More problems at Bar Al Jissa Developments? Tales of dispute and... subsidence

Mega-conglomerate Zubair Corporation's Bar Al Jissa Development, built up on the cliffs next to the 3 Shangri La Hotels on the beach, was fortunately all sold out before the real estate melt down (off plan) at top top prices. Thus the properties have been pretty much built, albeit late.

The Dawn apartment, at Bar Al Jissa Developments. On the level?


But I'm told a few problems are still on-going. There may be a problem with villas in the upper and lower 'Dawn' Section. The upper Dawn problem potentially effects units 1 to 10, the row closest to the road. The others in lower Dawn are the first 3 in from the road. It's minor subsidence, aka 'settlement' in construction speak.

If this is the case, the problem is due to a combination of the way this area was filled & retained, and the structural slab design and/or the workmanship. In effect, it couldn't withstand the recent rain and all that irrigation water being pored on to make some landscaping grow. This water is washing away some support to the buildings' foundation.

'Settlement' is occurring that is resulting in ugly cracks, gaps, etc that can’t be glossed over with a dose of filler and paint. Last week long meetings were held between the parties concerned.

Now, these sort of problems are, apparently, not unusual. The developer, Zubair, should have held a 10% retention on the contractor and had warranties & liabilities defined with the architect, engineers, Project Management Company, etc.

Theoretically the developer should just fix it – in engineering after all, money fixes everything. They should simply get the problem fixed, get the approvals and proceed to get the owners moved in and close on the final payment.

Another problem is that builder Bodgeit and Legit L&T (the engineers building the place) are a Zubair local sponsored company. Ooops. In fact their performance has been so lacklustre Zubair themselves actually dropped the company from the shortlist to tender to build the apartments around the marina development.

So now expect the usual round of the Omani Business Game called "pin the problem on the foreigners". But most of those involved should have reasonable risk mitigation clauses in their contracts to cover themselves, liability wise, for the 'settlement'.

I'm told HSBC, the mortgage lender to at least 25 BAJ props, wisely won’t release the final payment until the Developer warrants the security (with independent eng. back-up) of their collateral. And the poor purchasers are still waiting for their houses, already more than a year late.

One solution is apparently to drill and inject concrete into the sub-soil to each dwelling footings to rectify movement. Ouch. Someone's going to have to pay. But who?

Let the games begin!

To anyone involved in this battle who's reading this: you may increase your chances of playing Russell Crow's character than one of the others by getting advice.


Parties to the dispute may wish to note the services available from Muscat Confidential's well qualified Corporate Sponsor, Paul J. Waters, manager of the Construction Law Advisory Services Division of respected local law firm Dr. Abdullah Alsaidi & Co Law Office.

Trouble in Paradise. Bar Al Jissa resort villa purhasers unhappy with Oman's premier development.

Imagine you're in business. You have customers who are well educated, rich, mainly foreign, and who have just spent sums in the order of US$1.4 million each with you. Customers who should be providing you a steady source of solid follow-on money as you provide the services they will require to look after what they have already bought.

If you're in any business, no-one should like it when such customers are dissatisfied, complaining, sometimes looking to offload your product, and contemplating legal action.

But this is certainly what's happening in Oman's premier ITD Development to date: Barr Al Jissah Residence, run by the mega-giant Zubair family oligopoly. Several customers have joined forces and retained local legal council, forming PAG, an 'owners action group', to try and get the various property managers to deliver what they promised.

The response from those responsible for the development, e.g.:
Zubair Enterprises (the ultimate owner/promoter),
PRD International (sales),
Imagine Design Consultants (design),
Larson and Touboro (construction),
Turners (project managers),
Strata Global (property management)
Juthoor (strategic construction and real estate consultant & Furnishing)


are demonstrably unsuccessful as I write (and here I define success as satisfying customers whilst making money for the company and owners).

Aside: I'm not sure how much Sh. Zubair himself actually knows about this project and what is happening below deck, but if you're reading this and you know his email, why not send him the link. Personally, I think a lot of the problem is that the honorable Sh. Zubair is simply being kept in the dark.

The long running issue at the development, between purchasers and developers, is exposing the underlying problems Oman faces when stepping up to do business in a truly international market. It's a different ballgame, meeting the grade when not protected by soft Government contracts and regulations, your internal intra-company-family dealings, or being able to strong-arm local and powerless SME companies.

I've been told some of the works performed were unnecessary from an strictly engineering POV (like some of the vast walls built for the purposes of 'retaining' solid rock), but that these things were still done to maintain all the 'side commissions', backhanders, and various quantities of profits and contractual mark-ups being taken. Classic snouts in the trough. I'm reliably informed of a senior, experienced North American expat talent, brought in specially for the project, was summarily sent home this year after just a few months service when he kept raising such issues. They had disagreements over the provisions of his employment contract for payments due following such termination too.

I've also been told by clearly delusional sources that its all a symptom, a side-effect not normally discussed in public, of 'The Indian Mafia', whoever they are, with everything being done primarily on a mutual back scratching basis for the benefit of the middle and senior management layer, rather than for the benefit of the business or its customers. Who would have imagined? Patently Ridiculous.

The on-going management fees are rather high too, at more than double the Wave development(more snouts in the trough?). The quote people have been given to furnish a villa to make it suitable for rental is a rather shocking 40,000 rials! That's US$100k to furnish a rental apartment!

The many, many photos I've been sent of a recent inspection by a purchaser show the type of poor completion standard achieved to date (and still late). Its shocking. Especially when you remember this is for a semi-detached 'villa' that cost over $1.4 million dollars. Pools unfenced from huge cliffs. Cracked walls badly covered over. Cheap plastic doors. Minimal landscaping. Botched cupboard installations, missing skylights, mismatched and cheap tiling, ... IE, general Gulf spec built to exacting 'Indian labourer standard'.

Quote: "Landscaping to include established plantings befitting a multi-million dollar 5 star resort - not "dead twigs" and "1 dying palm tree"

You probably are living in a classic example of such standards as you read this, if you live in the GCC. Shoddy electrics and plumbing built by people with little experience of either, roofs that leak when it rains, bodges and poor quality workmanship everywhere. But then you or your landlord didn't just buy the property for huge money at promised international prestige specification and luxury finish, hmmm?


Photo: The original marketing pitch for BAJR

Ouch.

Times are hard, and these days people willing to pay for far flung 5 star developments with expensive running costs are hard to find. There are plenty of places in the world where one can spend a cool $million ++ and get a GREAT place to live and/or vacation. There is a lot of competition. As a result, developments with problems building things to standard, furniture rip offs, unprofessional management and non-communication, situated in a country in the scary Middle East where it is too f**kin hot to sit outside 4 months of the year are clearly in need of upping their game.

Not that such problems are stopping the typical PR crap being pumped out to the media by BAJR management. See Zawya press release.

26 October 2009
MUSCAT -- The prestigious Barr Al Jissah luxury residential development project is nearly complete and soon 71 luxury townhouses and villas will be handed over to their new owners. This marks the successful launch of Oman's first integrated tourism complex (ITC) project. This was revealed here yesterday at press conference addressed by Ziyad al Zubair, Director, The Zubair CorporationThe Zubair Corporation, Jose Lora, CEO, Juthoor Real Estate, and Arbind K Shrestha, General Manager, Shangri-La Hotel, Resort.

Speaking to the Oman Observer, Ziyad al Zubair said foreigners own about 50 per cent of the 71 houses while the remaining 50 per cent belong to citizens and residents of Oman. Arbind K Shrestha said the project has been completed in spite of difficult economic climate. The Barr Al Jissah Residence, comprising 71 luxury town houses and villas in a unique luxury real estate development, is one of the first ITC developments in Oman that offered real estate for sale to expatriates as well as Omani nationals. The development has three areas the Dusk Townhouse, Dawn Townhouse and Pearl Villa areas within the Shangri-La Hotel Resort and Spa offering breathtaking views of the Omani horizon.
...

And don't forget those breath taking views of electrical substations and air conditioning plants...

Or the fact that so far not a single villa has been handed over, despite being more than a year late. The reason the development has gone as far as it has is that the buildings all sold out well before the peak of the real estate bubble. Everyone got in way too deep to pull out by the time the crash happened - owners, Zubair, Shangri La.

For your entertainment, here's the latest email I was sent from the Owners group PAG to the developers. Talk about problems with customer satisfaction...

I suspect there's more to come on this story!

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: DH
Date: Thu, Oct 29, 2009 at 2:16 PM
Subject: Fwd: Solution to Complete BAJ
To: "HAL" , "WD"
Cc: RO , RB


Gents,
Below are my thoughts, as a purchaser, PAG rep and Developer in how to potentially address things going forward.

As discussed with H last night at length, I am happy to focus on the solutions and put the past nonsense behind us but this requires real engagement, solutions and action on longstanding, critical issues.

My thoughts:
1. The Developer needs to appoint a decision maker(s) who can address issues, make decisions, instruct owners & consultants in order to get things moving. Could be up to a $$$ limit before referral to a Director or Board. Each decision seems to take forever, by which time things escalate and compound making the decision redundant. The decision maker(s) need to understand the issues, be a good communicator, not have vested interests, and able to act fair and reasonably for both the developer and the owners. This could be task shared with clear delineation and coordination between the 2 decision makers.

a. Construction/Building Completion – XX is a prime candidate to coordinate the re-inspections with owners, instruct Juthoor/Turner/L&T/Atkins/etc on what needs to be done. He is also the best person to navigate the Ministries for approvals and coordinate the “Settlement Checklist” being an Omani, Property Experience and knowing the project history.

b. Documentation, Services Agreements, Titles, Management Agreements – XX - has shown to be fair & reasonable, knowledgeable and diligent. With authority from BAJRC he could quite quickly and professionally collate, check, change & instruct other consultants to do what is required to get this project finished.

2. Focus on the issues and not on the people raising the issues. Attack the problems not the people. Buyers who have invested such large amounts of money in these homes are naturally going to be concerned for the outcome. Each person will act differently – some will coast along and accept anything in good faith, while others due to personal, professional, experience and cultural reasons – expect 5 star service along with 5 star prices. Each customer is different and will need to be handled individually, however, the level of service/finish/completion/etc will need to be consistent across the project to avoid further conflict down the road. This is part of having Customers and is the burden of the Developer to get right – that’s why they make a profit – or not. It is a very universal concept and one to get right when dealing with an international clientele such as BAJ Owners.


3. Address the MAJOR issue and communicate directly – answers the questions, provide the solutions. Avoiding issues will not solve them, it just makes them worse. Selectively answering the “easy questions” doesn’t work either. With focused attention, decisions, clear instruction, agreed timeframes and effective communication – most of the major concerns at BAJ could be resolved quite quickly.

a. Defects & rectification – If lists have been submitted – address the list. Agree what is or is not going to be rectified and advise owners. Then go fix it. Then arrange for a re-inspection where expectations can be met or exceeded- not disappointed due to mismatched expectations. Agree alternatives, solutions, concessions with buyers as required. Document and communicate so both parties are on the same page.

b. Settlement – address the checklist, what needs to be done, by who, how long will it take. When do you think it will all be complete. Will rentals be able to commence -if not, how can this be resolved? Advise the owners so they can get themselves and their money organized. Do a practice run with the lawyers/banks/ministries/developers/agents/whoever to make sure it is all possible. Avoid the disappointment of further screwing people about.

c. Service Charges- this is unacceptable in the current form. It is not going to go away. Strata Global either need to re-price ASAP or be replaced. There are alternatives if required. The Owners will not be railroaded into excessive fees as it impacts the value of their properties – this is a fact. It needs to be recognized and resolved as no-one in the PAG will be paying these fees at settlement to avoid SG disappearing with the money upon termination. O/A formation also affects insurances.

d. Documentation – This needs to be wrapped up - Title plans, Easements/Right-of-way, Services Scope of works from Body Corp manager (S.G or replacement), Rules & regs, Hotel Access Fee issue, Hotel Management Agreement, Hotel revenue forecasts, Marina berths, etc

e. Furniture package- This proposal is unacceptably overpriced. This is a view shared by all interested members of the PAG and therefore makes the Shangri-la Management unattractive. The Furniture package will be a flop in its current form and this issue needs to be addressed. It is not going away either. Like the service charge fees, the only people who are arguing for the furniture package are not buying it! This hasn’t worked, will not work and Juthoor/Shangri-la need to revise the offer to meet the customers’ expectations. The alternative is for both the furniture and the Hotel scheme both to be a flop.

f. Visas, Import – Thankfully this appears to be gaining tractions and support from Juthoor and the Developer in doing what is necessary to assist the owners.

g. Agency for Re-Sales – Absolutely nothing has been done on this by Juthoor/Developer/external agents since the arrival of Juthoor 6 months ago. There are owners who want to sell. There are commissions to be made. Why isn’t something being done to allow agents onsite, a display villa even, a photo shoot, some marketing onsite. Again - help your customers - make money from it even. Do something or invite other agents to sell/lease if Juthoor is not interested/able.

h. Communicate –What happened to the newsletter? 1 issue then gone. What about a bi-weekly email update-"we are doing this, that, and a photo" . All general info to reassure owners that it is all still happening. Most are not in Muscat as you know and lack of information breeds concern and discontent.

I am happy to assist with issues and advice if required to get this wrapped up. I am also happy to endorse initiatives outwards to the PAG members and advise them that they need to engage with the Developer to resolve their individual purchases.
Many are probably sitting on the sidelines and observing the carnage that has occurred quite publicly and want to stay out of harms way. If we have some good news and quick wins that can be broadcast from the PAG it will help to turn the mood and assist the re-engagement with customers.
D.H
+971 XX XXXXXX

Rain in Oman, and work restarts in Bar Al Jissa

Bar Al Jissa Update
Real estate investors will be pleased to know construction work has recommenced in Bar Al Jissa's cliff-top villas and apartments. My sources tell me Sheikh Zubair got involved and ... no surprise, everything got sorted out. Ah, the joys of wasta.

The expat architect, construction and project managers - who had previously ignored several instructions to stop work, until they had their passports confiscated - have had their passports returned. And so the blue smurfs are now slaving away again.

Weather - we've finally got some
Isn't the rain beautiful? Just when it normally starts getting really hot as summer starts to arrive, we've instead had several days of cloudy, cooler weather, and today and tomorrow we're expecting lots of rain, lightening and even perhaps some hail! But it is NOT a cyclone. Here's the latest sat pic, and you can see there's nothing of note around Oman. Its just a standard low pressure front.



The Government has closed the schools in Muscat, and given Government employees 2 days off. Yes folks, rain is a cause for celebration in Oman. It does seem the authorities have learned some lessons from Cyclone Gonu, (except that the press are still reporting that only 49 deaths occured, when we all know the real death toll was well over 500, possibly even up to 2000).

You may want to try and protect your car over the next 2 days. The hail may be big enough to cause nasty dents...

Schools in Oman closed on Tuesday following hailstorm warning
Published: March 30, 2009, 16:48

Muscat: Oman is bracing for a hailstorm and rains as hospitals are put on stand by and educational institutions given a day off on Tuesday.
"It is not a serious matter, but looking at our country's topography we are taking precautions," Lt Col Azhar Al Kindy, a member of the National Committee for Civil Defence (NCCD), told Gulf News on Monday. He said the bad weather that hit Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and UAE is heading towards Oman.

Due to its mountainous region, Oman's wadis (valleys) overflow even with slightly moderate rain, therefore the authorities are not taking any chances.

"We have been advised by the Education Ministry to close our educational institutions," Abraham Mathews, Advisor to the Indian Schools Board, told Gulf News on Monday. Barring the school in Salalah, all other 14 Indian schools have declared Tuesday as a holiday.

Lt Col Al Kindy said the decision to declare school holidays was taken by the Education Ministry as a precaution.

Oman had suffered extensive damage and 49 people had died when tropical cyclone Gonu stuck its eastern coast and Muscat in June 2007. At that time, precautionary measures taken by the NCCD had controlled the damage, but flooding from the mountain had caused much damage and loss of lives.

This time there is no storm coming, but hails and rains could again cause havoc by flooding wadis and low-lying areas thus authorities are on guard. Explaining the cause for the expected hailstorm and rains, Abdullah Rashid of Meteorological Office IN Muscat said: "North westerly disturbance and low pressure over Arabian Peninsula will bring rains as well as possible hailstorm." He forecast moderate rainfall, but accompanied by hailstorm for Tuesday as well as Wednesday.

It probably won't be as spectacular as the lightening show in Dubai a couple of days ago.



'Course, we don't have a half kilometer high lightening attractor in Muscat!

Problems at Barr Al Jissah Resort Company. Work at villa development stopped by Muscat Municipality.

Background:
A few years ago, the Oman Government developed a remote little rocky bay in Bar Al Jissah with 3 beautiful new hotels –

The mega-hotel development that many at the time thought was a reach too far was accomplished with amazing success. \\

here's the 6 star private beachy bit




The Shangri La is accessed by a coastal road that first winds past a planned extension complex of freehold apartments, villas, and a marina.


Photo: The beautiful Bar Al Jissa site, before major construction of the villas got underway. (Hotels shown above are off screen to the bottom)


While the hotel development was a great success, with occupancy rates almost immediately ranking near the top of Shangri La properties world wide.

But the later villa development part seems to be in more than a bit of trouble (run by local giant the Zubair Corporation).

A few weeks ago all work on the site has been stopped by Muscat Municipality. Developers have told purchasers the villas will be completed June 2009 (albeit a year later than originally suggested).

MM are claiming that the buildings don’t have proper building permits and are damaging the 'look' of the place as well. So, they stopped all the construction work. The architects should expect a fine. [The new head of Muscat Municipality is obviously starting to get to grips with the way things used to be done under the previous leadership, and is toughening up.]

Ooops.

It gets more interesting.

A Muscat Confidential reader from the UAE who purchased one of those Bar Al Jissah villas off-plan some time ago, tells me he has been trying for several months – unsuccessfully – to get the developer to give him some pretty basic details: eg

1. Pre-Settlement Building Inspection [UD: who does the inspection and what are their terms of reference]
2. Defect Rectification [UD: like repairing any non-specification items to contractual specification]
3. Rental Management Agreement – Shangri-la [process, contract, fees, guarantees, liabilities, etc]
4. Furniture Packages [you know, those pre-selected options for purchasers to have the buildings furnished for them for a price...)
5. Body Corporate Fees? [how much will the owners be charged to run the complex, rubbish collection charges, rights to use the hotel facilities, etc etc]
6. Handover and Settlement Process [well, duh]
7. Residency Visa [well funnily enough, apparently still a big problem, and I’ve heard it is only a residency visa, and will not be a visa valid for employment]

All reasonable questions to have in writing, I agree. Speaking personally, required BEFORE I would get into paying loads of money and signing a Sales and Purchase agreement, but then these were the days when real estate was a sure winner.

As our reader tells it, the developer has barely even acknowledged his letters/emails [see the correspondence he's sent below], and they haven't supplied answers.

He is one unimpressed international real estate investor, I can tell you! As a result, he’s shared his letters with us here Muscat Confidential.

His problems are symptomatic of similar problems across the industry in Oman. Even people who have taken possession of their villas in The Wave [the first really successful Muscat real estate development] are reported to still be on tourist visas, because the whole issue of these 'freehold residence visas' remains unresolved. These visa were promised whenever a non-Omani/Non-GCC resident bought [and paid for] a house in one of the "designated freehold developments".

In fact, our expat correspondent from the UAE goes on to say:

Big issue for Oman - Open up to FDI in the form of property, cater to high-end buyers, then treat them like imbeciles & expect that they will accept it. Real Estate globally is getting punished and one would expect that Oman would be doing all it could to assure investors in the country. Also highlights that there is no body within Oman to regulate/referee/monitor the activities on behalf of investors of all these so called "developers"…

So what? you might [rightly] ask? Well, he’s pulling together a "Purchasers Group" to get some traction on reality with his developers. Probably his only option.

a similar group "Purchasers Group" were totally responsible for getting the Muscat Hills development going after the developer tried to force off-plan purchasers to pay significantly more than the agreed contract OR ELSE. [Rumour has it that His Majesty stepped in and picked up the rest of the tab to rescue the Muscat Hills situation, after it looked like the Government and the developers were about to get embarrassingly sued in the UK over the issue.

So, bottom line seems to be that there is quite a bit of ‘sorting out’ to be done, on all of the Omani mega-real estate developments, to inject some basic professionalism. The least I’d expect when you consider the prices people have paid for these properties, and the vast amounts of Government infrastructure spending and free prime beach land that was provided [via Omran, for a piece].

Certainly, the Oman Government should realize that the sort of foreign investors who can buy these types of high-end properties are not idiots. Nor are they the sort of people to accept poor performance (like potential breaches of contracts, non-specification delivery, or ‘inshallah’ answers to key questions) without taking serious action themselves.

Whoever in the Government is in charge of this, or whoever should be, get a grip and sort these developers out.


here is our reader's letter to the Bar Al Jissah developers. How pissed off is he? See for yourself.

EMAIL 1

Dear Mr. Lakshminarayan,
I am writing to you as the official representative under the terms of the SPA with BAJRC to seek some clarification on project questions that I have been asking the Marketing Agent (PRD) to clarify on your behalf for many months.

To date I have yet to receive any information regarding the following items:
1. Pre-Settlement Building Inspection
2. Defect Rectification
3. Rental Management Agreement – Shangri-la
4. Furniture Packages
5. Body Corporate Fees
6. Handover and Settlement Process
7. Residency Visa

As the property developer responsible for delivering this project and provisioning of these services I am looking to you to advise on what is proposed.

Considering this property is due to be handed over in less than 60 days, as per your latest advice, I would expect that the above items have been resolved/agreed and are now being implemented.

Frankly I am fed up with hearing the response “the developer is working on this” from PRD after numerous requests for information on how this property is to operate.

I think we, the purchasers, have been patient enough until now for solutions to be presented - after all you have been in the process of delivering this project for over 2 years.

As you are aware we have all invested a substantial amount of money with BAJRC based on contractual obligations and representations as to the product and services that are expected to be delivered.

The above items have a very large impact on capital expenditure requirements (furniture packages), ongoing costs (body corporate), quality (defect rectification), and proposed income (rentals) and we will be incurring interest cost whilst these items are unresolved. Not to mention the additional logistics of being available for settlements, handovers, residency applications and moving house when required.

This is something that your purchasers, owners or investors, NEED to prepare for and make the appropriate arrangements to action – we are not able to drop everything at a moment’s notice for BAJRC once you finally get you act together.

I trust that you understand my concerns, concerns that are shared amongst many other purchasers, and I would appreciate a formal response from you by the 12th of January 2009.
Yours
XXXX

After no response, this was followed by

EMAIL 2

Dear Mr. Lakshminarayan,

Today is the 15th of February and as I have not received a response from you or your company, despite having confirmation of receipt of my request.

BAJRC seems to believe that it is either exempt from treating it’s customers with some basic common courtesy or is too incompetent to do so.

I have requested clearly and politely for the information on this investment without success – now I am going to introduce you to some high-level, sustained NEGATIVE PUBLICITY in the hope that it motivates you into addressing these concerns.

As a result of your non-reply, listed below is the course of action that I, and others, are now going to take.

A list of outstanding requirements from BAJRC to advise purchasers in the Barr al Jissah Residences and a copy of this email detailing BAJRCs failings to communicate to date has been compiled.

This correspondence will be sent to the following recipients as of Wednesday the 17th of February 2009 as a first step.

Request for Assistance to resolve my concerns from the following parties

1. OFFICE OF H.H. PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE OF H.M. THE SULTAN

2. B.A.J.R.C - Khaled Mohammed Al Zubair

3. Zubair Corporation - Mohammad Al Zubair

4. Omran - Mr. Wael Al Lawati

5. Department of Tourism - Dr. Rajiha Abdul Ameer Ali

6. The Shangri-La Hotel – Arbind K Shrestha

7. The Shangri-La Hotel – Head Office - Shangri-La International Hotel Management Ltd, Hong Kong
If a response is still not achieved, the next steps will be to forward my complaint to the following parties:

Other investors to commence a Purchaser Action Group

1. Media Groups
2. Local Newspapers, Magazines & Blogs [UD: that's me]
3. Regional Papers – Gulf News, The National, 7 Days, Arabian Business,
4. International Press – Specifically UK Newspapers & Travel publications
5. Local Banks – HSBC, NBO, OAB, Bank Muscat
6. Real Estate Developers & Agents

a. The Wave
b. The Blue City
c. Muryia Developments
d. Cluttons
e. Hamptons
f. Gulf Property World

Please do not misunderstand the above as an idle threat.

I am putting BAJRC on notice that, as your customer in a very significant property investment, you have a duty of care to inform me of matters affecting my investment.

If you continue to treat me, your customer, with such ignorance and disregard as to not even bother responding to my real and clear concerns then I am determined to introduce you to the concept of a Purchaser Action Group and the affect that it can have on your businesses credibility.