negarawan

We are here to share or experiences. Others are entitled to share their views. Don't need to be work-out. We don't earn anything out of this. I believe whether the particular ID is good or bad. Let him or her defend. If he/she feels not right, can always engage a lawyer and sue, then get justice be done. When a ID tell me how good he is in the past, I always tell him I only look at the future, not the past. I don't walk with him in the past. Tell me what you can do for me now, and beyond.

Preparation is very important. Or you prefer to feel the pain when you start renovating?

The name of the game is to state your terms, instead of letting ID state their terms. Avoid brian washing, set 1) tight schedule and datelines, 2) all hidden cost like electrican, plumber, grilles, need to be outfront, 3) payment schedule best is 10-40-40-10. The last 40 only paid when 50% of carpentry is done. When terms are set and in contract, then any issue happened. You can go Case and engaged a lawyer. Just tell the ID this, and she/he will be very on the ball for you..if he is taking your project. Be smart as a consumer. You are paying!!!

Well, chicken rice is only an half hour pain. You eat it, you don't like at most you spend 3 to 5 bux? Renovation is a process pain, imagining living through with the days or weeks. And you are paying 20 to 50k for it.... To be less pain, state the right terms and conditions at start. Go for those that give you more advantages, uncover all hidden costs, get a detailed schedule. I always told my ID that they only pain for few weeks, but I suffer for years for job not well done. And I am the one paying $$$. So as customer, we should be united and get what is right for us!! Read this informative thread, if you are planning to do your house to know what pain you will go through, if you think you can go through..without supervision on reno. http://www.renotalk.com/forum/index.php?au...;showentry=2919 If you did sail through, you are very very lucky indeed.

Bro...sound like he got very poor time management skill or he is churning quantity... When I do renovation works, I want it to be fast and quick. Very simple. If you are paying the $$$, then you should call the shot. Nothing in this world is for free!!! Come on

Do you know that you can go to CASE?

I went into their showroom in lavender before. I suggest you take a detailed look at the term and conditions. One of the terms, I remember is payment schedule. I think it is 5%, 40%. 45% and lastly 5%. Am I right on the payment schedule? Can you share? Some threads from the past. I find them pretty useful on payment term. http://www.renotalk.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=10190 http://www.renotalk.com/forum/index.php?sh...rt=#entry186184 http://www.renotalk.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=8643 I did get a quote then for my property, I didn't use ideal. Partly due to the term and conditions, and also the ID is young, below 30s. I prefer older IDs, much better experiences. PS: all electrician work are additional charges..so tied up yr electrican and plumber cost in your quote..hehe

Yes, experience does help. Younger ID are more emotional and sometimes don't know whatir job scope very well. As they said, those that last long at least have certain skills to survive so long.

Quotz: cheap no good, good not cheap Kinda of remind me of the salesman, they would always said cheap not good, good not cheap!!! I ask him, so you mean expensive very good, good very expensive When the sales person do such a sales pitch, I will tell him that come on cut the crap, we are doing a business here. How good you are...wait till you finish the job!! Don't want to be psycho...beware when you buy things...and you find yourself listening most of the time...that's mean you are being psycho to what he wants and not you want!! cheap can't expect much....err..how cheap is cheap and how much is much. Ultimately, the product brand speaks for the quality and the workmanship speaks for the skill...

Get a RADAC approved company to protect yourself. What is RADAC? Their mission statement are To assist consumers in obtaining their rights and good value for money when engaging a renovation contractor, the Standard Contract gives guidelines on the contractual obligations between renovation firms and their consumers. http://www.radac.org.sg/abt.asp?tp=contract Is your contractor RADAC approved?

Yes, use a HDB approved ID. Today, I am going to share with you...how's you are being ripped off. Engaging a ID or contractor, you will expect that they get margin off by introducing you to selected lightning house or kitchen miscellaneous. By right, the ID or contractor should provide you better pricing than you walk in by yourself. Else, why should we go with them, and they get commission out of it. One tell-tales sign of big ripped off by shop is: 1. No itemize quote for the items you bought. They are all lump up. Why? By not itemizing it, they don’t let you compare the prices outside. That is the tell tale sign of big ripped off. One tell-tale sign of being ripped off by ID is: 1. Consolidation of miscellaneous cost into the reno quotation. That’s he ripped you off the commission from the shop and added on “service charges” Always insist of getting itemized. Tell your ID in the face, “I am not making this difficult for you. But you are supposed to bring me to shop that give me better discount than I walk in myself.” The bible of comparing what you buy with 3 quotes never failed!! Do that and you will be surprised that they save you one or two hundreds out of a thousand! Now, share your experiences.

Actually, you do not need to worry. As long as you got their official quote, that is a clear mark up case! For doing community service, you don't need to provide name and company. Just said item name, walk in price SGD60, ID quote in reno SGD 150.

Take a good look at their showroom on 2nd floor and decide. I been to the Bukit Batok branch.

brother, you start I support. It helps to get the community aware and expose of bad practices. Doing public service

There are pumper and basher in this forum. Take it with a pinch of salt. Whoever using Xclusive showcase, can look into the term and conditions, set high standards and then make a decision. Maybe even ask the managers of ID why there are personal attack seen in reno talk? If you are able to get a design firm owner to stand up in reno talk and answer consumer questions, I think chances are they do have integrity in serving the customers than quantity churning ... Is Xclusive showcase last payment 5% only?

I just have to exercise our right! I seen cases where ID mark up cost as much as 60% for small items. This is totally unethical. No badge. Being CASE and volunteer in true consumer woes, you know that you have to set high standard! You get soft hearted, then it is your losses. It is the same i.e. car purchase from PI, buying houses, time shares....etc. We should start a thread on how much markup ID does on items ;p

2.5k design fee!!! Wah...he designing a dinosaur? or what? never heard of this rule!!

ask the designer where are the project you finishing now? he may name a few. Then next question, can I see how the house? haha..that's where u know the workmanship standard!

Bro, I avoid them. I don't like to be training materials for newbie. Well, hot ID maybe doing 10 projects a month. That's mean they don't prioritize on those that they deemed can't make a lot money. It is not easy to find a responsible person nowaday. And if they tell you they are, most probably they are not. Another tell tale sign is the term and conditions. A good company culture doesn't need to have term and condition that over protect themselves too much. If they do, then it means that they usually get into dispute with unhappy customers. For example, I avoid those that put last payment as 5%, instead of 10%. A 5% doesn't pinch at all. Between I am a CASE member too. Sometimes, I volunteer in mediating issue.

ID...looks under the ID selection process in this forum. I dun mind pay a good ID, but it is nightmare paying a bad one for service. Well for electrical applicances, if you are paying cash. You can get some discounts...as net and visa has service charges to company.

juz me, where are you staying during that 4 months? did u ask him to pay rental?

may i ask what did you do? And what price is the quotation? carpentry work how much per foot run?

Selecting a right ID or contractor is very important. Of course, luck plays a part. But there are some tell tale sign of dangers when meeting with potential ones. I go for year of experiences, Why? 1. They are doing this job for years. Therefore, they have better experienced than those that had < 5 years 2. They have better EQ being in this business long enough, and old enough to handle situation I don't think you want to train the new ID. Tell tale sign that you will have high chance get piss!! 1. Hot ID, they have no time for you. No time means lousy job. 2. Boastful ID, real work counts, boasting only show insecure 3. Not-honest ID, if he sounds too good to be true on the promises, usually it doesn’t materialize I remember meeting a young guy 2 years back at the ID firm. He told me his works is the best amongst his colleague! He had been the top ID in the company with the highest amount of sale. And his boss looks highly on him. I asked him, “In the best month, how many project you have?” He said 10, and so busy till no time for family, 7 days a week. And his design works need to be outsourced to others. I really pitied his customers, he acts like a quantity churner, instead of quality focused. I ask,”Brother, you are so good, can you show me your company award for being top sale?” And the rest is history…

That's good to hear. I have my lesson learnt with my 2nd ID. I was too good hearted then. I believe in what he said. Let him manage the schedule. And you know what. He takes for granted. Take me for a ride. Ask me to help his work and play the disappearing tricks. Even get agitated..what customer service?? He told he is busy can't answer call??!!! I asked myself...why should I be so good. I am paying for a service. Why should I pay to get fustration. Without a second word, I talk to the company boss. Luckily, it is a big company, and they change him away. And all went well. You know what the joke was? His colleague was telling me that he is running many programs and he got some nasty customers, that why he is attending to them...Put yourself in his shoes, if you are running many projects, which will you prioritize? Mr nice guy project or Mr. cannot be play with?? So the lesson learnt is set high standard, they know you can't be taken for a ride and they will work on it. Be reasonable. So the next time, an IDs tell you that they will make mistakes..Look at them in the faces and asked, "how many times?" More than three times, down 5% discount can or not?

I set high standard. I tell them i don't like to talk nonsense. I need status updates, if they can't provide that service...then we don't waste each other time. I want them to firm down the contract end date. This end date should include rectification time. And I usually choose experienced and mature designers. Cause their EQ are better. This method works..well.