Australian Outdoor Living VIC, Melbourne

No-showed on appointment made weeks before, stayed home from work for it. When called 20 minutes after appointment time told me they cancelled the appointment as they didnt want to deal with council requirements. Was never informed, person on the phone was very nasty about it and didnt care... "just the messenger", very poor. Stay away.

Geeze Louise !!! These guys just can't get it wrong. I just had my manual blind (first one out of two) converted to an automatic remote controlled blind (like my second blind). My gosh is this a dream. It was actually fun calling AU Outdoor… Read more ·  1

Living and saying "it's me again" to reengage, and see "the guys" in Installations come back out for another job well done.

Really not sure how they get 5 star reviews. Poor customer service and multiple let downs. 1: initial dealings Around Sep 2025 we had Destini come over for a quote/ measure which turned out to be an elongated 3 hour visit, mostly small talk. We received a $70k+ quote for a deck, veranda and blinds. Which was ridiculous. We enquired as to why… Read more

we weren’t getting the well advertised summer deal and why the cost was so high. She of course “checked with the manager”. The quote was then lowered to $53k. 1st red flag.

After this though we never heard back from Destini.

2: 2nd go

After not hearing from Destini we contacted AOL around Jan-Feb 2026. This time we got Rob. A likable guy who insisted a communication error occurred as Destini had since moved on from AOL.

Rob hastily booked a new measure and quote, driving 2 hours to us. A quote was done, however this time the cost was 5-10k more expensive and that excluded the blinds.

We went ahead to the contract phase anyway, hoping to start our slow going project.

3: Contract and despicable/ legally questionable contract terms

We were sent a final contract riddled with obvious errors. The biggest issue however was the insistence by AOL that they received 90-95% of the project funds on delivery of the materials. Prior to any actual building or surveyor checks for each stage. Initially the admin person Mohamad said they can compromise on this. We sought legal advice which supported our thoughts that the payment schedule should be more staggered to protect us. In the end they refused to adjust their terms. In reply we cancelled the project. They did return our deposit of $1k which we were very happy about.

Bottom line:

Avoid these guys. Too many red flags, poor customer service, shonky marketing and sales tactics and very questionable contract terms. They are not the glossy company they pretend to be on their adverts.

I am pleased to share my exceptional experience with AOL regarding their outdoor blinds. From the initial inquiry to the final installation, the customer service has been nothing short of outstanding. My partner Kim and I recently purchased our third outdoor blind within just three weeks of acquiring our previous ones, and it is a testament to… Read more ·  1

both the quality of the product and the excellent service we received.

The blinds themselves are of remarkable quality, providing not only aesthetic appeal but also functionality that enhances our outdoor living space. The installation process was seamless and efficient, thanks to the professionalism of the service team. They arrived promptly, demonstrated expertise in their work, and ensured that everything was set up perfectly.

I wholeheartedly recommend AOL for anyone in the market for outdoor blinds. Their commitment to customer satisfaction, combined with superior product quality, makes them a leader in the industry. If you're considering an upgrade to your outdoor area, do not hesitate to reach out to AOL for your outdoor blinds needs. You will not be disappointed.

Exceptional Service and Expertise from Australian Outdoor Living – We recently had the pleasure of working with Patrick Gummar Wilson, a Design Consultant at Australian Outdoor Living, and I cannot speak highly enough of the experience. From our very first meeting during the free booking consultation, Patrick demonstrated an impressive level of professionalism and expertise that immediately put us at ease. … Read more ·  1

After 15 years of consideration and hesitation regarding outdoor blinds, we finally decided to explore our options, and I am so glad we did.

Patrick took the time to fully understand our needs and preferences, guiding us through the process with exceptional knowledge and care. He provided insightful recommendations and answered all of our questions, ensuring that we felt confident in our decisions.

The support we received from Patrick was not only informative but also genuinely reassuring, making what could have been a daunting process incredibly smooth and enjoyable. His commitment to helping us find the perfect solution for our outdoor space was evident throughout our interactions.

I highly recommend Australian Outdoor Living, and particularly Patrick Gummar Wilson, for anyone looking to enhance their outdoor area.

Thank you for your outstanding service!

Billy & Suzie

Extremely happy with my Australian Outdoor Living blinds !! Perfect fit !! The guys who installed them were so obliging, made sure I was happy with everything, cleaned up after themselves, even helped put plants back in place !! I now have an outdoor area that can be used and enjoyed all year round !!! Thankyou so much !! Show reply

From sales rep to installation nothing but great service sales was very thorough with lots of advice and choices, right up to installation , great people to deal with. Show reply

Big shout out to Nick from Melbourne office. He was polite, knowledgeable and gave me some great advice on options without being pushy. He really took his time with me as I had a lot of questions, but he was very patient and thoroughly put my mind at easy. Blinds are amazing quality. If you are from Melbourne I would definitely recommend Nick as your go to man. Show reply

Daniel and Lockland were very helpful and did a great job in coordinating my backyard grass layout and installation. They seemed to be very busy but still made sure they find a time slot to do what was required. Show reply

Overpriced and very poor communication, hard to get information from them, always promising to call back after they speak to a colleague... though never do despite taking my deposit. I would not recommend. To be honest I would rather pay more and get a more reliable and responsive company

awful service! unsafe outdoor kitchen appliances not securely fitted and so unsafe to se and as many factory mistakes had to remove a fire safety feature to get the appliances to fit in place - does not comply with fire safety regulations and are refusing to fix it

Although the salesperson was a little abrupt when we were not willing to make a decision on the day of measuring, we had a great experience with the staff over the phone and the installers. They were very friendly and installation was quick with the guys making sure they cleaned up afterwards. Love the look of our new blinds. Show details ·  1

Excellent service from the moment we contacted them, to the salesperson who came around, the person who measured up, the installers and the lady in the office. All exceptional and the quality of the blinds and the installation was superb, and thanks coming from a tradesperson. Keep up the great work guys. Show details ·  1

My outdoor blind looks fantastic. Very happy! The 2 installers were very quick & professional. The company was very helpful and it provided a quick turnaround after accepting quote. Show reply

My gosh was this a great experience AND education. We have a brand new home and we don't want to suffer on quality, so their choices, explanations, warranties, etc were well received. Great staff/team, and I absolutely loved it when I paid over the phone, when they said "welcome to the family". The blind(s) went in perfectly and it makes the home look very professional. Show details ·  1

I had a highly disappointing experience with this company. Before the project even began, I decided to cancel due to poor customer service. I spoke with Jessica (customer service), who was unhelpful and pushy, insisting that my husband be present for the design discussion despite my clear explanation that I could handle it alone, as we both knew… Read more

what we wanted. When I declined, she refused to accommodate and abruptly ended the call. I requested that my details be removed from their system, but the interaction left me doubting whether this was done. Overall, the lack of respect for my preferences and unprofessional behavior made me lose confidence in this company.

Wish I had read the reviews before paying my deposit. Pay deposit in early Jan with the promise of “professional service” and “top tier” etc… Artificial turf was promised to be installed mid Feb. After it got close to mid Feb and we hadn’t heard anything we attempted to contact the company to see what’s going on. After multiple voicemails and… Read more

online enquires (no email) we reached out personally to the salesman. Only then did they call us to arrange a “check measure”. Fast forward to check measure date and no one showed up.

Now we’re trying to get our deposit back and surprise surprise we can’t get in contact with anyone. We’ve been waiting for a refund “form” to fill out. Complete rubbish and unprofessional service. Not I only will never recommend this company to family and friends. I will actively advocate against this company.

Get stuffed and call me to arrange my refund asap

Our awful experience – We would not recommend this company based on our distasteful experience. for the reasons outlined below: From the beginning, we have experienced the following with this company: 1.       Initial scheduled consult cancelled last minute, and we were promised a subsequent discount for the inconvenience. We never received this discount. 2.       The… Read more

sales tactics used by the consultant were questionable, distasteful and honestly very off-putting. They "call their manager for a once off, limited time, special offer" that you have to accept or reject then and there.

3.       There was an error in the measurements from the manufacturers, resulting in a second installation date when we were not home, which was not our preference.

4.       The installers left significant amount of rubbish behind, strewn over our deck.

5.       There was permanent marker writing on the inside of the Pelmet box, visible to anyone on the deck. This has replaced at a third time the installers came onto our property.

6.       One of the clips was faulty from day 1. This was also replaced, but disconcerting that they installed a faulty clip without noticing or the clip defected in less than 8 hours.

7.       We had a saga (that is still not resolved) with one blind not being level, and the installers misleading us to say it was fixed when they literally changed nothing (as evidenced by no new drill holes etc). When we presented them with video and photo evidence of it being 20mm out (with 2 different types of levels in the photos, including a laser level), their response (copied and pasted from their email) was: "How is this not level, the bubble is within the lines and very exceptable in the building trade."

For anyone in the building industry, it is crystal clear how concerning and embarrassing that their installers believe that 20mm out is level. Even just a cursory search online by an amateur shows search results indicating that the bubble needs to be CENTRAL between the two lines, and by no means whatsoever touching one of the lines (as in the pictures).

Unfortunately, the blind is still not leveled and obvious to the naked eye. However, given how awful this company was to deal with and given that it is not actually impacting the function of the blinds, we decided to save ourselves the headache of dealing with them any further, and just let it go.

8.       They threatened to go to debt collectors after an email from us stating we would only make the final payment once the issue with the level had been resolved. Their immediate response was this threat. Abysmal customer service.

In our final email a few months ago, we wrote the following, and still have not received a response.

"We have just made payment, and hope this demonstrates that this is not about the money, but merely wanting the job done correctly. However, your company has proven awful to deal with, and we honestly don’t want to have any further dealings with you, let alone try to convince your installers of something that should be blindingly obvious to them. We do not even want them out here again to “fix it” after our recent interactions with you, and do not have the time or energy to be here to ensure they actually remedy the issue. We no longer trust that the installers will level it adequately, or cause any further issues while they are here.

We wish we took heed of the advice by other customers in their online reviews of your company, and went with a different company. We are looking forward to sharing our experience with other potential customers in our own online reviews of this company.

We hope you can actually hold some accountability for the above mentioned issues, and strive to do better by your customers, because your customer service leaves a lot to be desired.

Your installation manager is still welcome to give me a call to discuss if he genuinely wants to understand how these blinds are well and truly NOT level.

Thanks"

We are dreading the day something goes wrong with the blinds, as we just simply want nothing to do with such a disgusting company.

Please note that this review is written under a pseudonym for privacy reasons, but this is 100% a legitimate review.

Who knew blinds were this transformative? – The team were professional, friendly and worked swiftly. Their communication was respectful and careful. The end result is elegant, sturdy blinds that compliment our porch in both aestetic and style. We are incrediby happy with the end result, and highly recommend them. Show 2 replies

Amazing service, superior product – Brilliant service, quick installation. Superior product. Everyone at Australian Outdoor Living has been extremely friendly and a pleasure to deal with. Highly recommend! Show reply

Quality and add value to your house – The quality is superb and has add value to the house. I would recommend this to everyone who wants to install an veranda to your house, this will add value to your house and quality stuff. Show reply