Darwin Interior

[honeyclub 0]

Hmm..seems there's a good balance of both good and bad experiences from Darwin, anyhoos, here's my side of the story.

Met up with a chap named Eric from Darwin, so far, we have met him 3 times and thus far, both myself and my gf is pretty happy with the way he is handling and servicing us. I am in Sales as well so I was brutally honest with him and told him what I wanted, expected and needed. The fact of the matter was, he came back with a quote in under 1 week though, the initial quote looked very much like a 'cookie-cut' quote, I thought he deserved another chance by his seemingly postive attutide, so by the 3rd meeting, he got back also in under a week with a proper quote printed on paper with the company's letterhead. So far, with what I have requested from him, he has delivered and just to quote, he also sent me a copy of the quote via email on a weekend evening when I asked for it. Not only that he has yet to ask us to sign or pay the $500 deposit.

Overall, we are extremely delighted with the service but then again, once we've signed on the dotted lines and work commences, who's to tell what's going to happen. But I did share with him that if it's one-time business his looking for, I'll give him one-time attitude . Anyways, he was patient and chatty and I do appreciate his patience for being able to tolerate my straight-fowardness.

We are meeting him again on Friday but this time I am bringing my sister down to ensure the Ts&Cs are nailed down not just to protect the ID but us as well. My sister is drafting out the contract for us and as soon as she's done. I'll post the carbon copy here.

Cheers

Edited June 1, 2008 by honeyclub

[ezyryder 0]

i was attended by a lady at tradehub21 showroom.

she's ok, not pushy.

after discussing with her on what we wanted besides the package, she told us that she'll get back to us with the quotation and space planning.

true enuff, she sms a few days later to meet up with us to have a look at the quotation.

the space planning was nicely drawn with colours everything and the quotation was reasonable enuff although exceeded our budget a bit.

she didn't pester us to sign on the spot or ask for a deposit. we also viewed the tiles and the laminates.

comparing to some of the other IDs we went to, we were satisfied with her service.

but we did tell her that we would like to take a look at her projects before signing up with her.

[hapimint 0]

Hmm... the one attended to me was abit new.... haha.... When I showed floor plan, he looked at me, then my hubby say, you have a printer? then he went to make a copy

Then when he came back, he didnt bring a pen... haha... then I asked him if he need a pencil?

Then he go off to take... haha... but he was sincere lar....

After we finished talking, he offered to show us around the showroom even though it is off his working hours le.....

We went off after he said he will send us a quote.... still pending though....

My hubby feels comfortable lar.... cos this guy was brutally honest with us...

Told us not to change toiletbowl positioning and not to hack the wall cos will be costly....

Told me not to take stainless steel and tempered glass for my kitchen... told me that there are cases that customers complain cos stainless steel need to wipe often... and tempered glass broke before... so better not take....

Told us not to build bar counter cos if fixed, difficult to change....

But he advised something that cost more.....

He advised not to overlay... if I hack my kitchen and toilets wall tiles, then better that I hack my floor tiles and not re lay...

If re lay, it is difficult and there is a risk that water will seep through from side separating the wall and floor and may cause leaking next time.... unless of course, can find a really good contractor... but he say difficult so better not...

Just hack off the floor and wall tiles and re do.....

[goukisg 0]

I went to their store at Luzurne building. Very nice place to get ideas with such a big showroom. The person attending to me was pretty ok. He actually printed the quotation on the spot and ask for 500 booking fee..... felt a bit pushy about their company protocol. He was pretty nice still when I say consider.

[hapimint 0]

thanks for the experiences shared....

I went into their main showroom and the person who attended to me was quite okay... In fact, he gave me some new insights on how to keep budget low....

Anyway, I am waiting to see if he really give me a quote back.....

My personal take is that maybe he is a new bird and so more sincere in wanting to help....

[TYM 0]

Big showroom + advert + exhibition/roadshow = high overheads = higher quotation.

If budget too small, margin too low, then not worth it for them to do.

[redknapp39 0]

I had a bad experience with Darwin too. Went to Tradehub21 for a quotation n space layout. Lady informed me the norm for her was to do the quotation immediately but since was tired n said she'll pass it to me in a few days. Guess wat!!! I email and sms her 1 week later for the quotation n space layout and all i got was a lousy space layout. I think my 12 year old sister can draw beter. Lines all crooked. Super cialat.

I asked her for the quotation but no reply till today. I guess the more a company advertise themselves on TV, the less lucrative they are.

[zirhk3355 1]

Darwin's business modus operandi is the same as those 'exhibition' IDs - employ many many cheap labour (eg ah bengs selling DVDs at geylang kind of standard) to cheong for sales, paying salary as low as construction workers, then got close deal then got comm. These sales will know next to nothing about design, try to close you on first visit with that $500 "booking fee" to get 'free' 3D drawings, then you will be thrown to their design team and the sales disappear.

I tried sitting at their branch in TradeHub 21 for 45 mins trying to explain the kind of breakfast table I want, but salesguy just stared at me blank. Quotation finally came about 3 weeks later (after countless missed calls), then realised he left out the master bedroom's sliding door. I tried to ask him nicely about it, its just a small oversight mah, so apologise and get over it lor.

But NOooo...guess he says? "Master bedroom no need door mah, nowadays open-concept is the 'in' thing!!" I dun even want to bother telling him that master bedroom door is facing the middle of my living room; stood up and dragged my wife out of the place.

*facepalm* I swear never to deal with this company ever again.

Edited May 14, 2008 by zirhk3355

[stevetang 0]

Cant comments on their workmanship, as didnt engage them.

But their quote is on the high side, when i get them to quote for me.

They never really give u an exact quote, just write all the items on a piece of paper with the amount.

But their showroom at tradehub21 is very beautiful done, but didnt chose them as their quote exceed my budget.

[Starscream 0]

A quick search will have some info. Own experience is that we went down personally to talk to them with floor plan for 30 minutes or so. The quotation simply never came back.

[BunBun 5]

Can't say about them cos never engage them before but my next door neighbour's unit and another one on the other side on same floor also done by them. Seems their workmanship is not bad, even peeped at my next door neighbour's reno. Their tiling works are quite fast too judging on the progress esp the tiling of kerb at main door. Even I was surprised to see the tiling already done.

Hi,

Anybody has any comments on them? saw that they have a big showroom and seems to be quite big.....

[hapimint 0]

Hi,

Anybody has any comments on them? saw that they have a big showroom and seems to be quite big.....

[ezyryder 0]

hi all,

would like to noe if anyone here ever engaged darwin interior before?

if yes, care to share how's the reno cost (ex?), workmanship and the service.

[zirhk3355 1]

Yeah, sounds like Darwin's flooring contractor coming in here to ***** about them...

[Honeybee 0]

Hi, anyone here try Joselim from Darwin before? any comments?

thanks