SHONKY REAL ESTATE

In addition to all the SHONKYstuff homebuilders and renovators bump into there is the eubquitious 'Real Estate Agent'. 

•  Just how many SADstories involving these people are there out there? 

•  Just how many ROTTENdeals have gone down in Australia in the last week/month/whatever?

•  Just how many real estate  RIPoffs have there been in Australia this year?

One big inhibitor is the threat of 'legal action' if they are talked about out loud and on the record. The ZEBRAaustralia Network has over recent years learnt jusy how effective SOCIALnetworking can be in saving people's homes – and sometime their life savings too.

Busy people are all too often the 'hapless victims' and far too many times so too are the inexperienced homemakers out there looking for somewhere to make 'HOME'.  Its time we started to share our knowledge and experiences and put those depending on trading in real estate at the RIGHTprice, and with BESTpractice  in play, on the front foot. Social networking should mitigate against SHONKYdeals  so let's share are stories and tell our Real Estate Agents that we are networked ... ZEBRAaustralia Networked in fact. That way, like it has been with builders, SHONKYdealer will be more inclined to 'back off'.  For more information email coordinator@zebraaustralia.net

We Are Ourselves ... We Know Who We Are

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OUR ZEBRA ADVISOR NETWORK IS UNDER THREAT

ZEBRAaustralia thinks that it is serious business to be looking after consumers even if we seek no payment for our efforts. We can at the very least work behind the scenes to help homebuilders investing in 'A HOME' in these difficult times ! Would that be a bridge too far? 

ZEBRA looks and listens!

A STORY TO THINK ABOUT

NOW, there is a company that the network is currently corresponding with that seems to want our network to be disbanded – or at least out of business under our name. The argument seems to be our use of "ZEBRA"and ZEBRAstripes contravenes their interest in a TRADE MARK and business. We are working to clarify the issues and we will keep you all informed. This MIGHT turn out to be a case study – but let's see where the discussions go!

WATCH THIS SPACE!

Government takes over builders insurance scheme

http://www.abc.net.au/news/video/2010/04/09/2869082.htm

GOVERNMENT TO TAKEOVER DOMESTIC BUILDING INSURANCE

http://www.premier.vic.gov.au/component/content/article/9911.html

Time To Grow The Herd Again

Today being election day means that by the time anyone gets to read this post the political spectrum in Tasmania and South Australia may well have changed – and dramatically.

The bureaucrats will still be there doing their thing and Councils, will most likely, be in business as usual mode. Anyway, think about the results and look for the opportunities to give shonky builders a shake.

If you have been done over by a builder maybe its time to take some action. We know that a lot of people have been shonked-over by their builders, plumbers, subcontractors, engineers, Council Inspectors and the list just goes on.

If any of this sounds like you, perhaps its time to tell your stories. If you know someone who this sounds like tell them.

If not why not? We also know that some people are scared to tell their stories. Why might that be? Have you been bullied and intimidated?

If now is the time to kick this can again pass the word and get everyone kicking together. And hey, if you have some GOOD NEWS please let us know– we know its not ALL bad.

Leave a comment here or write to coordinator@zebraaustralia.net There are books to publish and lots more to be done.

If you have not been yet go to: www.zebraaustralia.net

Tasmanian Government Seems To Be Ducking The Issues

ZEBRAaustralia thinks that if the Tasmanian Government is serious about looking after consumers it could at the very least work behind the scenes to to help homebuilders investing in Tasmania in these difficult times ! Would that be a bridge too far?  ZEBRA looks and listens Review: March 28, 2009

A STORY TO THINK ABOUT

A disgruntled home owner reports from St. Helens that he has been fighting for 3 years without success to get his house fixed. All parties are aware that the defective house is the responsibility of the builder and even though the State Government has been contacted almost daily since construction was completed, they have not provided any assistance.

The home owner reports that the Premier is holding a forum in St.Helens on the 5th April 2009, 1pm - 4.30pm and that he advised the Premiers office by fax and also a government adviser, Terry Field, that he intended to turn up with signs and placards and that he would be bringing members of Zebra if the Government didn't do something. 

As a result, the homer owner received a call from Lisa Singh's office stating that she and Terry Field have agreed to meet at his house after the forum at 5pm. They have also agreed to return on the Monday to meet with the home owner if they do not have enough time to cover everything on the Sunday.
 
The home owner will notify Zebra once the outcome of this inspection by government officials is known, hopefully it will be positive as the government legislation, position and the lack of support through an ineffective dispute resolution system has been inadequate up until this time!

More news to come!

WATCH THIS SPACE

Tasmania And Building Accreditation

Well there is a ‘Legislative Council Select Committee’ looking into builder’s accreditation and it is holding public hearings. (Launceston Examiner last Wednesday) While the evidence of architects, engineers and building surveyors is relevant one has to wonder when a builder’s ethics and viability might come under scrutiny.

At some time soon this needs to become an issue!

We can sideline a ‘sex offender’ in the community but builders who behave shabbily seem to be immune from like treatment. It can be argued that they can reek as much havoc as any sex offender. There is even evidence for it!

So Committee chairman Paul Harris might consider taking evidence from the finance sector (bankers, accountants, insurers, et al) and the legal fraternity while it is examining (developing?) an accreditation model and looking at how the government is managing this issue.

A WAY FORWARD FOR BUILDING INDUSTRY CONSUMER PROTECTION

The Builders Collective Australia Inc has made a comparison between the Suncorp-Vero/HIA consumer protection scheme and Queensland’s BSA scheme.

It makes for salutary reading and if government ever gets to be serious about protecting consumers Queensland’s BSA scheme offers a model that is almost impossible to fault.

Click here to read the report

ALP gains profits from Warranty Insurance insurer

ZEBRA looks and listens Review: August 4th, 2008

ZEBRAaustralia thinks that if Labor is serious about looking after consumers it could at the very least work behind the scenes to clean up this mess and ensure that the insurance scheme was of value! Would that be a bridge too far?

In any event the Property Review is providing consumers with a good service by bringing this information to consumers attention. This story is a salutary tale!

The Property Review Story

"EXCLUSIVE: THE Australian Labor Party has been linked to the major supplier of Builders Warranty Insurance, Vero, through its multimillion dollar investment in the insurer’s parent company Suncorp.

Currently, there is a Labor party dominated Senate Economics Committee Inquiry into Builders Warranty Insurance, which has been described ‘useless’ by consumer advocates. The ALP holds around 1.8 million shares in Suncorp valued last Friday at around $21 million.

The ALP has collected around $8 million in dividends from its investment in Suncorp. (Source: AFR) Vero Insurance is the main provider of builders warranty insurance through its connection with the Housing Industry Association. Vero is controlled by Promina, which is owned by Suncorp.

Sources close to the Inquiry told PropertyReview.com.au late last week that the Senators sitting on the Inquiry and keen to ‘pass the buck and refer the problem of ‘joke insurance’, as described in The Melbourne Age last weekend, back to the State governments Regrettably, for those opposing builders warranty insurance, the State governments were builders warranty insurance reigns – New South Wales and Victoria – are Labor controlled governments.

“As if they are going to scrap warranty insurance through their shares in Suncorp Metway the Labor has profited indirectly from the misery of thousands of consumers and builders around Australia ,” one consumer advocate told PropertyReview.com.au.

“It is not in the best interests of the ALP to scrap warranty insurance despite evidence that it has let consumers and builders down,” she added. “There should be a Royal Commission into Builders Warranty Insurance and the ALP’s connections with the major provider of the insurance, Vero.

” PropertyReview.com.au has been told that in recent times the Senate Inquiry committee has met secretly with Vero and it meeting today behind closed doors with HIA Insurance Services. Both the NSW and Victorian Opposition have declared they will scrap warranty insurance if they are elected.

Meanwhile, the HIA, one of the major beneficiaries of warranty insurance kickbacks, have damned submissions by opponents of warranty insurance.

The submissions can be found at the Senate website at: http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/committee/economics_ctte/home_warranty_08/submissions/sublist.htm The HIA also complained bitterly about PropertyReview.com.au’s story last week entitled “Senate inquiry into warranty insurance a whitewash?”.

We have given the HIA a right of reply, however, must point out that the HIA’s claim in its letter to the editor last week that we had broken parliamentary privilege was blatantly false and misleading. We stand by the story and once again offer the HIA a right to reply, but point out the last time we tried to interview the HIA on the subject they literally hung up on our reporter."

PropertyReview.com.au

Launceston Home Show Survey

Zebras at work work in the carpark

The weekend of August 2/3 marked the presentation of yet another Building & Renovation Expo sponsored by HIA & GUNNS. ZEBRAaustralia applied for space at the event to provide visitors with information but we were informed that all the stalls were taken. When we received that advice we decided to commission a survey in the carpark instead and here are some of the early results.

100 groups (families and other) were surveyed over the weekend at various times of the day and there were some surprising and not so surprising results.

Early figures suggest that;
• 62% of those surveyed were considering some form of home renovation or building project before visiting the event
• 84% of those surveyed had undertaken some form of home renovation in the last 12 months
• 71% of those surveyed were DIY builders or renovators
• 43% of those surveyed were involved in the building industry in some way or had a family member involved in the building industry in some way.

There are more extrapolations yet to be done from this raw data but these early results are very interesting.

Some other early results suggest that
• Over 90% of those surveyed expected that contracts between clients and builders should be enforceable without resorting to a court, tribunal or other formal legal procedure
• Over 36% of those surveyed either directly or indirectly knew of someone who had received an unsatisfactory level of service from a builder or builder’s subcontractor.
These are very early figures but they do seem to reveal some disturbing trends.

Further work on the data to more intensely explore the trends exposed will be dependent upon funding levels available and sponsors delivering on their pledges. Nonetheless, it is clear that there is a need for much more independent research in this area. In any event watch this space!