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Property News Details Printed on 20 May 2012 | 08:17:31 |
Property News Details - Complaint lodged against Platinum Planet marketing
JOHANNESBURG - A disgruntled investor has lodged a complaint with the Estate Agency Affairs Board (EAAB) against marketing company, Platinum Planet. The investor has been trying to obtain information on the North West Gateway Resort in Hartbeespoort in the North West province, but he claims he is being sent from pillar to post. A slide presentation on the project claimed in 2010: "The development has reached its final stage prior to breaking ground." However, the investor says he paid his deposit in May 2005. He claims since then he has been unable to get a straight answer on the project's progress. "We kept in touch with Platinum Planet after that and they always gave us feedback: they were busy with sewage or busy with council, levelling land, etc, but never anything concrete such as dates, timelines, etc". He says this continued for years: "Eventually a few years had passed and on following up with them [Platinum Planet] again, we learnt that the developer had passed on and Platinum Planet was in search for a new developer." The investor was then put in touch with another developer with promises that the project would be "bigger and better" than originally planned. However, it was only a matter of time when information once again dried up. "We have reverted to Platinum Planet who always passes us on to another person. We are now stuck. No one is giving us information," the investor said in his complaint to the EAAB. Promotional material on the development says: "The marketing company, namely Platinum Planet are ready to re-launch the development again with new and existing investors who have been eagerly awaiting progress." Platinum Planet's website describes it as: "a new economy company that specialises in showcasing and marketing developments to real estate agents and their investors on a national basis." Another irate investor who paid thousands towards the AfriSki Development in Lesotho in 2005 took her complaint on Platinum Planet to the Financial Services Board (FSB). In a report to the FSB she stated: "During the course of 2006, I tried to get Platinum Planet's CEO, Cherie Eilertsen Struthers, and Platinum Planet's financial manager, Schalk Mellet, to assist me in recovering my money and received no response from Platinum's CEO after numerous attempts to get her assistance as the CEO of the company that introduced me to the investment." To date, this investor has been unable to recoup her losses. Eilertsen-Struthers has consistently denied any wrongdoing. Since publication of this article Eilertsen-Struthers has sent the following response: Platinum Planet refutes Inaccurate article on North West Gateway One of the few things Micel Schnehage (journalist) got accurate in her 9 February article on North West Gateway, is the fact that in her heading she pointed out that Platinum Planet is a marketing company. Platinum Planet marketed and showcased NWG on behalf of the developers via a signed mandate. Platinum Planet placed information provided by the developers on their website and through its member estate agencies introduced the development to their buyers, using the Developer's material. Any signed agreement of sale was between the buyer and the developer. Platinum Planet did not build, fund or run the development. Platinum were simply one of the marketing companies, which the developer mandated to showcase his / her development. At the request of the NWG Developer, Ms. Judy Bornman, investors requesting an update on North West Gateway from Platinum Planet, have been given the Developer's mobile number for accurate and up-to-date information. This communication system has been set in place for years now. If the disgruntled investor was not receiving information on the development from the Developer and has not received a completed unit by now, why did the investor choose to lodge a complaint against the marketing company and not the Developer? Platinum Planet: Platinum Planet has no knowledge of a slide presentation in 2010 and were not present at this event. Inaccurate information Micel! Micel, your source contradicts themself. I mean we can't be guilty of not giving feedback, & of giving feedback. "We kept in touch with Platinum Planet after that and they always gave us feedback: they were busy with sewage or busy with council, levelling land, etc, but never anything concrete such as dates, timelines, etc". May we point out that we were NEVER busy with sewage, council or leveling land. Get ACCURATE for heaven sake Micel. We don't deal in these actions. The developer develops, we MARKET. Inaccurate information AGAIN Micel. Not accurate, in factual and incorrect that Platinum Planet would search for a new Developer. We were NEVER mandated to search for a new developer. This is utterly LUDICROUS. Inaccurate! When an investor contacts Platinum Planet for an update, they are given the mobile number of the Developer (Ms. Judy Bornman) as noted above. If the Developer promised the investor that the project would be "bigger and better", then that is information given between the Developer and the investor. If information dried up, the investor simply had to continue to contact the Developer as per the arrangement. Platinum Planet have only ever passed on the mobile number of the Developer - there is no other person. If the investor is stuck, they should continue to contact the Developer. If the investor got stuck, they should have contacted Platinum Planet, who would have given them the Developer's mobile number again. So let's get this straight, the disgruntled investor who has not received a unit in North West Gateway as per the contract signed between the investor and the Developer is now stuck and not getting any updated information. The investor has been given the Developer's mobile number for one-on-one updates. To conclude, the investor has chosen to report Platinum Planet, who marketed North West Gateway on behalf of the Developer. Platinum Planet were the mandated agent for North West Gateway. To correct the Micel's last sentence: "Platinum Planet's website describes themselves as a new economy company that specialises in showcasing and marketing developments to real estate agents and their investors on a national basis". Readers are being misled as it appears that Platinum Planet was referring to North West Gateway. 10/Feb/2011 - Micel Schnehage |
Property News Details - Complaint lodged against Platinum Planet marketing
JOHANNESBURG - A disgruntled investor has lodged a complaint with the Estate Agency Affairs Board (EAAB) against marketing company, Platinum Planet. The investor has been trying to obtain information on the North West Gateway Resort in Hartbeespoort in the North West province, but he claims he is being sent from pillar to post.
A slide presentation on the project claimed in 2010: "The development has reached its final stage prior to breaking ground." However, the investor says he paid his deposit in May 2005. He claims since then he has been unable to get a straight answer on the project's progress.
"We kept in touch with Platinum Planet after that and they always gave us feedback: they were busy with sewage or busy with council, levelling land, etc, but never anything concrete such as dates, timelines, etc".
He says this continued for years: "Eventually a few years had passed and on following up with them [Platinum Planet] again, we learnt that the developer had passed on and Platinum Planet was in search for a new developer."
The investor was then put in touch with another developer with promises that the project would be "bigger and better" than originally planned. However, it was only a matter of time when information once again dried up. "We have reverted to Platinum Planet who always passes us on to another person. We are now stuck. No one is giving us information," the investor said in his complaint to the EAAB.
Promotional material on the development says: "The marketing company, namely Platinum Planet are ready to re-launch the development again with new and existing investors who have been eagerly awaiting progress." Platinum Planet's website describes it as: "a new economy company that specialises in showcasing and marketing developments to real estate agents and their investors on a national basis."
Another irate investor who paid thousands towards the AfriSki Development in Lesotho in 2005 took her complaint on Platinum Planet to the Financial Services Board (FSB). In a report to the FSB she stated: "During the course of 2006, I tried to get Platinum Planet's CEO, Cherie Eilertsen Struthers, and Platinum Planet's financial manager, Schalk Mellet, to assist me in recovering my money and received no response from Platinum's CEO after numerous attempts to get her assistance as the CEO of the company that introduced me to the investment." To date, this investor has been unable to recoup her losses.
Eilertsen-Struthers has consistently denied any wrongdoing.
Since publication of this article Eilertsen-Struthers has sent the following response:
Platinum Planet refutes Inaccurate article on North West Gateway
One of the few things Micel Schnehage (journalist) got accurate in her 9 February article on North West Gateway, is the fact that in her heading she pointed out that Platinum Planet is a marketing company.
Platinum Planet marketed and showcased NWG on behalf of the developers via a signed mandate. Platinum Planet placed information provided by the developers on their website and through its member estate agencies introduced the development to their buyers, using the Developer's material. Any signed agreement of sale was between the buyer and the developer. Platinum Planet did not build, fund or run the development. Platinum were simply one of the marketing companies, which the developer mandated to showcase his / her development.
At the request of the NWG Developer, Ms. Judy Bornman, investors requesting an update on North West Gateway from Platinum Planet, have been given the Developer's mobile number for accurate and up-to-date information. This communication system has been set in place for years now. If the disgruntled investor was not receiving information on the development from the Developer and has not received a completed unit by now, why did the investor choose to lodge a complaint against the marketing company and not the Developer?
Platinum Planet: Platinum Planet has no knowledge of a slide presentation in 2010 and were not present at this event. Inaccurate information Micel!
Micel, your source contradicts themself. I mean we can't be guilty of not giving feedback, & of giving feedback. "We kept in touch with Platinum Planet after that and they always gave us feedback: they were busy with sewage or busy with council, levelling land, etc, but never anything concrete such as dates, timelines, etc". May we point out that we were NEVER busy with sewage, council or leveling land. Get ACCURATE for heaven sake Micel. We don't deal in these actions. The developer develops, we MARKET. Inaccurate information AGAIN Micel.
Not accurate, in factual and incorrect that Platinum Planet would search for a new Developer. We were NEVER mandated to search for a new developer. This is utterly LUDICROUS. Inaccurate!
When an investor contacts Platinum Planet for an update, they are given the mobile number of the Developer (Ms. Judy Bornman) as noted above. If the Developer promised the investor that the project would be "bigger and better", then that is information given between the Developer and the investor. If information dried up, the investor simply had to continue to contact the Developer as per the arrangement. Platinum Planet have only ever passed on the mobile number of the Developer - there is no other person. If the investor is stuck, they should continue to contact the Developer. If the investor got stuck, they should have contacted Platinum Planet, who would have given them the Developer's mobile number again.
So let's get this straight, the disgruntled investor who has not received a unit in North West Gateway as per the contract signed between the investor and the Developer is now stuck and not getting any updated information. The investor has been given the Developer's mobile number for one-on-one updates. To conclude, the investor has chosen to report Platinum Planet, who marketed North West Gateway on behalf of the Developer.
Platinum Planet were the mandated agent for North West Gateway. To correct the Micel's last sentence: "Platinum Planet's website describes themselves as a new economy company that specialises in showcasing and marketing developments to real estate agents and their investors on a national basis". Readers are being misled as it appears that Platinum Planet was referring to North West Gateway.
10/Feb/2011 - Micel Schnehage
