I visited a Barratt development yesterday and asked for a copy of the Consumer Code for Home Builders.
After being given the 'third degree' by the sales woman, as to why I wanted it and whether I was intending to make a complaint about Barratt or the site.
I was told that they don't actually keep any copies of the Consumer Code for Home Builders (as it is 30 pages and would take up too much space!) so they print them off, when required for those that Reserve a home, or for anyone who insists. Presumably reams of A4 paper takes up much less room!
I also noted that there wasn't a single reference to the Code anywhere in the sales centre.
Nothing, no signs, no window stickers.
However, the sales woman was obviously well aware of the Code.
As the Code Secretariat and Barratt must realise, this is a breach of requirement 1.2 of the Code.
"Requirement: The Home Builder must display the Code and give, without charge, a copy to customers who ask for it and to all Home Buyers who reserve a Home.
The Home Builder should also inform their customers that further guidance is available and how they can get this.
1.2 Making the Code available
Guidance You should give customers a free copy of the Code. You should make it available on your first contact with a Home Buyer, give it to anyone who asks for it, and give it automatically to any Home Buyer who Reserves a Home."
So my question to the Consumer Code is a simple one; do you, The Consumer Code, provide house builders with sufficient printed bound copies of the 'Consumer Code for Home Builders' to give to buyers and those that request a copy?
I would estimate that last year, around 200,000 copies would have been required to fully comply with requirement 1.2 of the Code.
If my experience is indicative, as I suspect it is, then it would go a long way to explain why UK new homebuyers seldom use the
Code's Dispute Resolution Adjudication Scheme when there is so much clearly wrong with the industry -
they don't know it exists!
