Top consumer complaints in 2024 - Voxya Consumer Forum Online

Builder Complaints

Buying real estate is a big decision, isn’t it? And it surely does not happen every day and we buy it with lots of hope and excitement inside us.

No one likes to get cheated or even face any difficulties after spending so much. But, what to do if your real estate company isn’t delivering as per its promise to you?

What if you don’t get what was promised or the possession is being constantly delayed? Do you know the answer? No? Don’t worry you are at the right place!

This article will explain:

- What are real-estate complaints?
- What are some of the famous real estate companies in India?
- Types of real estate complaints. (Most common issues reported)
- How to resolve your real estate complaints?

Yes, this article will solve these questions, So sit back, relax, and continue reading! So let’s start with the most basic question, what are real estate complaints?

The term ‘Real Estate’ refers to the property consisting of land, and any structure or buildings on it. It involves the purchase, sale and development of land, residential and non residential buildings.

Buying or selling of house/property is one the biggest decisions a person has to take in his life and for this people generally look for agents/brokers. The Real Estate agents/brokers have an in-depth knowledge of all the available properties in and around their domain.

However, there are many agents/brokers who make wrong use of this information. They make promises to their client and in return deliver them nothing and in this way trap them. Real Estate fraud is one of the most commonly occurring frauds in India.

Real Estate fraud/scam occurs when an individual or an agency uses false/wrong information for any real estate related transactions. The most common types of Real Estate complaints include False promises, Delayed Approvals, Mortgage fraud, Foreclosure fraud, title fraud and Value fraud.

Mortgage fraud refers to the omission of crucial information related to the real estate property which can result in fraudulent transactions.

Title fraud happens when the ownership(title) of the property is falsely changed. For instance, one person sells the property to another person by claiming to be the owner of the house.

Value fraud occurs when the buyer is misinformed about the real/actual value of the property.

Famous Real Estate Companies of India

Presently the real estate industry of India is at $170 Billion and is constantly rising. Below are some of the famous players of this industry.

DLF Ltd:
It was founded by Chaudhary Raghvendra Singh in 1946. They started by creating 22 urban colonies in Delhi. Today DLF is the largest real estate company in India which is publicly listed. They have their possessions in 15 states and 24 cities.

Prestige Estates Projects Ltd:
Founded in 1986, They are currently one of the top real estate companies of Chennai. They have completed over 210 projects covering 80 million sq ft. The company is operating in the southern part of India and has its projects in cities like Chennai, Hyderabad, Kochi, Mysore, Mangalore, and Goa.

NBCC India Ltd:
It was founded in 1960 as the Govt. of India civil engineering enterprise. Having headquarters in Delhi they have a revenue of Rs 6,384 Cr with a profit of 227 Cr and a sales growth rate of 19.5% in the last 3 years.

Indiabulls Real Estate Ltd:
In commercial and residential properties, Indiabulls real estate stands for its excellence and luxury. They are also one of the largest real estate companies in Chennai. Having a revenue of Rs. 5,015 crores they clocked profits of 493 crores.

Brigade Enterprises Ltd:
Founded in 1986, they have their projects in Bengaluru, Mysuru, Mangaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Kochi. Having a revenue of Rs. 2,973 crores they clocked profits of 427 crores with a sales growth rate of 13.41%.

Oberoi Realty Ltd:
Oberoi Realty is one of the best real estate companies in Mumbai. They have made a significant difference in the ease, comfort, and efficiency of the people who trusted them and choose to live in their possessions.

Phoenix Mills Ltd:
Phoenix Mills are extremely popular for building mega retail malls, entertainment complexes, commercial spaces, or hospitality units. With revenue of Rs. 2,194 crores the clocked a profit of 504 crores. They have their possessions in Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Pune, Agra, Indore, Lucknow, Bareilly & Ahmedabad.

Godrej Properties Ltd:
Godrej is continuing its excellence with a 122-year-old legacy! In 2010 they did an IPO which raised $100 Million. Having a revenue of Rs. 2,322 crores they clocked profits of 319 crores. Godrej stood 2nd in Asia and 5th in the world in Global real estate sustainability benchmarking.

Omaxe Ltd:
Mr. Rohtas Goel started Omaxe in 1987. Rohtas was a first-generation entrepreneur and a civil engineer. In 2007 they got listed in both BSE and NSE. With revenue of Rs. 1,146 crores they clocked profits of Rs. 50 crores.

Sunteck Realty Ltd:
They are a Mumbai based real estate company that delivers exceptional projects in the luxury and the ultra-luxury segment. In 4 years the company managed to complete 6 projects. With revenue of Rs. 774 crores they clocked profits of 171 crores.

Yes, these were some of the most popular real estate companies of India and I believe you may probably have come across these companies at least once. But sometimes people face issues even with the most popular or the best in class.

Real estate frauds have constantly been rising and strict actions are the need of the hour so now let’s see some of the most common real estate complaints seen among the peers.

Most Common Issue Reported for Real Estate Complaints

Refund not given:
The most common issue seen is that the people don’t receive their refunds. Thousands of consumers from cities like Bangalore, Mumbai, Pune, Kolkata, New Delhi etc. have added a complaint on Voxya about how their real estate company is not providing a refund of the security deposit.

Some companies are even asking for more money to close the account. Lots of people suffer from this problem as the company doesn't provide the refund and the customer support even stops replying to the customer or in most cases never gives a satisfactory reply.

Delay in Possession:
Do you like fake promises? No one does! And imagine dreaming to shift to your new home but every time the date arrives the real estate company delays the possession. That makes you feel angry, doesn't it?

Delay in possession is one of the most seen complaints in big cities like Bengaluru, Mumbai & Pune, and is often done by some of the most popular builders. People spend insane amounts of money on their homes and some even take loans. Consumers on Voxya have shown how they have been cheated and no one is listening to them now.

False Commitments:
Imagine being promised to get spacious rooms with roof top windows and an open balcony. You can already sense the calmness and the happiness of your own home, can’t you? But what if you get the opposite of what is being promised?

False commitments are also a very popular complaint type while listening to consumers against real estate companies. Lots of people have received incomplete work and some received the exact opposite of what was being promised to them!

Hidden Charges:
Let’s accept it, no one likes the hidden charges instead in financial transactions we all love transparency. On Voxya people have shared their stories of how at the time of possession they were not given the key to the house and an extra hidden charge was asked!

Builder not responding:
Good customer support is what a lot of potential customers seek in a company and bad customer support is the biggest red flag for a lot of people. On Voxya we have seen a lot of complaints where people are expressing how at the time of need the builder stopped responding and showed absolute pathetic customer support.

As we have seen the most possible disputes, let’s see how you can resolve them. You can see more specific complaints that people have on Voxya's website.

How to Resolve Real Estate Complaints?

So what steps can be taken to prevent such Real Estate issues? Firstly you should read each and every agreement document in detail carefully. You should avoid rushing and finalizing the details. You should do a thorough background check of the builder/agents/brokers prior to signing the contract.

Moreover, getting an appraisal of the property helps you to get the fair value of the property. Finally, you should not be lured by their verbal promises. Rather, you should have them in writing on printed paper so that you can use it as evidence if required further.

Step 1: File a formal complaint with your Builder
You can send a written complaint to your Builder with all the supporting documents that you have. The contact details of all the builders are available on the documents that you receive from them or their website contact pages. The company should address your issue in 15 days, incase of not getting the issue resolved or if you are not satisfied with the solution, you can move to the next step.

Step 2: File a complaint in RERA
If the project is registered with RERA then you can file a complaint in RERA. Filing a complaint in RERA is easier than before. Now you can save yourself from all the hassle. Now Anyone can file a complaint on RERA’s website. Here’s a step by step procedure for you to file a complaint:

Go to your state official website. On the portal search for the complaint registration page and find the link to file a complaint.

Click on the registration link and fill all the necessary details. You will need details like Name, address, contact details and project details.

Once the form is fully filled one needs to pay a fee of Rs. 1000 or Rs. 5000 in case of filing complaints before the Adjudicating Officer.

Step 3: Take your Builder to the consumer court
If the project is not registered in RERA then you can file a case in consumer forum. To raise a complaint below are the steps that you need to follow:

Send a Legal notice:
A complainant must issue a formal notice to the real estate company before filing a complaint in the consumer court. As per the norms, the consumer must inform the builder about the things bothering him/her. If the developer doesn't resolve the issue and doesn't give a satisfactory answer you can proceed with your process.

File a Consumer case:
In case of not getting a satisfactory response or no response at all, you can go ahead to submit your complaint at the consumer court.

A consumer can file a complaint about Forfeiture of the amount, cancellation of the project, enhanced external development charges, hidden charges, any alteration in land use, layout plan or structures, fraud in the booking of your property, construction on unauthorized land, construction without obtaining requisite approvals, sub-standard construction quality, not providing completion certificate or delayed possessions.

Once you have completed all the form works you can go ahead and pay the fees. A complainant needs to pay the fees according to the category to which he/she belongs to.

If the complaint is worth less than 20 lakhs then it will be addressed by the district consumer disputes redressal forum. The fee for filing a complaint in this category is Rs. 100 to 500.

If the value of the property is above 20 lakhs then the issue will be addressed by the State consumer dispute redressal commission.

If the value of the property is above 1 crore then the National consumer disputes redressal commission will address the issue.

How to track a complaint filed in the consumer court?

A complaint once filed in the consumer court can also be tracked on the consumer court website.

To access the status of the complaint the following details will be required:
Docket number
Registered mobile number

If you are finding all this information overwhelming and can’t manage to do it all alone then let Voxya help you strengthen your voice and solve disputes from your side.

Let’s Conclude this:
Buying real estate is already a hectic task and getting troubles over them is an absolute nightmare. We know no one likes that feeling that’s exactly why we build Voxya!

In this article we saw, What are real estate complaints? Famous real estate companies in India, Types of real estate complaints, and How to resolve the complaints?

Voxya is a unique platform for resolving consumer complaints against brands quickly. We help consumers in fighting against injustice, fraud, and lousy customer service.

We use social media, business networks, and legal frameworks to resolve consumer disputes. We take every consumer complaint personally and ensure that we do everything that we can to get the consumer complaints resolved.

So why take so much trouble, If you have the solution just some clicks away! Get your complaint sorted. File your Complaint at Voxya now!

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