PM Blacklist - Interested?

[Ms Jade]

I'm sure that this has probably been suggested before, but my recent experience, coupled with many stories here of outright incompetence, leads me to ask about this. Why don't we have a sticky for each state where people can "out" bad PMs? I have one exceptionally good PM, so I am not a "PM Basher" as a rule. HOWEVER, the level of incompetence I have encountered with another one beggars belief. I do not want to think that any fellow forumites would inadvertantly enlist the services of this agency and entrust them with their asset & business. When I searched last week to find their fax number I discovered a whole website run by a former tenant. This blog has comments from other tenant "victims" of this PM. What the?? If only I had known about it earlier. There is a blacklist tenant database, but a bad PM could cause you at least as much loss.

What I am suggesting is that posts would state the agency,particular PM & suburb. Then the issues you have experienced in point form. It may be that others do not see those issues as major & decide to use that PM. At least their decision will be an informed one. There are no legal reasons why this could not be done, and stating your experience is not defamatory - as long as you stay away from including hearsay. It is also not defamatory to give your opinion, no matter how negative, as long as you state that it is your opinion. That's why the aforementioned PM cannot close down the whistleblower's website. Once I extricate myself from them I am happy to start the ball rolling on the Vic list.
Mods, this would be a valid & infinitely useful resource between PIs. Members of other professions / communities are able to communicate this info & we should be able to as well.

 

[Propertunity]

There is a blacklist tenant database, but a bad PM could cause you at least as much loss.

I understand the sentiments, HOWEVER,
There are SO many issues I don't think you'll get it up.

What if I was a rival PM and I just posted fake issues to bag the competition? Who is going to police all this? What avenues would there be for a PM to correct any incorrect data that was kept about them? ALL databases allow an entrant the 'right of reply' to correct things. Who will be the abiter? etc. etc.

You have said there is no legal impediment, but I suspect there are many. Additionally do the SS forum want to be known for 'outing' bad PMs (not saying this would be a bad thing) but the owners I think have a different reason for the SS forums existence.

Just my 2c

 

[ben73]

A blacklist would probably have legal issues, but there would be no problem with creating a thread/list of recommended PM's.

 

[rugrat]

I think it would be more productive to have a recommended pm list. Because lets face it our definitions of who is a bad pm will probably be a little skewed and bias.

Ben you just beat me posting this!

 

[The Fence]

Funny how we like to caress the good ones..and fair enough.... but to name & criticise the bad ones..that's a no-no....so they contunue to fly under the radar......I shake my head...

Why would it be considered illegal to NOT recommend a business as opposed to recommending one...?
eg:
.....I don't recommend Example Real Estate Company because I believe their service is well below par for the industry. For details, email me and I can provide a case example. Just my opinion but you can decide for yourself after hearing my experience and possibly from others.

Legal eagles...?

 

[mja]

A blacklist is a can of worms. All blacklists over time are. In IT, we use blacklists for networks where Spam originates from. Unfortunately, there are always cases of unsuspected individuals caught in the blacklist, or false positives.

A whitelist or "recommended property manager list" would clearly be the way to go... this is where a wiki would be handy, rather than a sticky... because then anybody could edit the page and add their property manager.

 

[rugrat]

I personally have no issue telling everyone if I get bad service from someone - BUT I think a thread like that is a dangerous idea. Putting aside the legal pitfalls (and there are some), this is an open forum - you don't need to be a member to read the posts, and there is no sort of security check to sign up in order to post threads. With a thread that blacklists pm's there is a huge potiential for unethical behaviour. How can is be regulated to ensure that what is said on there is fact?

I have told everyone here that I am a 27 yr old with a DH and two kids (another on the way), But how do you know I am not actually 56 yr old single male without a dollar to my name? You don't. If there were a black listing thread, it wouldn't be hard for me to make up lies about a rival, someone who ticked me off once or just the REA - Just because I can.

But even if I am a legit member ( which I am by the way ) I may have it in for a pm, who may or may not deserve what I post about them. It may be that the PM is a complete tool who should not be in the REA game, or it may be that I am an unreasonable LL who likes to blame others for my mistakes, or just cannot get along with anyone, or perhaps it was just some circumstance outside of the pm's control.

From my time working as a Tenant advocate I have seen both good PM's and Bad PM's and both good and bad Landlords (and good and bad tenants).

 

[The Y-man]

You can always put a review (good or bad) on business directories such as truelocal.com.au

Cheers,

The Y-man

 

[pete_w]

i would be interested in this, i think something like www.eatability.com.au but for agents/pm's would be a big boon.