Camp Australia have got to have one of the worst customer relations and billing policies I have ever come across! After leaving my kids in their pre-school care for several months I found their billing to be frequently incorrect. Several times I was overcharged for days that my kids did not attend. For this reason I refused to set up a direct debit.
Just before Christmas break they sent me an invoice for an incorrect amount and overcharged me by not deducting the childcare rebate from their invoice. I rang their billing department and asked them to sent me a correct invoice which they did, however they added a $20 dollar late fee to the bill for not paying it within the few days they allow you to pay a bill.
I paid the invoice but not the late fee! The following month I received another invoice but now with a $40 dollar late fee as they apparently charge a $20 dollar late fee for every month and accumulate even though the bill was paid for the services they provided.
I paid the invoice, but not the $40 dollar late fee which I can only describe as pure extortion! A few heated emails between me and their billing department followed but they insisted it needed to be paid. I stopped communications with them as I had already made up my mind I was going to withdraw my custom.
Yesterday I received a letter from them giving me a "Notice of Intention to Sue" !!!..wait for it, for $40 (their late fees which I had not paid)!!!
I rang Camp Australia this morning to question which planet they where from! The conversation was rather hostile on the phone, but the outcome was that they will waiver the 40 dollar late fee and will not be going forth with legal action against me!... too right, as their exuberant request for $20 late fees is not enforceable anyway!
The lady I spoke with asked if I would ever be using Camp Australia in the future, I told her I would not! I have made alternative arrangements. These people use aggressive billing policies, alienate the very people who fund their services and quite frankly don’t deserve to be in charge of children! My youngest daughter used to cry before she had to go to preschool care in the morning, insisting she didn’t want to go. She never liked it because she was the youngest there and had no-one to play with, and apparently was just left by herself each morning. Several mornings I dropped my kids there we had to wait for the camp Australia staff to arrive when they should have already been there!
I would love to see this company being replaced with an alternative in my kid’s school. icon_sad.gif
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