Well I've [mostly] gotten over my frustration from yesterday's pre-selection meeting.
Some things that happened include:
- Consultant started the conversation by telling us that the pack she had for us didn't contain all the brochures we needed and some were missing which she didn't have. (These were found before leaving, but not a great first impression)
- Consultant didn't know our contact details and asked we write them down on a blank A4 piece of paper. (Strange considering the company had our $2,000, and why not write it on a client consultation record form?)
- Consultant didn't know what house we were wanting to build (also strange as the company has our $2,000)
- Consultant didn't know what 'promotion' we had been offered (again as above)
- Consultant directed a large portion of the discussion at my husband, rarely looking at me (it's not 1940's is it? Women can speak now can't they?)
- The brochures in the pack don't actually indicate what's standard and what is an upgrade. She had to write "S" and "U" on everything. Interestingly when she got to the door brochure she pointed out that only ONE of the external doors was standard, anything else we had to pay more for. However I've already been told three of them are standard, to which she hesitantly wrote an "S" on the one we liked.
- On several occasions Consultant told us different information and prices to what we've already been told
- We walk through the house and Consultant points out things that have been upgraded. We walk into the main bedroom and I ask "So this room, what ISN'T included". "What you see is what you get". My husband says "Oh great! The wall paper is included". "Oh no, that's not included". You should have seen the look my husband gave me.
- Lots of upgrades have been done throughout the display house that we didn't realise prior to putting down our deposit (our fault for not checking more thoroughly), one example: Our promotion includes ceaserstone 20mm tops, but the display house has 30mm. Apparently 30mm benchtops aren't even an option we can chose. The display house benchtop has apx 40-50mm side overhangs, the standard house has no side overhangs. It's a small thing but just makes me wonder exactly what else is different.
- Consultant recommends we get "waterfall edges" to the kitchen benchtop because the 20mm ceaserstone may crack if we don't. I'm unsure why Sekisui are selling and installing a 20mm benchtop without waterfall edges if it is not strong enough. So to make their $1,950 promotion structurally sound it's going to cost $450 each side.
Edit: The consultant above no longer works at Sekisui and was not Hayley. Hayley was our second consultant and is terrific.