It’s easy to get lured in by low prices and confusing plans so you don’t know exactly what you’re paying for. Detector Inspector offers services on a subscription or on a pay as you go basis in Victoria: find out exactly what’s included and the surprising truth about Safer Home subscription plans.
Subscription and Pay As You Go services: What’s the difference?
Detector Inspector offers safety services in Victoria on a "subscription" basis (we call this our Safer Home plans) or on a "pay as you go" basis.
In our Safer Home subscription plans, the fees are prepaid, they are bundled with a 13% discount and the services have a range of inclusions. While prepaid, the benefit is continuity of coverage and compliance. Under the Safer Home plan, you are covered and compliant from the date of enrolment.
Importantly, other than year 1, the annual recurring fee is the same each year, providing complete peace of mind that the property is protected for a low, predictable price.
Pay as you go services are invoiced after the service is completed. Each service, replacement part (unless warranty items) and callouts for gas/electrical issues are charged for individually.
Subscription and Pay As You Go services: Summary
| Category | Safer Home subscription | Pay As You Go |
|---|---|---|
| Discounted, consistent pricing | 13% saving on the cost of individual services, smoothed into predictable, equal annual payments | Pay per service, no discount, lumpy costs based on services due |
| More peace of mind | Period of compliance and coverage begins on the date of enrolment and for the duration of the subscription period | Period of compliance begins from the date the property is serviced |
| Enduring protection | Protection for urgent repairs on checked appliances | Protection limited to 12 month warranty on services |
| Free callouts | Free callouts for faults in checked items and other issues like pilot light relights, beeping smoke alarms and electrical faults | Callouts charged for gas/electrical issues (except where subject to 12 month service guarantee) |
| Free parts/rectification | Free replacement parts such as standard light switches, power points, safety switches and thermocouples | Pay for all replacement parts (unless warranty items) |
Additional Safer Home subscription plan benefits
With a Safer Home Plan subscription you also get invaluable benefits like enduring warranty protection and uninterrupted compliance coverage.
Via their agency, owners have engaged a reputable provider to complete the mandatory safety checks as required by the legislation, and they’re in the queue for those services to be completed ‘as soon as practicable'
The protection afforded by the Safer Home plan accrues from the date of enrolment NOT from the date of service so we’ll be there when we’re needed
More inclusions means less reason for repeat visits, quotations and cost. And where we do find problems, we offer to fix them with lowest price guarantees and fast resolution
We warrant our work for the full 24 months until the next safety check is due. Other companies provide a warranty only on jobs recently completed
Under the RTA, where certain significant, defined issues occur at your property, the renter can incur up to $2,500 in costs to rectify them, without your approval. With our capacity, systems and processes, we're best placed to address these types of issues and avoid unnecessary cost to the owner
After the first year, you pay the same low annual fee and leave the management of your compliance to us
Isn’t it better to only pay for what you need?
Some clients assume that pay as you go services will work out to be more cost-effective.
Isn’t it better to only pay for what you need, and avoid paying for extras you might not use? The answer is yes – and a Safer Home plan is designed to include everything essential with a bundle discount, and no unnecessary extras.
Tailored individual services would be more cost effective if needs varied radically from property to property. The reality is that gas and electrical services are clearly defined under the Victorian Residential Tenancies Act. After the first visit to a property (to bring everything up to standard), the scope and frequency of the work should be the same across the board, so we offer a fixed fee annually after the first year.
Pay as you go services require the technician to visit the property, usually at a cost, form an opinion about the work involved to rectify the issue and quote accordingly. You do only pay for what you use, but you might actually pay more, because you don’t get the discount benefit of a subscription.
The Safer Home subscription plans were created to eliminate the friction of itemised services. Since we know the legislation, we already know the scope of the work, how frequently it should be completed and how much it’s fair to charge before we arrive at the property. By bundling up the smoke alarm, gas and electrical services, we have been able to discount the price we would usually charge for those services individually, package up a range of valuable inclusions and, beyond the first year, make the amount payable a flat rate.
The hidden costs competitors don’t tell you about
Detector Inspector has been leading the industry for a long time, so our services look different to many of our competitors’. When we say ‘flat fee’ and ‘comprehensive service’ we mean it!
Some service providers promise a low flat fee up front, but they don’t clearly disclose that standard items like replacement light switches, safety switches and smoke alarms will be added on to the fee—not to mention extra labour for replacement! This can add up to hundreds of extra dollars for items that Detector Inspector always includes for free.
Unfortunately, it’s not unusual for compliance maintenance companies to skimp on services to save costs. Clients are lured in by low prices but they don’t realise their compliance is compromised because the provider omitted important elements of the safety checks, or used improperly qualified tradespeople to carry out the services.
We have designed our services to meet the RTA requirements: nothing more, nothing less. We meet all the required standards when it comes to the types and frequency of checks performed, the manufacturing standards of replacement parts, and the minimum qualifications of our technicians.
Our transparent pricing structure clearly lays out the inclusions and exclusions so our clients know what they’re paying for. We always include the services and items that we know every property will need as standard. We don’t include and charge for extras that aren’t typically needed.
The bottom line
Over time, a Safer Home subscription plan works out comparable or even more cost-effective than pay as you go services. Plus there’s the benefit of predictability, simplicity and knowing everything is covered.
No matter which option you choose, you can be confident that Detector Inspector safety services are meeting legislation, keeping properties safe and keeping you covered when it comes to your compliance responsibilities.
Detector Inspector offers both models in Victoria so clients can choose what’s right for them, and we’re always upfront and transparent about what you’re paying for.
Keen to switch to a Safer Home plan, or looking to get more information? Subscribe now or ask a question via the forms below.
