Engineers Pty Ltd Avis 2

We purchased an electric wheelchair for my elderly, immobile parents. What followed was one of the most stressful and disappointing customer experiences I’ve seen.

Delivery was repeatedly promised for late March but didn’t arrive until 13 April. During the delay, my parents received multiple calls from FedEx demanding payment of import duties and insisting the chair be collected from Auckland, three hours away. They were told by Gilani staff to “ignore the calls”, which is completely inappropriate advice for elderly customers. The issue ultimately arose because the wrong contact details were provided to FedEx, yet no meaningful apology was offered.
When the wheelchair finally arrived, it was not as advertised. The online listing showed a silver model, but a black unit arrived instead. The chair itself was flimsy, the footrest flexed under normal weight, and the remote control lag made it unsafe for elderly use. Basic instructions for the carer controls were also missing.

Despite all this, Gilani refused to process a refund unless my parents could reassemble the wheelchair, take photos and videos, or join a video call — an impossible request given they are non‑ambulatory and not tech‑savvy. Even after acknowledging faults in the sale and delivery process, the company showed zero flexibility and hid behind internal refund policies.

This business markets to an elderly and vulnerable customer base, yet shows no empathy or practical understanding of what those customers can reasonably do. If you value honest delivery timeframes, accurate product descriptions, and humane customer service, I strongly suggest looking elsewhere.

Finally, as a last‑ditch attempt to resolve this matter, I requested a phone call with the “CEO”, Maria. During that call, she became openly aggressive when I advised that, failing resolution, I would be reporting the matter to the ACCC — which she described as “bribery”.

When I explained that I was struggling to understand her because she was yelling and repeatedly talking over me, I was then accused of being racist.

This was said in the context of a son advocating for his elderly, immobile parents who have been disadvantaged by a corporate supplier unwilling to exercise even basic fairness or empathy. The behaviour was unprofessional, inappropriate, and deeply disappointing.

I contacted this firm to arrange the hire and possible purchase of a hospital bed. The funding was to be via NDIS. The company demands pre-payment and also the lodgement of a security deposit, but this was not the worst part of my dealings with them. Having paid a security deposit and arranged payment, which the firm received, I then was faced with a Hire Agreement, not previously submitted, requiring credit card details and purporting, on its face, to remove consumer and common law rights. Correspondence about this was unsatisfactory, amounting to a denial of the plain terms of the agreement. I have now sought refunds. A complete waste of time.
The response from the company inaccurately states that the Hire Agreement was submitted prior to payment of the security deposit. I stand by my interpretation of its content.