1 /5 Meredith Brown: The worst experience of an accounting firm in our 33 years as a couple. We would have rated 0 had that been an option. I would recommend this firm to those who don’t want to deal with the person actually doing your tax returns, and to those happy to pay the person you have to deal with $380.00 an hour. Our personal experience was one of poor communication, lack of accountability for mistakes made and bad advice. There are literally 2 dozen other accounting firms close by.
BEA has responded to my review above in a personal and unpleasant manner. I was factual and did not give specifics of my family’s latest dealings with this firm. However, in response to BEAs claims I will be more clear.
When we first went to BEA to do our accounting many years ago we were told by Estelle Phillips that the model they use was to deal only with her but the actual accounting work was done by a team in the background. Estelle confirmed recently that she charges herself out at $380 an hour. We felt this was outrageous. We never dealt with anyone else other than reception so we are not sure who we were passed on from - to then deal with senior staff?
We dealt almost exclusively by phone with Estelle but after a significant error made a year ago and our concern at the way it was addressed we started to communicate via email mainly, so that advice given was in writing.
Recently we become frustrated with the extended emailing back and forward with no clear answer to our questions. We rang senior management ourselves to complain about this issue. WE approached Stephen Edmunds (we were not passed on to him), who would not address our concerns in writing. He insisted on a phonecall. We wanted a written response to have a record of the communication. What we got was a series of argumentative responses and no apology from anyone.
We had made the decision to leave BEA after the Trust minutes were prepared. We had not discussed this with BEA. We were surprised when Stephen Edmunds asked us to leave as clients. This was because his staff member did not like being held to account.
Our whole family had been long term, good clients of BEA with whom Estelle Phillips and BEA had no issue - until they were asked to be accountable for a significant mistake made. It concerns us greatly that a firm is unwilling to put advice in writing. This is what we mean by lack of accountability. And no capacity to apologise.
We were issued a final invoice with no discussion, no timeline, no detail of the process to access our financial information. We had to chase this up.
BEAs response to our accurate review was an attempt to make this personal to deflect from the facts. Short of publicly stating the mistake made and the solution suggested; all I can say to prospective customers is shop around.
Both my husband and I were very happy to meet in person with Estelle or Stephen over this matter - this option was not offered to us. Stephen emailed to say ‘he was sure a quick phone call would fix it all up.’ The error that was made by Estelle 12 months ago WAS addressed in a face to face meeting and the advice given WAS NOT in writing. There in lies our issue. As to Stephens unfounded claims that we sent an un ending stream of emails over a long period??? 1. We only had need of contact with Estelle Phillips a couple of times a year. 2. Had Estelle taken the time to obtain the correct information and provide it to us in one email, then the question would have been answered and no more emails! This particular issue was in regards to varying a PAYG payment. After BEA withdrew their services with no discussion, just a final invoice, I rang the ATO myself. I got through immediately, had the advice I needed inside 5 minutes, logged onto my ATO portal and took 2 minutes to vary the payment. And that was free! Not $380.00 an hour. Any business who will not give advice in writing and tries to make clients sound difficult for expecting answers to their questions, is in my opinion to be avoided. We are now dealing with an accounting company who as it happens BEA wanted to acquire!
