Far80

I think it's dependent on company. Not all companies will specify completion date. There will always be a caveat of 'unexpected circumstances' which prevents them from doing so.

Quite unfortunately, Nurfandy, the police will not entertain your friend's case because there isn't exactly a breach of contract, unless the expected completion date was clearly stated in the contract. According to what I was told, delays in delivery of items, be it via websites or vendors, do not constitute a crime. The only reason why we had a case in the past legally (via a lawyer and not the police per se) was because there was indeed a breach of contract (the company I engaged overcharged us exorbitantly for what we have already paid for and had also some other misdemeanours which I shall not list here). So your friend probably wouldnt have a case because the job was completed (albeit delayed) and the company didn't technically run off with their money. As an actual client, let me advise you that these people are not unreasonable as they have been alleged to be. A depressed quotation comes at a price, and in this case, the price is TIME. If you cannot compromise on time, then it is best that you look for big companies that can amass workers at your beck and call. Once again, let me please reiterate that I am NOT their worker, and neither am I affiliated to them in any way. They probably don't even know who I am so it's really not a case of them forcing me to write this. If need be, I can show you the current progress of their works on my home just to show you that I am a paying customer. The only thing i have- perhaps slightly, just slightly more- is great faith that when they promise, they will deliver.

Hi everyone. Perhaps it's in everyone interest that I am in fact a current client of theirs, which means I am neither working for them nor am I affiliated in any way. This is my 4th property and for each one I've used a different (big player) reno company. This is the first time I'm using a small-time ID (I define 'small-time' by the kind of advertising power they have, and it's not very much, except on social media). To be very honest, in my dealings with reno companies, it's really a hit and miss sometimes, no matter who you engage and no matter your budget. In my other property (1759sqft- older? larger condo unit, and thus major works), we took a big-player ID which charged us a premium price. How disappointed we were that they delayed our works by more than 2 mths as well! They only completed our house when, at our wit's end and after months of waiting, we decided to engage a lawyer to state our case to the MD himself. It was only upon receipt of this letter via our lawyer (we ceased our contact with our contractor at this point and liaised only with his boss) that works really picked up. Legal fees weren't cheap of course, but it was something we were willing to pay given the frustration we faced. I'm not saying that it's perfectly ok for them to have delays, and neither am I advocating silence amongst clients, but I'm sharing with you guys that it happens even with big or famed companies. We are holding on to great faith that Carpentry Design will eventually finish our house the soonest they can and I would like to believe they're trying their best in spite of their delays. My advice to potential clients is this: engage them if you have the time to wait- for eg you're still living with your parents or have ready accommodation- and given the price you pay, do not expect them to finish your place in 1 mth. Just know that there are many errant IDs and renovation companies out there- and while they are not fast, calling them frauds would certainly be fallacious and unfair to them at this point.

Hi all.. Seems like there's a lot of heat in this page. Just discovered this chat and I thought I'd just give my 2 cents on it. I am currently a client of theirs, so if you have doubts abt it, you may PM me for me to show you that I really am. I am in no way affiliated to their company and neither have they asked me to speak up for them. We are in the midst of renovating our landed property, and being a landed piece, a lot of work needs to be done. I do acknowledge with what many of you have said, that they can be slow in their progress. Sometimes I get frustrated too, because I have worked with bigger companies which, in my experience, are a lot faster. But I want to be rational and I found myself asking this question- Why did I (and all of us) choose them in the first place? One of the main reasons i reckon would probably be their very attractive quote. For us, we made the decision to be prudent because doing up a landed house would unequivocally be expensive. And so I ask myself- would I want to pay $20k more, or do I not mind waiting 2 months longer? I realise that for a small company, I cannot expect them to provide us with both. I am not justifying their delays, for I wish that they could be faster too. But at least I know that they are trying their best to do up my house as fast as they could, given whatever limited resources they have. Using 'fraud' loosely is also a delicate matter, unless it has been proven that they have run away with someone's money. (If they do, then it's another matter altogether and it'd negate my whole argument above). My husband and I still maintain a good relationship with them because even in our impatient moments, we held back and reminded ourselves to be civil- after all, they started off as nice people, and I believe kindness (and kind words) begets kindness. My advice to current customers is to relay your feelings to them amicably and I'm sure they would come up with a solution for you. So far this has worked for us, and I hope it would continue to. However, just like many of you have stated, there is a limit to anyone's patience, but I hope that they will never reach it. We could kick up a big fuss and involve lawyers and all (in fact my sister is one and she have given me advice on what I can do)- but as long as there is a response, I'm sure it won't be necessary. I wish all their clients here well, and may we achieve the dream homes that we've always aspired to have. God bless!