Last updated: 19 August 2026

Tree work is disruptive, weather-dependent and occasionally does not go the way anyone intended. When that happens we would far rather hear about it directly than read about it somewhere else. This policy sets out exactly what to expect if you need to complain.

The quickest route

Phone (09) 101 1024 or email contact@treeremovalauckland.nz. Most problems are resolved on the first call once we understand what happened. You do not need to follow a formal process to be taken seriously.

1. Our commitments

You will not be treated as a nuisance for complaining.
We will acknowledge your complaint quickly and tell you who is handling it.
We will investigate properly, including talking to the crew who did the work.
We will explain what we find, in plain language, including where we got it wrong.
Complaining costs you nothing and does not affect any warranty or outstanding work.
Nothing in this policy limits your rights under New Zealand consumer law.

2. How to make a complaint

Phone: (09) 101 1024 during working hours — Monday to Friday 7am–6pm, Saturday 8am–4pm.
Email: contact@treeremovalauckland.nz at any time.

To help us deal with it quickly, please include where you can:

your name, the property address and the approximate date of the work;
your quote or invoice number if you have it;
what happened and what you would like done about it;
photographs, if the complaint relates to property damage or the standard of work.

If photographs are relevant, take them as soon as you can. Site conditions change quickly and evidence taken at the time is far more useful to both of us.

3. What happens, and when

Stage	What we do	Timeframe
Acknowledgement	Confirm we have received it and tell you who is handling it	1 working day
Initial response	Talk it through with you and attempt an immediate resolution	2 working days
Investigation	Review job records, speak to the crew, inspect the site if needed	Within 10 working days
Written outcome	Explain our findings, what we will do, and by when	Within 15 working days
Remedial work	Carry out any agreed rectification	By agreed date
Review	If you are unsatisfied, the founder reviews it personally	Within 10 working days of your request

If something will take longer — a site inspection needs a dry day, or an insurer or third-party contractor is involved — we will tell you why and give you a revised date rather than letting it go quiet.

4. Possible outcomes

Depending on what we find, we may:

return to site and complete or correct work that was not done properly;
arrange and pay for repair of damage caused by our negligence, or handle it through our public liability insurance;
adjust or credit an invoice where a charge was not justified;
explain, with reasoning, why we consider the work was carried out correctly — including where the outcome was an unavoidable consequence of the job rather than a fault;
apologise and change how we do something, where the problem was in our process or communication.

5. Things worth knowing in advance

Some complaints come up often enough to be worth explaining here, because knowing beforehand usually prevents the disappointment:

Ground marking. Some marking of lawns and soft ground is normal in tree work, even with protection down. We minimise it; we cannot eliminate it.
Stump grinding depth. Depth is limited by what is underneath. Where rock or services stop us reaching the quoted depth, we will tell you at the time rather than afterwards.
Remaining trees. Removing a tree changes wind exposure and light for the trees around it. That is a natural consequence of removal, not a defect in the work.
Regrowth. Some species regrow from a cut stump. Grinding stops it; cutting alone does not.
Weather delays. We will reschedule for high wind, electrical storms or unsafe ground. There is never a charge when we do.
Scope. The written quote defines what was included. If something you expected is not in it, tell us — sometimes that is our omission, and we will put it right.

6. If we cannot resolve it

If you are not satisfied after our internal review, you have several independent options. Using any of them does not affect the others.

Disputes Tribunal

The Disputes Tribunal resolves civil claims informally, without lawyers, at low cost. It is the usual route for a dispute about the standard or cost of work. See how to make a claim.

Consumer Protection

Consumer Protection (part of MBIE) provides free guidance on your rights under the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993 and the Fair Trading Act 1986. Under the CGA, services must be carried out with reasonable care and skill, be fit for purpose, and be completed within a reasonable time.

Privacy complaints

Complaints about how we handled your personal information can go to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner (0800 803 909). See our privacy policy.

Accessibility complaints

Concerns about disability access can be raised with the Human Rights Commission (0800 496 877), which offers free confidential dispute resolution. See our accessibility statement.

Health and safety concerns

If you believe work was carried out unsafely, you can notify WorkSafe New Zealand. We would also like to know directly.

Unconsented tree work

Concerns that tree work was carried out without a required resource consent are a matter for Auckland Council, which handles compliance and enforcement under the Resource Management Act.

7. Records and learning

We keep a record of complaints and what we did about them, held in accordance with our privacy policy. They are reviewed periodically so recurring problems get fixed at the source — in how we quote, brief or carry out work — rather than being resolved one at a time.

8. Contact

Tree Removal Auckland
Phone: (09) 101 1024
Email: contact@treeremovalauckland.nz
Servicing the Auckland region, New Zealand

Complaints Policy