Victory – Page 7 – Michmutters

Tag: Victory

Categories
Business

Thousands of businesses impacted by Tyro EFTPOS outage urged to register to class action

Thousands of businesses impacted by Tyro EFTPOS outage urged to register to class action

Christine Hera-Singh found it difficult to keep her bakery along the Great Ocean Road afloat during Covid-19 lockdowns and border closures.

The mum-of-one had pinned her hopes on the Christmas rush in late 2020 and early 2021 and for a while, her South Australian-based business, Meningie Bakery, was flourishing.

But then in January last year, the bakery’s credit card terminals stopped working for two weeks straight.

“It hit dead around the Christmas break, we had customers walking out, they didn’t have cash, it was an absolute nightmare,” Ms Hera-Singh told news.com.au.

It turned out the company that she rented her EFTPOS machines from, Tyro, had experienced a national outage that lasted for a fortnight.

Overall, Ms Hera-Singh estimates she lost $60,000 from the two week outage.

Across the country, at least 11,000 companies were impacted — the majority of them small businesses like hers.

Now, 18 months since the malfunction, outraged merchants have fought back by launching a class action against Tyro.

According to a notice from the Federal Court, affected business owners now have three months to register their case if they hope to receive compensation in the event they win the lawsuit. The registrations opened last week at www.tyroclassaction.com.au and close on October 30.

Ms Hera-Singh said: “We were losing heaps of customers. We were left in this huge dilemma.

“I’m a small business owner, it’s hard.”

The baker explained how the Covid-19 outbreak meant that society had gone largely cashless, making it even harder to survive during those two weeks.

By way of compensation, she said Tyro waived the rent on her machines for a month — which wasn’t nearly enough.

Her terminals stopped working on January 7 and only came back online by January 21, a whole 14 days later.

Across Australia, outages were first reported from January 5 due to a glitch in the coding and it took until late that month for all machines to operate normally again.

In a statement to news.com.au, Tyro did not acknowledge the class action law suit but said it had introduced a compensation program to make up for the financial losses.

“Following the terminal connectivity incident experienced in January 2021, Tyro has conducted a remediation program whereby all impacted merchants have been contacted directly by Tyro and given the opportunity to claim any financial losses caused by the connectivity incident,” a spokesperson said.

Bannister Law started the class action in October last year and Court House Capital is funding the case.

According to Bannister Law, most affected businesses lost between $5,00 to $40,000 from the outage, but there were several outliers like Ms Hera-Singh’s bakery. Some businesses that had multiple machines lost as much as $100,000.

Charles Bannister, Principal at Bannister Law, told news.com.au should businesses fail to register in the next three months, they wouldn’t be entitled to any compensation if his firm won the court case.

“The outage occurred during a crucial period, being a time when everyone had come out of lockdowns and there was a general reluctance to accept cash,” he told news.com.au.

“That merchants were unable to use their EFTPOS machines for days or weeks was, for many merchants, catastrophic.

“There are approximately 11,000 businesses affected by this outage. If they do not register, they will not be entitled to receive a share of the proceeds of any funds received should the proceedings settle, subject to Court approval.”

Last week, a whopping 11,000 letters were sent out to the impacted business owners inviting them to register.

Another impacted business was Highett RSL, in Melbourne’s southeast, which estimated it lost around $10,000.

Gavin Williams, the pub’s general manager, said the timing couldn’t have been worse as Melbourne had just come out of their four month lockdown in the winter of 2020 and they needed to recoup their losses.

“There were obviously lockdowns and all that in Melbourne that was going on,” he told news.com.au.

“People wanted to use credit cards and EFTPOS cards, [but by then] all our signage was to use your cards.”

Before Covid he estimates that half of his customers used cash while the other half used cards but the pandemic changed that. Around 70 per cent of customers now use cards, making it harder for people to buy drinks when credit card machines were down.

I paid $49 per month for an EFTPOS terminal and this fee was waived for the month of January.

To date, that is the only compensation the business has received, he said.

.

Categories
Business

Simple act of submitting meter read wipes $365 off women’s AGL gas bill

Simple act of submitting meter read wipes $365 off women's AGL gas bill

As Australians continue to deal with the rising cost of living, they are reminded to check the charges on their energy bills are actually accurate.

A Melbourne resident, who lives in a new-build town house with her partner, said she was “astounded” to get a $430 gas bill recently, despite her two previous bills being under $100.

She said it made “no sense” and that her heating was electric, meaning “hardly anything is on gas”.

“Once I inspected the bill I realized it was actually an estimate,” she told news.com.au.

“Lucky for me AGL allows you to run a meter read to receive an actual bill so that’s what I did.”

The simple act wiped hundreds off her bill, bringing it down to the markedly different cost of $65.

Stream more finance news live & on demand with Flash. 25+ news channels in 1 place. New to Flash? Try 1 month free. Offer ends October 31, 2022 >

According to the Australian Energy Market Commission, a small customer is entitled to request that their energy retailer adjust their bill by providing their own reading of the meter if they believe the electricity or gas bill given was based on an inaccurate estimate.

If your meter is a “basic meter” rather than a “smart meter” it means someone must physically attend the property to read it, which is when estimates are sometimes used.

Whether or not your bill is based on an estimate is indicated by an A (actual) or E (estimate) on the bill.

AGL said it there were “a range of factors” that resulted in customers getting an estimated read.

“When we’re unable to get an actual read of a meter, we send an estimated bill based on a number of factors including past energy usage and the average usage of similar customers,” a spokesperson said.

The company said customers were able to submit their own read directly via the AGL App or over the phone and their bill would be adjusted accordingly.

“As one of Australia’s largest energy retailers, AGL is committed to keeping energy prices competitive and affordable for customers,” the spokesperson said, adding that anyone with concerns should contact them.

Read related topics:melbourne

.

Categories
Sports

Ben Simmons future at Brooklyn Nets, trade news, report claims Aussie left group chat

Ben Simmons future at Brooklyn Nets, trade news, report claims Aussie left group chat

Ben Simmons’ rocky NBA career has taken another turn after the Brooklyn Nets guard reportedly left a players group chat before a decisive playoff game last season.

Simmons was drafted first overall by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2016 NBA Draft but found himself locked in a standoff with the franchise after demanding a trade.

The Australian was eventually dealt to the Nets as part of a package for All-Star guard James Harden, and was expected to don his new colors for the first time in the playoffs.

Watch Live & Free Coverage of The 2022 NBL1 Championship Season on Kayo Freebies. Join now, no credit card required >

The Athletic reported in April that Simmons was set to debut for Brooklyn in Game Four, during the first round of the playoffs.

Brooklyn were already down 3-0 to the eventual Eastern Conference champions Boston Celtics when he pulled out with back soreness.

But renowned NBA analyst Ric Bucher has made a stunning revelation about Simmons, saying that he left a players group chat without saying a word before Game Four.

“They’re having a team chat before Game four, thinking he’s going to play against the Celtics, and from what I’m told, Ben just left the chat,” Bucher told Colin Cowherd on The Herd.

“They asked him, ‘Are you going to play?’ Ben left the chat. Like he didn’t even answer the question. He just left the chat.”

Dad UP for Bronny James alley-oop! | 00:21

The 26-year-old required surgery in March on his lower back after withdrawing from that crucial playoff clash with the Celtics.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Simmons needed back surgery after experiencing “pain soreness” the day before the Nets were eventually eliminated.

“Brooklyn Nets swingman Ben Simmons will require three to four months of rehabilitation after undergoing back surgery, but is expected to be fully recovered to return to the court well ahead of pre-season training camp in September, sources told ESPN on Wednesday,” Wojnarowski wrote.

“The decision to undergo the surgery was reached after ‘consultation with multiple back specialists,’ the team said Wednesday.”

Simmons said that mental health was the reason behind his ugly exit from Philadelphia, as he opened up on his “dark times.”

However, sports radio host Ben Maller believed that it was just an excuse for the Melbourne-born talent to leave the Sixers.

“Ben Simmons in Philadelphia was a charlatan, a fake, a phony and a fraud,” Maller said on Fox Sports Radio in February

“This guy has been hiding behind the mental health card playing it from the bottom of the deck, knowing that it makes you untouchable in a polite society.

“The establishment media are afraid of even slightly criticizing someone who makes this claim, like Ben Simmons.”

.

Categories
Sports

Hannah Green expects strong field for home summer

Hannah Green expects strong field for home summer

Winning the Australian Open is as important as claiming another major for the showpiece event’s newest recruit, Hannah Green.

Now the race is on to have her colleagues thinking the same way as organizers tackle the remaining roadblocks in getting more big-names to sign on.

This year’s Australian Open — held on December 1-4 at Victoria Golf Club and Kingston Heath — promises to be one of the biggest in recent memory with the men’s and women’s fields now combined, and playing for $1.7 million AUD in prize money each.

Watch LIVE coverage from The USPGA Tour with Fox Sports on Kayo. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now >

Meanwhile, the pandemic has left some of Australia’s biggest players, such as Cameron Smith, homeick and eyeing extended stays down under this summer.

That plays into the hands of the Australian Open, which, after a three-year hiatus, could see a strong local contingent play, including the returning Smith and Marc Leishman.

And yet, organizers are still faced with a number of challenges in confirming more stars alongside Green, and world No.49 Lucas Herbert.

Tiger rejects $1 Billion offer from LIV | 01:00

Herbert is the biggest star from the men’s side to officially commit, while Green is the only confirmed player in the women’s field, although Karrie Webb is expected to make her appearance official in the coming weeks.

Green told reporters on Tuesday that she’s trying to give players a nudge to make the trip to Australia, but noted late-year sponsor events, the lack of a LPGA co-sanction, and Thanksgiving in America, as potential roadblocks.

Green said she is yet to speak to world No.2 Minjee Lee about joining her in Victoria, but anticipated that sponsor events elsewhere could leave the two-time major winner’s hands tied.

Meanwhile, Green flagged that Thanksgiving on November 24 could present a challenge for American players, such as 2019 champion and world No.3, Nelly Korda.

“It’d be great if Nelly could come back down,” Green said. “It is a hard time of year because of Thanksgiving a week prior to the Open but some girls might want to go on a holiday and make a trip out of it.

“It’s a long season. You can make some good money out of it (the Australian Open) and celebrate. So it’d be nice if Nelly and her sister Ella Jess could come down.

She added: “It would obviously be great if Minjee could attend. But I think it’s just important to have all the Australian players come back.

MORE COVERAGE

‘They’re gone’: Bombshell revelation as Aussie golfer says Smith, Leishman have joined LIV

‘S***ting their pants’: LIV Golf texts between Greg Norman and ex-Masters champ revealed

Aussie golf’s ‘special’ $3.4m move earns big boost … but Smith wait goes on amid LIV link

‘I found three brothers’: Golf legend reduced to blubbering mess in stirring live TV farewell

Green gets hot on day 2 of Women’s Open | 00:50

“It sounds like Cam (Smith) wants to come back, and hopefully Scotty (Adam Scott) and Leish (Marc Leishman) and all the boys want to come back too, so I think just getting as many Australian players in the field as possible is important.”

Green said that freshly crowned Women’s Open winner Ash Buhai “really wants to come play” and is waiting for confirmation.

Meanwhile, the 25-year-old is eyeing a real piece of history, looking to make it a hat-trick of wins in Australia having taken out the mixed gender TPS Murray River, and the Victorian Open, on her last visit.

Should the 2019 PGA Championship winner be successful, she said the victory would be as important to her as claiming another major.

“I still think getting my hand on that trophy would be very important to me,” she said.

“It definitely depends on the field and I think it would make a difference if we still had LPGA players to come, but it doesn’t mean I’m not going to work just as hard to try and win that trophy depending on who comes at the end of this year.”

The Women’s Australian Open has historically been held in February but will now shift to December to align with the men’s competition.

As such, the women’s field now faces the challenge of having a number of stars eyeing time off after a long season.

That’s a familiar issue for the men’s competition, which has traditionally been held in November and December, and has had varied success in attracting a star-studded field.

Whether top international players will commit this year remains to be seen, but some of Australia’s biggest names are expected to be involved regardless.

Open Championship winner Smith told Fox Sports Last month he will have an extended stay in Australia this summer, which could include playing both the Australian Open and the Australian PGA Championship.

“That’s better not GO IN!” | 00:21

Leishman also told foxsports.com.au before The Open that he was looking forward to returning to play in Australia, although no confirmation has yet been given for either player, who has been heavily linked to LIV Golf.

Nonetheless, Green is confident both will commit for the historic tournament, which will be the first national Open worldwide to combine both men’s and women’s fields.

“We need to elevate both championships so I hope that combining them at the same venue at the same time is going to do that,” she said. “We’ve obviously seen success with the Vic Open with the same format that we’re going to try this year.

“It’s going to be hard for us females to not have maybe as strong a field as we’ve had in previous Aus Opens, but hopefully the attraction of the event, people will want to come back to Australia and play.

“It’s a great week. The Australian Open is definitely one of my favorites to attend so it’s just really nice that after the last few years of not having one to be able to get back and play.”

.

Categories
Sports

Cameron Smith LIV golf, Hannah Green to play

Cameron Smith LIV golf, Hannah Green to play

The Australian Open has added some extra star-power for its return edition this summer with major winner Hannah Green committing to play.

Green, fresh from contending at this month’s Women’s Open, was unveiled in Melbourne on Monday as the event’s latest coup.

The 25-year-old is one of only four Australian women to have won a major, after claiming the 2019 PGA Championship, and returns home after a strong year, albeit with the disappointment of a weekend fadeout at the Women’s Open.

Watch LIVE coverage from The USPGA Tour with Fox Sports on Kayo. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now >

Green has six top-10 finishes this year, including a top-five at the women’s PGA Championship, while she was also on track for a strong result in at Muirfield until she was derailed by a seven-over final two rounds.

With the major final of the season in the books, the Australian is looking to the months ahead, which will include returning home for a historic edition of the Australian Open.

Green is fresh from contending deep at this month's Women's Open.
Green is fresh from contending deep at this month’s Women’s Open.Source: Getty Images

Having not been held in 2020 or 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic, the showpiece event returns with the men, women, and all-abilities tournaments being held concurrently.

It is the first national Open worldwide to combine men’s and women’s fields, while the prize money for the two events is the same; $1.7 million AUD each.

“When I heard that the men’s and women’s Opens were coming together for the first time, I knew that I wanted to be there,” said Green, who won the mixed gender TPS Murray River, and the Vic Open, on her last visit.

“We’ve experienced this kind of concept with men and women playing together on the same courses at the same time … and to have it in place for the first time at a national Open is going to be something special.”

High profile Australians committing to return for the summer are increasing by the week after Lucas Herbert and Min Woo Lee recently confirmed they would also be playing.

World No.49 Herbert is down to play both the Australian Open, held at Victoria Golf Club and Kingston Heath on December 1-4, and the Australian PGA Championship at Royal Queensland the week prior.

Lee – now ranked 66th in the world and with top-30 finishes at three of this year’s majors – will play at the latter, which is co-sanctioned by the DP World Tour.

Meanwhile, Aussie golf fans are still waiting to hear if reigning Open Championship winner Cameron Smith will also return, having not played competitively in his home country since December 2019.

Aussie golf fans are still waiting to hear if reigning Open Championship winner Cameron Smith will also return.Source: Getty Images

Smith confirmed last month that he will have an extended stay in Australia this summer to spend time with his family and friends after three years of separation.

But whether that stay will include playing at either the Australian Open, or the Australian PGA Championship – he’s previously won the latter twice – is unclear.

Also unclear is his next career moves after the FedEx Cup playoffs, having been linked to Greg Norman’s Saudi-backed LIV Golf series — claims that he hasn’t denied.

smith told Fox Sports after winning the Claret Jug that his plan is to play in both Australian events, but it is not his priority.

“I think my priority during those weeks is going to be to catch up with family and friends. I’ll probably stay a little bit after into Christmas and just really have a good time,” he told Fox Sports.

“I’m looking forward to that. You really have no idea. It’s been three years since I’ve been at home and just to see some familiar faces will be so nice.”

Meanwhile, another big-name Aussie, Marc Leishman, confirmed to foxsports.com.au last month that he was also eager to return to these shores, although no deal has been confirmed.

.

Categories
Sports

A-League: Slovakian international Robert Mak joins Sydney FC

A-League: Slovakian international Robert Mak joins Sydney FC

Sydney FC’s measured and patient approach to returning to the A-League summit has stepped up a gear with the signing of former Manchester City winger Robert Mak.

Capped 73 times for Slovakia, Mak has joined the Sky Blues on a two-year deal after winning back-to-back Hungarian top-flight titles with Ferencváros.

“We took our time because there’s a specific type of player we want,” Sydney FC coach Steve Corica said.

“We’ve got a few more to come in as well, but to have the first one done is great.

“We’re two months out from the start of the (A-League) season which gives us plenty of time to work with Robert and to get him ready.”

The most successful club in A-League history with five championships, the Sky Blues finished a disappointing eighth last season.

“We had to have a good look at where we were and what kind of players and what formation we wanted to look at if we wanted to change things,” Corica said.

“It’s probably the best time right now to do it.”

Mak’s ability to play on either wing and also in a central attacking role if required made him an attractive target for Sydney.

“He has two great feet and can play on either side of the pitch. He likes to take on defenders and will create and score goals for us as well,” Corica said.

“To play that many times for your country is no mean feat and I think he will really stand out this season.”

Having joined Manchester City’s academy at 13, Mak stayed there for six years before leaving in 2010 to join German club Nurnberg.

From there he went to Greek club Paok in 2014 and also had spells in Russia (Zenit St Petersburg) and Turkey (Konyaspor) before his move to Hungary.

“I’ve been part of a few championships and cup wins in my career, so I know what it takes and want to bring my experience, personality and a few goals and assists to help us this season,” said Mak, who has made more than 30 game appearances in the UEFA Champions League and the Europa League.

“This is going to be a fantastic challenge for me, and it’s a real honor to be signing for Australia’s biggest and most successful club.”

The Sky Blues continue their Australia Cup campaign on Wednesday night with a round-of-16 clash against NPL Victoria outfit Bentleigh Greens in Melbourne.

In Wednesday night’s other Cup round-of-16 battle, South Australian state league club Modbury Jets host Macarthur FC at Gepps Cross.

Read related topics:sydney

.

Categories
Sports

Harry McKay says Carlton Blues season should still be successful even if they miss finals

Harry McKay says Carlton Blues season should still be successful even if they miss finals

Coleman Medalist Harry McKay believes Carlton’s 2022 has been a successful campaign – even if it ultimately misses finals after being in the top eight since Round 1.

The Blues have been one of the stories of the AFL season, placing inside the top eight at the end of every round so far. After eight consecutive bottom-eight finishes, Michael Voss’ team now needs one more win to cement a finals berth for the first time since 2013.

But the Blues are now clinging to seventh spot on the ladder after a 33-point loss to Brisbane on Sunday – their fourth loss from their past six games.

Watch every blockbuster AFL match this weekend Live & Ad-Break Free In-Play on Kayo. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now >

With two tough games against top-four sides Melbourne and Collingwood to finish their home and away season, the Blues are now in danger of missing finals, with St Kilda and, particularly, Richmond and the Western Bulldogs well placed to squeeze into the top eight .

The last team to be in finals places every round except the last was Carlton in 1977.

Asked on Fox Footy’s On The Couch if the Blues would still consider the 2022 season a success, even if they missed finals, McKay said: “Short answer yes.

“I think I judge success in terms of our environment that we’ve created. The last couple of years we’ve probably struggled in that space in terms of culture, environment, building a really solid gameplan.

“Whatever happens for the rest of the year, I guess that’s outcome-based. But for me as a player that’s been there seven or eight years, this 12 months have been a success. Whether that comes with finals or whatever it is, I think we’ve taken a really big step in the right direction.

NEW FOX FOOTY PODCAST — Finals fight down to 10 amid a Blue’s big bump and Crows camp fallout

Listen below or subscribe in Apple Podcasts or Spotify

“’Vossy’ talked about the other day ‘hopefully it’s a long book and this is just Chapter 1’. We want to finish off the chapter really well, but it’s definitely still a success I reckon.”

While many Blues fans would struggle to comprehend missing the finals after so many victories in 2022, triple premiership Bomber Tim Watson said Carlton’s “trajectory is going in the right direction”.

‘What is that?’ Sloppy Blues torched | 01:52

“Success can be measured in a whole different lot of ways, but they are still improving and their graph is going in the right direction,” Watson told SEN Breakfast after hearing McKay’s comments.

“They built up a level of expectation, based on their performances earlier in the season, and I remember seeing them and thinking ‘yeah, they’re capable of actually winning the flag’.

“They’ve got some problems at the moment though – and partly to do with injury.”

McKay claimed last year’s Coleman Medal with a haul of 58 goals, but said he’d enjoyed this year more considering the team’s success to date.

“This year has been very enjoyable and a different place,” he said.

Carlton needs one more win to qualify for finals. Picture: Russell FreemanSource: Getty Images

“Although we did a lot right over the last couple of years, this year it’s just started to click. Some key changes to some key personnel have been really refreshing and really nice.

“The last few weeks have been challenging after a pretty solid first 16 to 18 rounds. It’s been a little bit disappointing we haven’t been able to play our best football, but we’re still in a really good and exciting position. Two big games at the MCG to finish the year and a chance to do something we haven’t been able to do in 10 or so years.

“Even post-game (Sunday afternoon), there was initial disappointment and frustration and we touched on a few things that didn’t go right. But before we walked out the door it was ‘what an amazing opportunity we’ve got’.

McKay said the Blues needed to improve their contested ball work, which had been “a little bit off” in the past fortnight, while they wanted to move the footy with more “dare”.

.

Categories
Business

‘Zombie’ homes are fueling Australia’s rental crisis, experts say

'Zombie' homes are fueling Australia's rental crisis, experts say

Real estate experts say Australia is experiencing a rental crisis that’s set to worsen without government intervention, and so-called “zombie” homes are fueling the problem.

A zombie home is a property that is occupied only part of the time – such as a holiday house listed on Airbnb – that is not available to rent on a short or long term lease but can generate large profits for the owner.

For example, a good property in a regional town, near the beach or one in inner Sydney could fetch $1000 for a weekend but just $800 on a weekly basis under a leasing arrangement, First National Real Estate CEO Ray Ellis said.

“It’s a lot easier to take your investment property out of the full-time rental mix and put it into the short-term rental mix which is basically AirBnB or weekend accommodation,” Mr Ellis told news.com.au.

“If you could get $800 a week by having someone there full-time but you can get $1000 for a Saturday and Sunday, and don’t have to go through all the extra legislation requirements, you’ll do it, because you’re making the same return,” he said.

Stream more property news live & on demand with Flash. 25+ news channels in 1 place. New to Flash? Try 1 month free. Offer ends October 31, 2022 >

Throughout any city there’s “hundreds if not thousands” of zombie homes, especially in coastal areas, that are occupied one or two days a week, Mr Ellis said.

“There’s now too many occurring in most cities in Australia.”

The benefit for owners – apart from the financial element – ​​was not having the long-term commitment of dealing with renters, he added.

Zombie homes are widespread, with last year’s census revealing that during lockdown and while Australia’s borders were closed, there were more than 1 million unoccupied properties.

While it’s a win-win for landlords, renters are suffering with rents souring and long queues of desperate prospective tenants lining up to inspect properties. This has forced some to live in their cars, a motel or caravan – even couch surfing – to keep a roof over their heads.

“Investors are putting their properties out for Airbnb, but it’s taking rental properties away from renters and that lack of … properties available to rent is driving demand and prices up,” Finder money expert Rebecca Pike told 7NEWS.com.au.

PropTrack’s latest rental report for the June quarter found the number of renters per property listed on realestate.com.au had risen 28 per cent year-on-year across capital cities, with Sydney and Melbourne experiencing the greatest increase.

The number of rental listings in Sydney fell 21 per cent in the last year. The largest declines in listings were recorded in Melbourne (-25.7 per cent) and Brisbane (-24 per cent).

Overall, the number of new listings coming on to the market was 13.8 per cent lower than the decade average in June.

The strong demand for rentals and limited supply was leading to significant increases in advertised rent prices, the report found.

Rental prices in Sydney have grown by 6 per cent over the past year, after having fallen throughout the early part of the pandemic.

The median rental price for a house in Sydney is currently $620 a week and $500 for a unit.

Nationally, the median weekly rent for a house is $490 and $440 for units.

With higher land tax charges for investors and larger interest rates, many of these costs are being passed on to renters causing rents to rise even further, the report added.

Ms Pike told 7NEWS.com.au the rental crisis needed urgent action and would get worse over the coming months.

“We’re definitely seeing that demand for rental housing going up because we have so many more people coming into the country, whereas during Covid we really saw that drop,” she said. “There is definitely more demand at the moment, but there’s also less supply.

“Also with the RBA cash rate, if investors are paying more for their loans, they’re potentially passing that on to renters.”

.

Categories
Business

Fears Melbourne building company Blint is on the brink of collapse

Fears Melbourne building company Blint is on the brink of collapse

A Melbourne builder has “disappeared” placing homeowners under a “horrendous” amount of stress as they are left with half finished homes they have poured hundreds of thousands into that they may struggle to complete.

One family impacted are Dean and Nolle Fuller, who have five children between them, and have already shelled out $480,000 to the builder called Blint, since signing on in January.

The couple had demolished their existing home last November and had engaged Blint Builders to build two townhouses for $1.5 million, due to be delivered early next year.

The slab for the two homes was laid and the first floor framing has been done on both but then work started to slow down in the middle of this year, according to Mr Fuller.

But the 54-year-old said alarm bells really started to sound when his wife drove past the site in the first week of June and discovered that the portaloo had been taken away and a tradition was on site collecting his materials.

She then went straight to the builder’s office only to discover it locked up, while her calls went unanswered.

Two days later on June 9, the owner of Blint told the Fullers he was going into voluntary administration but since then they have heard “nothing”, with emails and phone calls left unanswered and the office empty.

Building site targeted

Their building site has been broken into leaving it a “mess”, Mr Fuller said.

“In that time, we have had two lots of vandalizing and trespassing and damage caused to our property, which has been lodged with police,” Mr Fuller told news.com.au.

“We have had a truck back up and dump three to four square meters of rubble and waste material on the property and the truck also smashed the gates down.

“Recently someone turned up and stole the electrical meter box within the property.”

The project manager said the experience had caused an “unbelievable amount of stress and anxiety”.

“We have half a million dollars outlaid on something that is sitting still and… sitting on a block that is wasting away and not covered by insurance potentially,” he said.

“We are in a situation that we may be forced to compromise significantly on what was our dream home to build.

“We are financially impacted and may have sell off things to complete the build as there have been cost increases and delays. The property we have might have to be stripped right back to be rebuilt, notwithstanding that we have got to pay rent and that we have to be out of this rental by Christmas.”

left in limbo

Mr Fuller said his family would have to negotiate to stay in the rental meaning his, including three of their children, would be forced to be crammed into the small property for another 10 to 12 months.

I have added it’s been almost impossible to find out information when “all we want to do is build a house” and instead they are left in “limbo”.

“It takes a lot of time and hours with pursuing legal options and between the Housing Industry Association and banks and insurance companies it’s relentless,” I explained.

“We are all sitting on insurance policies but because the trigger is Blint going into voluntary administration, none of us can trigger the insurance policies. So we are sitting on property we can’t do anything with as we can’t engage new builders.”

Mr Fuller said it’s a “frustrating” experience and just wants answers from the builder.

Do you have a similar story? Contact [email protected]

Offices seized

Blint Builder’s office in the Melbourne suburb of Highett has also been seized by the landlord.

Legal documents posted on the front door show the landlord has executed their right to re-entry, terminating the lease and demanding all property be removed and the keys be returned.

The legal notice also revealed that Blint Builders owe the landlord close to $14,000 in unpaid rent and rates.

Emails to Blint are undeliverable, while news.com.au has called, left voicemails and sent text messages to the builder but has not heard back.

‘Horrifying strain’

Another family who are under “horrendous strain” are Tony and Jo Firman and their two children, who are building a home specially designed for her disability.

Mrs Firman has multiple sclerosis and the couple were building a home to meet her needs in the Melbourne suburb of Mordialloc, which included a swimming pool.

They had demolished the original home and signed up to build their $1.2 million house with Blint, which was scheduled to be finished in mid February.

The couple said they have paid $1.14 million so far to the builder and the house is at lock up stage but no work has happened since early June, according to Mr Firman.

“There is no carpet, it hasn’t been painted and there are serious defects that need to be rectified, so there’s still quite a bit of work,” he claimed.

The 54-year-old said he even went to Blint’s office twice in June to find out about the progress of the home.

But since then the builder has “disappeared off the face of the Earth” with Mr Firman’s calls and emails going unanswered, he claimed

“It went from talking to him every day to him never ringing me back and never hearing from him,” he said.

Being left in limbo has taken a toll on him with the online retailer saying he has “never felt more depressed in my life”.

“It’s a massive strain on us as a family, both financially as we are paying rent as well as paying off part of the house that we can’t even live in it as we have no occupancy certificate,” he added.

‘Sending us broke’

Mr Firman said they can’t get a payout from the insurance company until Blint goes into liquidation and it could “cost a lot of money to force that to happen” through the courts.

“Even with the full insurance payout it might not be enough money. We skimped and saved and borrowed quite a substantial amount of money. We are worried we won’t make enough money to repay the loan and be able to live,” he said.

“I fear that this will send us broke.

“It’s very touch and go for us at the moment … My daughter turns 21 next month and her only wish was to have the party at the new house and that won’t happen.”

‘Derelict sites’

Dad-of-three Jamie* had also signed up with Blint in March 2021 to renovate and extend their two bedroom house in the Melbourne suburb of Murrumbeena for $730,000.

The family had planned a double storey addition out the back with a new kitchen, living area and kids’ bedrooms and are currently living in a rental.

Jamie said the work was “slow going” and the family had forked out $600,000 so far.

Now they’ve been left with a half built home, even though it was due to be complete in April, and he describes the site as “quite derelict”.

Jamie confronted the builder at his home in June and was told Rodger Reidy had been appointed to handle the voluntary administrators.

But when he contacted the insolvency specialist firm he was told that it was not the case and Rodger Reidy also confirmed with news.com.au they had not been appointed.

Now, he can’t get in touch with Blint with the phone turned off and emails unanswered.

The 43-year-old said he just wants to be able to finish the home, even if it costs the family an extra $50,000, but he has been left in limbo, adding he is “exhausted and frustrated”.

News.com.au understands a number of suppliers are also owed money from Blint.

*Name changed for privacy reasons

Read related topics:melbourne

.

Categories
Business

Australian social media company Linktree sacks 17 per cent of staff

Australian social media company Linktree sacks 17 per cent of staff

An Australian social media start-up that was recently valued at $1.78 billion is sacking 17 per cent of staff from its global operations.

The company, whose main offices in Australia are based in Sydney and Melbourne, said it has 25 million users and is one of the top 300 most popular websites globally with 1.2 billion monthly views.

Yet, his co-founder and chief executive Alex Zaccaria, revealed on LinkedIn that he was “heartbroken” to announce that staff would be axed.

The news came despite the company, which has been backed by billionaire Afterpay co-founder Nick Molnar, raising $US110 million ($A1578 million) in March.

It also announced a brand transformation in June and revealed plans for a whole suite of new tools and features set to be released over the coming months.

The company is believed to have around 300 employees, with the 17 per cent figure equating to around 50 staff that will be sacked, with roles impacted understood to cover talent acquisition, people and culture, design and marketing.

Mr Zaccaria said he had shared the “difficult news” with staff about the cuts, which were being made to “emerge stronger from the economic downturn”.

“Our people have built Linktree into what it is today: trusted by millions of people around the world. I’m heartbroken to say goodbye to some incredible teammates today, and want to do all I can to support them,” he said.

“On Friday, we will post a public, opt-in Airtable for those of our team impacted and ask you to please consider this group of incredibly talented and passionate people for roles you have open. I can assure you they will make huge contributions wherever they land.

“If you’d like to speak to me personally about any individual, my DM’s are open.”

The cuts come after the company introduced a $6000 reward annually to staff just six months ago, with the perk described as “mind-blowing” by employees at the time.

Linktree started off as a way for influencers to link to everything from their outfits, blog posts, podcast episodes and social media, but has evolved into a platform that enables brands, artists and businesses to monetize their content through social media.

Its high-profile users feature Selena Gomez and Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson as well as brands such as TikTok and Red Bull.

Mr Zaccaria also revealed that the company had made some “big bets” and hired in line with its ambitions, but economic conditions had changed in 2022 forcing the company to make the cuts.

“Conditions changed faster than expected and those assumptions I made were wrong,” he said. “I have many learnings to take into the next phase of building Linktree. That next phase involves narrowing our focus on our long-term strategy by reducing roles that are no longer aligned with our road map.”

In a further letter to Linktree staff, Mr Zaccaria said he would be hosting a weekly ‘Ask Me Anything’ session to staff for the next four weeks.

“Friday will be a company-wide mental health day at Linktree. For a company like ours, so focused on culture and camaraderie, this will be difficult news,” he said.

“I don’t expect anyone to be their normal selves. We will also be allocating you an additional mental health day that you can take at a time that suits you.

“The opportunity for Linktree is immense and I have no doubt we’ll achieve everything we intend to and more for our creators.

“The right path is rarely the easy path. Today’s change to our team is the hard way, but it puts us in a strong position to deliver on the opportunity we have in front of us.”

Staff that have been made redundant will receive an average of 11 weeks pay, mental health support for three months and laptops and work from home equipment will be gifted.

The company is still actively recruiting for roles on LinkedIn including product managers, integrated marketing managers and engineers, with 16 jobs currently advertised.

Tech sector bloodbath

Linktree’s staff are the latest casualties in the tech sector, which has seen a spate of companies firing staff as conditions get tougher.

Immutable, an Australian crypto company valued at $3.5 billion was facing a fierce backlash last week after sacking 17 per cent of its staff from its gaming division, while continuing to “hire aggressively” after raising $280 million in funding in March.

Australian healthcare start-up Eucalptys that provides treatments for obesity, acne and erectile dysfunction fired up to 20 per cent of staff after an investment firm pulled its funding at the last minute.

Debt collection start-up Indebted sacked 40 of its employees just before the end of the financial year, despite its valuation soaring to more than $200 million, with most of the redundancies made across sales and marketing.

Then there was Australian buy now, pay later provider Brighte, that offers money for home improvements and solar power, which let go of 15 per cent of its staff in June, with roles primarily based on corporate and new product development.

Another buy now, pay later provider with offices in Sydney called BizPay made 30 per cent of its redundant workforce blaming market conditions for the huge cut to staffing in May.

Earlier this year, a start-up focused on the solar sector called 5B Solar, which boasts backing from former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull, also sacked 25 per cent of its staff after completing a capital raise that would inject $30 million into the business

.