zeny 0 Report post Posted May 6, 2007 Sunday May 6, 6:17 PM Bad service still key problem with renovation contractorsADVERTISEMENTSINGAPORE: Complaints against renovation contractors may have decreased generally, but bad service and shoddy workmanship are still key problems, according to the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE).Last year, it received 200 fewer complaints about renovators, compared to over 1,300 in 2005.Sewage spilling out of pipes that were not properly patched, kitchen cabinet drawers not properly aligned, toilet floor constructed higher than the kitchen floor are some of the renovation problems faced by a couple who wanted to be known as Mr and Mrs Lim. Married for two years now, the couple said the five-room flat was supposed to have been their matrimonial nest.But a year after renovation started, they are still living apart because their Bedok home is not ready.Mrs Lim said: "I feel very sad because my husband and I could not move into the new place. The delivery of my furniture has to be delayed. I couldn't sleep, I couldn't eat and it's like a horrible nightmare. My health is affected too. In fact, I'm very distressed at work, even my management people noticed it."Another disappointment is that the contractor bears a CaseTrust mark – a stamp of approval from the consumer watchdog.The company is also accredited by the Renovation and Decoration Advisory Centre (RADAC).Mrs Lim said: "As a CaseTrust member, they should have delivered what they promised – quality, responsible workmanship. But now it's not only the workmanship issue, it's even breaching the HDB regulations."CASE said it would get Mrs Lim and the contractor to sit down for a mediation session soon to iron out the differences.Mr Seah Seng Choon, Executive Director, CASE, said: "We don't expect companies to operate perfectly, 100 percent of the time. Even for a company that has been given a trustmark. "However, we expect a CaseTrusted company or a company which has received a trustmark to have the commitment to do the right thing all the time and if there are any lapses, we expect the company to help the aggrieved parties resolve their problems as speedily as possible."Other non-CaseTrusted companies are not obligated to resolve the problem through mediation or any other means.Aside from CASE, consumers can also turn to RADAC for help when it comes to renovation issues. Tay Siew Cheng, Executive Officer, RADAC, said: "If the renovator is a CaseTrust contractor as well as a RADAC accredited renovator, and the problem still could not be resolved at the mediation session, the consumer can still approach us to help them out. "Our general advice to consumers is that they still have to spend time supervising their renovation work so that if they encounter any problems, they can raise the issues up to the renovators immediately."About 100 renovation contractors are accredited by RADAC. And every year, RADAC publishes a directory filled with information on what consumers should look out for when renovating their homes.This directory can be picked up for free at places like HDB branch offices.- CNA/so lucky all our ID are not like that Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Odielim 0 Report post Posted May 6, 2007 thanks for sharing zeny... quite sad for some cases... sigh.. guess owners have to monitor the contractors or IDs no matter what they say.. afterall its the owners going to live in the house... not the contractors..yeah i am blessed with a good ID.. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ahnah 0 Report post Posted May 7, 2007 have to TTSH early in the morning mah...so no choice mah...how i noe they open so late :s stated 11am open but 11am door still closed and cannot wait liao...need to head to another place liao actually i notice those red /brown color one...nice... the others lighter color one is nice but becos of the drawing/design the hour/mins hand not very obvious they also got alot of nice art piece /vases/ deco stuff ... nice nice i will go there see again sometime after work TTSH ? what happen ?Morning Odie .. Roy ... why 2 of you move to the corner of the train this morning Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MaCe 3 Report post Posted May 7, 2007 black monday.... going to JURONG ISLAND this afternoon. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ahnah 0 Report post Posted May 7, 2007 SIA come to our office to celebrate their Airline birthday ... with lots of cakes..... yummy..... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Odielim 0 Report post Posted May 7, 2007 good morning~ahnah why u so late come out? haha roy spot u first.. hahaha u also take to punggol and come down? hee hee do u rush to the other train in punggol? @ HF MRT we go down to vivo city bus stop.. so always sit @ back of the train and go up easier... dont need to cut across from the "front" train pple crowd.. if u get what i mean...we always go to our favourite door "FA" hahahhahaMace - what u do in Jurong Island? u need a special pass to go in right? the company needs to help u to create pass to let u go in? hot Monday.... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ahnah 0 Report post Posted May 7, 2007 good morning~ahnah why u so late come out? haha roy spot u first.. hahaha u also take to punggol and come down? hee hee do u rush to the other train in punggol? @ HF MRT we go down to vivo city bus stop.. so always sit @ back of the train and go up easier... dont need to cut across from the "front" train pple crowd.. if u get what i mean...we always go to our favourite door "FA" hahahhahaMace - what u do in Jurong Island? u need a special pass to go in right? the company needs to help u to create pass to let u go in? hot Monday....Because the BUS is LATE ! ! ! Yes... most of the time I will go Punggol First ... So guess you haven't try the prata at Harbour Front Bus Interchange Hawker Center ? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MaCe 3 Report post Posted May 7, 2007 Mace - what u do in Jurong Island? u need a special pass to go in right? the company needs to help u to create pass to let u go in? hot Monday....ya..got permanent pass cos customer inside jurongisland lor.but **** far lor.....today at least 80km to and fro. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GnM 0 Report post Posted May 7, 2007 Sunday May 6, 6:17 PM Bad service still key problem with renovation contractorsADVERTISEMENTSINGAPORE: Complaints against renovation contractors may have decreased generally, but bad service and shoddy workmanship are still key problems, according to the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE).Last year, it received 200 fewer complaints about renovators, compared to over 1,300 in 2005.Sewage spilling out of pipes that were not properly patched, kitchen cabinet drawers not properly aligned, toilet floor constructed higher than the kitchen floor are some of the renovation problems faced by a couple who wanted to be known as Mr and Mrs Lim. Married for two years now, the couple said the five-room flat was supposed to have been their matrimonial nest.But a year after renovation started, they are still living apart because their Bedok home is not ready.Mrs Lim said: "I feel very sad because my husband and I could not move into the new place. The delivery of my furniture has to be delayed. I couldn't sleep, I couldn't eat and it's like a horrible nightmare. My health is affected too. In fact, I'm very distressed at work, even my management people noticed it."Another disappointment is that the contractor bears a CaseTrust mark – a stamp of approval from the consumer watchdog.The company is also accredited by the Renovation and Decoration Advisory Centre (RADAC).Mrs Lim said: "As a CaseTrust member, they should have delivered what they promised – quality, responsible workmanship. But now it's not only the workmanship issue, it's even breaching the HDB regulations."CASE said it would get Mrs Lim and the contractor to sit down for a mediation session soon to iron out the differences.Mr Seah Seng Choon, Executive Director, CASE, said: "We don't expect companies to operate perfectly, 100 percent of the time. Even for a company that has been given a trustmark. "However, we expect a CaseTrusted company or a company which has received a trustmark to have the commitment to do the right thing all the time and if there are any lapses, we expect the company to help the aggrieved parties resolve their problems as speedily as possible."Other non-CaseTrusted companies are not obligated to resolve the problem through mediation or any other means.Aside from CASE, consumers can also turn to RADAC for help when it comes to renovation issues. Tay Siew Cheng, Executive Officer, RADAC, said: "If the renovator is a CaseTrust contractor as well as a RADAC accredited renovator, and the problem still could not be resolved at the mediation session, the consumer can still approach us to help them out. "Our general advice to consumers is that they still have to spend time supervising their renovation work so that if they encounter any problems, they can raise the issues up to the renovators immediately."About 100 renovation contractors are accredited by RADAC. And every year, RADAC publishes a directory filled with information on what consumers should look out for when renovating their homes.This directory can be picked up for free at places like HDB branch offices.- CNA/so lucky all our ID are not like that serious ah... one year still not completed? hmm... in this case, how is CASE and RADAC going to help? does the owner have to fork out the difference in price to do the rectification works or will the contractor involved be the one bearing the cost?going to CASE and RADAC is just a legal formality... sekali they throw the couple all the legal mumbo jumbo, end up still gotta suck thumb and pay more money ontop of the spent reno budget to get the works rectified... sigh...wu kong kanna bo kong... The respective representatives CASE and RADAC did not outline what steps they are going to take to help the enstranged couple leh....I hope CNA will follow up on this story so that we know that CASE and RADAC does serve a purpose other than collecting money to "approve" companies with their logos Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ahnah 0 Report post Posted May 7, 2007 they are not the only one i guess. it is a matter whether got reported on the newspaper or not . Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GnM 0 Report post Posted May 7, 2007 they are not the only one i guess. it is a matter whether got reported on the newspaper or not .i know they are not the only ones... but what is the point of reporting an incident and not following up to ensure that the couple got the rectifications they required to get their home done up properly in the first place?sigh... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zeny 0 Report post Posted May 7, 2007 TTSH ? what happen ?nothing happen. Just go there to return some medical devices Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ahnah 0 Report post Posted May 7, 2007 nothing happen. Just go there to return some medical devicesI see. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zeny 0 Report post Posted May 7, 2007 boring monday !! ... any thing to share etc ? !! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ahnah 0 Report post Posted May 7, 2007 go SK forum and chit chat lor.. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
