SMS Strata

Avoid like the plague!! – Coffs Harbour SMS are incompetent, dishonest, and don't even try to raise your concerns. They will only double down on their actions and you will receive no apology. Mistakes all through finances, inaccurate meeting minutes and poor / incorrect advice. When approached they will dishonestly try to cover their tracks.

If you can, find another strata manager or do it yourself – Coffs SMS management is dismal. In the four months I have been dealing with them they have failed to obtain quotes; gave incorrect information about strata meetings; ignored requests to add items to meeting agenda and included unnecessary charges in budgets.

Is this Coffs worst strata managers? – The licensee has displayed a lack of professionalism by not providing information that I asked for and then retaliated by asking me to seek approval for something that at least several other owners have done without any approval. If it looks like discrimination then maybe it is. Not a good look

Terrible service and unqualified Strata Managers – I have had a terrible experience over the past 5 years dealing with SMS Strata. The Strata Managers are not competent to do their roles. They cannot answer simple questions relating to approval requirement for capital works or changes to by-laws, yet they are chairing meetings and organising works to be completed - very alarming. They constantly… Read more

make mistakes - incorrect meeting minutes (not including electronic votes and recording discussion as decisions without the appropriate approvals in place). Levies notices regularly have errors. Currently my most recent AGM minutes are incorrect and my current levy notice has two errors and despite raising this with SMS nothing has been done to resolve these errors. Also, the customer service is non existent. I regularly have emails ignored and I am currently waiting for my Strata to respond to my request to fix THEIR mistakes from over two weeks ago. This organisation should be audited by Fair Trading.

SMS Strata PARRAMATTA – Have been dealing with SMS Strata Solutions PARRAMATTA for more than 9 years and am very happy with the service they have provided to date. Strata problems are dealt with in a timely manner and all issues brought up by residents committee are resolved democratically. The staff are always available and emergencies are always acted upon.

Good results after reorganisation – I have first come across SMS services in 2010. The management at that time came across as confrontational and dismissive of my requests for fair hearing of my concerns. One of them was to have installed in our units individual water meters as the communal meter use was not even and the costs to Owners Corporation unfair. The Manager objected and… Read more

tried to dissuade me from lodging motion for this as well as a motion seeking permission to build a loft above my unit. Both projects completed eventually. Our Strata Committee has come back to SMS 18 months ago after having engaged 2 other strata managers with unsatisfactory service provisions. Those hard fights are over and the SMS New Team has shown a good attitude to continue their improvement in relationships with clients.

One star is TOO much – I bought a property to live in many years ago in Coffs Harbour. As is the case with the majority of residential properties in this town, it is covered by a strata arrangement. My home was, and continues to be "managed" by SMS Strata Management Services. They have NEVER behaved in a professional manner. Rather, they BULLY us customers, attempt to… Read more

stand over owners in order to extract unjustifiable fees and repeatedly LIE to cover their lack of actual knowledge regarding strata legislation and their total ineptitude. Lazy, poorly trained, inexperienced, and expensive - but always with a sweet little smile. YUK

SMS Strata PARRAMATTA Terrible! – Don't sign them up! Beware! Their contract allows them to charge ridiculously for everything from faxes to emails to phone calls to archiving to storage and they even charge $20 for every single work order / request they send to contractors. Their charges do not equal the delivery of strata services. You would be better off to find a company… Read more

that delivers a great service and does not bleach you for every cent.

Do not sign up SMS Parramatta as they are money pits!

Professional,obliging, informative, to deal with !!! – I have been dealing with SMS Strata at Coffs for 18 mths, since moving from Brisbane after 20 years. Found them to be professional , informative, to deal with, after dealing with BCS QLD for 20 years not a good experience I tell you , was a very good feeling dealing with the staff at SMS. I know from experience that the main problem with Strata… Read more

Living is not all management companies , but

Lack of communication from off site owners , real estate property agents, as to problems of common area in stratas.

All they want is to collect their rent etc. If all owners agents etc would get involved in advising problems , things such as common problems would be able to be kept a mimimum, properties with good outlook in strata activity by all partys , owners agents, property managers.Only increase their value.

I reinterate that my dealings with SMS Strata Coffs , have to my point of view trying to achieve this aim.

Charge for things not necessary – We have used SMS at Coffs harbour and I became aware of several charges that we received that should never have been paid then when I looked into the Financials as I am a registered accountant and tax agent I found we were being charged for tax returns that are not necessary and also an EBIT charge that we didn't need to pay and WHS was always on… Read more

the agenda too when no-one works from the premises. The tax returns merely need to have a no longer necessary lodged with the ATO and then if necessary later on re establish them. So the charge of $95 each year by a local accounting firm is not only not necessary but excessive for a NIL return.

New levels of incompetence – Normally one can find at least one positive no matter how bad an organisation is, but not in the case of SMS, unresponsive, uncommunicative, no follow up, no reporting procedure, little or no knowledge of Strata Law. Never mind the worst strata management company imaginable, just the worst company I have ever encountered.

Unbelievably awful - Don't go near them – I have never dealt with any company that is so unprofessional. Please check your financial statements as I have found numerous errors in their annual statements. I always thought they were just completely incompetent but I have my doubts and wonder if there is broader unethical practices at play within SMS Strata. If using SMS Strata I would… Read more

suggest changing. I have recently moved to EC Strata and have found them very helpful. ecstrata.com.au

SMS are abysmal – I have had the misfortune to deal with SMS Coffs Harbour for the last 8+ years when managing my apartment complex at Emerald Beach. Their service has been terrible; they simply ignore emails, and their staff are passive aggressive and rude and they make decisions without consulting owners. I am responsible for initiating the move to another strata… Read more

manager, and my early experience is they are vastly superior in virtually every way that counts. Avoid SMS like the plague.

Unresponsive. Rude. Expensive. Overly eager to spend their clients money with zero consultation.

Absolutely terrible – I have nothing positive to say about SMS Strata. They are utterly incompetent to the point where my apartment is now inhabitable due to their negligence. [name removed] the person I dealt with is rude, defensive and unhelpful. If they spent a fraction of their time dealing with the issues rather than trying to cover their in ability to manage anything they may not have such an awful reputation. Don't use them! Incompetent

Terrible – Beware! Like many people entering into Strata living, I was made aware of my rights and responsibilities at the time of purchase, including the avenues available (via the OFT) for addressing problems should they arise. The people at SMS are arrogant, rude, deceitful and duplicitous, They look after the interest only a couple of owners and treat… Read more

the rest with contempt. They know every trick in the book and know exactly how flaunt the mediation process, making it a long, arduous and ultimately very expensive process as at the end of the day, one has no option but to engage a property solicitor and take the matter to court. Interestingly, I too bought into a strata plan managed by SMS Coffs Harbour and I don't have one positive thing to say. The cons are too numerous to list but the problems I have with SMS have become so bad that I'm currently examining my options for taking legal action against this company.

Terrible – I am merely a tenant in a building administered by SMS in Coffs Harbour, even though the property has been flooded four times in the past two and a half years no representative from SMS has bothered to view the drainage problems let alone consider addressing them. They appear to be purposely running the building into the ground. Absolutely NOTHING Zero communication, constantly using meetings as excuse for zero communication

Terrible – As it seems to be impossible to contact this company, Hopeless is how I feel and I am looking for a way to change management. nothing and I would like to make the star rating minus. We have tried repeatedly to contact SMS as I am part owner of a property in Coffs Harbour. We even WENT there, to no avail. They are ALWAYS "in a meeting or at… Read more

lunch" I fear that all management fees paid to these people go into admin. However, Unfortunately, there seems to be no admin taking place on our building.

Terrible – We have dealt with SMS in excess of 2 years, as they have managed a property for us in Coffs Harbour. During this time, the service has rapidly deteriorated - to a point where they are now displaying total neglect. We have been trying to address urgent repairs and issues with the property, and they are simply not responding to any emails that have… Read more

been sent. How is this property management?

I would not reccommend their services to anyone, even to the point that I would not purchase another strata-based property that was associated with them. Currently none. The main issues regarding SMS are communication and inexperienced staff.

Good – Over the years as a property manager I had numerous dealings with SMS over various body corporate issues and properties. During this time I am pleased to say they handled most matters quickly and efficiently. This included insurance claims and account paying for items associated with common areas. Now SMS manage a property for me and I would… Read more

recommend them as being professional to deal with. Business is owned by an ex-real estate agent, they physically inspected my property prior to our first body corporate meeting, prompt with insurance/account enquiries. Change of staff - but that comes with the territory.