Terms & Conditions of Service

2. Booking & Appointments

Bookings can be made online, by phone or by email. A booking is confirmed when GBRS has your contact details, the address, the appliance details and an appointment time, and has sent you a confirmation.

Booking online confirms itself — you choose the time and the confirmation is issued immediately. Where a booking is made by phone or email instead, we also need you to reply to the confirmation we send, so we know it reached you. Until we have that reply, the appointment is not confirmed and the time is not held.

You are responsible for the accuracy of the contact details you give us. We use them to send your confirmation, a reminder, a message when we are on the way, and any follow-up about the job. If a confirmation has not arrived, please check your junk or spam folder before assuming the booking did not go through.

Additional appliances

If you have more than one appliance to look at, tell us before the visit — replying to your booking confirmation is the easiest way. No additional Service Call Fee applies where the extra appliance is added to the existing job. Creating a second booking instead will incur a second Service Call Fee.

Each appliance is subject to its own labour cap.

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4. Diagnosis & Repair

Diagnosis, or a repair carried out directly

The initial visit is not limited to diagnosis. The technician uses the time on site for whatever the appliance requires: inspecting, testing and diagnosing the fault, or — where the fault is already clear and the necessary part is available — carrying out the repair during that same visit. Straightforward repairs are frequently completed within the initial service session.

Where the repair cannot be completed during that visit, we will explain what has failed, what the repair involves and what it will cost before any further work is carried out.

Our appliance testing procedures

In the process of repairing a fault with an appliance, GBRS performs a “Health Check” on the appliance as part of our “Whole Appliance Care”, designed to identify other potential issues before a repair is completed. These checks comprise the testing procedures set out below.

All appliances

• General inspection of the appliance condition
• Recording of the model details by photograph of the label sticker
• Diagnosis of the reported fault in the appliance

Ovens

• Testing of all elements as applicable — grill, top bake, base and fan elements
• Testing that the thermostat/temperature control works and can be adjusted
• Testing of all fans (cooling fans, internal fans)

Cooktops

• Testing of all heating elements
• Testing of heating control of all elements

Rangehoods

• Check fan operations
• Check all fan speeds operate
• Check for noise
• Check lights
• Check all button operations

Dishwashers

• General check for leaks, pooling water or corrosion
• Check the filter and drain ports are clear from debris
• Check the dishwasher drains
• Check the dishwasher fills with water
• Check the operation of the wash pump
• Check the operation of the rotating arms
• Check the detergent port opens
• Check the water heats in the dishwasher

Washing machines

• General check for leaks, pooling water or corrosion
• Check the filter and drain port is clear from debris
• Check the washer drains
• Check the washer fills with water
• Check the washer heats water (where applicable)
• Check the washer agitates
• Check the washer spins

Dryers

• General check for rust
• Check the dryer will turn under load
• Check for noise
• Check warm air is being made by the dryer
• For condensing dryers, check that the water pump is operational

Refrigerators

• Check door seals
• Check for ice build up
• Check operation of fans
• Check air entering fridge cavity is 0 degrees Celsius
• Check air entering freezer cavity is -15 degrees Celsius
• Monitoring for defrost operation

Limitations of testing

The purpose of the appliance health check is to make sure that the appliance can perform the functions it is expected to do. Appliances like dishwashers and washing machines can take considerable time to complete a cycle (over 2 hours alone). So that excessive labour is not accrued, an accelerated functional test may be performed to confirm the above tests are successful. While a functional test will confirm that the appliance can perform all required functions, it may not identify a problem with the appliance's timing or cycle, as part of the cycle may be skipped to save time.

Another limitation of testing is that one part of the appliance may be functional on one occasion and fail on another. The appliance health check is only able to find what is not working at the time of testing.

Thirdly, during the diagnosis process, only part of the testing procedures can be carried out, because the original fault in the appliance is preventing other stages from being tested, or additional issues may not be apparent. For example, a dishwasher may not be allowing water into the appliance, so the wash pump may not be able to be tested until the water inlet system is repaired.

Where a fault cannot be reproduced

Some faults are intermittent and do not present while the technician is on site. Where GBRS attends and carries out reasonable investigation but the reported fault cannot be reproduced, the Service Call Fee and labour for the attendance remain payable, as they cover the technician's time and testing. We will record what was tested and what we would examine next.

Information about when the fault occurs — the cycle, an error code, or a short video — materially improves the chance of identifying an intermittent fault.

When additional faults are found

If during our repair, testing and appliance health check additional problems are identified, these will be presented to the client. Repair of additional faults of the appliance will be contained within the GBRS labour cap.

Appliance monitoring

All appliances have a minimum 2 week monitoring period to confirm the appliance performs as intended. The monitoring period is included within the 12 month warranty.

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6. Payment

When payment is due

Unless a payment arrangement has been agreed, payment is due at the end of each visit on the day the work is completed.

How to pay

Card and PayTo are our preferred methods of payment. There are no payment processing fees on any method.

• Card and contactless — Visa, Mastercard and American Express, credit or debit, taken in person by the technician at the end of the visit.
• Online payment — PayTo through your banking app, or card and Apple Pay, using the payment link on your invoice.
• Cash — accepted, though not preferred. Please tell us in advance, as our technicians carry limited change.
• Bank transfer — available only to approved Account Clients by prior arrangement.

The 2.5% labour discount applies to card payments made in person at the end of the visit. It does not apply to online payment, cash or bank transfer.

Third party invoicing

Sometimes a client may book in a repair on behalf of a third party, for example a tenant may book in a repair in their home on behalf of the landlord. The details of the third party must be provided to GBRS to forward any invoices onto that party.

Forwarding the invoice to the third party is a courtesy only. The party making the booking remains responsible for the invoice until it has been paid. The role of client may be transferred to the third party, if that third party communicates in email that they wish for this to occur.

For example, if a tenant makes a booking with GBRS, they are responsible for the invoice until it is paid, or the landlord contacts GBRS via email that they are taking responsibility for the invoice.

Late fees and unpaid invoices

If an invoice is not paid within the due date, an administrative fee equal to 15 minutes labour will be applied for every 14 days the invoice remains unpaid. Invoices that are unpaid after a month will be referred to a collection agency for recovery of debt action.

Account clients may lose their good standing status for invoices that remain unpaid beyond the agreed payment arrangements.

Recovery of debts

If an invoice is referred to a collection agency for a recovery of the debt, then the original invoice, any administrative charges and collection agency commission fees are to be paid by the client. If the client pays only the original invoice amount they are still responsible for any additional charges that are incurred.

Disputed and recalled card transactions

If for any reason a credit/debit card transaction is disputed, the client is responsible for any additional charges that GBRS incurs.

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8. Repairs Outside Our Scope

GBRS provides in-home appliance repair, which covers most (estimated 95%) appliance problems. There are some repairs that are not able to be performed in the home, or have such a high cost that they are not viable. Determining that an appliance requires an excluded repair requires that a proper diagnosis is made.

Refrigeration: refrigerant, leaks and compressor repairs

Repair to sealed refrigeration systems — replacing refrigerant, repairing leaks or replacing compressors — requires hot work (brazing with a flame) under workshop conditions, along with specialist equipment. It is not work GBRS undertakes. On most domestic appliances it is also not economical: the cost of the work approaches or exceeds the value of the appliance, and a leak inside the insulation often cannot be reached without damaging the cabinet.

Washing machines: bearing replacement, inner drum and/or tub removal

These extensive repairs cannot be performed in the home and require a workshop to complete. The reason why drums and bearings break down (corrosion, foreign bodies, sand) also means that repairs in these areas are often unsuccessful.

Other workshop level repairs

There are other repairs that some appliances require that need to be completed in a workshop. The GBRS workshop does not have the space to store and work on these appliances, and the workshop is staffed for a limited time each day. There is also a risk of damage to appliances that are transported to the workshop outside of the appliance's original packaging, which could cause additional problems to the appliance.

It is also better to work on an appliance close to where it is installed, as there may be factors of its installation that affect the performance of the appliance.

Portable appliances are the exception. This exclusion concerns full-size and installed appliances. Portable household appliances that can be safely carried into the workshop — microwaves, vacuums, air fryers, portable fridges and similar — are accepted for bench repair under our Small Appliance Workshop Service, which has its own pricing and terms.

Gas appliances

GBRS performs work on the electrical systems and user level maintenance in gas appliances. This includes ignition and thermocouples. During work, we will not alter any part of the gas system except to shut off gas at the appliance as a safety precaution.

Sometimes a gas connection deteriorates over time, and moving the appliance to replace electrical components will reveal a leak in the gas system. GBRS is not responsible for any leaks in the gas system that develop as a result of service, and for peace of mind we recommend a gas fitter performs a leak check after the electrical system has been repaired.

Work on the building rather than the appliance

GBRS services the appliance, not the building around it. The following are outside our scope and are work for the relevant trade: new electrical circuits, outlets or switchboard work, including capacity upgrades; new water or waste points where none exist; cabinetry work such as enlarging a cutout, altering a benchtop or modifying a cupboard; and ductwork, external vents, penetrations or rerouted duct runs serving rangehoods and dryers.

Rangehood and dryer filters are user maintenance rather than a service GBRS sells, though we will advise on them.

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10. Repair Warranty

What is covered, and when it starts

The warranty starts on the date the final invoice has been issued and covers parts and labour on the repair for 12 months. The warranty is in effect only if the final invoice has been paid.

The warranty covers the part that was replaced and the workmanship of the repair GBRS carried out. It does not extend to the appliance as a whole.

Repairs that are not warrantied

Unpaid invoices

A repair warranty on an appliance is only in effect if the invoice has been paid.

Where the fault cannot be reproduced

If GBRS is called back under warranty, and the fault cannot be reproduced, then a Service Call Fee and minimum labour charge of 30 minutes will apply.

Where replacement of the appliance has been recommended

If we recommend that instead of repair the appliance should be replaced, and we are able to achieve a functional state for the appliance, that repair is not warrantied. We will tell you when that is the situation before carrying out the work.

Experimental repair

If the repair requires non-standard parts, it is classed as an experimental repair. Examples include constructing, machining or modifying existing parts to work with the appliance. This kind of repair is not warrantied because there is uncertainty that the repair will be effective. We will notify you of an experimental repair before going ahead.

Parts supplied by the customer, or ordered outside the GBRS supply chain — for example second hand parts or parts ordered from online marketplaces — are classified as an experimental repair.

Cleaning the appliance

If the repair involves cleaning the appliance, then any subsequent cleaning is not warrantied. This includes where the appliance requires technical maintenance to conduct the cleaning, for example disassembling parts of the appliance.

Unreasonable use

The repair is not warrantied if the appliance has undergone unreasonable use. This includes but is not limited to:

• User level maintenance and cleaning has not been performed
• A domestic appliance is used in a commercial or industrial setting
• The appliance is subject to damage, including weather and movement
• Insect and vermin infestation
• Existing rust or leaks
• Power surges
• Not following the manufacturer's user guide
• Accidental damage
• Using the product while a defect exists

Making a warranty claim

1. Determine whether a warranty claim is potentially valid before contacting GBRS.
2. Contact us by email with details of the fault returning. The easiest way is to reply to the email containing your invoice, as it carries the job information we need. Please supply your previous GBRS job number, whether the invoice has been paid, how long the appliance lasted before the fault returned, and whether the fault returns at a particular stage of the cycle.
3. Supply as much information as possible about the re-fault. This helps us determine quickly whether the fault is related to the repair.
4. If we can determine that the invoice has been paid, we will organise an inspection of the appliance. If we cannot, we will ask for proof of payment before proceeding.
5. We will determine whether the fault is within the GBRS parts and workmanship warranty timeframe.
6. We will organise a return appointment to determine that the fault has returned, and that it is a result of the parts or workmanship supplied.
7. If we determine that the claim is valid, we will, at our discretion: repair; replace; or refund up to the value of the original repair.
8. If the claim is not valid, then a Service Call Fee and labour fee will be applied. You can then choose to continue with a repair.

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12. Warranty, Property & Partner Work

GBRS carries out service work arranged by organisations rather than by the appliance's owner — manufacturers and importers for whom we act as an authorised service agent, national repair and warranty companies, retailers, property managers, landlords, agencies and other service providers. How that work is arranged is described under Warranty, Property & Partner Services.

Manufacturer's warranty service

The GBRS team performs service work as part of warranty for a number of appliance manufacturers. If the fault in the appliance is not covered by the manufacturer, then the client is responsible for any service charges on the appliance. We will tell you before that happens.

Who these terms apply to

Where an organisation engages GBRS and is responsible for payment, that organisation is the client for the purposes of these terms, and these terms govern the work GBRS carries out. Where that organisation's own service agreement with GBRS covers a matter differently, the agreement between GBRS and that organisation applies to that matter.

The occupant of the property is not liable for charges under a job arranged and payable by another party, except where responsibility has been transferred as described under Payment.

Access and site conditions

The access and installation requirements in these terms apply regardless of who arranged the job. Where GBRS attends and cannot carry out the work because access or the installation prevents it, the Service Call Fee and minimum labour are payable by the party that arranged the job.

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14. Inspection & Reporting

GBRS offers an assessment service on appliances that are no longer functioning or have sustained damage, and can produce a written report of our findings and recommendation. The service is described under Inspection & Reporting.

Charges

An inspection is charged on the same basis as any diagnostic visit — the Service Call Fee plus labour. The report is prepared from that same diagnostic work and there is no separate charge for producing it.

Where you decide to proceed with a repair or replacement after reading the report, the work continues as the same job: no second Service Call Fee applies and the appliance is not diagnosed twice.

The report

Reports are produced within 2 weeks of the assessment visit. Invoices are payable by the client who commissions the report on the appliance.

A report records the appliance's identification, its condition as found, what was tested and the result of each test, the diagnosis so far as testing establishes it, whether the appliance can be repaired, and our recommendation.

What a report is, and is not

Reports produced are HONEST AND UNBIASED and may not favour the client who has contracted GBRS to assess the appliance.

A report is an appliance inspection carried out by appliance technicians. It is not a determination of liability, an insurer's claim decision, a building, property or contents report, a formal valuation, or a forensic examination, and GBRS does not act as an expert witness. Whether any third party accepts or relies on a report is a matter for that party, and GBRS gives no assurance that it will be accepted.

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16. Damage, Risk & Liability

While we take all due care when working on your appliance and we will follow any damage prevention you provide where physically able, there is a small risk of surrounding damage when working on or moving the appliance. Sometimes additional people are required to reduce the risk of damage but this risk is not eliminated. We only provide services under these waivers and our price is based on the customer accepting our waivers. By requesting that we perform the work, you are accepting our waivers. If one or part of these waivers is found to not be enforceable that will not prevent the remaining waivers from being enforced.

Waiver of damage when moving the appliance

There is an inherent risk when moving the appliance, whether that be to the appliance itself or to areas surrounding the appliance such as walls, flooring, cabinetry and countertops. While we take all due care when moving your appliance, we do not accept responsibility for damage that may occur in moving your appliance to conduct the repair. Because it is often a requirement to move the appliance to conduct the repair, you agree to hold GBRS faultless from any and every liability associated with any such damage as may occur in connection with this movement.

Waiver of damage when working with water

You understand the machinery that's being worked on is connected with the building's plumbing system, and whenever any machinery is so connected, there is an inherent risk that component failure, imperfect connections and/or other faults could result in unintended leakage and/or flooding within the building, causing significant and sometimes catastrophic damage. Excepting for cases of gross, clearly proven, and explicitly identifiable carelessness by the technician, you promise to hold harmless GBRS from any and all damages, harms or liability that may result from such an occurrence. By allowing the technician to commence work, you explicitly waive the right to any contrary claim.

Waiver of damage when working with gas

GBRS are not licensed gasfitters and do not interfere with any gas service connected to an appliance. You promise to hold harmless GBRS from any leaks, damages, harms or liability that may arise from working on electrical systems in appliances that are connected to gas, for example dual fuel cooking ranges and cooktops.

Waiver of damage lifting glass cooktops

You understand that, in lifting a glass/ceramic cook top surface to access components below it, there is an inherent risk of breakage. The top is sometimes attached with strong adhesive, and it is not always possible to achieve separation without the surface fracturing. While expecting the technician to exercise every due level of care, you nevertheless recognize that GBRS explicitly refrain from accepting any responsibility for these risks. You agree all such risks are your own (and/or your company's) alone, and you agree to hold harmless and exempt from liability GBRS from any and all such responsibility. By allowing the technician to commence work, you explicitly waive the right to any contrary claim.

Consequential loss

GBRS is not liable for any consequential loss, damage or expenses for work carried out, unless covered by a statutory regulation.

Making a claim against GBRS for damage

If you are to hold GBRS liable for any damage, we require a letter of demand outlining:

1. The damage you believe GBRS caused
2. The proof that GBRS caused the damage
3. The proposed remedy to the damage
4. The cost for the remedy
5. Supporting documentation including photographs and quotes

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18. Your Consumer Rights & Privacy

Australian Consumer Law

Nothing in these terms limits, excludes or restricts any guarantee, right or remedy you have under the Australian Consumer Law or other applicable law that cannot lawfully be excluded. Where any limitation in these terms is inconsistent with the Australian Consumer Law, the Australian Consumer Law applies to the extent of that inconsistency.

Our repair warranty and workshop warranty are in addition to, and do not limit, those rights.

Privacy and communications

Information you provide when booking, during a visit, or when registering, dropping off or collecting an appliance is used to carry out your job and to contact you about its progress by phone, email or text. GBRS handles this information consistently with its general approach to customer privacy.

Governing law

These terms are governed by the laws of the Australian Capital Territory.

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