Advice against Real Estate company not honoring attending a VCAT hearing

mayday1984 on 21/10/2019 - 18:15

Hi Guys,

Recently I bought a property from a dodgy real estate company. So what happened was the previous tenants lost the garage door remote during my settlement day and when I chased up with the real estate company, they said the tenants were unreachable. A week later, I chased up on the matter again and they said the same thing so I asked if I can be reimbursed by buying a new remote. They told me that upon receiving my receipt, they will then escalate this matter to VCAT. I did just that and they told me they made an appointment to go VCAT, Another week went by and this time I called up VCAT and asked what was the results for the hearing. VCAT told me that the agency canceled the hearing at the last minute on the grounds that the landlord has decided not to pay for anything after settlement.

What was particularly upsetting is that I couldn't get the ball rolling unless I purchase the new remote and hand them the receipt, now it sounds like it was my fault for buying the remote and they won't do anything about a reimbursement. I called up consumer affairs and they basically asked me to go open up a case with VCAT. VCAT hearings obviously cost more then the remote. I was also told that the vendor and the tenants came to an agreement with the bond and reimbursement through deduction from the bond is out of the question.

Are there any other alternatives out there or does anyone have any similar experiences they can share of how they dealt with the situation? Thanks.

Home & Garden

Comments

  • pyramid on 21/10/2019 - 18:18
    +7

    Only thing I can think of is move on…don't stress out for $100 remote…rather enjoy your new property…scumbags are everywhere…

    • HighAndDry on 21/10/2019 - 18:37

      I don't even think the agents are at all the problem here. Why does OP think the selling agent would or should lift a finger for them?

    • spackbace on 21/10/2019 - 18:37
      +9

      $100? They're generally around $15 for 2 on eBay. Simple pairing process and you're away.

      Principles and stress are definitely not worth this!

    • Name on 22/10/2019 - 10:51

      Definitely, and if it helps compare it to the price of the purchase. $100 when you're spending half a million or more is nothing in the grand scheme of things.

    • HeWhoKnows on 22/10/2019 - 11:06
      +1

      Its much less than $100.
      Such a petty complaint.
      OMG what a waste of everyones time.
      And I mean everyone!

  • brendanm on 21/10/2019 - 18:22
    +5

    Far out, pretty worked up over a garage remote, you must put an extremely low value on your own time and stress. If you must persist, simply send them a letter of demand or similar perhaps.

    • mayday1984 on 21/10/2019 - 18:26
      -8

      I think the point is not about the remote, it's about the principal. I think I have left out quite a few other juicy information about this company the agent who sold the property to me belittled my conveyancer and used profanity towards him. I just don't want companies like this to get away so easily.

      • Ughhh on 21/10/2019 - 19:47
        +9

        If it's truly about the principal, then proceed with VCAT until the wrong is right, even if it'll cost more than the remote.

        • [Deactivated] on 21/10/2019 - 22:33
          +4

          If it's truly about the principal, then proceed

          to visit a nearby school? :p

          A Principal is a chief or head, particularly of a school. "Principle" is the word OP was looking for.

      • poboy on 21/10/2019 - 20:53
        +1

        Sounds like you're in a sunk cost fallacy. To validate your previous effort you feel you must continue. This is really only harming yourself. Noone is giving a second thought to it.

        But you are reminded each time you press the garage remote. Gotta let go man.

      • pegaxs on 21/10/2019 - 21:00

        I just don't want companies like this to get away so easily.

        It’s not about the money… it’s about sending a message…

      • Mechz on 21/10/2019 - 23:41

        So leave bad feedback about them on social media and google reviews.

    • HeWhoKnows on 22/10/2019 - 11:07

      Yeah.Get the lawyers onto it.
      $500 later OP might have his $50 remote and maybe not

  • orangetrain on 21/10/2019 - 18:27

    Take it out of bond reimbursement. If agency screwed this one up. Drop them and go with someone else.

    • HeWhoKnows on 22/10/2019 - 11:08

      OP wasnt the owner at ther time.
      Cant make a claim against any bond.
      Only the previous owner

  • mbck on 21/10/2019 - 18:35
    +8

    Leave a review. Be specific so yours is believable. Stick with facts, no over the top embellishment.

    Boil some water, leave it boiling for another few seconds, take it off the burner and make yourself some tea.

    • HeWhoKnows on 22/10/2019 - 11:09

      I think OP needs a few Valiums. Not a cup of tea.
      I mean who makes such a fuss over something so miniscule?

      • mbck on 22/10/2019 - 11:16

        Everyone has different point of views, and what may be miniscule to someone, may be a big deal for someone else. I mean the difference between the iPhone 6 and 6s is not much, but it was discussed anyways.

        Besides op is not so much annoyed by the cost, but by how they've treated him. So it's natural that op wants to hit back. Sometimes a gentle nudge to someone to step back and take in the bigger picture is not a bad idea.

  • Ocker on 21/10/2019 - 19:02
    +5

    OMG!! All this grief and fretting over a $15 remote control key. I honestly don't believe how people get upset over such petty issues

    • pyramid on 21/10/2019 - 19:09
      +3

      Too much time on hand …..

    • HeWhoKnows on 22/10/2019 - 11:10

      Ocker. It could be $50????
      Oh dear

  • plmko on 21/10/2019 - 19:31

    LOL quick call the police!

    • iforgotmysocks on 21/10/2019 - 20:37
      +3

      Hi it's the police, how can we help.

      • sachz on 21/10/2019 - 20:45
        +1

        every step you take ….

        • kahn on 21/10/2019 - 21:30
          +5

          every garage remote you break…

          • rb123 on 21/10/2019 - 22:47

            @kahn: every single day….

  • ssquid on 21/10/2019 - 20:45

    Were the tenants completely out by the time settlement took place? By the sounds of it they weren't, so the vendor shouldn't have any claim on their bond - by that stage they were your tenants.

  • pegaxs on 21/10/2019 - 20:50
    +3

    Went to VCAT over a $30 garage door remote. Christ, you are bored and seem to have way too much time on your hands…

    Out of interest, what was the percentage of the overall cost of the new remote when compared to the overall cost of the new property?

  • [Deactivated] on 21/10/2019 - 22:36
    +2

    This is your first property, huh? It gets worst OP.

  • onetwothreefour on 22/10/2019 - 06:18

    How will you be able to cope every time you have to open that garage door knowing that you paid $15 for the remote? Best thing you can do is knock down the garage so you don't have to worry about it any more.

  • jjjaar on 22/10/2019 - 08:34
    +1

    $400,000+ house and you’re kicking up a stink about a $15 garage remote? Really? Are you gonna complain if the lightbulbs are out too?

    • Lockieasy on 22/10/2019 - 08:48
      +2

      The VCAT appointment for those and the missing doormat is scheduled for next week.

      • jjjaar on 22/10/2019 - 08:52
        +1

        And the dead patch of grass in the backyard? Is that in the same hearing or was that one last week?

        • DeepHorizon on 25/10/2019 - 08:53

          Same hearing, the one for the floors being slippery after mopping is the Monday after next

  • gumbo45c on 22/10/2019 - 08:38

    Unless the garage remote was included the contract of sale then too bad. Unless the tenants were in after you settled in which case they are your tenants and the remote comes out of the bond.

    • HeWhoKnows on 22/10/2019 - 11:13

      Sounds like the tenants were out.
      probably sold with Vacant Possession
      Otherwise nobody would know the remote was missing

  • Austaurean on 22/10/2019 - 08:48
    +2

    I bought 2 of these TOOGOO WiFi Switch garage door controllers from Amazon seller Xproject6666 for my garage doors,
    I also setup IFTTT for a custom open/close command rather than the standard on/off that these use as the various apps see it as a switch.

    Now I can open/close the doors via google voice command or from anywhere, so if I have a family member that needs access to my garage I can send them access permission or just open it for them and then close the door when they are done. They take about 10 minutes to setup and that's from unpacking to testing.

    The only issue I had is the way the doors have their attachments which made it a little difficult to place the magnetic sensor on the roller door and on the door frame. the sensor tells you whether the door is open or closed. I still need to fiddle with how to attach the sensor so the unit on the side track is at the bottom and not at the top, as it says its On when its actually Off etc, i.e. Open should be on and closed should be off..

    You can do a lot more with it than what I do.

    It was also around the $35 delivered mark, but I have vastly more useability over a normal remote.

  • WT on 22/10/2019 - 09:35

    petty revenge is your best bet, I recommend lighting a paper bag with poop in it, ring and run

    • HeWhoKnows on 22/10/2019 - 11:15

      Yep
      In front of OPs new property!

  • HeWhoKnows on 22/10/2019 - 11:01

    What a petty complaint.
    OP buys a property for hundreds of thousands of dollars and is making a fuss about a $50 remote.

    OMG I would hate to deal with OP either as a property manager or a tenant.

    Anyway to address OPs complaint - wait till you go through the property and find a whole lot more things that need fixing and replacing

    Who you going to call?…Ghost Busters!

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