Anyone feeling sorry for the Aussies?

Hi all,

           Just a thought, does anyone  know of others about to go out on an inspection visit, i.e new buyers. I was wondering if the polaris reps are still telling possible buyers that they will get electric shutters, vanity units, drawers in the cupboards etc. It would be interesting if they are.

                                              Chris.

Hi all

I have just been over to the site, no electric shutters just manual ones on the windows, no vanity unit these can be purchased in polaris home style of course, and no drawers in wardrobes these can also be purchased in home style and apparently an official announcement was made last week that the course and clubhouse will open in may 2009 i hope this helps. On a brighter note the resort looks great and there will be a penthouse to view within the next 4 weeks,

mark

 

Hi All

Interesting addition for those of us that play golf, I have been looking at other posts on the General Forum apparently you can no longer have annual membership of Polaris World Golf Club you now have to by the 20 year membership at 30,000 euros which was 20,000 until the end of last March, or pay and play at general public rates, I think they still sell multiple game passes but for how much longer. So for me one of the main attractions of buying has now gone I will have to look for an external golf club to join as I cannot afford to pay that kind of money, for me the dream is over.  

The golf fees where a serious blot on our thoughts for this purchase (well- less for me but for him indoors) However maybe Polaris will have further offers in the future- there's a lot of building still to come. Other options may arise as the other two golf courses are developed and surely they will build around them (credit crunch permitting) and just maybe come up with variations for the golf fees.

We have just been to La Torre for the week and i can tell you the deal with the green fees for golf at the Polaris resorts.

There is the the 20/25 year membership that everyone knows about.  There are also the public greens fees which are advertised on the PW website.  I for one thought that as an owner i should not have to pay 80 to 90 euros to play at Polaris.

These were the 2 choices i believed we had.

HOWEVER, there are special rates for all residents and owners at PW.  If you own a property or are renting it to someone, then you do get a reduced green fee.  At present to play La Torre, El Valle and Hacienda (when it opens) is 55 euros for 18 holes.  Mar Menor is only 50 euros.  This means to play El Valle you are saving 35 euros, and 25 for playing LT and HR over the general public rates.

You have to fill out some form from the golf shop to register with the Golf department.  Its straight forward to do.

If you visit La Torre, on the noticeboard in the clubhouse it details all the green fees for residents (us) and the public (people who are not staying at PW).  I spoke to the lady in the pro-shop and she confirmed this is what happens.

This is great news as i feared at Condado the green fee will be over 100 euros a round for the Signature course, so residents will only (!) probably be paying around 60/70 euros.

I was also told the golf course, club house and La Isla will all open in May 2009 on my visit to Condado.  Personally i cant see the golf course being ready in 12 months time, its still a desert at the moment.  When you bear in mind HR has been "green" for probably over a year and is still not open, i think we have some way to go yet.  However construction on site was happening at some pace so we will wait and see.

All, As regards the 'promises' we were all made by agents, etc when first agreeing to purchase properties can I suggest that everyone individually e-mails Polaris World Customer Services with their dissatisfaction. It may not have any efect but if enough of us contact them they will get a perspective on the strength of feeling and may take some action. For example, we visited Polaris World Mar Menor on a trip in September last year. We went to La Torre and saw the show apartment there. We were told that:

1. ALL windows would have shutters fitted, some electronic, some manual;

2. That as well as pre-installed air con we would get one split unit fitted. We could then determine if we required additional units. The Polaris Rep who showed us around even confirmed this with his colleague who was in the apartment at the same time;

3. That vanity units would be fitted in the bathroom;

4. That drawers would be fitted in the wardrobes;

5. That a water cooler unit would be provided in every property.

I am e-mailing the Customer Services group with my views on this to express my disappointment. These are not 'specification changes' for the reasons they say they may have to change specs. I have the name of the Polaris Rep who showed us around so can also provide that if necessary.

Kev

To be fair to Polaris, they didnt include any of this in the contract which we signed.  Things like the hob, extractor hood, sinks, taps, tiling etc were all in the contract and these are being provided.

I was told as well from an agent (not a Polaris one) that we would get a water cooler, drawers in the cupboard etc etc but i get the impression this is what they just presumed after the development at La Torre and not based on facts from Polaris.

I dont know what the cost of an apartment was at La Torre when buying off plan but i suspect they were much more expensive than we paid for the Jardines at Condado.

If i was told from the start that we wouldnt be get drawers, water coolers, vanity units etc it wouldn't have stopped me buying on Condado, its just a bit annoying that its something else we have to go out and buy.

I don't suppose you will get any change out of Polaris, its too late for them to make any changes now, most of the apartments are finished internally.  They are just waiting for the landscaping to be finished and the building license's from the local planning authority.  

Phil,

I agree. My point is that if anyone feels strongly enough then register their feelings with Polaris. On other forums buyers have just moaned on and on about such things. All this achieves is to talk down our investment ! I feel it is important to at least give Polaris the opportunity to respond. I agree about the contractual spec except that it is so lacking in detail and they wouldn't change it to be anymore specific - buyers were therefore reliant on trusting Polaris agents and employees.

 

Hi All

Well I couldn’t agree more, if you go back to the beginning of these posts the suggestion was to make representation to PW but to do in strength of numbers as I suspect lone voices will be ignored.

Or we could do and say nothing and be for them the perfect buyer and see just what they decide not to provide next.

Phil

I had a go at them ages ago about the misleading phrase 'air-conditioning pre-installed' (not - as in later references 'pre-installation) and pointed out that the phrase 'pre-installed' is, categorically, not ambiguous and means INSTALLED - it was like banging my head off a brick wall.  Their contracts are so tight they'd put a duck to shame!....  On another subject - has anyone had any reassurances that courtesy inter-resort transportation will be available from the outset, or even at all for that matter?  I really feel that the first occupants won't have cat in hells chance of letting unless this is offered whilst the resorts own golf courses are being built.

Hi all

We have in front of us our contract. It states fitted wardrobes no mention of drawer units. Bathroom, states porcelain sanitary ware and chrome plated mixer taps only.

It also states they have the right to change modifications. (its in spanish were the plan is) but we also were informed by the rep that we would have drawer units in both bedroom wardrobes. we also were informed by the rep that the shutters were standard but optional for electric. There seems to be conflicting views by most of us.

Is it a case of see what you are given?

 

                                                                     Dave

Whilst I probably do feel this is all par for the course ( as was identified by another member a bit down this thread) I would say that I queried a few things ( water cooler and drawers) via the customer services email and got no reply- twice.

Not to say others shouldnt try because there is sometimes strength in numbers, but I think the fact nothing is written down wont help.

Certainly in English law and as far as I can tell in Spanish law also, thing you are told you will receive verbally by official representatives of the company are just as much part of your contract as the contract itself. The problem is proving it and that’s where the strength in numbers comes in, enough people stating what they were told by the reps and where possible providing evidence.

 

Hi ajw

I am interested in you’re saying your contract says Air Conditioning Pre-installed and any information you have about whom you communicated with about this. I have looked at my Contract and it also says “Air Conditioning Pre-installed” which I would take to mean that Air conditioning is installed as standard?

This is the sort of thing I mean by strength in numbers and enough of us working together using this sort of evidence could have a positive result?

Regards

Phil

Hi,

I've just been reading your messages about air conditioning.  We were told by pw and our agent that air con was included. Our contract says 'air conditioning pre-installed'  we took this to mean that it WAS pre installed(actually fitted). We were shocked when we received the letter from pw saying that we would have to pay and that it was going to cost around 5000e. We have contacted pw and they say that pre installed(in spanish) just means that the electrics and outlets etc are in place for the units. We are not just going to accept this without  fight.

Lisa

With regard to the air conditioning, when we went on our inspection trip and visited the show apartment at La Torre, we asked whether air conditioning was included and the answer was a simple "yes".  There was no mention of the phrase "pre-installed" or "pre-installation".  However, the contract does refer to "pre-installed". 

If it helps, my husband is an air conditioning engineer in the UK and even he interpreted that phrase to mean that it is PRE INSTALLED - that categorically means that it is INSTALLED PRE-COMPLETION - NOT JUST PART OF IT!!!  The use of that phrase, together with the answer given by the Polaris World representative on the inspection trip, certainly caused us to believe that we were getting an apartment with air conditiong.

I was of the view that we would just have to take this on the chin, as the contract refers to 'pre-installed' but the more I think about it, I now think that we ought to pursue this issue.  The contract could certainly be said to be ambiguous and misleading.  Then we have to consider the verbal representations made which we have already correctly identified as forming part of the contract. 

I now intend to raise this issue with both PW and Parador Properties and will let you know if we get any response.

Debbie

I think the contracts may say 'pre-installation' which, if you really want to be pedantic, could mean what they say ie only the wiring etc done BUT  and it's a big but - the term 'pre-installed' is entirely different.  Pre-installed means, in English at least, that the entire system is installed.  My original information said pre-installed however subsequent publications etc referred to 'pre-installation'.  I will eat my hat (and you are all welcome to drinks on the terrace to watch this)  if PW relent on this one!  I wasn't promised any of the other things some folk mention but I had always, genuinely and without any doubt, assumed that the aircon was included.  Much as I tried and argued with them a few months ago, they refused to budge.

 

On page two of my quality specifications section, which is a signed part of my Contract, it clearly states under the section Air Conditioning and Heating “ Air conditioning pre-installed”

I am going out to Spain at the beginning of May so I will be putting the issue about air conditioning being Pre-Installed to PW, Parador and my Solicitor and seeing what response I get, I suspect they will try to fob me off but we will see.

It is more likely as a group we would have greater success but firstly we would have to individually make representation to them about this.

I will let you know on this pre-installed thread how I go on.

I think there is a Spanish Solicitor on this site that give members advise so I will contact her also and let you know.

Phil

Hi, Polaris got in touch last week about a handover date and I asked to be put through to customer services, when i questioned them about the items we were all promised she really didn't have an answer. I told her about certain forums and that many people were told about the "extra's" such as air con, drawers in cupboards, water cooler, elec shutters, vanity units in bathroom and she was stuck for words. She would only talk about how good condado was going to be. I told her that I would like to make my complaint official and she took down my details, ie where am i buying (jardines), garden number and plot number.

                 I feel it would be a benefit to all of us if as many people as possible registered their complaint officialy with Polaris world. Hopefully they will keep it on record and when our solicitors are involved we might be able to move it along. Not much hope but worth a try.

                            Chris.

          

I checked our contract over the weekend and in the "specifications" section it definitely refers to air conditioning being "pre-installed".  Our contract was signed in September 2006 - would be interested to hear if later contracts refer to "pre-installation" as this has a different meaning and would suggest that Polaris World realised the phrase "pre-installed" was at best slightly misleading. 

Agree with Chris that the first thing is for people to register these issues with Polaris World.  Would also appreciate any information on where the Foro is to be located now - is it going to be a long way from the original site, and what is going to be built in the area originally designated for the Foro?