Welcome to Vantage SA

Tel: 0861 111 777  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

'concepts transformed to reality'

Download the Vantage Summary .pdf here.

The following procedures are available to customers seeking to employ the services of contractors for projects valued at fifty thousand rand - up, for smaller home improvement projects and maintenance jobs that do not require the entire procedures please click on the V-fix it link, submit your basic details and we will call you ASAP.

The Vantage SA Process

• The Vantage SA process has been formulated by utalising and evolving the age old principles and procedures of huge corporate contracts, into a clear, simplified and affordable project and financial management solution.
• All partners involved in the Vantage SA initiative have committed to delivering their role to the best of their abilities and at all times to enhance Vantage SA’s reputation through their actions.
• Vantage SA contractors will deliver a quality product at a fair price. A simple enough statement, but one that is seldom true in SA’s traumatized home improvement industry.

Performance Monitoring

• As a key role player in the Vantage SA initiative, 1 Call ASAP facilitates the consistent monitoring of contractors and their service levels, ensuring complete consumer satisfaction.
• Over the last six years they have developed web hosted software empowering themselves to monitor contractor service levels on huge volumes of projects and sites leaving no stone unturned.
• All Vantage SA contractors have completed a stringent accreditation assessment which includes: credit and bank ratings, multiple recent consumer and trade references.
• These contractors have also proven themselves to be consistently professional over an extended period of time and have impeccable 1 Call ASAP service records. Over and above periodically scheduled site visits, the 1 Call operation centre is tasked with constant communication including contractor and client.

100% Guarantee

• Vantage offers every client with a project over R25, 000 a 100% guarantee in writing that the work will be completed timeously with quality delivered within or above industry standards.

Comparative Advice

• In the event that the customer is either buying or selling the property to be worked upon, their (IEASA member) estate agent may be requested to assist with factual and historical comparatives, to indicate whether the proposed home improvement will have a positive effect on the value of your property in comparison to recently completed improvements in the vicinity.
• This unique inclusion in the Vantage SA package offers fair to accurate viability advice, to minimise potential over capitalisation.

Provision Of Multiple Panel Accredited Contractors

• Dependant upon the size and estimated value of the proposed project, the client may request several of the Vantage SA panel contractors for independent price comparisons.
• It is also recommend that the client obtain comparisons from external contractors, for peace of mind that the Vantage SA quotations are not excessive.
• However, please watch out for the ‘cheap quote’ ninety nine times out of one hundred, this is a convincing ploy to obtain a deposit to put out a fire with their previous client.

Comprehensive Insurance Cover Included

• All 1 Call and Vantage service providers are insured with a contractor all risk policy including but not restricted to:
• Physical loss or damage to material that forms part of the project caused by a number of events including, fire, lightning, water, storm, wind, hail, theft and malicious damage.
• The materials are also insured whilst in transit to the site or being securely stored offsite.
• The cover also allows for damage that may be caused to surrounding property adjacent to the project site.
• Public liability cover of R5, 000,000.00 (five million rand).

COID Registration

• Most clients are not aware of the joint and several liability laws regarding on site labour injury. The law specifies that the client is liable for any claim if the contractor is not COID registered or a man of no means, i.e. not financially worth pursuing in a claims court.
• All Vantage service providers are registered for compensation for injury or disease (COID) and abide by health and safety regulations, ensuring that any liability claim does not become your nightmare.

Calculate Bill Of Quantities

• On behalf of the clients Vantage SA provides a bill of quantities (BOQ) which is a very comprehensive report produced by submitting data into a software programme, in conjunction with your specific plans for your project.
• It is an essential tool for accurate costings in the home improvement and construction industry to avoid expensive miscalculations.
• If the drawings are accurate and no deviations from plan are requested, the BOQ will accurately include and cost all materials and labor required to complete your project.

Quotation Scrutiny

• 1 Call ASAP is tasked with following up with the contractors to ensure your quotations are timeously received.
• Vantage SA employs the services of independent assessors / surveyors who are available for larger projects to assist with quotation scrutiny should the prices vary too much or specifications vary and prove misleading.

Contract Creation, Including Penalties and Progress Payments

• Once you, the customer, have made a decision based on the quotes provided, the assessor / surveyor will visit you at home or on site to assist in advising both parties of his recommendations for the contract content.
• This will include proposed start and completion dates, penalty clauses for slow progress, and agreed financial draws, subject to the performance based payment certificates as periodically provided by the assessor / surveyor.
• The customer is then provided with Vantage SA’s preferred industry approved contract format to ensure that terms layed out are clear, understood and adhered to.
• This meeting is further designed to ensure that both parties fully understand what the expected processes and results are, and will be signing to such effect.

Contracts Signed / Financial Management

• Once the contract has been signed between the customer (employer) and the contractor (project facilitators agent) , the contents will determine a financial schedule which will requires managing under one of the terms as described below.

1. The client deposits the full project value into Herold Gie’s trust account subject to disbursements via direct instruction from the assessor / surveyor in the form of payment certificates.
2. The client deposits the full project value into the project facilitator’s account subject to disbursements via direct instruction from the assessor / surveyor in the form of payment certificates.
3. In the event that a financial institution is involved, with independent security procedures, the project facilitator will adhere to their compliance requirements and enter into a periodic payment agreement with the financier. Again all Vantage SA disbursements will be subject to direct instruction from the assessor / surveyor in the form of payment certificates.

A Payment certificate is a document verified by an industry recognised professional, that volumes have been achieved, materials are compliant and works have been completed to satisfaction. Certificate provision authorises payment by the trustee or project facilitator.

Discount Negotiations & Purchase Of Materials

• To further financially protect the clients, the 1 Call ASAP operation centre will purchase all bulk materials required for the project.
• Wherever possible the project facilitators will control material purchases. These are made with Vantage’s preferred material suppliers, where negotiations have been finalised to create a bulk buying scenario, resulting in significant discounts, as reflected in your contract, without compromising material quality.

Site Visits

• This function is not new or exclusive to the Vantage SA consumer protection service.
• It is utilised every day by construction giants all over the world including South Africa. It is an exceptionally professional procedure to ensure projects are completed on time, up to standard and that quality regulated materials are consumed.
• It also prevents delays with regard to A19 roof inspections and subsequent certification or slab engineer reports etc. that require scheduling upfront.
• Normally, these services are currently only offered or required on new builds or large industrial / commercial sites where the financial institutions funds may be at risk.
• Vantage SA has merely taken this component, simplified it and made it available for consumers to protect their interests, which until now seem to have been at the bottom of the industries’ priority list.

Snag List Preparation & Adjudication To Completion

• As a site reaches completion, it becomes necessary to create a snag list.
• This is usually produced by the customer who logs everything that they are not happy with, skew wall plugs, marked paintwork, mortar mess on existing paving, etc.
• With Vantage SA, the list will still be compiled by the client, but with the assessor / surveyor’s assistance, so nothing remains overlooked.
• At this stage, both the client and the contractor will agree and sign the snag list and an estimated completion time and date will be specified.
• The assessor / surveyor will schedule their last / final visit for that agreed date, and if he discovers that the list has not been completed to satisfaction, he will either:

1. Allow the client to e-mail or fax signed confirmation of completion at a later date. i>
2. Assess the value of the remaining tasks and authorise final payment to the contractor, less the funds required to complete the snag list with a comfortable margin as agreed by all parties.

• 1 Call ASAP will then provide a fresh finishing team to complete the minor tasks to speed the process to satisfaction.

Eight Percent 90 Day Retention

• Included in the Vantage standard contract as drawn up by the assessor / surveyor, provision has been made to retain 8% of the project funds in the Herold Gie trust account which is at such time transferred into the name of the contractor and becomes interest bearing on their behalf.
• These funds may be utilized by Vantage SA in the event that settlement or other faults become apparent within the 90 day period.
• This precaution in no way affects the customer’s rights to any claims against any extended or standard guarantees as offered by the contractor and set out in the original contract.
• This final component of the Vantage SA package ensures (subject to assessor / surveyor site visit) a speedy and efficient response to any genuine problems becoming apparent after the first three months of completion.

Cost To Client

• As indicated in the table below, the cost to the client is reduced on a sliding scale to ensure the Vantage SA services remain financially viable to all.
• The vast majority of all home improvement projects exceed budget by at least fifteen percent creating anxiety and extreme levels of emotional and financial stress. It should be recognised 'before the fact' that Vantage SA's charges actually represent a very realistic saving opportunity, not unnecessary expenditure.
• The Vantage SA procedures have been designed to ensure you simply 'receive what you are paying for'. Please do not become the next victim who regrets not taking advantage of our comprehensive consumer protection package.
• For larger projects the Vantage SA costs are negotiable, for more information please contact Bronwyn Mathews on 0861 111 777 or mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

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Vantage SA Summary

[Vantage SA Summary]

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