by Anne
My husband and I bought a new condo from Tridel 3 years ago in the North West end of Toronto for $289,900- and got ripped off. We did not get appliances and received cement floors with no carpet and no bathtub and toilet and no kitchen sink. Walls were not painted. A woman named Jenny from customer service said those things were not on your purchase agreement so I won’t get it. She said that she was Italian and she said to ask a lawyer. My lawyer said the sales person ripped me off by not allowing me to let lawyer review agreement first. The reps name is Raymond Chiu. I made claim with Tarion and they did not believe it. Tarion said all Tridel condo’s include these items. Tridel lied to Tarion and said I made this up. I took pictures and sent it to Tarion. What is a married couple to do when she is not believed by Tarion. Tridel gives only the names of satisfied customers to be included in their surveys so that they can be #1.
Danielle Feidler says...
Dear Anne: I am the Vice President of Customer Care at Tridel and I would like to offer my direct assistance. Your posting came to our attention and after a search of all of our communities we have no record of the transaction you describe nor does the chain of events make sense to us in terms of how we or our industry conducts business. Specifically, our industry uniquely allows for a full 10 days from the signing of the contract to review your agreement with your lawyer. In that time any customer can cancel the agreement unilaterally with no penalties or concerns. We actively encourage all purchasers to seek the services of a real estate lawyer. We make lists of lawyers experienced in closing condominium sales on the Tridel website (http://www.tridel.com/condo/lawyer.php), in PDF and My Tridel Home, our exclusive customer website. Your contract also includes detailed schedules on what is included that is signed by both parties.
Additionally, while we sometimes sell homes that are brought to a partial level of completeness, it is very rare and is generally done specifically at the customers request to accommodate special needs and/or high levels of anticipated customization. This kind of sale, when it does occur, is fully detailed in a special addendum to the agreement and again is signed by both parties with a full 10 days to reconsider, modify or cancel with no repercussions. As with all Tridel homes the finishing superintendent and customer care review our homes for completion prior to and during the Homeowner Orientation by the customer so there is ample time to ensure our homes are delivered according to our customer’s agreements.
The few suites we have sold in this condition do not match the information provided in your posting so we are unable to take any action to assist you. We have very strong beliefs relative to customer service which means keeping our commitments and doing the right thing. We would welcome the opportunity to review your concerns and you can reach me directly by contacting the Tridel Call Centre at 416.661.9290.
Flint says...
No surprise on the Tarion being not helpful, look at their Board of Directors and you’ll see their Chair is one of the DelZottos (hence Tridel).
http://www.tarion.com/HOME/About+Tarion/Board+Of+Directors/
Talk about conflict of interest. I’ve had similar issues with another builder and learned the hard way that pretty much all builders set up shell companies to sell homes so even if there’s legal ramifications that their brand is unscathed — check your purchase agreement if you don’t believe me. I bet it’s not with Tridel but some other company.
abfab says...
Tarion is a joke. I know too many new condo buyers who found out after moving in that the warranty is useless and have had to fight for months to get shotty workmanship repaired. Basically they refer you back to builder who stalls on repairs in hopes you’ll give up, which most people do, or that the warranty expires.
Its incredible how little consumer protection there is (MarketPlace did an excellent episode on this). If you buy a condo you must get a lawyer familiar with condo contracts to review it before signing. I am shocked that anyone would sign a $300,000 without having it reviewed first. If a salesperson tries to convince you otherwise walk away.
Jen says...
The Tridel Group of Companies as in the Del Zotto’s (Elvio, Angelo, Leo) family and their lawyer Herb Noble has been caught not paying their taxes and under reporting with companies set up in the Cayman Islands. The CCRA set up shop in their offices and went through their books for many years. They even tried to judicial review this in the Federal Court of Appeals and lost.
Thomas says...
I’m pretty impressed that someone from Tridel actually found this post and sent such a well-phrased reply. I certainly don’t regret buying from Tridel. Their warranty goes above-and beyond Tarion, and often above my own expectations as well. The customer service and experience is top-notch, and their years of experience shows in the attention to details and smoothness of the whole process. I would not hesitate to recommend Tridel.
Ashley says...
The biggest single issue with new home builders is the lack of communication throughout the buying process. The mentality that location is all that matters, everything else is secondary has to change. When you’re buying a condo/home, ask them what you will get when you take possession. If it is anything less than a complete listing of everything in your new condo, with all the manufacturer documentation, that is a red flag. Demand it, it is your right as a home owner to have this information. A friend of mine bought a Cresford condo and he got an online database with his home owner manual, it had EVERYTHING. The more noise that we make as buyers, the faster these guys will get their acts together..
Linda says...
By and large I too received poor service from Tridel as a single woman. I sold my unit after a year and the new buyer took over the unit and was stuck with all the defects and unfinished things.
Savvy says...
The biggest issue……..Homeowner’s that DON”T READ ANY PAPERWORK AT ALL! I’ve been in the Condo industry for over 8 years and that’s my biggest complaint….knowledge is power….and almost ALL NEW BUYERS don’t even read thier warranty, therefore putting themselves at an instant disadvantage!
This results in inaccurate expectations from new buyers, resulting in them bad mouthing the builder for no valid reason, and then they have no idea what is and isn’t eligible to go on the Tarion Warranty Forms.
And this is after providing reams of information on how to do everything, but current condo buyers think they’ve purchased not only a condo, but a lifetime “baby-sitter” to look after them since they know nothing about what they’ve spent tons of money on.
MK says...
Tridel,or ANY builder needs to have true over sight. Having any builder,or family member’s organization sit on Tarion’s board is disturbing.There can be “interference” when a warranty’s in question given Tarion’s role.
For industry experience on the board, having a contractor who builds for the large builders could be useful.To avoid conflict of interest,a contractor,or board member shouldn’t be involved in a warranty claim if they’re associated with the builder in question.
Just like real estate lawyers,if a builder’s a client,they don’t take the consumer’s case.
Tarion warranty forms,they need to be more inclusive of all things applicable for a home owner to properly submit their issues.
Condominium management,the builder shouldn’t be allowed to use their subsidiary,or a partner to manage their property.
Consumers need accountability,and transparency regardless of how much they spend on their home.
http://www.sse.gov.on.ca/mcs/en/Pages/New_Home_Role_of_Tarion_Board.aspx
Boris says...
Friend of mine bought a new condo for investment purpose. Tridel sales rep told them they could rent it out anytime during occupancy period. Now they are told that they must go through Tridel’s company, Del condo rental, to rent their unit and must pay 6% fee on top of 1 month rent as commission….they are not allow to rent the unit themselves or by their agent. This is not the first time I hear Tridel lie to purchasers to get their sales. They will tell you anything to get you sign the dotted line. There is this woman name Chilly that has a bad attitude and extremely rude to customers. I don’t know how Tridel get their awards….maybe they nominate themselves.
Mary says...
I have purchased and owned my unit for over 12 years from Tridel.
Wilson Poon, RCM is property manager with Del Property Management Inc. They are a part of Tridel.
I have filed a number of complaints against Mr. Poon and other employees at Del Property Management and Del Realty Inc. for sexually harassment and sex discrimination, humiliation, harassment, second hand smoke, denying entry, fabricating stories about me, and negligence. Tridel did not want to be named as a respondent.
I would like to inform you that Mr. Poon has stated over and over again that Tridel, Del Property Management, and Del Realty Inc. will never offer mediation under the Condo Act.
Is it true that you don’t want to resolve these issues?
I would like to resolve the above issues through the Condo Act.
Mary says...
I have purchased and owned my unit for over 12 years from Tridel.
Wilson Poon, RCM is property manager with Del Property Management Inc. They are a part of Tridel.
I have filed a number of complaints against Mr. Poon and other employees at Del Property Management and Del Realty Inc. for sexually harassment and sex discrimination, humiliation, harassment, second hand smoke, denying entry, fabricating stories about me, and negligence. Tridel did not want to be named as a respondent.
I would like to inform you that Mr. Poon has stated over and over again that Tridel, Del Property Management, and Del Realty Inc. will never offer mediation under the Condo Act.
Is it true that you don’t want to resolve these issues?
I would like to resolve the above issues through the Condo Act.