GF
Gary F
Active since Mar 2019
18
Reviews
0
Industries
Reviews
18 reviews5 months ago
Best gutter people in The Garden Route
I have to give credit where it is due - Johann and his team at Outeniqua Alu-Gutters are such a pleasure to work with. Not only have they done great work for me, I have also referred them to others who were equally impressed. Their pricing is always extremely competitive (in my experience lower than others) their work is fast and neat, and follow up is excellent. Highly recommended
0 replies
6 months ago
One stop shop for promotional items
Good website with lots to choose from, good service, support and communication from sales staff, fast delivery. My only suggestion is that sales consultants offer more insightful advice on the various products.
0 replies
11 months ago
Discovery miles are *******
I feel like Discovery is just a big ripoff. For years I have been a member and contributed a fortune every month to medical aid, accumulating points or miles. Now I come to buy something on Takealot and find I can't ... because I don't have a Discovery bank account. Call the Discovery number for just about any reason, and you will wait forever to speak to someone. But call Discovery to open an account, you get to speak to someone in seconds. Amazing isn't it! Of course it costs to have a Discovery account, the minimum is R30/ month. Ok that's not a lot of money (although it is over 4 times more than some banks), but I have a principle issue with this and I'm sure I'm not alone in this. They advertise that you can use your Discovery miles to buy just about anything, but of course there is a catch, and it is not free. They also advertise that you can get back half your fuel spend, and 25% of what you spend on healthy foods bought from Woolworths or Checkers .... but I suppose I need a Discovery bank account for that too? Smacks of a **** to me. After having a heart attack, there was so much support offered, some of which was helpful. But then they only pay a tiny fraction of the chronic meds I now need, despite the fortune I pay them every month. Unbelievable! To anyone considering joining Discovery because they offer so many value adds, look into it very closely and ignore those carrots, they are not easily accessible and all come with cables attached.
111 replies
14 months ago
Outsurance - almost 5 Stars
We have been with outsurance now for a few years and have been completely impressed with all aspects. I would have given 6 stars but yesterday they notified me that our premium is going up by 18% from April. Since we have only had 1 claim 2 years ago which did not even affect our no claim bonus, I feel that it is completely unjustified and so I called their reviews department and spoke to a very impressive lady, Octavia. She did her best to explain the reasons for the dramatic increase, and in the end reduced the increase to 12%. Still way above inflation and more than I think is reasonable, but better than 18%. Octavia is highly recommended.
53 replies
23 months ago
Highly, highly recommended
I have had the pleasure of working with Pam Winstanley of PJW/ Pamela Jean Architectural Studio for the last 4 years, and I have been super impressed with her every step of the way. Coming from a family of degreed architects, I know a good architect when I get to work with one and Pam is an outstanding all-round architect. She has excellent knowledge and understanding of the municipal bye-laws and how to work with them. Her creativity and design is indicative of a professional perfectly matched to her chosen profession, and she is calmly persistent when working with the apathetic, insufferable town council. My experience of working with Pam has been one of those rare experiences where, several times during the course of the projects, I felt that I would pay her more than her quoted fees when the final invoices were presented, because she deserved it. And it was a pleasure to do just that!
0 replies
32 months ago
CMH Ford Randburg - Bad experiences
Hopefully this review will save people from the misfortune of having to deal with CMH Ford Randburg. In 2022 We bought a previously owned Ford Fiesta from CMH Ford Randburg's approved used cars. The car was in like-new condition with low mileage and exactly what we were looking for. The whole process of buying the vehicle from this dealership was generally unimpressive and smacked of dealing with a seedy back-street dealer. From the slack salesman who was replaced part way through, to a service department lady full of attitude, to it taking many months and having to write 2 mails to the dealer principle to get the registration certificate from them. In June this year, the car went into limp mode and then stopped, leaving my wife stranded. It turns out the engine had overheated, with absolutely no warning. We had the vehicle taken on a tow truck to a car service centre - they diagnosed the issue but did not have the special tools required to do the job, so they suggested we take it to a Ford dealer. Since CMH Ford Randburg is our nearest one, we had it taken there. After absolutely no feedback 2 days later, I called the service department and left a message for someone to tell me what was going on. A service advisor lady, again full of attitude, called me to say they needed to do a diagnostic test and there would be a cost of R1200 odd for that. I told her it had already been diagnosed by another service centre - the engine had overheated and it needed a new cylinder head gasket and possibly skimming the head and/ or some engineering work on the head. Her next call a day later was a major bombshell. She simply said "your vehicle has overheated and we are going to quote on a new engine". I could not believe what I was hearing and tried to reason with this person but, after some discussion, I was no closer to understanding how you go from a motor overheating, straight to a whole new motor. I have considerable mechanical knowledge and experience and am no stranger to engines and recognised this as bizarre. A week after my first discussion with her, I still had not heard a word and tried to call her. Three attempts later the receptionist managed to connect me with this "full of her own importance" individual, who then apologised for the delay caused by her "having been sick". She reported that she now had the information to be able to put a quote together. Once again I tried to get her to explain why it was necessary to replace the engine. Eventually, now sounding like she was talking to a school child, she said "we can't see what is damaged so it is better to replace everything so that you know everything is new". Based on that logic, why don’t we all just put in a new engine before going on holiday, so we can have peace of mind that the engine “is new from top to bottom”? When I asked what that would cost, she told me they were still working it out but the last similar vehicle they did cost over R100 000. She made it sound like it was our fault and there was something wrong with me for being surprised/ exasperated/ incredulous that I a new engine at a ridiculous amount of money is the solution to a car, with no warning, overheated while being driven by a grandmother. The quote arrived a day or two later - R126 542.76 How anyone could afford that? I called to ask what alternatives there might be. She told me they could quote me to remove the head and send it to the engineers for assessment. I called another Ford Dealer to discuss this situation and determine if this was normal protocol. The service manager said no, while a new engine is not completely out of the question with the Ford 1 litre ecoboost engine, that was very extreme in this situation and certainly not the first step. And the diagnostic fee was very unfriendly, especially in this situation. So I mailed the whole story to the dealer principle at Ford Randburg, not the first time I had cause to refer to him. Five days later , after no response, I mailed him again. Eventually he called me and tried to be super friendly with much discussion about other superfluous stuff before briefly discussing the issue. He said he would investigate and revert back to me. When he did revert back, it was to suggest that they quote to strip the head off and send for engineering assessment. Three days later I received said quote to remove cylinder head and send to the engineers for a report, no repairs actually done - R9660! Needless to say I had the car picked up by a rolltop truck and taken to ASAP Motors in Fourways, who were absolutely brilliant and a breath of fresh air by comparison. Actually there was no comparison. They did a thorough assessment, explaining all the risks and possibilities, but mainly offering solutions that made sense rather than just doom and gloom and ridiculous solutions. In the end they did the whole job, replacing all the various parts that were or may have been damaged, and the bill came to R33 000. The vehicle is running perfectly now thanks to ASAP Motors. A warning to owners of Ford's with the ecoboost engine, but to most engine's this would apply - Do not let a garage attendant open the engine water bottle cap when the engine is warm. Check your water level regularly and only top up when the engine is cold. Also get your water hoses, the expansion bottle, the fan and everything to do with the cooling system checked regularly. A scan of the internet will show you that overheating with major damage is a common problem with these engines.
0 replies
32 months ago
CTM George impressive service
Recently bought some large tiles from CTM George. When we came to lay the tiles and opened the boxes, only 2 of the 8 tiles were not chipped. This is very frustrating and costly when you have hired a tile cutter and got a tiler in. Fortunately we managed to work around some of the chipped tiles with a bit of creative trimming. A call to CTM George was all it took. The manager, Riaan, called me back promptly and delivered the 4 new tiles I needed to me in Knysna by the next day. Thanks Riaan for your great proactive attitude and well done to CTM for employing great staff.
131 replies
32 months ago
ASAP Motors Fourways - Professional Service with Personal Care included
I cannot say enough about the professionalism, care and great service offered by ASAP Motors. I have been using them for years for servicing my various vehicles of different brands and types, and have always found their service to be excellent, matched with quality workmanship that leaves you confident that your vehicle has been properly cared for. Management also show empathy and genuine care, finding affordable ways of dealing with unexpected faults. Recently my wife's Ford Fiesta overheated, causing damage to the cylinder head. CMH Ford Randburg were adamant that a complete new engine was required, at a cost of R127 000.00. ASAP had the head repaired by an engineering shop and replaced all the parts necessary, going through all the risks and possibilities every step of the way. We were pleased and relieved to get a perfectly restored car back at a total cost of R33 000.00,which included a service. Another example is my much loved 2008 Pajero had been losing performance steadily over the last year. I sent it to ASAP - the owner Guillaume contacted and updated me every step of the process and I can honestly say I have never experienced such impressive service. He uncovered a list of issues that for the most part were solvable through cleaning rather than replacing parts. He even sent before and after photos of each fouled up part. With every problem he resolved, the performance improved and in the end my beloved Paj is now like a rocket ship! I was also pleasantly surprised with the bill, which included a full service. I feel like they care for my vehicles and for me and can highly recommend ASAP Motors in Fourways.
0 replies
32 months ago
Outsurance Beats Expectations
<div>I always thought Outsurance would be just too big and unfriendly, but decided to get quotes on our vehicles and home cover. I found they are willing to negotiate and with a bit of arm-twisting, their rates were surprisingly good, with acceptable excesses. It was also quick and easy to get covered, and their app is brilliant. I love that I didn't have to take our cars in to get checked at some auto centre, I just had to take pics using their app - so much more convenient. I took out their executive motor cover on a Ford Fiesta I bought last year, thank goodness! The car overheated recently and CMH Ford Randburg (absolutely useless) wanted to replace the motor at R127 000! Fortunately ASAP Motors (brilliant) found that to be completely unnecessary, but the bill was still R33 000. Outsurance, with a tiny bit of discussion, but all very friendly, covered almost the entire bill - I am so impressed ... and relieved! I can highly recommend them!</div>
132 replies
47 months ago
Never bank with ABSA
ABSA has become worse and worse. After banking with them for more than 30 years, the experience has become very disappointing and frustrating to say the least. In fact 2 years ago we had had enough of the ever increasing banking fees and poor service, so we opened an account with Mercantile, thinking they would be as good as Capitec, which is the best bank in my opinion. Unfortunately Mercantile was not a great experience so we stayed with the devil we know. So the latest grievance with ABSA - for the last 4 days I have not been able to make internet banking payments to beneficiaries. I keep getting an error saying "Not verified ....". I call support this morning (Saturday) and eventually learn it is because they again need FICA documents. This is the first I have heard of this - no communication warning the account would be blocked - just like that they stop us being able to make payments. We even have a business banker - haven't ever heard from her, but apparently she is our business banker. How in the world can that be acceptable? If I had the energy to go through all the hassle of changing banks, and if I knew for sure that there is a better option, I would do it in a hearbeat. ABSA - thanks for your slap in the face of loyal customers.
540 replies
Review Distribution
5 Star
11 (61.111111111111114%)
4 Star
1 (5.555555555555555%)
3 Star
0 (0%)
2 Star
1 (5.555555555555555%)
1 Star
5 (27.77777777777778%)