Metricon faces complaint order
Australia's biggest home builder, Metricon, is facing regulator scrutiny over customer complaints.
The NSW Building Commission has reportedly imposed five conditions on Metricon’s licence following concerns about its handling of customer complaints and contract practices.
As part of this, senior executives are expected to complete a three-day training course costing $2,250 per person, focused on implementing a quality management system to improve customer experiences.
Executives required to attend include the state director, legal and customer experience officers, and operational managers.
This action follows a 15-month investigation that began in 2023 after complaints surfaced about Metricon terminating fixed-price contracts.
The investigation was triggered by a surge in customer complaints, with many claiming Metricon issued unaffordable new quotes after cancelling contracts.
Metricon must also pay an independent expert to analyse complaints from the last six months to identify the “root cause” of the issues and ensure system improvements.
An independent auditor will verify its compliance with legislative requirements each year.
Metricon CEO Brad Duggan says he supports the commission's actions.
The NSW Building Commission's probe into Metricon’s contracting practices is ongoing. Despite the scrutiny, Metricon recently reported an $80 million turnaround and recently announced that Sumitomo Forestry Australia would acquire a 51 per cent stake in the company, with potential for full ownership over time.
More details are accessible here.