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Author Topic: Vision homes and their after sales - please beware  (Read 25396 times)

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Vision1

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Vision homes and their after sales - please beware
« on: May 09, 2014, 03:32:57 pm »
In November 2012, I bought a big flat in London built by Vision Homes.
The first thing I did was to search online for customer's reviews etc but could not find anything so I trusted that Vision Homes was a small but serious company.
On a Friday evening I flew back to London to collect the key of my flat. I was welcomed with a bottle of champagne and flowers. I was impressed!

I had tried to arrange for a snagging visit with the estate agent the Saturday before moving in but they ignored my emails and phone calls all day (maybe they knew it was not a good idea). Then, I was told not to worry as I could do it anytime within the first 2 years, so I accepted to move in without the snagging survey.

The Vision Homes sales person like the agency said the same i.e. not to worry. You have two years to let us know what is wrong and then the NHBC to cover afterwards. It all seemed too good to be true. So as it was dinner time on Friday night, it was dark outside and the sales person had a dinner planned with her partner, I just signed and did not worry (BIG BIG MISTAKE).

The following day I started compiling my snaglist. I called Vision Homes and again they reassured me. They were so nice and friendly (like only sales people can be).
It is only when I submitted my list that the true face of Vision Homes came out and it was not a nice face.
They were either trying to convince me that those issues were not really issues (e.g. all the toilet bowl were 10cm higher than the norm and I was told they were the correct high and fully approved by the NHBC) or for some small issues they claimed they would send someone to fix them.
Dozens and dozens of emails followed and very little was done, just promises. Plenty of emails with no reply, or appointments where nobody turned up, or when they did, only part of the job was done. The after sales manager would simply ignore our email (I was not the only person in this building with problems, most of us did and we got the same treatment, we were simply ignored). In the meantime the list of snagging was growing.

At the beginning of summer 2013 I was no longer able to open my balcony door and I started seeing a leak from the roof terrace above me. We were unable to lock the entrance door of the building and the gate (we got burgled because of this, thieves came and stole people’s bikes in the basement).

All the residents started complaining, wrote and called Vision Homes.  What did Vision Homes do?  They promised to fix things but would not turn up, time and time again.  This triggered more emails sent on behalf of everyone. We got burgled a second time and then finally, the doors were fixed.  After seeing how unprofessional, disrespectful and unwilling to help Vision Homes were, I decided to contact the NHBC.  After waiting a few weeks NHBC sent someone to check and Vision Homes 'agreed' to fix everything by 9 December 2013 (they were given more than a month).
Finally, Vision Homes started doing something.
The new after sales manager seemed to be keen on getting things done but soon she started ignoring my emails, making appointments and not sending anyone or sending the wrong person to do the job (I even had to point out that maybe she should keep a checklist for each flat to avoid getting confused).  Lowering the 2 toilet bowl took more than 5 weeks as she would not send anyone. More unanswered emails again. 9 December 2013 and still nothing finished.

NHBC was doing very little.  I would call them to tell that I was at home waiting for the job to be finished and nobody turned up and Vision Homes did not even bother informing me. NHBC would call Vision Homes which would reply saying that they would come at a different date and when that day came they would not turn up and the cycle would go on.
In the meantime, the list of snagging was growing. The little leak turned into a big one. I had to keep a bucket in the corridor and one in the guests bedroom to collect the rain coming though my ceiling. I was left in these conditions for 2 months. Finally, almost 5 months after the 9 December (date by which they should have fixed all issues as per NHBC request) Vision Homes got everything done.
In the meantime, I got a professional snagging company to come and see my place and they found an additional 50 items to fix. I sent the lists to Vision Homes asking if they could fix them while working on the other ones (e.g. the leak had extended to a second bedroom and the kitchen). Vision Homes after sales manager categorically refused saying they would only fix what was on the NHBC list and nothing else. So I contacted NHBC and opened another claim. 

Three days ago after waiting 5 weeks NHBC came to check together with Vision Homes. They start questioning my list i.e. the list compiled the a professional snagging expert. I am now waiting for the outcome of the meeting but my next steps are: make a complaint with the NHBC as I do not think they are being impartial and take Vision Homes to court.

Vision Homes motto is "Seeing is Believing!" 
I agree, you really need to see what I have been going through in the last 16 to believe how bad Vision Homes after sales care is.  Just like a low cost airline, if everything goes fine you are happy but if things are not fine it can turn into a total nightmare.
Has anyone else experienced similar problems with Vision Homes?  Why don't you give your feedback too?  We need to help future buyers understand the kind of problems they could face if they have problems after buying from Vision Homes. If only I had known before purchasing...


New Home Expert

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Re: Vision homes and their after sales - please beware
« Reply #1 on: May 10, 2014, 10:34:33 am »
Sorry to learn of your experience.
But so as to warn others, you made several mistakes.

1) Never trust a word anyone from a house builder (especially their sales) says. they will tell you anything to get you to buy and legally complete.
2) Never sign a builder's handover form without fully checking your home, and never do so in darkness!
3) Always get your new home professionally snagged and inspected BEFORE you legally complete.  There is not much point of having it checked after you have been living there for a few months.
4) Always seek to check any house builder's reputation. You should have found this about Vision Homes online  If nothing else, you should ask other buyers of their homes what the quality and service is like. The builder's websites should have details of developments past and present.
5) You don't have two years to get snagging done. You have a two-year warranty for defects. Quality issues and snags should be noted and put right before you move in ideally, or within a month or two at most.
6) The NHBC will only help by putting pressure on the house builder to correct things inside the two year period. The NHBC will only take over if the builder refuses to act on their instructions.
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ReidSamson

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Re: Vision homes and their after sales - please beware
« Reply #2 on: May 15, 2014, 09:53:37 am »
That is dreadful service, hopefully you will eventually get everything sorted and you'll know for next time. Keep us posted on how get along

Vision1

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Re: Vision homes and their after sales - please beware
« Reply #3 on: October 26, 2014, 04:40:28 pm »
Here I am again after so many months (23.5 months since I bought my flat) still struggling to get all defects fixed by Vision Homes. The outcome of the second meeting with the NHBC expert was that they only look at structural defects. Therefore things like cracks on the wall above each window and door and in the wall corners are not something they will consider. They stated that it is up to Vision Homes (the builder) to decide if they like to fix those cosmetic issues, which in their opinion are normal with a new build (The professional snagger that I paid to check my flat said they should have been fixed because of their size).

When after a few weeks Vision Homes decided to start working on the defects in my building (my flat and the neighbours) and surprise the seems keen to fix all issues... however, things were not going well:
- the painter comes and waits 2 hours and then has to leave because Vision Homes has not delivered the paint as agreed (this happened 3 times)  
- the carpenter comes to fix a plinth but he has not been given the plinth etc

Two months later, after missing the NHBC deadline I complained about all this (I had to take time off everytime someone was supposed to come). The aftersales manager 'left' the Vision Homes and her manager takes over (The same person who was managing it last year). I was asked to list all outstanding work.
Five weeks later the work continues. In the meantime, problems previously fixed became a problem again (leaking from the ceiling, unable to open the balcony door, the toilet bowl coming off the wall).
We started the work. One day of work the first week and then 1.5 days 2 weeks later. I was then left with the toilet started but not fixed and told by Vision Homes that they could only send someone 4 weeks later as lots of other people have problems in their flats. I explained I wanted to toilet to be finished and the crack in the ceiling to be fixed before it starts raining again, but nothing to do. I then contacted the NHBC and complained (again). Last Friday I was told by the NHBC that they would take over the work from Vision Homes and get their contractors to fix the problems (of course they asked me to list all the outstanding items. Let's see what happens next.
 
After almost 2 years, hundreds of emails between me Vision Homes and the NHBC, after many days off work (including those when nobody turned up) I am still here unable to understand how Vision Homes can continue show so little respect for people's time and lives. They continue to build properties and continue to accumulate defects with their flats so it looks like nothing has been changing. I am now trying to convince other flat owners to share their feedback on here or elsewhere.
All I want is to be able to enjoy life in my flat and use my days off to go on holiday rather than waiting for someone sent by Vision Homes to fix my defects.

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Re: Vision homes and their after sales - please beware
« Reply #4 on: October 27, 2014, 06:37:26 am »
All the outstanding defects and those you reported but were not fixed properly must be attended to under the warranty and it is good the NHBC have finally stepped in and are taking ownership of Vision Homes abject failure to attend to the defects after two years!

Large cracks should be dealt with under the warranty, anything bigger than the thickness of a  50p coin.
From what you say the cracks at windows and doors may be structural anyway.

Your experience should act as a warning to everyone to steer well clear of Vision Homes  - seeing is believing!
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Vision1

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Re: Vision homes and their after sales - please beware
« Reply #5 on: October 27, 2014, 02:21:09 pm »
Thank you for your support.
Most of the cracks were fixed/painted as a 'courtesy' from Vision Homes (see attached pic) but the NHBC claims their policy does not cover that. My concern is that new cracks are appearing as the building seems to keep on moving and doors/windows are again difficult to open. How long is it going to take for a building to stop moving? It cannot go on forever.
So now I have the toilet in a bad state (see photo below) and am waiting for the NHBC to do something. It's incredible how companies are allowed to do things like this (especially considering how expensive flats in London are).

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Re: Vision homes and their after sales - please beware
« Reply #6 on: October 28, 2014, 05:19:42 pm »
This crack is not normal "shrinkage" and should be properly investigated by a structural surveyor.
Normal cracking should stop once the home has dried out usually after about six months.

The NHBC Warranty does cover structural defects which is what I think this is.
In any event it needs investigating properly not just dismissed out of hand.
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Vision1

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Re: Vision homes and their after sales - please beware
« Reply #7 on: January 27, 2015, 11:56:16 pm »
Update:

The Vision Homes saga goes on after 26 months.
After my latest NHBC and a few days of work from a builder/handyman there is still a leak in my flat and other issues. I've been phoning NHBC each Monday for the last 4 weeks to get them to push Vision Homes to fix the problems.
Last December Vision Homes claimed that every defect had been fixed except the leak. The NHBC asked me to provide them with the status of each defect based on the original list I sent them e.g. 1. Done, 2. Outstanding etc so that they could send it to Vision Homes and ask them to fix them, if not NHBC would take over the works.

Vision Homes ignored the NHBC warning for 3 weeks then said they would get back to us. When they did they only accepted 2 defects, not all of them! They were also very vague of when they would come and fix these. They said the problem with the leak had been fixed and I just had to wait for the ceiling to dry.

Today I again spoke with NHBC and asked them to give a final ultimatum to Vision Homes as I want to know if they are going to fix all outstanding defects and the dates when they would be fixed, or if not, when NHBC will arrange for the work to be done by their builders. Today I also discovered that they are new cracks in the wall in area that was already painted. New cracks after more than 2 years. How can this be possible?

In the meantime, we also escalated to NHBC a list of defects in the communal area as in 2 years Vision Homes has done nothing. I therefore had to insist that our management company escalated this list with NHBC. At the meeting between NHBC, myself and Vision Homes, Vision Homes' sales manager did not turn up but sent the person who has been fixing our defects instead. The person of course could not decide on Vision Homes behalf and said he would have to go back to Vision Homes and explain the problems.

One week later we still have no reply. This is yet another example of how Vision Homes after sales works or rather doesn't!   All they are interested in is selling new flats which are already full of snags and defects which is delaying the fixing of our problems as the same person needs to fix them all.

I still cannot understand how this company can behave like this. I have also discovered that they have yet another new after sales manager (fourth one in 2 years). I am absolutely shocked if I think of all the stress and disruption I have had in the last 26 months and the total lack of consideration from VISION HOMES

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Re: Vision homes and their after sales - please beware
« Reply #8 on: January 28, 2015, 11:47:30 am »
What a truly dreadful company!  Mind you, you are not alone, you may like to join the Facebook Group "Whos having problems with new Vision Homes"   https://www.facebook.com/groups/506950442670692/

Perhaps you should put posters in your window warning others "NOT TO BUY A VISION HOME" as they don't care about either quality or putting defects right.  I would not be surprised if the NHBC struck them off their register, perhaps you should also suggest this to the NHBC?

After 26 months of "service" like this no one would blame you!
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Vision1

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Re: Vision homes and their after sales - please beware
« Reply #9 on: January 28, 2015, 02:45:28 pm »
Sadly, I am not on Facebook I do not like to and if I click your link I am asked to log on.
Is it not possible to make this public so anyone can see it.
I am sure I am not the only person not on Facebook.
I have sent tweets to them and to #VisionHomes and #newhomes in the past and last night but of course they are ignoring me.

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Re: Vision homes and their after sales - please beware
« Reply #10 on: January 29, 2015, 08:06:37 am »
I can understand that not everyone is on Facebook.
But it is a great way of sharing your experiences with companies that have treated you badly and it is a very powerful tool to get them to do the right thing.
You can use Facebook as little of as often as you like - but it IS addictive!

As far as publicity is concerned, posting on this forum makes it public and so far your post has been viewed 1,241 times.
When using Twitter, it is much better to use @VisionHomes rather than #VisionHomes. Then they will reply!
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Vision1

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Re: Vision homes and their after sales - please beware
« Reply #11 on: January 29, 2015, 10:08:55 am »
Actually a friend just told me that the link is for another company. The building company I am referring to is Vision Homes.co.uk

Ayshea

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Re: Vision homes and their after sales - please beware
« Reply #12 on: February 10, 2015, 09:50:51 am »
It really shouldn't take this long to sort out problems, Vision Homes sound like a right pile of poo!
A bit of bad publicity as New Home Expert suggests can make companies respond - it is a shame that resorting to that is the only way to make companies step up.

Just hope things work out for you in the end.

Vision1

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Re: Vision homes and their after sales - please beware
« Reply #13 on: February 15, 2015, 05:48:30 pm »
Unfortunately Vision Homes do not care.
The latest is that for the last 2 months they have been claiming that everything except the leak has been sorted and everything else is fine (that's in spite of the fact that I sent them the NHBC list with what is still outstanding).
The NHBC now is coming to visit my flat, again, to check who is right i.e. if the items I consider not fixed are really not fixed.  I am meeting them in 5 weeks time.
They offered to take the job away from Vision Homes and fix things themselves as for the last 27 months, Vision Homes has clearly shown lack of willingness to get things sorted. I really do not understand how they can get away with this.
They have problems with lots of flats in other buildings too but there are still people buying from them without knowing what kind of problems may arise once they move in.
I can perfectly understand that defects can arise but what I find unacceptable is the after sales i.e. having to go through all the hassle and stress I have been going through.
The NHBC has been very unhelpful at the beginning. I had to make a formal complaint and threaten to take legal action before they started being more proactive. Let's see if in their next visit they are going to be impartial or not. Fingers crossed.

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Re: Vision homes and their after sales - please beware
« Reply #14 on: February 16, 2015, 08:05:02 am »
For a start, you could ask the NHBC why Vision homes are still an NHBC  registered builder!
They are clearly breaching the criteria!
It is only when the really bad house builders like Vision Homes get excluded for warranty cover that they will be unable to sell their homes to anyone needing a mortgage.

"I can perfectly understand that defects can arise"
-If new homes are built with care, properly checked at every stage of construction and built with sufficient time and professionalism there would be hardly any defects at all.
If house builders had to pay buyers £500 for every defect the buyer discovered, don't you think new homes would be built better with more care?
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