51

    op, why is australia post next to centerlink in your list?

    • TerryJustTerry on 29/08/2023 - 10:56

      Can only have 30 options, so I have combined a few in order to fit more in!

      I figured Centrelink + Aus post are both Gov arms and so I combined them

      • johnfuller on 29/08/2023 - 11:34

        noticed Australia Post was also added seperately?

      • Make it so on 31/08/2023 - 16:21
        +1

        You have a duplicate Jetstar

  • BartholemewH on 29/08/2023 - 11:10
    +1

    I feel like all of these recent discussion topics are a ploy to get OzB in hot water with large corporations.

  • CheapAddict on 29/08/2023 - 11:55
    +4

    I find it very odd that there's only 1 persons experience mentioned of Apple but there are 47 votes.

    Apple's customer service, warranty and after warranty support is by far the best i've ever experienced and the closest is not even close.

    Anyways to add to the list would be Airbnb. I had authorised PayPal for Airbnb payments when i used them a long time ago and forgotten about it.

    Last year someone was able to use a loophole to pay for an airbnb rental through the resolution centre against our Airbnb account. There wasn't any unauthorised access to the online account, they managed to convince someone over the support centre and was able to use our saved payment method to pay for an airbnb rental which equated to about $11k+. This came up in our account as resolution centre payment, not your regular payment.

    Airbnb were completely useless in helping us get this money back, Thankfully the payment methods were PayPal and my credit card. Both the bank and and PayPal retrieved my money and airbnb did nothing and we got passed around the support like hot potato. Worst experience ever. Lesson learned, never have payment methods saved.

    I will never use airbnb after this experience.

    • Embaloo on 29/08/2023 - 15:25

      Wow thats crazy. I am going to check my mine are unlinked because of this, thanks for the heads up :S clever scammers

    • syousef on 30/08/2023 - 06:48
      +1

      The Apple myth that they have wonderful support is irritating.

      https://www.accc.gov.au/media-release/iphone-and-ipad-misrepresentations-cost-apple-inc-9-million-in-penalties#:~:text=The%20Federal%20Court%20ordered%20Apple,Australian%20Consumer%20Law%20(ACL).

    • shutuptakemymoney101 on 02/09/2023 - 23:00

      An Apple 'Genius' told me I couldn't pay for a battery swap on an iPhone as it didn't meet 'their' specified level, didn't matter that I was having issues with it not lasting the whole day.

      Legendary service from Apple yeah lol.

    • haemolysis on 17/09/2023 - 18:44

      Apple’s warranty support isn’t as great as people say. The only real benefit is you can access the manufacturer directly and hence save on a delay via postage.

      However, they’re also the only store in… perhaps all of Australia, which will refuse a warranty claim on walk in and insist you ‘book a Genius Bar appointment’ for a later date. So yeah, ‘same day repair’, so long as that day is 1-2 weeks in advance.

      They also sell products online for which they have no warranty process online. For example, try to make a warranty claim on some accessories and find they don’t have a process for it and you just need to “book a genius appointment and go in store.” Perhaps the only vendor who refuses return back to the same sales point.

      I’ll admit their service has some pros, but it’s not exactly best in class. It deserves less praise than it gets.

  • kaitoivan on 29/08/2023 - 11:56

    Optus is the front-runner for me. After the whole data breach debacle last year affected 10 million users, the new policy is users will have to scan their IDs along with their faces for identity checks when getting new service, even for existing customers.

    Sure Optus, probably nothing will go wrong by giving you more personal info.

  • crazyhor77 on 29/08/2023 - 11:56

    logged in just to vote for aramex, absolutely useless courier and I won't be renewing my Amazon prime subscription because of them

  • Kdw26488 on 29/08/2023 - 14:22

    Harvey Norman
    Bought an item online and paid for shipping. I expect it to be at least registered or sign on delivery but no Harvey Norman decides a relatively expensive item should be dumped on my front doorstep. It got stolen and Harvey Norman didn’t want to hear about it.
    Wouldn’t be sad to see them in liquidation

  • Kdw26488 on 29/08/2023 - 14:41

    Also Pegasus Group and Pizza Hut

  • Embaloo on 29/08/2023 - 15:23
    +2

    😄 @ Edit 5

  • DingoBilly on 29/08/2023 - 15:25
    +2

    How is Harvey Norman so high… I've never really had a bad experience with them. They're expensive but otherwies they seem like any other retailer…

  • quiteguy on 29/08/2023 - 17:22
    +2

    It's Aramex here, we have a parcel for delivery to your address. However, your parcel is oversize and unfortunately, undeliverable. You will need to collect from our depot. If no reply within 7 days, it will be returned to the sender.

    Kind regards,
    Aramex

    They collected the parcel from the sender and when it was time for delivery these MFs found that the parcel is oversize.

    Typical Aramex delivery.

  • Pork Hunt on 29/08/2023 - 19:18
    +1

    Ringing up Foxtel every 6 months to haggle and get their slightly less extortionate pricing was always a painful experience. Haven't looked back since ditching them for Kayo.

  • ThadtheChad on 30/08/2023 - 10:05
    +2

    I'm surprised Centrelink/Services Australia isn't higher.

    Every interaction with them has involved erroneous processing, lost/misplaced documents, no semblance of adhering to any SLA, over-complicated forms and poorly thought out processes.

    The following were the "interactions/circumstances" for contacting medicare:
    * Trying to get reciprocal medicare cards issued for in-laws visiting
    * Getting a medicare card for bub
    * Enrolling for paid parental leave and CCS

    To be clear, I genuinely don't think this is the fault of the staff, rather, it is symptomatic of the woeful funding and staffing/capacity planning by the govt. These public services are in dire need of some attention as they are atrophying rapidly, and are merely a shadow of what they once were.

  • Alpine58 on 30/08/2023 - 10:20
    +2

    Harvey Norman for sure.

    Wanted to buy a monitor that was on special. No salespeople would come near me (too many more "mature" customers for them to prey on). Asked at counter… Said to just wait in the general area (no stock on floor).

    Ended up ordering online for C&C, went and got a coffee, and it was ready and the sales guy had to walk it out to my car too.

  • FallaM on 30/08/2023 - 10:30
    +1

    Any business which propagates the 'Big Australia' vision by lobbying to mass-import cheap labor and exploit people who want a better standard of living.

  • hypie on 30/08/2023 - 12:45
    +1

    American Airlines tops it for me. One very bad experience and won't ever fly them again.

  • toomuchdogfur on 30/08/2023 - 13:20
    +2

    Aramex gets my top vote because they're the only courier who has managed to entirely lose my parcels. I've had occasional hiccups with all other carriers but nothing even comes close to the terrible experiences sending and receiving things via Aramex.

    Telstra earns a special mention for their call centre support staff, who are unable to handle anything outside of the pre-written procedures. I tried three times to tell them that a Telstra customer somehow had registered my mobile number as their Telstra contact number, and I had been receiving their MFA codes and bill reminders for months… but they keep insisting that I need to verify my identity, even when I tell them I am not their customer and I would obviously not pass identity validation as whoever their customer is. But nope, their staff keep repeating the validation requirement… even though the problem is that I am not their customer and should not be receiving a customer's sensitive information.

  • jonagrah on 30/08/2023 - 14:17
    +1

    Optus.

    Every time I've signed up for a mobile/internet service something has gone wrong and I spend too much time trying to get it sorted.

  • Retchey on 30/08/2023 - 14:53

    Coles group

  • Wasabi Ninja on 30/08/2023 - 15:34
    +1

    I’m surprised Samsung is so high. There are a lot of Samsung fan boys around.

    • plmko on 30/08/2023 - 18:43
      +4

      Obviously you have never experienced Samsung store and their red carpet treatment of zero (profanity) given.

      • Wasabi Ninja on 30/08/2023 - 21:02
        +1

        I had a few Samsung items over the years. I’m pretty neutral on them. Neither like or dislike.

  • Wiser on 30/08/2023 - 18:58

    Why Virgin which makes mockery of travel credits, not on the list?

  • shutuptakemymoney101 on 30/08/2023 - 19:28

    Watching the poll with interest - Go Har-vey Norman GO !!!!!

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8OcC49o67s

  • RecklessMonkeys on 30/08/2023 - 19:54
    +2

    Chances are that everyone on that list deserves the vote they got.

    I'd like to add the ATO for their heavy handedness and incompetence 1-2 punch.

    • WhyAmICommenting on 31/08/2023 - 10:32

      They let billions slip because of their laziness.

  • George Washington on 30/08/2023 - 20:09
    +2

    Big 4 worked for two of them in my younger years. I wish i got my life back

  • perfectlydark on 01/09/2023 - 09:35

    Recently, Bunnings for being difficult as hell in regards to a faulty battery. Would not believe me first time I took it back cause the guy plugged it into a drill to 'prove' it worked and went on a mansplaining mission about it (ignoring what I was saying about it not holding charge and not charging properly).
    Finally got it exchanged yesterday a few months out from warranty window, but again was like pulling teeth. They literally treat you like an idiot as if you dont know how to use a battery

  • cordsplace on 01/09/2023 - 18:49
    +1

    Poor old Gerry. I buy most of my electrical appliances and furniture through Harvey Norman though I check out prices first. Have done for years and never had a problem. Had to return a couple of items and they were dealt with promptly and efficiently. I see his profit was up this year as was his share price. Obviously he still has plenty of customers which means plenty of horses.

  • payless69 on 01/09/2023 - 21:16
    +1

    Can we add the Qantas lounge that served caviar to Albo's son?

  • spy on 29/09/2023 - 17:48
    +1

    Why is Dodo not on the list?

Login or Join to leave a comment
Login Join