FAQ's

Funds are held in CAS Shields secure accounts until it is released at your direction. Every security feature and process available has been attached to make sure all funds are held without the risk of any loss.

CAS Shield meet the highest standards required by AUSTRAC, ASIC and other governing boards to make sure we are held to the highest standard of operation and governance. We have weekly, fortnightly, quarterly and annual reporting requirements along with regular auditing. Trusted and transparent are the core values that make up CAS Shield. We exist to protect you.

Trust can only be built over time, and trust with CAS Shield is no different. However, by complying and meeting the highest standards of operation and security, we hope to increase your trust with us and cut that time down to see you fully utilise the CAS Shield system.

CAS Shield is on the laws side. We exist to protect both sides and follow the direction of the law. It is the only fair and reliable way for CAS Shield to provide unbiased protection to both parties. We do not play favourites and require the same level of authentication from both parties when signing up all the way through to resolving challenges.

Thankfully, if you have used CAS Shield and made payments for the milestone before work stages have been completed, you can trust the money is there. The next step is to work with the supplier to come to a resolution. If one cannot be reached which is acceptable to you and the supplier, you should cease all payments and follow the steps below.

The funds will remain with CAS Shield until instructions from you and the supplier change, or there is court ordered instruction which CAS Shield are legally bound to follow.

If there is a dispute, please let our Resolutions Team know immediately via email resolutions@casshield.com and include your user number, the job title that is being disputed and the reasons for the dispute.

Our team will endeavour to contact yourself and the supplier as soon as possible to confirm that there is a challenge and possible next steps.

If a resolution still cannot be met, the funds will remain with CAS Shield until instructions from you and the supplier change, or there is a court ordered instruction which CAS Shield are legally bound to follow. These are outlined in our Terms and Conditions.

Resolving building disputes is tricky, but the largest relief is that the funds are safe. That is always the biggest and most frustrating challenge.

The Australian Government has provided guidance on what to do next if a resolution cannot be met. Please select the state your work is being completed in, and follow the recommendations provided.

QLD     VIC       TAS      NSW    WA      NT        ACT

Thankfully, if you have used CAS Shield and the customer has made payments for the milestone before work stages have been started, you can trust the money is there. The next step is to work with the customer to come to a resolution just as you would before, this time though you know that the work has been done as required and already agreed to and paid for by the customer. If a resolution cannot be reached which is acceptable to you and the customer, you should cease all work and follow the steps below.

The funds will remain with CAS Shield until instructions from you and the customer change, or there is court ordered instruction which CAS Shield are legally bound to follow.

If there is a dispute, please let our Resolutions Team know immediately via email resolutions@casshield.com and include your user number, the job title that is being disputed and the reasons for the dispute.

Our team will endeavour to contact yourself and the customer as soon as possible to confirm that there is a challenge and possible next steps.

If a resolution still cannot be met, the funds will remain with CAS Shield until instructions from you and the customer change, or there is a court ordered instruction which CAS Shield are legally bound to follow. These are outlined in our Terms and Conditions.

Resolving building disputes is tricky, but the largest relief is that the funds are safe. That is always the biggest and most frustrating challenge.

The Australian Government has provided guidance on what to do next if a resolution cannot be met. Please select the state your work is being completed in, and follow the recommendations provided for a more in depth explanation. Some states will follow the Australian Government recommendations and will redirect you to this.

Australian Government Steps

QLD     VIC       TAS      NSW    WA      NT        ACT

We strongly encourage all variations to the contract or work to be put into CAS Shield, it is what we are designed for. Trust and transparency are the core values of CAS Shield so use all aspects of the system.

When doing any building, renovating or project work, you and the supplier may have changes along the way. This is very normal, as unforeseen things occur and we all want the project completed with excellence. To make sure this happens, any variations to the work being done must be recorded. This can happen in writing as an attachment to a new milestone created for the variation or as fully explained milestone without any attachments. We encourage the use of both so that there is absolute clarity on the variation and the implications it has on the overall cost and time frame.

Changes should try and be kept to a minimum to avoid any cost overruns or potential confusion for the work to be done. If you fail to keep accurate records through CAS Shield and have them approved, it can lead to a dispute and a slowing down of the project. In the worst case it halts the progress of your project entirely and delays cost more time, money and in some cases your own mental health. So with any variations, keep them in the CAS Shield system for clarity in communication, trust and transparency.

In the majority of Australian states, the contractor must present the variation to you in writing, and you must agree to it in writing, before the contractor commences the variation work.  The variation may be given to you (and you may respond) personally, by post, facsimile or email, or in accordance with any provision in the contract providing for the service of notices. Once a variation through CAS Shield has been provided to you, you can agree to it after reviewing the variation and an email will automatically be produced stating your approval for the supplier. If you do not agree with the variation or parts thereof, you can ask for a review and then put your feedback in the comment section of the variation milestone for the supplier to review, change and get back to you.     

However it is transmitted, the variation document given to you by the supplier must include certain details which you should carefully check. These requirements are set out below:

• (a) is readily legible; and
• (b) describes the variation; and
• (c) states the date of the request for the variation; and
• (d) if the variation will result in a delay affecting the subject work—states the suppliers reasonable estimate for the period of delay; and
• (e) states the change to the contract price because of the variation, or the method for calculating the change to the contract price because of the variation; and
• (f) if the variation results in an increase in the contract price—states when the increase is to be paid; and
• (g) if the variation results in a decrease in the contract price—states when the decrease is to be accounted for.

After you have agreed to the variation in CAS Shield, the supplier must give you a copy in writing (by any of the transmission methods mentioned earlier) within 5 business days of the date you agree to the variation and before any domestic building work the subject of the variation starts (whichever occurs first). Thankfully this is made available to both the supplier and customer at all times to make sure clarity is maintained. The only exception is if the variation work is required to be carried out urgently and it is not reasonable practicable, in the particular circumstances, for the supplier to produce a copy of the variation in writing before carrying out the work. This is extremely rare as the process of variations is made quick and easy through CAS Shield, but the situations to happen from time to time.

If you have been using the CAS Shield portal as intended, you have a lot less to worry about. When a customer pays for a milestone stage to be done, and the supplier begins work but goes through financial strain or there has been a suspension or cancellation of their relevant licence, causing them to cease work, the funds for the work are still held by CAS Shield for that milestone until you release it. Once the dust settles and the supplier has explained the situation and it’s fall out, you are both able to work out a resolution and payment for work done or materials provided. If a resolution cannot be met, that is when you begin a resolution process. Thankfully, your funds are safe with CAS Shield until you and the supplier agree on the milestone payment amount and release together.

It should also be noted that in rare circumstances you may need to seek legal advice to confirm whether you can and should terminate your contract with the supplier. The contract you agreed to should be available in the documents uploaded by your supplier before work began.

If you and the supplier cannot come to an agreeable resolution for you both, please notify CAS Shield immediately via email resolutions@cassshield.com and our team will endeavour to contact you and the supplier to understand and resolve the situation. Include your unique user number and that of the supplier in your email with an explanation of what has happened.

If you have gone outside the bounds of CAS Shield and have already made payment directly with the supplier and they cannot finish the work, that limits the help CAS Shield can provide unfortunately. However, you can make a claim through the Home Warranty Scheme depending on your state and territory. Provided is a link to a PDF for Non-completion of Construction Work Complaint Form which will need to be lodged with required documents to QBCC.

Using the CAS Shield system prevents a lot of the pitfalls and dangers that can happen from time to time in the building and renovation industry. Even with the best of intentions, situations arise which are out of the hands of both you and the supplier. Being calm and keeping communication lines open are the best way to resolve these challenges.

If you are carrying out domestic building work over $3,300 including GST, labour and materials, you’ll need a contract. Be sure to read the contract details carefully and seek legal advice before signing to ensure you are aware of your rights and obligations.

The QBCC (Queensland Building and Construction Commission) have made it easy for you and the customer to come to an agreement regarding contracts, by providing various options on their site. If you wish to use a contract that you already have drawn up correctly then you are encouraged to do so as every aspect of your profession may not be covered by QBCC contracts.

Once one of these QBCC contracts has been selected, completed by you and the customer, you can upload them to your job on the CAS Shield site for you and the customer to see.

Choose the options that are best for your job by selecting the link here at the QBCC website for contracts.