Article Response

WITHOUT PREJUDICE AND NOT FOR PUBLICATION, as I reserve the right to claim compensation for the harm caused to my business and personal reputation.

Your defamatory article has drawn plenty of attention, as far as Western Australia and indeed the Gold Coast, Sydney and Brisbane so far. No one seems to have missed the fact that you are clearly referring to the only female surf proprietor, Gail Austen, in the land and her store Goodtime.

The story written by Rory Gibson uses words I have not used, describes scenarios that have never existed and makes claims about monies paid that are false. It also refers to Global Surf who denies emphatically that a surfboard they replaced was indeed a lemon or so faulty that it should be classified as one. The board having the simplest of repairs to a plug is still being used and continues to offer the service it was made for.

They like myself have fulfilled more than our duty of goodwill in trying to placate a customer after eight months.

The Facts

26^th November he purchased a 6'6" Superfish

4^th January returns it with severely damaged tail estimated cost of repair between $120 and $150.

He made a warranty claim, board only ridden once, damage due to fault in board that it just appeared and he saw no reason for it.

The board was inspected, assessment was that the damage not due to construction.

Our policy is in the event of disputes we can process a warranty directly to manufacturer or the customer can do the same all available to Mr. Gibson.

We reported this to the manufacturer; we offered but did not process a warranty as agreement was reached for us to repair board at a reduced price of $85 showing goodwill.

We also obtained a report from the repairer on the damage and paid the difference in cost of repair ourselves. We use a repair factory that also does warranty work for global surf so we wished to confirm that the damage was not due to construction fault. This was confirmed and we proceeded with repair.

Customer collected board on 23^rd January, 2010. Paying $85 for repair number 416.

June 2010 customer called Global Surf to suggest he had ridden the board just once more and the plug fell out. This was communicated to me at that time. A decision was not made on the spot and without hesitation and not without consultation with me. The decision was made after one week.

The decision to replace the board was one of goodwill and at no time did the representative nor the company suggest that the board was a total lemon; in fact they consulted with me and we both agreed that Mr. Gibson was never going to be happy so giving him a new board resolved ongoing costs and aggravation on everybody’s part.

The board I repeat is, after the simplest plug repair, back in the water still being used doing what it is designed for.

An apology from the Courier Mail and the writer is requested forthwith.

Gail Austen OAM

Bookmark/Search this post with: