A successful year has drawn to a close. It may have seemed like we were never going to finish, but I think that feeling came from the excitement and passion we devoted towards making this last year one of our best years yet. Despite some bumps along the way (yeap!), we're still here. This year, we have launched BlueDuck Smart Commercial and BlueDuck Mobile. 🥳️

BlueDuck Smart Commercial

BlueDuck and Allianz General inks MoU in offering rental loss up to 2 months to the commercial landlords. According to the National Property Information Centre, there are 1,060 mall complexes. Some landlords are offering rent abatement – rent-free period up to 6 months with the intention of getting their space occupied. 

To know more, read here: Allianz X BlueDuck Goes Commercial

BlueDuck Mobile

With the rise of users, we would love to give a better user experience to our users. Our BlueDuck mobile was launched at the end of November 2022, believed to provide a more interactive user experience. Landlords and agents may already start registering properties in the app. Most importantly, IT IS FREE. You can download it here for IOS and Android.

On Process flow

In qualifying rental deposit insurance issuance, we'll require documentation in support of the validity of the tenancy, which BlueDuck have been working closely with property agents as traditionally property agents will be the mediator of the rental process. The BlueDuck Portal streamlines the process from six steps to three: purchase, register, and manage in the BlueDuck Portal, and go from two submission channels to one by logging into the BD Portal.

Click here to watch the YouTube video.

Going Forward

In 2022, we were recognized by FWD, the Top 2 winning insurtech startups, MyFintechWeek 2022 by 1337 ventures x BNM and SIDEC Selangor Accelerator Program. We believe we’re on the right path.

You can read more about us on Malaysiakini, Digital News Asia, Vulcan post and  Technode global and find more information about us on Facebook. So, what’s next for us? Will it be a digital insurer, a tenant guarantor, or will Rental Deposit Insurance powered by BlueDuck, be launched in our neighbouring countries, duplicating happiness out of Malaysia? 😉

This cannot be accomplished without user feedback and the hard work of our IT team, which is always developing, testing, and improving the system. These are just some of the highlights of what has been a busy year for BlueDuck. There’s been much to celebrate.There will be bumpy roads ahead, we’ll still be making mistakes, we’ll still be learning lessons, and what’s more important, we’re still in the game, playing. 

Cheers!

We are pleased to announce that we are forging a partnership with Koha Digital. BlueDuck and Koha now team the market strength to encourage the public to easily and clearly arrange their legacy for the inevitable occurrence, to preserve family unity, and to stimulate goodwill to societal causes.

BlueDuck Founder & CEO Mr. Earnest Wong  sign agreement with CoFounder and CEO of Koha Digital, Mr. Peter Cheong

Our vision collaboration's aim is to provide better educational planning in digital legacy planning and bring the modernised method of renting. Koha Digital is the next generation fintech platform for legacy planning, whereas BlueDuck Fintech focuses on unlocking cash flow by speeding up the renting process by employing rental deposit insurance as an alternative tool. With the collaboration of two companies, we are digitising the financial planning process with ease and trust. Anyone can now rent out with ease and have protection against any malicious acts done by the tenants which is a complete support from property assets. People can now use any unutilized property assets with BlueDuck Rental Deposit Insurance to generate rental income through swift rent out.

About Koha: Koha is a next-generation financial technology platform for legacy planning. Their holistic approach builds trust and engages individuals throughout their lives by delivering integrated education sharing, unique personal financial health and legacy planning, charity transfer of money after death, and personalised video or letter greetings to their loved ones. Their primary goals are to inspire everyone to easily and clearly prepare their legacy for the inevitable occurrence, to maintain family peace, and to encourage generous giving to social organisations. For more information, check out their websites https://koha.digital/ 

About BlueDuck: Say goodbye to your rental deposits! BlueDuck has co-created rental deposit insurance with the largest insurance company. We help landlords to easily unlock their cash flow faster by providing alternative rent out solutions by using our Rental Deposit insurance and getting on-time collection through the digitalize payment method. We also co-creating insurance packages so it protects the most valuable asset of a person. With the tenant profile and payment method in place, landlords can now speed up the leasing process and get out of the rut of seeking for "the one" renter.

The collaboration of BlueDuck and Koha is in line with the rapid growth of Malaysia's financial technology industry. Koha Digital and BlueDuck are ready to modernise and digitise in helping people in planning in property and legacy.

Stay tuned for further BlueDuck Facebook and website updates!

Read our news here!

• Smart Home
• BlueDuck
  
• Malicious Damages - What's cover?

Back in June 2022, an opening ceremony for Selangor Digital Creative Centre (SDCC), a lists of startup companies are announced to be nurtured under Selangor Information Technology and Digital Economy Corporation (SIDEC) with the 2022 theme “Net Zero, Sustainable & Circular Economy” and BlueDuck were shortlisted as the top 30 finalists among 300 applicants. 

Fast forward to September, BlueDuck is on the stage being awarded as the Top 5 winners of the Selangor Accelerator Program (SAP) 2022. 

Pitching demonstration done by BlueDuck Founder & CEO Earnest Wong.

5th Cohort of the Selangor Accelerator Program was focusing on five verticals: Agritech, Greentech, Smart City, Fintech and Healthtech and of course, BlueDuck belong in the fintech category.

In the pitching, BlueDuck have demonstrated the pain points in the rental market for both tenants and landlords.

1. High rental deposits
2. Manual Payments (or Collection)
3. Staying Organised

We've designed our software and addressed these pain points through

• Rental Deposit Insurance
• Digital Payment Solution and 
• Tenancy Software

Allowing technology to offer us countless possibilities in today's ever-changing and modernizing world. Not eliminating the old, but embracing and expanding with digitally possible solutions. W

Cassandra, Chief Revenue for BlueDuck in sharing BlueDuck solutions to Selangor State Executive Councillor for Industry and Trade, Dato’ Teng Chang Khim and fellow judges.

It was an incredible honour to receive the award as the Top 5 winners for us in BlueDuck, and others Entomal Biotech, Swipey.Co, Diet Ideas, and Capsphere! 

The recognition was a affirmation of our business's show of clear path for continued success and positive potential impact toward “Net Zero, Sustainable & Circular Economy”, the theme for this year’s SAP.

So yes!

Stay tune for more of our updates in BlueDuck Facebook and website.

Read our news here:

• SIDEC Facebook
• BlueDuck
• Vulcan Post

Till then!

A smart home means your home has a smart home system that connects with your appliances to automate specific tasks and is typically remotely controlled. You can use a smart home system to set a program and monitor your home security system and cameras, or control appliances like your refrigerator or air conditioning and water heater.

What are the benefits of a smart home?

In Malaysia, Smart home ideas are still new but one day this will be a trend in near future. People are talking about energy saving, zero pollution entry, and also a green campaign by the government. How smart homes work, or specific task automation for benefits are:

• Smart homes allow you to have greater control of your energy use, all while automating things like adjusting temperature, turning on and off lights, opening and closing window treatments, and adjusting irrigation based on the weather. 
• Smart homes provide insights into energy use that can help you become more energy efficient and mindful of ecological factors.
• Smart homes can pinpoint areas where you’re using more energy than you need to, allowing you to cut back on those areas and save money.

How do you make your home a smart home?
The short answer is either “all at once” or “one step at a time.” Still, there are a few things everyone will have to do in order to get ready for their new-and-improved home appliances and smart devices.

Upgrade your WiFi
Since all smart home devices use the Internet to communicate, you’ll want to make sure you have WiFi strong enough to handle information sharing. For larger homes, you may want to even consider getting multiple routers. 

Do your research
There are so many smart systems and smart home devices available that it’s a smart idea to familiarize yourself with a few different options before settling on one. 

Identify your needs
Figure out exactly what you’re looking for from a smart home, and then pick the areas you want to start addressing right now. From there, it’s a cinch to pull from your research the smart home system and smart devices and appliances that will meet your needs. There’s nothing worse than buying a fancy new gadget only to have it gathering dust in a corner a few weeks later because it’s not really something you need right now--especially a costly one!

What is a smart device?

A smart device is any electronic device that can be connected to your smart home system, that can interact with other devices, and that can make some decisions on its own. Televisions, stoves, alarm systems, doorbells, garage doors, and stereos are examples of smart devices. Smart devices can be bought separately and over time, making it easy to slowly transform your house into a smart home.There are several brands that you may check it out via online shopping platforms like Philips, Google nest Hub Max for your controlling center and so much more.

All in all

The new world of smart home technology is an exciting one, and the possibilities and combinations are becoming endless. As the smart home industry continues to grow, so will the offerings available and their impact on your daily life. All you need to do is start planning your financial needs.

Organize your shopping budget with TenancyCash

Do you know with TenancyCash, you can get advance payment from your rented property? All you need is an active tenancy contract. Do visit us at https://www.blueduck.my/tenancyCash to find out more and to start your application process or visit our website to find out more about the other exciting products we offer such as BlueDuck Zero Deposit.

Hello hello, fancy flying and record your moment? Traveling with a good pair of headphones? Or are you looking to spend on trendy gadgets for your upcoming holiday? It’s time to feel excitement and manage your spending plan to have an awesome gadget for you and your family.

Let's check out the top 5 awesome gadgets that can create a wonderful experience to the next level!

1. Dji Mini Drone 3 Pro

Every year, DJI’s Mini series gets smaller and yet more powerful, cramming high-end specs into a lightweight drone that you can chuck in your bag.But with all those improvements, comes an eye-watering price, and an increasing fear for your financial status if you crash it.

It offers advanced obstacle avoidance features, a rotating lens so you can film portraits or landscapes, 4K video, smart flying features like automatic tracking, and the ability to follow a subject. Despite the price of around RM5,000, this feels like the perfect drone for beginners, those who like to travel, or really anyone in the market for a lightweight, high-tech drone. 

Imagine you are going for a holiday at the beach, you play around with this and do a magnificent video shot from the aerial view and making instagrammable shots to be posted on your social media channels, isn't it wonderful? bragging right to the max yo!

2. Marshall Acton iii Speaker

While it is best known for its towering amps on stage, Marshall has also been building an array of Bluetooth speakers over the years. Now it has launched its third edition of the Acton, Stanmore, and Woburn speakers.

The Acton is the cheapest of the three new speakers from Marshall. Like the Stanmore and Woburn, the Acton is made using a sustainable design of 70% recycled plastic and vegan materials. Well, we believe that you’ll be guaranteed a mini concert when you have this at home! The crispy sound and enigmatic vibe will bring in 101% satisfaction!

Through the use of Placement Compensation technology, this speaker optimizes the equalization (EQ) based on its surroundings. This means it will adapt and correct for nearby reflective surfaces which could affect the sound quality. With RM3,000 on the label, this is a definite choice for audiophiles out there.

3. Gocycle G4 Electric Bike

There are now plenty of electric bikes on the market, for those of you that live in a city, constantly hopping on trains, buses, and up and down stairs, throwing in the ability to fold the bike down could be a necessity. This is the perfect companion for you. That's the key feature of the new Gocycle G4, offering a premium electric bike that can easily be folded down. For a daily commute to a leisure ride over the weekend, this is the machine that you must have!

Inside you'll find a powerful motor and there's even an app that you can connect up which allows you to start the bike remotely, see how fast you're going, how much battery you have left, and more. With traction control features, this bike works great on roads, grass, and other more unique terrains. There are even different modes, putting out more power where necessary. For those who have an extra budget of RM6,000, list this as your favorite list to have in 2022.

4.Insta360 One R

For you who live in adventurous lifestyle, a big bike ride every weekend, this camera is a must-have whenever you go. Action cameras need to be versatile, able to catch every terrifying cliff jump, risky dirt bike trail or gnarly wave while surfing and that’s where the new Insta360 One RS comes in. As far as action cameras go, this is one of the more unique options. It uses a modular design, offering a detachable 360-degree lens, wide angle lens, and a 4K action camera that you can easily switch between. You will have a great moment to capture and you won't miss any chance!

You can also detach the battery, allowing you to carry back-ups that you can snap in place quickly between stunts. A good gadget for those who love visual capturing moments. RM2,000 is the gadget that’s “Memang Berbaloi”!

5. Sony WH-1000XM5

For those that appreciate the quality of music, we recommend you this toy. Sony headphones, a sleek design with minimalist touch offer premium quality sound that you can't imagine. With its noise-canceling features, it is totally mind-blowing for those that are looking for good quality headphones.

Scoring 5-star reviews all around, the Sony WH-1000XM5 are very much designed for those who would rather not splurge on a pair of other branded headphones in the market. They offer market-leading audio across the lows, mids, and highs, excellent noise cancellation, and you get an array of smart ambient features. Minimalist design and lighter too that gonna cost RM2,000 for good quality audio. 

Organize your shopping budget with TenancyCash

Do you know with TenancyCash, you can get advance payment from your rental property? All you need is an active tenancy contract. Do visit us at https://www.blueduck.my/tenancycash to find out more and check out your eligibility as a landlord!  Or visit our website to find out more about the other exciting products we offer such as BlueDuck Rental Deposit Insurance.

Zero Deposit offers good solutions for tenants and also landlords. For tenants, they can skip a 2-month rental deposit and move in immediately. While the landlord no need to worry because BD got you covered. Sometimes bad things happen like the tenant didn't pay their rent on time. This will bring troublesome to the landlord. 

Today, in this blog we’ll be sharing more on the claim processes in the event that the tenant runs away.

How will the claim process be for BlueDuck Zero Deposit landlord? 

1. Suspect that your tenant runs away?

The first thing you need to do is try to reach your tenant via face-to-face, phone call, any sort of communication, if you still failed to contact your tenant and assume them MIA, the next step is to make a Police report. Information and details that need to be in the report are such as:

1. Name of the tenant

2. Mykad number

3. Contact number

4. Address of your property 

5. Date 

   
   

With the police report, you can legally go to your property together with or without a police officer to attempt to regain entry into your unit to assess if there are any personal items or artifacts left behind by the now ex-tenant or whether or not there are any damages to your property. If not you will be considered trespassing.

2. How long does it take to process the claim?

You were to make a police report upon discovery that the tenant had run away in 24 hours. With all the documents ready on hand, you can email them to us at claim@blueduck.my. The entire claims process usually takes about 15 to 21 working days. 

Once the claims are approved by the insurance provider, the insurer will issue an official settlement letter stating the amount of claims and the compensation money will be transferred via IBG (Interbank Giro) into the bank account provided by the landlord. 

The entire communication will be communicated via email. So, do remember to check your email and email us for a status update!

Claim-related email: claim@blueduck.my

Operational related: support@blueduck.my

Do take note that, as part of the terms and conditions of this service, once you have made a claim against your tenant, the amount which is paid out to you as the landlord will be recorded as the amount that the tenant owes to BlueDuck and the insurance provider. As a result of that, this tenant’s name will be blacklisted by BlueDuck’s system as well as by CTOS. 

In the future, if the tenant wishes to clear their name in CTOS, they are required to contact BlueDuck bit.ly/askBDtoday and return the claimed amount back to BlueDuck in order to remove their name from CTOS

3. What if the tenant tells you he/she wishes to terminate early?

In the event that the tenant chose to terminate the contract due to personal reasons, the tenant should negotiate with the landlord on the penalty of early termination of the contract. After all, it is a mutual agreement between tenant and landlord to step into a tenancy.  In some circumstances that we encountered, the landlord agreed to terminate the contract with a one-month ‘penalty’ from the tenant to move on from the tenancy considering that the tenant has been a good paymaster, and taking care of the house responsibly. 

A tenancy agreement is a legally binding document that governs your relationship with your tenant regarding the tenancy.

So, it is highly case-to-case basis and depending on the communication between tenants and landlords. However, in the event that the landlord and tenant have agreed on accepting a mutually agreed settlement amount, this Zero Deposit package shall be canceled. 

Keynote of the day

Understanding the claim process and the documents needed will help landlords better prepare for this unfortunate event. With all documents in place, it will help in speeding up the claim process without having to go through back and forth on document collections. 

We hope this brings a clearer picture for our BlueDuck Landlords!

Well, for the tenant, take good care of the property as you’re accountable despite entering into a tenancy without paying deposit. Your tenancy clauses still apply! 

We are constantly improving our user experience. The process flow may be enhanced. We’ll notify you if there’s an enhancement of the process flow. For more, check out www.blueduck.my or WhatsApp us at https://bit.ly/heyBD.