Browse Forums Building A New House Re: M3tricon has sacked us - Absolutely amazing 81Sep 16, 2008 4:50 pm No offence taken at all Art, it's interesting to hear alternative points of view.
Just a quick browse on the four biggest builders website, everyone of them referred to providing an 'excellence in customer service' or a 'passion for customer service' interestingly a couple also mention priding themselves on 'providing individualised solutions for customers needs' so these places certainly aren't marketing themselves as budget, no frills builders! Point taken but I think we we will just have to agree to disagree on this one! Re: M3tricon has sacked us - Absolutely amazing 82Sep 16, 2008 4:59 pm Sharee No offence taken at all Art, it's interesting to hear alternative points of view. Just a quick browse on the four biggest builders website, everyone of them referred to providing an 'excellence in customer service' or a 'passion for customer service' interestingly a couple also mention priding themselves on 'providing individualised solutions for customers needs' so these places certainly aren't marketing themselves as budget, no frills builders! Point taken but I think we we will just have to agree to disagree on this one! Yep, absolutely agree with you. If they claim exceptional customer service, then we all have an expectation of it being delivered. I'm in complete agreement. I'm merely talking the general realities of volume project builders, or any other volume based business model. It's very difficult to provide personalised service on small margins. Some do it very well, some not..... Re: M3tricon has sacked us - Absolutely amazing 83Sep 16, 2008 5:05 pm Everyone here has made their choices about builder and home design with as much information as they feel they need.
There is no "best fit" for the service/quality mix or "one-size-fits-all" Different people have different needs - so you need to find the builder that best suits you. Only you have to live with the decisions you've made - so if you're happy - that's great! Ed by mod After 4 years - we're in! Re: M3tricon has sacked us - Absolutely amazing 84Sep 17, 2008 7:41 am Dear members, This thread has been returned after some 'cleaning' Please keep the useful and unemotional debate in, and the namecalling out. IF you would like to insult abuse or annoy members of this forum, perhaps you might like to revisit the terms and conditions of being a Homeone member, or worse still, consider your time on this forum limited. Healthy debate is welcomed and encouraged, hence the fact that this thread has been edited not deleted. There is a fine line, dont cross it again please. Adrian B Re: M3tricon has sacked us - Absolutely amazing 85Sep 17, 2008 8:52 am Minx We went to the Henley display home, the house we saw was the Ascot which my partner and I really liked. When I inquired on the price as is, my partner was blown away. There was at least 3 jetmaster fireplaces in this house and my partner said there was no way that he could build a house like that for that price. He is simply small fish and does not have the buying power that the large builders have. My partner did however find quite a few faults in the display home quality wise. In addition, my partner does use quality sub contractors who would laugh at him if he offered anything but their rates which differs substantially to the rates big project builders pay. That above is one of many reasons that custon builders cannot compete price wise with the large volume builders. We have a friend who is a custom builder in Perth. We found the exact same thing. We showed him our plans and asked for his advice on what things he thought we should be looking for/asking for/had missed in the plans and he asked us what we'd been quoted price wise for the build. He then told us what he would charge to build it. it was about 60 k more. But he was able to advise us on some things he felt the builder should include for that some of which the builder hadn't put in. Last time we built a house design pretty similar to one built by a volume builder but we built with a smaller builder. It cost us about 1/5 more than it would have done with the large builder but we got all quality tradies, and the house went from slab to handover in 41/2 months. Slab 1st week in Dec - keys april 19th. Other houses around us took 6 mnths plus+ This was in a peak building time when people were being employed as brickies for builders after 2-3 weeks training and not being supervised. I'm not exaggerating about the 2-3 wks training either.I watched the house behind us being built and the brickies were shocking. I completed a 6 weekend brickie course soon after our house was built ( for my own interest) and I'd have done a better job. Admittedly the guy who ran our course was an old timer brickie who insisted we "do it right'. Their bricking skills were shocking to watch. At the time brickies were in very short supply and there were a lot of plugs for a 2 wk full time brickies course people could do to become brickies for builders. I think they were meant to be under the supervision of an experienced brickie but in the case of the 3 houses directly behind our house all being built by the same builder there was one guy between the 3 houses who seemed to know what he was doing. he seemed to disappear for longish periods of time so heaven knows how many other houses he was working/supervising on as well. Re: M3tricon has sacked us - Absolutely amazing 86Sep 17, 2008 11:03 am Yes, M3tricon certainly promises superior and excellent customer service. Their website also promises to let you customise your house and have a superior experience.
They want to portray themselves as being brilliant and then at times they don't live up to the promises. As I posted previously they had the chance to retrieve the situation by letting us swap houses but wouldn't negotiate at all. It is now 4 days after us being terminated and still no word on how much will be refunded. I'll keep you all posted. I have written once and asked when we should expect to find out and the manager said soon - whatever that translates to I'm not sure yet. Dale. Re: M3tricon has sacked us - Absolutely amazing 88Sep 19, 2008 9:19 am Hi everyone,
Just to update everyone we have just received the below email from M3tricon. Whilst a refund of $3000 is good it still leaves us out of pocket by $1000. I'm not sure yet what we will do about that. Dale. Mr Reardon, We have spent to date $1209.72 plus the standard 10% GST that should be added if this amount was to be formatted into a tax invoice. This cost does not include drafting costs for the PC you had signed nor does it include administrational costs. I estimate drafting cost at approx $1000 to date and admin costs at approx $250. Despite all of the associated costs that tally more than $2500 dollars and in the best interest of our current relationship, I have decided to request a refund of $3000. I have processed the required paperwork and forwarded it to our head office and I anticipate the refund should be forthcoming within 2 weeks, please advise me should you not receive it after this timeframe so I can follow up on it for you. Thanks Bendigo/Gisborne Area Manager Metricon Homes Pty. Ltd. "Love where you live" Re: M3tricon has sacked us - Absolutely amazing 89Sep 19, 2008 9:44 am I think that is a very good outcome. They paid for the soil test and such and so I doubt you would ever get the full amount back.
Hopefully your new build is hassle free My karma ran over your dogma Re: M3tricon has sacked us - Absolutely amazing 90Sep 19, 2008 10:01 am I am with Haywgl, That is a fantastic result you really would have to pleased with that outcome and an extra $3000 to spend on your new home.
Don't know if you saw my thread Dale, but I don't get my $3000 back and all we had done were some drawings. I am aware that is the agreement we entered into with our builder though. So at the end of the day you get to be happier somewhere else and have some extra dollars to put to somethinglovely in your new home. Good luck moving forward. It sounds like another new adventure is about to begin for you. Re: M3tricon has sacked us - Absolutely amazing 91Sep 19, 2008 10:05 am I agree, I think it's a fantastic result.... we lost $1500 when we changed houses.. but still stayed with M.
But, we were further along the path. Where's that Carlisle thread Dale? Looking forward to the next chapter of your story!! Jo I leave you to fend for yourself, figure things out yourself. Terrence Malick Re: M3tricon has sacked us - Absolutely amazing 92Sep 19, 2008 12:45 pm That was what I expected.
Because when we initially left M, we weren't able to refund the $1k for the soil test cost. When we went back to them, we ensured that we would get a credit for that $1k that we initially paid. Even with PD, when we left, we were out of pocket by $650 and $3k with AVJ (because we were about to sign the contract.. and there were lots of drawings made). Yes, looking forward to your new thread re: your build with Carlisle. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Built the Nevada 42 Next project - landscaping! Re: M3tricon has sacked us - Absolutely amazing 93Sep 19, 2008 3:38 pm While I can't comment on the exact circumstances, I'd certainly be pushing for the full $4000 back. "They" terminated the contract, and unless they expressly stated the upfront costs are not refundable if "they" terminate the contract, then they are liable for a full refund.
Really, they are ultimately deciding they don't want you as a client, without a specific reason. I can understand the validity if they made the claim that the site wasn't suitable for building with them because of slopes, soil type etc and it costed them x dollars to determine this, therefore refunding 4000-x. But this is a different circumstance entirely. If I go to a business, any business, and give them a deposit to provide me with a good or service, and they back out of the deal, they are liable to provide me with a full deposit back, unless an agreement that costs may be incurred was made prior to the deposit being handed over. It doesn't matter if it costed them money. Their incurred cost is not my problem if they violate a contract…It sounds harsh, but that's reality. I'd personally contact fair trading. Re: M3tricon has sacked us - Absolutely amazing 94Sep 19, 2008 4:29 pm I actually agree with Art, I think its a totally different situation when a customer pulls out of a contract and loses some of the deposit, but I think they owe you the lot back. If you're over the whole thing and just want to get on with the business of building your house I totally understand but if it was me I would fight for every cent. Re: M3tricon has sacked us - Absolutely amazing 95Sep 19, 2008 4:33 pm I think the thing is though, there is actually something in return for the thousand dollars.... the results of the soil test and contour survey.
I know when we signed and paid the first thousand for the soil test and survey, we were informed that this is non-refundable. I really think there's little chance of getting it back, as the service it was paid for has been provided. I leave you to fend for yourself, figure things out yourself. Terrence Malick Re: M3tricon has sacked us - Absolutely amazing 96Sep 19, 2008 4:41 pm Basic tenet of contract law....no matter how badly the sh*t hits the fan....a contractor is entitled to be paid for work done....whilst the situation stinks they are entitled for payment for work completed...any tribunal, arbitration, or civil court will follow that basic tenet. Re: M3tricon has sacked us - Absolutely amazing 98Sep 21, 2008 10:01 pm I think it's absolutely appalling that they would dare keep any of your money. I'm sure you wouldn't have paid the deposit if you thought that there was a chance that they could pull out and keep any of it, that's just ridiculous.
Sure you might have gotten something for it but in the end you paid the deposit for them to build you a house, they don't want to so they owe it to you back. I don't think you will be given a $1k rebate on your next home for the soil test so why should you be out of pocket. I'm appalled! Soil test, survey 99Sep 22, 2008 8:39 am I would be wary about viewing paying for the soil tests and survey as having something of value. I think you will find (from previous similar experience) that when you engage someone else to build your house their foundation engineers will want their own set of soil tests (presumably from testing company they always use and have a contractual relationship with). ie your old soil tests will be useless and of no value (other than comparing or as a personal cross check).
I managed to "fight" to use our old survey but lost the soil test argument. Not that I put up a big fight at this early stage with new builder. In terms of paying for work complete under Contracts you do not have to pay for work that has to be re-done. Alternatively view it as paying for work complete minus costs of rework / rectification. That said it depends on what you have signed off to with your Prelim Contract. My experience was also M but we pulled out rather than them "sacking" us as I had had enough of them. However initially I had refused to sign their onerous standard Prelim Contract and so had a modified version in place using my clauses. Re: M3tricon has sacked us - Absolutely amazing 100Sep 22, 2008 10:42 am There is not an automatic presumption that a person pulling out of a contract must be paid for the work done. Basically you assess damages - M has breached the contract by terminating when not allowed to so then it is a question of what loss have we suffered.
As others have said correctly we cannot use the soil report etc with a new builder so the damages we have suffered are the full 4000. If we decide to pursue the final 1000, as a tactical meausre we won't be taking any action until the 3000 is in our hands. Even though they have promised to refund it there is never any guarantee until we receive the money. We just received an email from our sales rep today and she is very bitter and angry still. She is upset over not getting paid anything and very annoyed and upset that we dared ask for a discount. Basically it seems they got rather annoyed at us mentioning a discount rather than negotiating to let us swap to a different house and everyone staying satisfied. Dale. I work with owner, he/she is my man on the ground and I instruct them when to visit the site and take photos and I have other tools in the bag. 4 15282 4 14300 Thank you so much. This has been very helpful. We definitely wish to settle and get these people out of our life. They are trying to charge us interest on late… 7 14278 |