Having now lived in our new home for 2 1/2 months, it is certainly wonderful to be in! We are gradually noticing the flaws in paintwork and finishing as we see the walls in different lights. However, the carpet shows no signs of joins! We ended up with a carpet colour we liked better than the original and our builder brought us a lovely moving-in hamper. It didn't make up for the hassles and poor communication along the way, but we were impressed that even those we were most irritated with didn't take it personally or become difficult to deal with. We have yet to get the final touch-ups and finishing done, but don't anticipate any trouble there as we are quite sure the building company will be glad to get it all ticked off their list!
Our biggest post move-in issue has been the log burner. Since we moved in in the middle of winter we needed to use the fire almost daily, but at least once a week ended up with a roomful of smoke instead of heat. The plumber returned and showed us the correct location of the top-plate to prevent smoke blow-back, but we still had problems. After contacting the manufacturer, I received a somewhat condescending reply from the Sales Manager implying that there could not be anything wrong with the fire, it must be us. Not finding this very helpful, I messaged the MD of the company who took time to consider possible reasons for our problem. In the end it was suggested that using our extractor and keeping all the windows shut could be the cause, since modern homes are relatively airtight. Now wouldn't you think something as simple as that might have been pointed out in either the manufacturer's literature, or the builder's file of instructions? As it turns out, allowing some outside air in (through a partly open window) has alleviated our smoke problems. Sadly we still have a lot of soot to clean from blinds, etc. Next on the list is a fresh-air system so we don't have to keep opening windows! At least it has been a mild winter.
Remember if you are just starting to build, whatever difficulties you face along the way will be worth it once you have your own special place at last.
For us, this home is like a luxury retreat, but we don't have to go anywhere to enjoy it! No we don't have marble bathrooms and palatial rooms, but it is cosy, comfortable and inviting and it's all ours from design to decor. We have much to be thankful for!
Monday, 23 September 2013
Saturday, 29 June 2013
House Building - Carpet Catastrophe
We raised the issue of poor carpet installation mid May, just before our 2nd anticipated hand-over date. Since then, the carpet has had 2.5 days of remedial work, with the result that our carpet lay still does not meet the NZ Standard. Manufacturer's inspection confirmed this this week and now we have to pick a different carpet. The carpet we chose originally has since been discontinued and there are no stocks of it left in the country!
Why has it taken more than 6 weeks to get to this point? Several reasons:
The carpet supplier did not take the issue seriously in the first instance and continued to declare the carpet laying acceptable, even when we, our builder and an independent carpet expert said otherwise (head in the sand? just didn't care? doesn't need a good reputation?);
We are not carpet experts, after a while you begin to think that maybe what look like glaring defects to you are really ok after all (the carpet supplier should know best, shouldn't they?);
Our builder did not advocate effectively for us (also not carpet experts?), obviously from their point of view it would be much easier if we just accepted the carpet, or if there was some easy way to nip and tuck it into acceptable shape (too laid back? no sense of urgency?)
Anyway after a call from our builder yesterday, we rushed to a new and better supplier today to select an alternative carpet. We now wait with bated breath to see what happens next...
Why has it taken more than 6 weeks to get to this point? Several reasons:
The carpet supplier did not take the issue seriously in the first instance and continued to declare the carpet laying acceptable, even when we, our builder and an independent carpet expert said otherwise (head in the sand? just didn't care? doesn't need a good reputation?);
We are not carpet experts, after a while you begin to think that maybe what look like glaring defects to you are really ok after all (the carpet supplier should know best, shouldn't they?);
Our builder did not advocate effectively for us (also not carpet experts?), obviously from their point of view it would be much easier if we just accepted the carpet, or if there was some easy way to nip and tuck it into acceptable shape (too laid back? no sense of urgency?)
Anyway after a call from our builder yesterday, we rushed to a new and better supplier today to select an alternative carpet. We now wait with bated breath to see what happens next...
Wednesday, 19 June 2013
House Building - What is a Minor Issue?
As we discovered some of the big issues, we were encouraged to dig a bit on the smaller stuff. In the course of scouring our contract for a record of the bookshelving we had requested, we discovered that the ceiling battens were meant to be steel. We knew from seeing them before, during and after ceiling installation, that our battens were all wood. Wooden battens are cheaper and potentially more likely to suffer from nail pops. However, the discovery was made late in the build and we decided that for the extra inconvenience and time to replace them, we would let it go.
It is quite common to discover such oversights (very often at a point when remedying them will cause more trouble than its worth). You need to determine how important such issues are to you, and which ones are better offered to the builder as an indication of your good faith and reasonableness than stuck strictly to.
When choosing which issues to push through on, think about the things that will make a real difference to your life as you live in your home day to day, year to year. For us that meant insulation, pelmets and double glazing for warmth; decor, storage and layout for psychological comfort.
Placement of light switches and lights is also important and we regretted not spending more time on these in our first build. It's worth standing in a doorway and shutting your eyes then reaching for where you might want the switch to be before making a final decision on placement.
In our second build we chose light fittings that tilt and rotate so that we have a bit of flexibility in the placement of furniture and pictures.
It is quite common to discover such oversights (very often at a point when remedying them will cause more trouble than its worth). You need to determine how important such issues are to you, and which ones are better offered to the builder as an indication of your good faith and reasonableness than stuck strictly to.
When choosing which issues to push through on, think about the things that will make a real difference to your life as you live in your home day to day, year to year. For us that meant insulation, pelmets and double glazing for warmth; decor, storage and layout for psychological comfort.
Placement of light switches and lights is also important and we regretted not spending more time on these in our first build. It's worth standing in a doorway and shutting your eyes then reaching for where you might want the switch to be before making a final decision on placement.
In our second build we chose light fittings that tilt and rotate so that we have a bit of flexibility in the placement of furniture and pictures.
Monday, 17 June 2013
House Building - Last Minute Crises
Inevitably as the house build nears completion, you will be eager to move in. Our compensation clause kicked in nearly 2 weeks ago and believe me we are anxious to take possession of our home and get settled at last.
However, if there are outstanding issues, it is really important that you don't pay that final payment and move in from desperation.
We have had carpet issues. The day after the carpet was laid, we raised the issues (very obvious joins, gaps around the walls, metal "naplock" strips lifting at the edges). Nothing but an offer of a guarantee on the carpet and it's installation was forthcoming. Now while that may have shown good faith, it did not take into account the upheaval we would face if we moved in and then had to have the whole carpet relaid.
It took some weeks, an opinion of a friend who happens to work in carpet, and steadfast refusal to take possession until things were sorted, before we saw some real action. This came in the form of another carpet layer trying to fix up the bad installation job we got the first time round.
The second carpet layer himself said it was not as good a result as we might have had starting from scratch. So further discussion took place. I called the carpet manufacturer and requested a professional opinion, and then discovered that the carpet we had chosen was a discontinued colour and there were no more stocks available anywhere in the country!
Meanwhile, we noticed that the ducting from our "down draft" extractor had numerous bends. After contacting the manufacturer and attaching pictures, they informed us that every bend resulted in a 1/3 reduction in performance of the fan. They also mentioned that the ducting looked a bit small. After measuring, we discovered that a 90mm pipe had been used instead of 150mm. Big problem for the fan motor apparently...
The building company agreed to sort these issues out and duly a concrete driller arrived and cut a new hole right through the concrete slab and out under it to the fresh air. The nine bends were reduced to 3 and the ducting was the correct size.
This perhaps illustrates the degree to which you, the owner, need to be vigilant when dealing with the "experts". Wherever you can, educate yourself. If something seems odd, check it out with the manufacturer (poor installation can void your warranty).
If at the end of the day, you decide you simply have to move in when some issues remain outstanding, at least get a written agreement on the resolving of these within a specified time frame. Generally there will be some kind of warranty or guarantee on your new home, there should also be warranties/guarantees on many of the fixtures and fittings in it. If you are in any doubt as to what is covered, check your paperwork thoroughly, and ask for a plain English explanation if it isn't clear.
However, if there are outstanding issues, it is really important that you don't pay that final payment and move in from desperation.
We have had carpet issues. The day after the carpet was laid, we raised the issues (very obvious joins, gaps around the walls, metal "naplock" strips lifting at the edges). Nothing but an offer of a guarantee on the carpet and it's installation was forthcoming. Now while that may have shown good faith, it did not take into account the upheaval we would face if we moved in and then had to have the whole carpet relaid.
It took some weeks, an opinion of a friend who happens to work in carpet, and steadfast refusal to take possession until things were sorted, before we saw some real action. This came in the form of another carpet layer trying to fix up the bad installation job we got the first time round.
The second carpet layer himself said it was not as good a result as we might have had starting from scratch. So further discussion took place. I called the carpet manufacturer and requested a professional opinion, and then discovered that the carpet we had chosen was a discontinued colour and there were no more stocks available anywhere in the country!
Meanwhile, we noticed that the ducting from our "down draft" extractor had numerous bends. After contacting the manufacturer and attaching pictures, they informed us that every bend resulted in a 1/3 reduction in performance of the fan. They also mentioned that the ducting looked a bit small. After measuring, we discovered that a 90mm pipe had been used instead of 150mm. Big problem for the fan motor apparently...
The building company agreed to sort these issues out and duly a concrete driller arrived and cut a new hole right through the concrete slab and out under it to the fresh air. The nine bends were reduced to 3 and the ducting was the correct size.
This perhaps illustrates the degree to which you, the owner, need to be vigilant when dealing with the "experts". Wherever you can, educate yourself. If something seems odd, check it out with the manufacturer (poor installation can void your warranty).
If at the end of the day, you decide you simply have to move in when some issues remain outstanding, at least get a written agreement on the resolving of these within a specified time frame. Generally there will be some kind of warranty or guarantee on your new home, there should also be warranties/guarantees on many of the fixtures and fittings in it. If you are in any doubt as to what is covered, check your paperwork thoroughly, and ask for a plain English explanation if it isn't clear.
Sunday, 9 June 2013
House Building - Disappointing Delays
Our current house build got off to a great start with so many things accomplished in the first 2 weeks it looked like we would be in within 3 months. Now as we look back more than 6 months later, still waiting to move in, we see where things began to go wrong.
One day the builder came and put ceiling panels on, that was great. Except the roof truss had still not been moved out of the path of the flue. Now a job that could be done inside without disturbing the roofing tiles, was transformed into an outdoor, invasive, weather-dependent task.
Then the floor of the carport was prepared for concrete pouring before the drains which pass under it had been laid. The drainlayer had to dig across the carport area by hand in order to avoid disturbing the boxing (time consuming).
Next because the drain ditch had been dug before bricks were delivered, the bricklayer was put off for several weeks until it was closed in and access was restored.
Other issues arose when subcontractors were put off from their original schedule because of these delays and then were unable to return until much later. Painters had to paint before carpet went down, some of the paintwork took days to dry (as we had specified oil-based paint for woodwork). These extra days had not been factored in despite the paint type being decided at the outset.
Many of the delays could perhaps have been avoided by better scheduling and greater vigilance on the part of the building manager. In my view, a company that builds homes for a living should be expert at recognising possible delay points and preempting disaster. They should be proactively collecting details of delays and difficulties and incorporating this knowledge into future builds.
Interestingly, many subcontractors and builders recognise that these types of delay are quite common, and yet there doesn't seem to be any great impetus to avoid them in the future, rather a somewhat fatalistic "Oh you always get delays." is the most frequent response.
One day the builder came and put ceiling panels on, that was great. Except the roof truss had still not been moved out of the path of the flue. Now a job that could be done inside without disturbing the roofing tiles, was transformed into an outdoor, invasive, weather-dependent task.
Then the floor of the carport was prepared for concrete pouring before the drains which pass under it had been laid. The drainlayer had to dig across the carport area by hand in order to avoid disturbing the boxing (time consuming).
Next because the drain ditch had been dug before bricks were delivered, the bricklayer was put off for several weeks until it was closed in and access was restored.
Other issues arose when subcontractors were put off from their original schedule because of these delays and then were unable to return until much later. Painters had to paint before carpet went down, some of the paintwork took days to dry (as we had specified oil-based paint for woodwork). These extra days had not been factored in despite the paint type being decided at the outset.
Many of the delays could perhaps have been avoided by better scheduling and greater vigilance on the part of the building manager. In my view, a company that builds homes for a living should be expert at recognising possible delay points and preempting disaster. They should be proactively collecting details of delays and difficulties and incorporating this knowledge into future builds.
Interestingly, many subcontractors and builders recognise that these types of delay are quite common, and yet there doesn't seem to be any great impetus to avoid them in the future, rather a somewhat fatalistic "Oh you always get delays." is the most frequent response.
Sunday, 2 June 2013
House Building - Contractual Confusion
If you have your plan settled, or choose to take an "off the rack" plan from your builder, the next trouble spot is likely to be agreeing on the contract.
Naturally your builder will want to get you signed up as quickly as possible, because then your "possible build" becomes real work. It is wise to determine exactly what you want your builder to do before either tendering or requesting quotations for the work. That way you will be comparing apples with apples and save the builder time (and possible loss of other jobs) while you make up your mind.
If like us you have zero skills at DIY, don't test your abilities on a new build! We had thought of putting sweat-equity in on our current build, but in reality, the time it would take the builder to teach us how to do even basic tasks would probably be better spent letting the expert do it!
In our first build, we told our builder (who happened to be our next door neighbour) what we wanted and assumed what we had said would all be incorporated in the house. Of course, being human, our builder did not retain all of that information and sometimes we found that he had completely overlooked something that was important to us. The handrail for our staircase was completely straight when it arrived, despite me having sent a drawing of the curved finial I envisaged by email.
We decided that a more detailed set of specifications was necessary for our second build, but some issues arose when, to meet our budget, a number of items were removed from the spec and the entire spec document was replaced by our builder's standard specs at contract signing time.
We were assured that the items we had specifically mentioned as important would still be included, but some of these came under fire where there was not also a written record of them by email.
Remember that until the contract is signed, you can change anything. After that it will probably cost you extra and may not even be doable.
Before you sign, be completely sure what is and isn't included (eg power/phone/gas connections, driveways/paths/landscaping, shelving, curtain tracks, flooring, fly screens, etc). Even if you are friends with the builder (perhaps especially if you are) a contract is essential for both you and your builder. I would recommend you go over your initial wish list as you read through the specs and make sure everything you really want is actually there in writing. If not hand write it in and initial it.
We had a couple of items not specified in our contract that we had definitely agreed with our builder on. In the end the builder agreed to include them, but we could have saved ourselves quite a bit of hassle if we had ensured there was a paper record besides our recollection!
If there is a commitment by your builder to hand over the house within a specified time frame, what compensation will you receive if that doesn't happen? (I say this as I contemplate our compensation clause kicking in this week!)
Most completion dates will be set well beyond the time in which the builder anticipates finishing, meaning that the chance of compensation having to be paid is very slight. Also meaning that if the clause does kick in it will seem like very cold comfort to the now depressed would-be home owner!
Naturally your builder will want to get you signed up as quickly as possible, because then your "possible build" becomes real work. It is wise to determine exactly what you want your builder to do before either tendering or requesting quotations for the work. That way you will be comparing apples with apples and save the builder time (and possible loss of other jobs) while you make up your mind.
If like us you have zero skills at DIY, don't test your abilities on a new build! We had thought of putting sweat-equity in on our current build, but in reality, the time it would take the builder to teach us how to do even basic tasks would probably be better spent letting the expert do it!
In our first build, we told our builder (who happened to be our next door neighbour) what we wanted and assumed what we had said would all be incorporated in the house. Of course, being human, our builder did not retain all of that information and sometimes we found that he had completely overlooked something that was important to us. The handrail for our staircase was completely straight when it arrived, despite me having sent a drawing of the curved finial I envisaged by email.
We decided that a more detailed set of specifications was necessary for our second build, but some issues arose when, to meet our budget, a number of items were removed from the spec and the entire spec document was replaced by our builder's standard specs at contract signing time.
We were assured that the items we had specifically mentioned as important would still be included, but some of these came under fire where there was not also a written record of them by email.
Remember that until the contract is signed, you can change anything. After that it will probably cost you extra and may not even be doable.
Before you sign, be completely sure what is and isn't included (eg power/phone/gas connections, driveways/paths/landscaping, shelving, curtain tracks, flooring, fly screens, etc). Even if you are friends with the builder (perhaps especially if you are) a contract is essential for both you and your builder. I would recommend you go over your initial wish list as you read through the specs and make sure everything you really want is actually there in writing. If not hand write it in and initial it.
We had a couple of items not specified in our contract that we had definitely agreed with our builder on. In the end the builder agreed to include them, but we could have saved ourselves quite a bit of hassle if we had ensured there was a paper record besides our recollection!
If there is a commitment by your builder to hand over the house within a specified time frame, what compensation will you receive if that doesn't happen? (I say this as I contemplate our compensation clause kicking in this week!)
Most completion dates will be set well beyond the time in which the builder anticipates finishing, meaning that the chance of compensation having to be paid is very slight. Also meaning that if the clause does kick in it will seem like very cold comfort to the now depressed would-be home owner!
Friday, 31 May 2013
House Planning Help
If at all possible, invest in or get your draughtsperson to invest in 3D walk-through type software so that you can see how the doors, windows, layouts, etc will actually look. We got this ourselves for our second build and added in furniture, lighting and colours to help us see it as it will be when finished.
However, don't imagine that because you have shown your builder, or draughtsperson your image of how the house will look, that they will take it all in or be able to reproduce it faithfully. Being vigilant throughout will still be necessary as otherwise things will fall through the cracks.
If we ever built again, I would take screen shots of each of my 3D rooms from various angles and include these in my specs (with measurements) as a clear record of what we needed.
In our current build we had designed a kitchen with an extra-wide bench-top and sent a screen shot to the builder, but our failure to include measurements resulted in a standard-width top. This we agreed to as we had failed to communicate our requirement well-enough.
With a concrete floor, sewage and waste-water pipes must be installed at the time of laying the floor (before there are walls to check placement by). We suffered 2 problems with this - a very off-centre toilet waste pipe in our toilet (thankfully an adaptor more or less fixed the problem), and piping for our extractor fan beside the stove taking 2 extra turns to meet the pipe coming out of the floor. The latter issue is yet to be resolved...watch this space!
Other issues we have had with paper vs 3D plans include:
Roof truss designed to cross the roof at exactly the same point as the log-burner flue;
Size and shape of rooms seeming fine on paper, suddenly too large, too small, or awkward shapes when seen in reality;
Location of items such as pictures, TV and stereo not considered in terms of windows, placement of lounge furniture, etc.
Every hour you spend in planning is worthwhile, but I would recommend keeping a paper-trail of your plans and discussions, or even audio recording them so that there is no doubt about what has been agreed on.
However, don't imagine that because you have shown your builder, or draughtsperson your image of how the house will look, that they will take it all in or be able to reproduce it faithfully. Being vigilant throughout will still be necessary as otherwise things will fall through the cracks.
If we ever built again, I would take screen shots of each of my 3D rooms from various angles and include these in my specs (with measurements) as a clear record of what we needed.
In our current build we had designed a kitchen with an extra-wide bench-top and sent a screen shot to the builder, but our failure to include measurements resulted in a standard-width top. This we agreed to as we had failed to communicate our requirement well-enough.
With a concrete floor, sewage and waste-water pipes must be installed at the time of laying the floor (before there are walls to check placement by). We suffered 2 problems with this - a very off-centre toilet waste pipe in our toilet (thankfully an adaptor more or less fixed the problem), and piping for our extractor fan beside the stove taking 2 extra turns to meet the pipe coming out of the floor. The latter issue is yet to be resolved...watch this space!
Other issues we have had with paper vs 3D plans include:
Roof truss designed to cross the roof at exactly the same point as the log-burner flue;
Size and shape of rooms seeming fine on paper, suddenly too large, too small, or awkward shapes when seen in reality;
Location of items such as pictures, TV and stereo not considered in terms of windows, placement of lounge furniture, etc.
Every hour you spend in planning is worthwhile, but I would recommend keeping a paper-trail of your plans and discussions, or even audio recording them so that there is no doubt about what has been agreed on.
Wednesday, 29 May 2013
House Building - Hazards of Drafting - windows & doors
The first opportunity for things to go really awry with a house build (assuming your site has been chosen) is at the drafting stage.
If you can, use an architect, or buy a plan that suits you. But if like us, you are willing to face the challenges of communicating the hand drawn boxes of rooms accurately into the language of drafting, either because of ignorance (as we did the first time), or experience (as we thought the second time) it is worth ensuring you remember certain important considerations...
Windows and doors -
Check that your image and the draughtsperson's correlate. If the room is upstairs and you want big windows, will the roofline allow it? In our first house we were shocked to find that the windows from our bedroom started about 40cm higher up the wall than we had envisaged because the roof of the lower storey required it. Now our place to sit and look out over the garden, required us to stand!
The laundry in our first house also presented problems. This time for the builder: when the windows went in, we discovered that they started too low down the wall to allow installation of the washing machine and tub under them (as planned), so these had to be placed across the room against a solid wall instead.
Windows in our "conservatory" had (in our minds) been full height, in actuality about 20cm at the top was wall.
Doors from the lounge to the "conservatory" that we had envisaged as the same height as external doors were in fact lower. These were bifolds and were so enormous that we took them out within a short time of moving in and sold them for next to nothing.
Ignorance is definitely not bliss when planning your home, more on this next time!
If you can, use an architect, or buy a plan that suits you. But if like us, you are willing to face the challenges of communicating the hand drawn boxes of rooms accurately into the language of drafting, either because of ignorance (as we did the first time), or experience (as we thought the second time) it is worth ensuring you remember certain important considerations...
Windows and doors -
Check that your image and the draughtsperson's correlate. If the room is upstairs and you want big windows, will the roofline allow it? In our first house we were shocked to find that the windows from our bedroom started about 40cm higher up the wall than we had envisaged because the roof of the lower storey required it. Now our place to sit and look out over the garden, required us to stand!
The laundry in our first house also presented problems. This time for the builder: when the windows went in, we discovered that they started too low down the wall to allow installation of the washing machine and tub under them (as planned), so these had to be placed across the room against a solid wall instead.
Windows in our "conservatory" had (in our minds) been full height, in actuality about 20cm at the top was wall.
Doors from the lounge to the "conservatory" that we had envisaged as the same height as external doors were in fact lower. These were bifolds and were so enormous that we took them out within a short time of moving in and sold them for next to nothing.
Ignorance is definitely not bliss when planning your home, more on this next time!
House Building Hassles
We have had the privilege of having 2 homes built to our designs. One a large, two-household home where we had hoped my parents would join us, the other a modest, family-home built behind my parents' existing home when it became apparent they would not be moving!
In the course of these builds there have been many highs and lows. Starting with the realisation that having everything you want is not possible (unless money is no object), building your dream can be both exhilirating and devastating. These emotions often follow each other in quick succession, as you attempt to convey the vision in your mind, clearly and completely to a builder who has their mind full of assumptions about what it is you really want, even if you don't know it.
There are so many aspects to a house build that it offers massive scope for misunderstanding, conflict and complaints.
Perhaps some of our experiences will help those who plan to build to avoid a few of these pitfalls...
In the course of these builds there have been many highs and lows. Starting with the realisation that having everything you want is not possible (unless money is no object), building your dream can be both exhilirating and devastating. These emotions often follow each other in quick succession, as you attempt to convey the vision in your mind, clearly and completely to a builder who has their mind full of assumptions about what it is you really want, even if you don't know it.
There are so many aspects to a house build that it offers massive scope for misunderstanding, conflict and complaints.
Perhaps some of our experiences will help those who plan to build to avoid a few of these pitfalls...
Tuesday, 28 May 2013
Jetstar - Success At Last
If you have suffered similar problems with Jetstar and want to know what to do...hold on. In the end, someone listened!
As Stephen (hubby) has a background in international marketing, customer relations and business improvement, he decided it was time for the direct approach, email the CEO.
Well, very soon after he sent a summary of our Jetstar-related woes and mentioned our claim (already lodged) for clothing etc, we received a direct credit payment of the sum claimed (and no we did not inflate the figures, I always shop for bargains!). On top of that we received a Jetstar travel voucher.
Some time later we received a second payment for the clothing, etc and notified the CEO requesting he let us know where to direct it back to. This he never did, but we received another travel voucher. In the end we had the equivalent of our return flights refunded to us in these ways.
Of course we hope Jetstar took our constructive suggestions to heart, so that these disruptive and upsetting events are not repeated for other customers. I suspect that may not be the case as several friends have complained about their experiences with Jetstar since then.
If you've been in a similar situation, don't give up. Don't accept bad service or lazy responses from businesses that are taking your money (even if it is only a little of your money, after all the business sets the price). You are keeping them in work and in business. Keep creatively, respectfully, patiently complaining.
As Stephen (hubby) has a background in international marketing, customer relations and business improvement, he decided it was time for the direct approach, email the CEO.
Well, very soon after he sent a summary of our Jetstar-related woes and mentioned our claim (already lodged) for clothing etc, we received a direct credit payment of the sum claimed (and no we did not inflate the figures, I always shop for bargains!). On top of that we received a Jetstar travel voucher.
Some time later we received a second payment for the clothing, etc and notified the CEO requesting he let us know where to direct it back to. This he never did, but we received another travel voucher. In the end we had the equivalent of our return flights refunded to us in these ways.
Of course we hope Jetstar took our constructive suggestions to heart, so that these disruptive and upsetting events are not repeated for other customers. I suspect that may not be the case as several friends have complained about their experiences with Jetstar since then.
If you've been in a similar situation, don't give up. Don't accept bad service or lazy responses from businesses that are taking your money (even if it is only a little of your money, after all the business sets the price). You are keeping them in work and in business. Keep creatively, respectfully, patiently complaining.
Jetstar - Upgrade Anyone? Well Maybe Not.
Just before we were to return to NZ, we got a text alert that we could upgrade to business or first class for next to nothing. "Hooray!" we thought let's do it! But when we tried to take advantage of this great offer, we were informed that the call centre knew nothing of it!
Home we went in economy, our chance for an upgrade gone.
On our return to Auckland, after extensive enquiries and much waste of time it was discovered that #1 son's bag was still there. It had been there all along and despite our many phone calls and good description of its distinctive colour, no Jetstar staff member had found it (one can assume no-one looked). As it had gone to "the other side", it had to come back through Customs. When that was accomplished and we got it back, several items were missing.
By this time we were seething. What had been a fantastic and exciting opportunity to take the whole family overseas, was marred by the amount of time and effort we had to expend attempting to get (for the airline, but not for us) minor problems successfully sorted out.
It was time to go to the top...
Home we went in economy, our chance for an upgrade gone.
On our return to Auckland, after extensive enquiries and much waste of time it was discovered that #1 son's bag was still there. It had been there all along and despite our many phone calls and good description of its distinctive colour, no Jetstar staff member had found it (one can assume no-one looked). As it had gone to "the other side", it had to come back through Customs. When that was accomplished and we got it back, several items were missing.
By this time we were seething. What had been a fantastic and exciting opportunity to take the whole family overseas, was marred by the amount of time and effort we had to expend attempting to get (for the airline, but not for us) minor problems successfully sorted out.
It was time to go to the top...
Jetstar - The Cancelled Flight
Having lost my son's bag, we spent a makeshift night (2 boys sharing one set of not exactly fitting clothes) in Singapore before we checked in for our onward flight to Malaysia (also with Jetstar). We were informed when we arrived to check in that the flight was cancelled, we were not happy.
We approached the counter and requested they book us on any alternative flight that day. This they thankfully did (after some negotiation - during which they offered to put us up for the night in Singapore) but since it did not depart till 10:30pm, we had 3 tired, hungry kids to entertain from midday (original flight time) till 10:30! We requested a food voucher and somewhere to relax, and were finally given a voucher sufficient to cover one cheap meal for the 6 of us without drinks.
For the rest it was chairs or the floor!
Needless to say we were all shattered when we arrived after midnight in Malaysia.
We approached the counter and requested they book us on any alternative flight that day. This they thankfully did (after some negotiation - during which they offered to put us up for the night in Singapore) but since it did not depart till 10:30pm, we had 3 tired, hungry kids to entertain from midday (original flight time) till 10:30! We requested a food voucher and somewhere to relax, and were finally given a voucher sufficient to cover one cheap meal for the 6 of us without drinks.
For the rest it was chairs or the floor!
Needless to say we were all shattered when we arrived after midnight in Malaysia.
Jetstar...How it Began
We had booked a very cheap overseas holiday with Jetstar - all the way to Singapore and back for less than our domestic connection.
On arrival son #1's bag did not appear. We reported the problem at the Jetstar baggage counter at Changi and tried to connect by phone with someone/anyone who could offer some solution. This continued with no result over the whole holiday! We tried numerous different numbers and passed through Singapore Airport at least 3 more times during our break (each time checking at the baggage counter) but despite repeated phone calls to Jetstar call centres in Oz, NZ, Philippines, etc the bag could not be located.
On arrival son #1's bag did not appear. We reported the problem at the Jetstar baggage counter at Changi and tried to connect by phone with someone/anyone who could offer some solution. This continued with no result over the whole holiday! We tried numerous different numbers and passed through Singapore Airport at least 3 more times during our break (each time checking at the baggage counter) but despite repeated phone calls to Jetstar call centres in Oz, NZ, Philippines, etc the bag could not be located.
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