Hi all,
I just want to ask if anyone has a good contractor to recommend??

You may want to log a complain with the relevant authorities. If they threaten you the next time, collect evidence as it'll become a criminal police case.Then see who's afraid of who. How much balance payment you still owe them? Are they HDB approved contractor, they'll be in trouble if they get blacklisted leh

please post more details about the contractor... zz... one to avoid!

yes they are HDB approved. Balance of $3K only.

It's not about the balance, it's about the service and the shouting and threat. He WAS my husband's friend actually. But no more! his true colour came out after we sign the contract.

To report it or not, it's just a small issue. We just want to warn others, as we understand that we're not the first. He has been like that ever since he started his business, that's why many left working for him, although he claims that he fired them.

Company: Oriental Interiors Pte. Ltd.
Brand name: Dynamic Kitchen

thanks for sharing ...

Since it's such a bad job done, suggest you hold the balance $3k if you want all defect works rectified. If you proceed to pay the balance, that may likely l be the last time you'll see of him. On top of this you'll still need to pay for rectification works.

We wanted to. But we also want to get on with our lives without this contractor, Danny Lee from Oriental Interiors Pte. Ltd. calling my husband while his working. They still owe us one last thing for the stove actually. Yes we have all right to hold it. But he keeps calling my husband. My husband runs a business too as a wedding photographer, and he keeps calling him on Saturday while my husband is working.
This is really terrible!! My husband is a very customer oriented business man, and got award for it because his clients commanded him very well, in fact all of them, that's why they've all became our friends too. So we know whats good and bad service. Like I said, we're not the first client he threaten.

It's pretty stressful for me actually.... could I call HDB to black-list them or something? I'm doing this for the good of others. Cause $40K is a big sum of money for average earning people.

that is why sometimes i hesitate to approach friends on things like this, it's very hard to demand expectations when it's a friend you are working with. I think you should try talking to this friend one last time to get him to rectify the issues before final payment. If he does not do it, then let him know you will bring this up to the authorities. When there is threat, you could even report this to the police. Just remember to try taping up the conversations so that it can act as evidence when you approach the authorities.

They should not be allow to get away with threats!

the definition of friends could be pretty loose.

Wherever money is involved, better to get strangers. Easier to bargain, can quarrel without hesitation, etc. But harder to do so with friends/relatives where you see each other so often. Thats why i am very reluctant to get my good buddy (know him for 15 years) to do the reno, though he is a very responsible guy. Its ok when everything is going smoothly, but when something goes wrong, the friendship is scarred.

Why take the risk? Good friends are hard to find.

BTW, there are many gurus here who can help in the reno stuff, can always ask them for advice! :)

Actually, I must correct my last. His a so call friend, cause my husband met him at a business networking meeting and got to know him. In fact, some members of the network group got him to do some small and big renovation, and they encounter the same problem.
May be it's call business friend or associate.
But even though, that's not the way to run business! My husband has shot weddings for our friends professionally, with contract sign and all. Everything is all done professionally, and nothing went wrong. Although that's always my husband's fear when it comes to friends. But his confident that his service exceeds all his client's expectations, which it always did.

But for this contractor.... talk too much, promise too much, and can't deliver it. My husband kept asking him for the proper drawing, but he didn't give. Only ask us to sign on his FREE-HAND sketch paper. Yes! we made a mistake for trusting him....

Is it normal for contractors to just give a free-hand sketch instead of a proper drawing? my in-law's house reno has all the proper drawings, even our friends reno also.

oh, that kind not friend la, should be associates. :)

drawings as in 3D drawings with colours and furniture? I suppose its not hard to do up with technology nowadays.

For drawings with exact measurements for cabinets and cupboards, maybe the ID would not know so well.

Free hand is ok if you can visualise things, unless his drawing is as cartoon as mine. As long as you can see what kind of place it should look like, shud be pretty ok right?... Many industries out there have their dirty tricks, as consumers we have to educate ourselves to learn and try to avoid the major pitfalls.

Since the contractor is HDB registered, it is not to his benefit to have a bad reputation. As long as retention amount not paid, should get him to rectify as his job is not completed yet. Instead of letting him harass you, y not harass him? Get him to clear up the outstanding work so that both can move on.

I think KK is in better position to actually advise u on that cos she also face the same problem with u and the contractor even sue her for holding the last payment.

Posted By koh8284 on 08 Feb 2010 12:53 PM
Actually, I must correct my last. His a so call friend, cause my husband met him at a business networking meeting and got to know him. In fact, some members of the network group got him to do some small and big renovation, and they encounter the same problem.
May be it's call business friend or associate.
But even though, that's not the way to run business! My husband has shot weddings for our friends professionally, with contract sign and all. Everything is all done professionally, and nothing went wrong. Although that's always my husband's fear when it comes to friends. But his confident that his service exceeds all his client's expectations, which it always did.

But for this contractor.... talk too much, promise too much, and can't deliver it. My husband kept asking him for the proper drawing, but he didn't give. Only ask us to sign on his FREE-HAND sketch paper. Yes! we made a mistake for trusting him....

Is it normal for contractors to just give a free-hand sketch instead of a proper drawing? my in-law's house reno has all the proper drawings, even our friends reno also.

Yes, for contractors, they mostly can only draw free-hand sketch, mostly it was ID that will give a more proper drawing.

is your friend's contractor the same contractor?

When I saw the title to this thread, i was expecting something supernatural or relating to the occult, like devil worship or satanic rites. It is on the other hand about a bad experience with a contractor. Then the correct word is DEVASTATING. In any event there is no such thing as "Devilstating".

aiyah.... she could have meant she had met with a "devilish" contractor who has been giving her "hell" you see....

maybe she's juz playing with words....the contractor was so horrible that instead of saying devastating, she changed it to devilstating...

Creative writer job hazard I think....

And yes, his a devil!!!

I tried looking for it online.. Is it Oriental System Interior Pte Ltd or ORIENTAL INTERIORS & CONCEPT PTE LTD? I think best is to get the name right, in case accidentally tarnish other companies reputation. :)