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An Adelaide mum is warning other Aussies about the risks of hiring help through popular online platforms after she feared expensive items collected by a delivery driver engaged through Airtasker were gone for good.
Vanessa Mortimer has been renovating her cherished holiday home on South Australia’s Yorke Peninsula, a place that held precious memories of her late husband, David, and daughter, Ebony, who tragically lost their lives in a car crash in 2006.
Mortimer turned to Airtasker on Friday to find a delivery driver for new wardrobes and furniture worth $15,000.
But while they were collected from the pick-up point, the items weren’t delivered to the home.
“(I went) into shock and panic because I had spent so much money,” Mortimer told 9News.
When she couldn’t get in touch with the man she hired, Mortimer turned to police.
“They actually took it upon themselves to ring him and then and then I woke up to abusive messages the next day,” she said.
After a stressful 48 hours, during which she feared she had lost the lot, Mortimer did get her items delivered.
Now, she wants her experience to serve as a warning to others.
Airtasker told Nine News it takes the security of its users very seriously
Users have been advised to only exchange messages through the platform and check a tradesperson’s qualifications and online reviews.
“Gone are the days that we can just trust,” Mortimer said.