Greg Musgrave paid Infinity Motorhomes director Bradley Boakes $95k for work not done

When grey nomad Greg Musgrave took his beloved motorhome to Infinity Motorhomes to have a leaky shower fixed, he thought it was in good hands. That trust has cost him almost $100k.

When grey nomad Greg Musgrave took his beloved motorhome to Gold Coast’s Infinity Motorhomes to have a leaky shower fixed, he thought it was in good hands.

Instead, Mr Musgrave claims 18 months of excuses, wild goose chases and empty promises left him almost $100,000 out of pocket – and the motorhome in worse condition than before.

Mr Musgrave, who lives in the Adelaide suburb of Glenelg, said the ordeal had tested his trust in other people.

“I’ve always been a positive sort of guy, I’ve had cancer twice and got through that, but I’ve always thought as long as I’m alive and breathing fresh air, it can be a good day,” he said.

“But this cut me down, it really did.

“I feel pretty bad about myself, I look at myself in the mirror and say ‘you’re a fool’.”

Greg Musgrave finally on the road with his motorhome.

The Office of Fair Trading is now investigating Mr Musgrave’s dealings with Upper Coomera man Bradley Boakes, the director of Infinity Motorhomes, which also traded as Gold Coast RV Repairs and B & P Compass Campers.

The company went into liquidation on February 7, following a Supreme Court wind-up, during which Infinity customers gave evidence their motorhomes had been sold by the company which had not passed on all the funds from the sales.

Liquidator Andre Lakomy reported more than $1.7m unaccounted for in the company and said Townsville-born Mr Boakes could be liable for $500,000 in insolvent trading claims.

Mr Musgrave said he’d agreed to a major refit of the motorhome by Mr Boakes, who promised him at the time he would “look forward to making a great motorhome greater mate”.

That was in November 2021, and he was told his pride and joy would be ready for handover in March 2022.

Bradley Boakes.

Bank statements, seen by the Gold Coast Bulletin, show Mr Musgrave paid Infinity $101,826 in December 2021 and January 2022 as “progress payments”.

The retiree says he travelled from Adelaide three times for handover of his motorhome, only to be given reason after reason why he couldn’t pick it up.

Mr Boakes also sent Mr Musgrave on pointless expeditions for parts: to Newcastle to meet a “Liam” for electronic sensors; to the side of the motorway near Brisbane to collect an ABS module from “Liam”; to meet a “Steve” in Armidale to pick up the ABS system.

Neither Liam nor Steve showed up as arranged.

Among Mr Boakes’ reasons for the delays, Mr Musgrave said, was a problem drying new paint, which had caused the $50,000 new slide-out module to jam.

The failure of the slide-out had, in turn, broken a lithium battery and the vehicle’s alternator.

Month after month more problems arose in Mr Musgrave’s vehicle, delaying handover until June this year when, crushingly, he discovered no slide-out had been installed and no new paint had been applied.

Greg Musgrave finally on the road with his motorhome.

In all, Mr Musgrave claims just $6484 worth of projects paid for by him had been completed.

He said even the leaky shower hadn’t been fixed.

“Before I left his depot I begged him with all my heart to justify why he (told) me countless times that all the 13 agreed projects were completed,” Mr Musgrave said.

Despite the liquidation, Gold Coast RV Repairs remained listed on Google this week, at an address in Jacob’s Well where Infinity never traded, with Mr Boakes’ mobile listed as the phone number.

When phoned by the Bulletin, Mr Boakes confirmed he returned Mr Musgrave’s motorhome in June this year, four months after Infinity Homes went into liquidation.

“It went into liquidation and I did it on my own bat to finish his vehicle and get it back to him,” he said.

“I was unemployed, wanted to do the right thing, gave him his vehicle back.”

When asked whether he disputed Mr Musgrave’s claims that he had not finished the motorhome as agreed, Mr Boakes said he would talk to the Bulletin after he spoke to the Office of Fair Trading.

“We are talking to Fair Trading about that now, there will be a resolution, hopefully today,” he said.

“I think (Mr Musgrave) will be ok, he’ll be happy after that.”

A screenshot of Gold Coast RV Repairs Google listing this week.

Mr Boakes said, despite the Google listing, Gold Coast RV Repairs wasn’t currently trading and that he’d been working as a mechanic.

Asked whether he was going to pay Mr Musgrave back, Mr Boakes said “I’ve got to wait for the Fair Trading meeting this afternoon on the phone”.

“I want to put everything to bed and everything tidied up so I’m more than happy to call you back after I’ve spoken to Fair Trading.”

Mr Boakes did not call back, nor return subsequent calls and messages.

The office told Mr Musgrave it would act as a “conciliator” between him and Mr Boakes, but that it could not force him to make a refund or take other action.

“If the conciliation process is unsuccessful and if you are still seeking any form of a refund, compensation, repairs or replacement under the Australia Consumer Law, you will need to contact QCAT if you wish to take your complaint further,” the office said in a letter to Mr Musgrave.

Responding to questions from the Gold Coast Bulletin, the OFT said it was “aware of this matter, however, it would be inappropriate to comment as enquiries are still being made”.

“The OFT assesses all complaints it receives and, if the information provided indicates a possible breach of the legislation the agency administers may have occurred, it is investigated,” the statement said.

“Under the Australian Consumer Law businesses must not take money from consumers for goods or services and fail to supply them.”

Liquidator Mr Lakomy said his investigations were continuing and urged any creditors to contact his office at AL Restructuring on [phone].

Greg Musgrave finally on the road with his motorhome.

Mr Musgrave, who has returned to life on the road in his unfinished motorhome, said he no longer cared about the money, but wanted to warn others about similar situations.

“I’ve always had faith in people and trust,” he said.

“I knew this guy pretty well, he’d done some good work for me on the motorhome in the past.

“There was a lot of red flags but he just kept giving me these plausible answers and I just kept my faith in him.

“It really hit me very badly but I got through it because of my family.”