Jan 07 2007
Experience with Sobha and Mantri Developers
Having bought a house from Mantri and Sobha developers (Still waiting for possession) in Bangalore thought it will be good to narrate the experiences.
Mantri I bought earlier and found dealing with them much smooth as there customer representatives are much amicable and usually accommodate delay in payments compared to Sobha there customer rep’s are bit aggressive and probably depends on there brand to carry them through as Sobha has good vibes in bangalore compared to Mantri , with Sobha they don’t accommodate any delay in payment and will pose fine upto 18% for any delay .
With Mantri some bargaining is possible on cost of the flat but with Sobha bargain is no-no .
Mantri gave possession of the houses in advance and with Sobha delivery is a concern as it is getting delayed which was anyway told by my friends earlier who bought house that Sobha projects normally gets delayed .
Quality wise haven’s seen anything yet from Sobha as still waiting for the possession but Mantri quality is above average and so is priced accordingly .
Sobha factor the quality in price so it’s case of what you get is what you pay.
Overall for people looking for house and has boiled down to these two developers my suggestion would be to consider how long are you eager to wait and what is the budget you have in mind as Sobha is on higher side and there projects gets delayed .
Hope somebody finds this experience valuable. Leave comments for any other insight .
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Last 7 posts by Veresh
Hi,
Rate Comment :if you have invested to rent these flats then bad idea,u could have bought land or invested in other commercial properties,u could have gained much much greater.
regards
indianadvice@hotmail.com
I bought an apt from Sobha, yet to be completed. In my experience:
1. Sobha’s employees are very poor and reluctant in communications. I need to send several emails or few phone calls to elicit any response for any of my queries.
2. Eventually somebody answers to our satisfaction but the response is not immediate. May that is the Indian way of professionalism.
3. Sobha is very very strict with due dates for payments. Even a single day delay would attract 18% penalty.
4. They collect almost 100% of payment except for registration cost atleast 6 months before completion. We need to wait minimum 6 months or more after paying 100% of the cost of apartment
5. The exteriors, paints and landscapings are not seem to be not so great that matches the money, but the hassle free and quality names give them the premium.
6. The choice of selection for interiors like colors and varieities of tiles, bath features, electrical appliances etc are very very limited. We have to choose from a tiny list that are not meeting our tastes, We are forced to settle down with unsatisfactory selection of tiles, colors, doors, bathroom fixtures etc. For the huge money they collect they could be more accomodative and offer a wider range to choose from.
Since I’ve not taken possesion could not tell much about quality or post registration support etc
A Sobha customer
Rate Comment :Hi,
I purchased a Sobha property (really expensive- more than 1 cr.) one about a year back. My experience with them has been very bad. Few things that I want to mention are:
1. Yes, the 18% penalty is applicable even if the delay is no fault of yours. In my case, they sent the communication to the wrong address!!
Rate Comment :2. Their quality has come down many notches in the last 10 years. They seem stand lesser and lesser for quality.
3. Read all the agreements very carefully. There are bent to be changes in the square footage, power backup, common area specification etc. The final “sale doc” you sign may not be the same as the one shown by the sales person. Make sure to go through the “Specifications” with a fine toothed comb.
3. I had to point out many flaws in the construction stage itself in my house to get it rectified. Many of the flaws were never rectified as there was no written record of the request. So keep in mind, while dealing with Sobha have everything in writing.
4. On the day of the possesion I realised that I was being charged more than necessary. I pointed this out and later got my money back after a tussel with the top mgmt.
5. They have a tendency to go back on their word as far as common facilities go. For example, our pool was not functioning even during handover.
6. The worst part of dealing with Sobha was how greedy their workers were. They know that we are people who will pay that little extra for quality (at least that is the assumption by buying a Sobha). At every instance- electrical, plumbing etc. they will try to make that extra buck. I got the feeling that the workers delibrately left these loopholes in to make that extra buck. Worst case is that even the Project managers will get a cut out of the money the plumber/electrician/painter etc makes. BEWARE OF THEIR PLUMBERS IN PARTICULAR.
7. Before taking possession make sure that everything is in working condition and complete. Here, look at the completion of the project mainly instead of your apartment. My case- my house is done, my project is still going on more than a year down the line!!! Be firm, do not get entangled in their tactics of “sir, please take possesion NOW because of …….” . You may fill in the blanks, they do come up with some very creative reasons.
8. Post posseion and occupation, be ready to deal with their CRM Dept. In most companies CRM is Customer Rel. Mgmt., in Sobha it is Creative Reasoning and Manipulation. Most of them have no idea how to deal with customers. In case anyone from Sobha is reading, how about hiring some people from the hospitality sector to give some class to your team. Most of the CRM team is freshers right out of college and with no powers. This is when you wish you never bought a Sobha.
9. Be ready to realise that the money Sobha took to maintain the property as Manitanence deposit is not enough to cover anything. They keep this amout really low so that they can sell the property.
10. Last but not the least, their promise of 1 year of maintenance after posseion is total bullshit. They do not maintain the property for free. It is usually digging into your corpus or asking you to cough up money so that we are forced to live with their good-for-nothing staff for 1 year. Most of this staff happens to have no background other than being uneducated relatives of Sobha emplyees who could not get jobs anywhere else. Maybe, this is in tune with Mr. Menon’s way of taking care of the poor and useless.
An unhappy Sobha Cutomer
I recently booked a flat with Sobha in Bangalore. My experience mirrors many of the comments made here.
1. For one, it is supposed to be a “super luxury” series with good carpet area and ample scope for customization. But in reality, I was very disappointed with the fittings. For example, all the sanitaryware are in white no matter the floor/tile color. If you want to change them, Sobha charges an arm and a leg (see later on customization)
2. Insist on seeing the Sale and Construction agreement BEFORE you give the deposit amount!! But, I bet the sales guy will dodge your request. There are lot of hidden clauses which make it totally a one sided agreement.
3. Sobha hates to accommodate any changes! In fact, the construction agreement has this one sided clause which says that if you many any mods/changes from the original specification, they are not obligated to pay ANY compensation in case of delay in handing over, regardless of the how long the delay is.
4. In spite of this, if you are bold and make any changes, they charge a hefty amount. It is actually a money making scam. For example, they charged 3 times the amount for upgrading the EWC (toilet) from Hindware white to Parryware color!!! And they are least bothered when you bring this to their notice. There attitude is: your neck is now in our hands, scream all you want!!!!
5. The project is already delayed by 4 months and I am sure they are not going to catch up. They have been blaming everybody but themselves for it. I feel they don’t give a damn about residential projects anymore… It is a necessary nuisance for them now. Their focus is on commercial properties now.
As far as I am concerned, Sobha is no longer the desired choice when it comes to residential real estate.
Rate Comment :hey all,
reading all ur blogs sends a massive shock wave down my spine..! Is there any way we can bring it to the notice of the top officials.?!?!?
i guess it should be the same there too..!
Trust me property developers are the same every where thru out the world. I am from singapore, now trying to invest some buck on a property..!
Real estate seems to be scary to invest, u will never be sure of what u r getting. to top it all the legal system in India screws every thing up..!
u cant claim anythin from any body for damages faced.
‘professional negligence’ is to the core in construction industry. None perform their job, all risks are transferred to the buyer.
i dont have any hope.. this is not gonna change in recent future.
thank u all, for the information abt the developers back home in India…!
Rate Comment :Folks ,
Rate Comment :I completely agree, having burnt my fingers with Sobha.
If theres a way to sue them , I will.
Dont go to them
Hi,
I share the same thoughts of those written the comments.
The project in which i booked the flat is already 1 year delayed and im seeing another 6 month(minumum) delay. even at the 11th hour, these guys are not able to give the next expected date.
As per the sale deed, its a one sided agreement. If you make any mod, even shift a electical point by one inch, you are not going to get the penalty promised for delayed delivery.
CRM has no descision making power, do not know whats happening in the project, do not know if project is understaffedetc… its just a front office just to make sure you dont hurl abuse over frustration direct to the site engineer or project director. If you ask to meet any higher ups, they will take you to CRM’s GM who is another ill informed fellow with no power.
So be prepared for delays and be cautious while going for Sobha Developers. I hope PNC reads these coments.
Regards,
Rate Comment :Jeeth
I tend to agree with most of you….I didn’t expect Sobha Developers to be a third grade builder..they have delayed the property possession by one and half years already….on top of it no compensation…I’m in doubt that their quality will be worth the money we have paid…so why to buy from Sobha and pay so much money…All the builders are same but when it’s expected that builders are same then why pay more money to Sobha Developers for their false propagandas (quality is on of them)..
I’ll never recommend Sobha Developers to my friends/colleagues…
Saurabh
Rate Comment :I recently bought one apartment with Sobha in Bangalore. Here they dont have any amenities like club house, swimming pool, childrens pay area etc in the apt complex. Instead they are building a common facility about 500 m away for about 7 apartment complexes in the vicinity. But it still will have only one swimming pool and badminton court for about 1500 families! Can imagine a Kumbh Mela during summer times near the swimming pool. Sobha is cutting too much corners to save money and provide sub-standard services to customers in the name of “quality”. They also hiked the BWSSB and BESCOM charges to about Rs 100 psqft and refuses to provide receipts from respective agencies. Service tax was collected from us and was apparently not paid to the tax department since it is not required any more. However Sobha refuses to acknowledge this and keeps the money. Not sure how such “reputed” builders get away with such tactics.
Rate Comment :And they charge Rs 1.5 lacs per apt for this club house! It will come to about 25 crores for a 4 storey building worth about 8 crores. Wait, this is just the membership fee. Usage fee will follow…
Rate Comment :Dear all,
Here are the mail ids of the key executives at Sobha. I suggest that we write to them and express our frustration/outrage.
1. Mr. P. N. C. Menon - Group Chairman
Tel: 91 9845068825
e-mail: pncmenon@omantel.net.om
2. Dr. Madhu Nambiar - MD & CEO
Tel: 91 98450 69510
e-mail: madhu@sobhaprojects.com
3. Mr. Mahesh Kumar A- General Manager
Rate Comment :Tel: 91 98807 30037
e-mail: mahesh@sobhaprojects.com
All,
Thanks for all your comments - very informative indeed.
We bought a flat in Mantri Greens and the project seems to be atleast 6 months off from a promised delivery date of Dec 2008.
Does anyone have any experience with post-possession of Mantri flats ?
Thanks in advance.
Rate Comment :With regard to my last post, pl read the delivery date as Dec 2007.
Otherwise, they are ahead on time
Rate Comment :This is regarding MANTRI GREENS:
Rate Comment :When we were searching for a flat to buy, some friends told us to steer clear off Sobha. We picked Mantri.
Our experience has been good. Yes, there has been a delay of about 6 month’s which has been attributed to the lorry strike last year. Also, few taxes have increased, which we protested, weakly, and now we are paying.
We should get hold of the keys in the next few weeks after we register. They have given us the discount for early payment as promised.
They have quoted 6 lakhs for doing up the kitchen and the cupboards which is a rip-off. We plan to get it sorted on our own.
The person we are in contact (Dhanasekaran to name the person) is extremely courteous and helpful and efficient.
Overral good experience.
Been tied to a flat at Mantri Greens for about 4 years now. That project has been delayed by a great deal and Mantri missed their “On Time Everytime” slogan by a mile.
MS, RKK - Did you get the BESCOM, BSSWB and Service Tax receipts from Mantri?
Rate Comment :Dear VS
We paid up totally last fortnight. There is some receipt from Mr Dhanasekharan saying that it is a receipt for BESCOM etc.
Rate Comment :Mr dHanasekharan by the way is efficient in few thngs but at the same time really inefficient. HE is disorganised. Make sure u sit on his head so that he can finish ur work.
The cost of some of these things have increased since the original quote in 2006. We protested, got a silly explanation and then paid up.
One of my relatives has got the registration done last week.
We will get it done shortly.
We are waiting for the Occupancy certificate….July-August.
The delays in 2007 was attributed to Lorry strike in Bangalore (some of my builder friends tell me).
I hope this helps
REgards
Folks,
We bought Mantri Greens too; we started the process in Feb 2006 and the property was registered last week.
Overall, the experience has been OK. The project got delayed by about 6 months. After haggling for the interest they had to pay for our upfront payment, they agreed on it. Otherwise we went through the same as others in terms increase in taxes (not Mantri’s fault) and increase in maintenance fee (mantri’s fault) etc
Overall, given the real estate market in India, it was an OK experience and yes they are charging 6 lacs for the wood work which is a rip-off. Sitting on the other side of the Atlantic, I think I will go with it as the only other option is to bother my aged parents.
Rate Comment :going through the above chain i would conclude its best to risk with mantri…other than Mantri is there some one else out there who can be trusted ?
Rate Comment :Hey Guys… me an unsatisifed customer of Mantri greens… I am not sure if anybody else has this problem.
1. The walls of pooja room, kitchen and couple of other places are not straight. I mean Mantri cannot build wall which is straight. The pooja room wall is 6 inches thick at one place and as you move down it reduces to 5.5 and then back to 6 inchs… This is the story in couple of walls in my flat.
2. The tile are laid uneven.
3. The pasting in between tiles is not very even.
4. The beading of the doors are already chipped.
5. The servant room today itself looks like the one for servant room but at the cost of the owners room. Meaning to say the tiles are laid so badly.
For the last one plus month i am been fighting with the Team to get these sorted out… not sure what will be the outcome.
Rate Comment :now that is disappointing to say the least after having paid all the money
being abroad i can’t even check the apartment now to get it rectified; i got to live with whatever it is that they have done.
AR, from whom are you getting the wood work done? what tower are you in? ours is in Tower-B
Rate Comment :I cannot say anything about wall but Mantri will replace tiles if there are issues , they did for some folks in Residency , just persist with the issue .
Rate Comment :Mantri Greens is delayed by 6 Months. This was probabily due to some of there adjacent developments - the commercial complex.
I have to check this yet but I think that they have done some changes in plans on the commercial complex that has caused the overall delay and reduced open space in the apartment complex.
This has substantially increased the registration charges. How can it not be Mantri’s fault?
The project head there says you have gained money there anyways so why worry about a few lakhs.
Remember that the land rates at the location went up substantially as compared to the apartment. So Mantri has diminished the value of the investment.
In my case at the time of booking the apartment I was pushed into paying early. I felt that was unfair if the apartment can be delayed by 6 months but I had to stick to timely payments.
Rate Comment :it is news to me that the commercial complex reduced the open space and mantri is responsible for the hike in registration charges.
dhanasekaran made me understand that the registration fee was hiked across the board for all of the apartments in bangalore and it was not specific to mantri alone. Sudhir, do you think this is not true?
as for the delay and the consequent loss, i agree completely with you all; it caused us loss; but what i am finding harder to swallow is the fact that the workmanship quality sucks. after all this wait and paying top-rupee, we expect the quality to be at least average if not superior. guess even that is not happening.
sudhir, ar, could me contact offline to go over the woodwork etc; also i would like to know who my potential neighbors are; my email id is
karthikgk AT gmail DOT com
Rate Comment :We bought a pent house in C building. Same story of the delay while we paid before its completion. Is anyone asking or working on any compensation for this delay. Also, I would like to know my neighbors too…
kumarmenon At yahoo d.ot com
Rate Comment :Cool KM - As I mentioned before, my email ID is
karthikgk AT gmail DOT com
Let us get in touch.
Other Mantri Greens owners, please do the same. If there are more people, we can start a yahoo/google group perhaps
- Karthik
Rate Comment :Does anyone know why they are taking so long to get the occupancy certificate for Mantri Greens? I have been hearing from them that they have applied for it and should be getting it any time since March 2008. Is it because of the change in ground plan due to the commercial complex?
Rate Comment :Sobha had been consistently cheating its customers. Starting with the one-sided agreement, terrible accounting system that they have which operates to their benefit, everything, literally everything, that they do or interact with you, you will be taken for a ride. They charge you 18% interest for even single day delay whereas they won’t pay compensation if you have any modifications! No one is dumb to understand this clause that they are directly saying that don’t expect any compensation.
I had been a strong advocate against buying property with Sobha. I had suggested/influenced at least 12 of my friends and colleagues not to buy property with Sobha. These folks had finalized on the Sobha property and after I shared my experience they were shell shocked and now went with other builders.
So if you want to help your friends, who are in the process of buying or even to people who may buy the property some day in their life, let them know and understand a group called SOBHA, the cheaters! They are better-off with other builders such as Mantri or Prestige and even medium sized developers!
Rate Comment :This is regarding Mantri Greens…which we have bought a flat.
We were told to steer clear of Sobha and we were glad. I visited Sobha Jasmine last week and it it was a shock - 6 months after completion they still had not sorted out children’s playground and the roads. The Sobha apartment (4 bed was huge - now priced at 1.2 crores….which I think is a over priced). The swimming pool and ameneties were shard between 6 tower blocks. It is still a building site with paths not yet laid out.
This is in contrast with Mantri Greens.
The swimming pool is almost ready. All the gardens and paths are getting ready. Registrations are on the way.
Some people have occupied the flats already (without the Occupancy certificate). The car parking space is not yet allotted.
We still have the inefficient Dhansekharan with whom we are having a tussle at the moment.
Rate Comment :Each tower has an engineer who is rectifying the problems (all minor). Use your man.
The rental guy Manjunath appears vague and is an yes man to all your questions.
Check all your bath tubs - the grouting around it is not good….it needs redoing and resealing.
Check all your walls - the walls need a washing.
Check every balcony pane for cracks.
More later…
MS
Dear All
I have created a yahoo groups for Mantri Greens Owners and Tenants.
http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/MantriGreensOwnersTenants/
It is high time this group is active.
Regards
Rate Comment :I am pissed off with Sobha and unfortunately never read any of these websites before paying them for the appartment. I had booked an apptt at Sobha Carnation, Outer Ring Road.
I wish to go to consumer court as any other court would simply cost too much money and hold their one-sided agreement as binding. It’s crazy that a public listed company can get away by cheating highly literate / educated people like us.
If u r keen to join me or support me with all evidence to build my case, please email me at chiranjiv at yahoo dot com
Rate Comment :Chiranjiv why are you so angry , can you narrate the experience completely just so that other people don’t get hoodwinked and advice you.
Even I am stuck with Sobha Magnolia but cant help already paid lot of money and waiting and waiting for possession.
All the best.
Rate Comment :Mantri Sarovar. Bangalore. If you plan to rent, pls dont agree for more than 18K for a 3 BHK. Brokers (and not owners) are hyping it up to 25 . Though the location is great and the view lovely and amenities attractive, the next 2-3 years might be a pain. A flyover is coming up in front and it’s going to be a dusty noisy bottle neck for 2 yrs. But no complaints otherwise.
Rate Comment :Yes..there has been a delay of more than 6 months now. Still they are non committal on the possession date…I hope the prpoblem is not serious..We were hard pushed to give early payments and now there is a complete silence from Mantir’s part on possession. Any latest news from any of our frineds here?
Thanks
GG
Rate Comment :All,
Pl enrol in the yahoo group http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/MantriGreensOwnersTenants/ created by MSS (post above)
It will help to have a common forum to voice all our problems, many of which are common.
Rate Comment :Is there are mailing group for Sobha Carnation to discuss the issues? I am sure there must be a huge number of buyers trying to find out other buyers to fight against Sobha.
Rate Comment :Hi,
Is there a group for Sobha Hillview or Sobha Suncrest owners? Please let me know. I would like for us to get together as a group and discuss issues of concern.
Thanks.
Rate Comment :Yes, there is a yahoogroup now
sobha_carnation@yahoogroups.com
Rate Comment :Hi,
I would like to know if there is any e-group for Sobha Sunbeam owners? This project is already delayed and I would like to get in touch with owners so that we can collectively approach Sobha for the final dates for possession - Though I’m not sure if Sobha guys will listen, they’re all bunch of cheats!!!
Thanks
Rate Comment :Hi
Is there is any group for Sobha Sunbeam owners? this project is said to be delayed over 6 months (march 2009?) that too for reasons beyond their control..
Rate Comment :Sobha Sunbeam and Suncrest owners can use following forum for discussion http://propertyowners.newscrux.com/.
Rate Comment :I have created one for Sobha Hillview also at http://propertyowners.newscrux.com/
Cheers
Rate Comment :