How to deal with Builder's delaying tactics ?

Raz · Mar 28, 2008 12:16 am

Hi all,

What the best way of dealing with the 2 foll problems-? Should I escalate this and whats the best way to do this? It gets difficult.. ..they are building your home. I feel with builders they have you captive!!!

1.Tender issues:
My project builder agreed to give me an extension of tme on a special package which is no longer offered. When the tender arrived he did give it to me but put up the price by $2000. He agreed to have the price reduced by $1000 if I signed the tender in two days. So I did.

7/03/08 Signed tender. $Paid 3500deposit SC said that she would make handwritten changes to the tender - there were measurement errors which could not be typed up in one day The tender would be ready for me to sign on 11/03/08 (and would refund me the cheque if I was not fully happy with the tender)- cheque has now been banked).

Since that time I have been repeatedly asking for it and she keeps saying "this week". So in the meanwhile I have asked her to price other things for me which she has agreed would be priced separately and not added to the tender.

Today I sent her an email and she said that it still not ready and will be ready next week as she had to add other variations which I have asked her to price to it. !!!!!!!!!!!!!

It is now nearly three weeks for the tender to be ready. Prior to me paying the deposit they have had the tender ready in a few days time. I feel they are just delaying me.

Colour pack Issue: I rang the SC to inquire about a letter she had sent me regarding getting my exterior colours organised. She was surprised I had not received the colour pack and would inform colour pack consultant. When I received it the special package details were missing. So I called the colour pack consultant and she said " Oh I just sent you a generic colour pack you need to speak to your SC about this. So two weeks and three emails later SC sends me some email attachments of brochures- which cannot even be read!!!

Your help with be greatly appreciated.

Raz

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PhoenixStar · Mar 28, 2008 12:31 am

Sorry to hear about your issues Raz, I would be elevating it quick smart...you might be dealing with a Customer Service Rep who doesn't really care about their job or the level of customer service their providing at all.

Elevate it to their manager or higher up if you need to....

If this is the service you're getting now i shudder to think of what will happen during the building process?????

Let us know how you go!!! :evil:

Michelle · Mar 28, 2008 8:11 am

RAZ….I have a really busy day today, but I look forward to replying to this one later!!!!!! :evil:

Casa2 · Mar 28, 2008 8:37 am

Is there something in your contract that says that if there is more than a 45 day delay in commencement, then the price can be increased by 5% and you can't get out?

Rachelle · Mar 28, 2008 9:05 am

Hi Raz,

I guess I have similar issues with the same builder. I'm really taking my time though, I think I'm be up to tender 17 and I'm still making changes! I've found them pretty easy going, but some things take time to price. Who are you dealing with again? Initials will do if you don't want to mention names. I have piles and piles of pricing that hasn't been added to my latest tender, and they're currently waiting on me to sift through all the extras and sort out what I want in and out.

In regards to the colour pack. I also only recieved the standard colour pack, I figure we'll pick all the extras at the colour consultation. I wasn't too concerned as I was thinking that at the colour consultation I could view the materials in person and if I had to go away and decide, ask advice here etc

, then I would just take away samples. What brochures did they send you?

Raz · Mar 28, 2008 9:25 am

Thanks Phoenix, Casa2, Michelle and Rachelle was your help.

Casa2

Is there something in your contract that says that if there is more than a 45 day delay in commencement, then the price can be increased by 5% and you can't get out?

The tender says that it is valid only until he expirty date show on the tender ( about 4 months) and then the builder can increase prices!!!!!( doesnt give a percentage). Havent signed a contract yet. Well I guess if I dont sign the contract loose $3500 and have no house

Rachelle, I am dealing with JB, and we specifically agreed (in wiriting )since I had only part signed the tender that she would price the other things separately and not put them in the tender. What concerns me is that she has been saying that the tender will be ready "this week" for the past three weeks but yesterday said to me that its delayed becos I wanted things priced!

Thanks once again

Raz

sammy · Mar 28, 2008 2:02 pm

Hi Raz,
i think you should change the sales rep.

You should have give them 2500 deposit (3500 minus 1000 they owe you).

We spent around 3000 with one builder then backed out at council stage. Then spent 500 with another builder for another tender before going with our current builder. we did it because we were not happy with their service. We do not want to spend 300k with someone we are not happy with. In the overall picture, loosing your $3500 is nothing compared to headache you may get later on if this continue.

If the builder (or their employees) are like this BEFORE you sign your contract with them, what would they be like afterwards?

Raz · Mar 29, 2008 7:47 pm

Thanks everyone for their replies. Sammy you are absolutely right. I should have given them only $2500 as a deposit. I should have asked before going ahead and signing the tender.

Well, I called up the SC on Friday and said that I had not asked for the variations to be added to the tender and prior to me paying my deposit the tenders were ready in a few days time. ( Actually she seems like such a nice person).

Well she finally admitted that the delay was really due to the fact there were a lot of other tenders waiting to be priced and a couple of the estimators were away. Maybe once you pay your deposit you go to the back of the queue.??

I received an email from her too on Fri to say that she would try to have it ready for me by Tues. ( fingers crossed!!)

Thank you all once again. Where would I be without this forum? Here there is information and advice and a shoulder to cry on when building probs appear!

Raz

Rachelle · Mar 29, 2008 11:58 pm

I'm dealing with her too. I actually really like her. When she can she hurries things and then sometimes I don't hear from her for weeks. If I ring and harrass she'll try to speed it up but yes, can be very frustrating.

Actually right now I am waiting. I put in a request for some pricing about two or three weeks ago, and haven't heard a thing. I'm kind of hoping they haven't touched it though as I've changed my mind about a hundred things since then! I'm going to call her on Monday and see where we're at. I think if you stay quiet you stay at the back of the queue.

In January I received my first set of plans and I was really frustrated because they'd missed my last set of changes, even though they'd drawn after I put them in. It was also about a month late, and they blamed it on some confusion. I sent her a curt email saying I was feeling really frustrated with all the delays (including xmas etc) and I got great service for a long while after that. Until this last set! Maybe they are really swamped, I haven't even heard from her in two or three weeks.

I also paid $3500.