Built my home last year with mandatory termiteb barrier protection. Now 1 year later got a letter saying I have to pay for annual termite inspection otherwise the warranty for the termite barrier is void (I believe warranty is for 10 years).
$260 for an "inspection" sounds like a lot! Especially if it's needed annually. What do they normally do at such inspections? Just a quick look around?
Is it true the the warranty can be voided just because I don't do the inspection?
check the terms and conditions of the warranty when you purchased the termite barrier.
As far as i know they cannot retrospectively apply a condition that did not exist at time of purchase.
Shouldn't they be covering the cost of the inspection if it is to save them money? I think check the T&C you signed up for….
Haha, you're funny.
It's pretty hard to even work out what percentage of the house value $260 is. But it's a lot less pro rata than what you pay for a car service compared to the cost of your vehicle. Would you drop them because of cost and still expect the car dealer to fix it when the oil sump runs dry.
Unfortunately, you needed to do this investigation when you were deciding on the barrier/company you wanted to use. There are plenty who would be happy to instal a barrier and do nothing more than maybe send a reminder that you should get the house checked. Instead you signed up to one with a ten year warranty and then neglected to read the whole contract.
It's probably better if you embrace the idea of protecting your home from termites and follow any instructions given when the pestie comes. Lots of things can change around the exterior of a house and you need an expert to ensure the barrier is intact and the roof void is pest free.
There wasn't a choice. Was done as part of the mandatory building process of a builder. Was not aware of this until the entire house has finished building.
Which company? Tried googling termiteb barrier protection. Nothing shows up.
Don't really understand what good is a once every 12 months termite inspection, termites may have up to 364 days to chew up the whole house ?! Asked few termite inspection companies, all I got was some ambiguous blah blah blah answers.
ROFL - them termites are just waiting in the bushes for the inpector's to finish, then say "lets chew"
But Termite inspectors are getting smart, the arrive in unmarked vechiles, or pretend to be Electrical contractors, and walk around saying, this is great place to put a new air conditioner, just to fool them pesky termites.
Another licence to print money? Due diligence is required. Is your area prone to the pest? Is the home timber framed with treated timbers or not? Early detection by regular personal inspections has sufficed for us with a once every 5 year professional inspection. If you have termite mesh installed between floor and foundation, this means it is a hard product, not a treatment or soft barrier. The installers would be hard pressed in denying any claim if the installation failed to perform its intended use. And unless it is proved that you failed to properly maintain the immediate exterior meaning that the termites bypassed the barrier in order to enter the body of the house, you most certainly would be covered. A quick search of the internet will show you what you need to look for. Then keep a record (diary)when you make an inspection.
So the idea is that you purchase a product to prevent termites from entering your home, yet you have to pay someone each year to come & check that it's working?
Exactly my thoughts
If you don't believe you're in any threat of termites, write off the wasted money on the barrier and don't get the inspections.
I got the barrier because we found termites. Was also surprised by the compulsory annual inspection, but now decide I want it.
@Jimbo, I'd must rather catch 364 days of damage than wait for something to fall down.
Inspections have found termites about every other year, so money well spent I reckon.
Get it checked first year and follow the guy around to see what he does (be subtle about it) then you can do your own inspections later if you don't want to shell out every year.
So much bad advise here. Like I stated previously. It's just the same as a new car warranty. If you don't get the regular services done you won't be covered if you need to claim on the warranty.
Yes, the warranty will be void without the inspection. The idea is to catch any issues early (ie annual inspection) to minimise cost/damages. They inspect the entire house looking for signs of termite activity - probably takes half an hour to 45 minutes.