This is my worse experience with a main contractor who has no sense of responsibility and commitment. The company name in*.com is B.J. Project Management. Another name for this company is BJ Design Consultants Pte Ltd.
19th Oct 2017 - Jackie the main con came to my place for site visit.
20th Oct 2017 - Jackie sms to quote the following: Hi this is Jacqueline. Trying to to call you no answer. I can offer you $1400 for all.
Another sms received:
To dismantle and dispose bathtub.
To dismantle and terminate piping.
To supply tiles and cement for skirting at shower area
To terminate water heater and dispose to 2 nos
To supply and install ¾ shower screen
To supply and install heater tank
To cut the ceiling access panel and plaster and repaint
Warranty period 1 year
Total lump sum $1600
So I was thinking is it $1400 or $ 1600, fair enough, I wait for the actual quotation to come into my email.
21st Oct 2017 (Sunday)
Received the quotation and quoted $1550.00 (see attached bj1stinvoice.jpg). All 3 different prices. I compared with another quotation, she is $100 cheaper and I choose her of which is the biggest mistake of my life. On the same day I prepared the cheque, 70% of the total amount (her requirement) and she came on the SAME DAY to collect commenting that can start work next week Wednesday or Thursday. She will let me know on Monday afternoon once the cheque is cleared. So efficient I think.
25th Oct 2017 (1st week - Wednesday)
I did not hear from her, and sms her if she has the date the start. She replied Tuesday, and I ask her what time, no reply after that….
31st Oct 2017 (2nd week -Tuesday)
She sent sms to say that her vehicle broke down and man is abit injured. Will start tomorrow and say that confirm to start at 9.30am tomorrow. So I asked her what will be done tomorrow and will everything be done by this week. She answered “Yes”
1st Nov 2017 (2nd week – Wednesday)
Jackie sent a sms and say that her people will be there at 11am. Time changed. So the sub contractor came and remove the storage heater. Jackie was mumbling that everything will be done in one day on Monday of which I heard. Thinking to myself, I thought she mentioned in the sms that all will be completed this week.
2nd Nov 2017 (2nd week – Thursday)
11.30 am – Jackie sms that her man will be coming to remove the bath tub. After the bathtub is removed, I sms her whether tomorrow will be fixing up the heater, she replied wait she checked. No news from her after.
5th Nov 2017 (2nd week – Sunday)
Since I never hear from her again, I sms to ask her last week she mentioned that everything will be completed on Monday. She answered “Yes”
6th Nov 2017 (3rd week – Monday)
I waited until 11.42am, I sms her what time her man coming. She replied, sorry on Wednesday, the water heater no stock. Wednesday morning only. 11am
I really got pissed and tell her off that I am losing my patience of all these delays, why does it take more than 2 weeks to order a heater. She answered that is because is a big tank. She promised that she will be giving Joven heater when on the phone discussing quotation. I asked her which model she need I have supplier list and can get for her. She say must be 38-45L. Fine, I was puzzled why I need such a big storage, fine I asked from a supplier and they have stock, I sent her the contact details and she answer OK.
7th Nov 2017 (3rd week – Tuesday)
I sms her what time will her man be coming, she said 11-11.30. I tell her “Lets agree on this. To help you and myself, If tomorrow you can’t meet the deadline, let’s stop where you had done and refund the balance. Removal of old storage heater and bathtub should not be more than $350. I used the detailed quote from another contract whose quote is higher than you as benchmark.” She replied, “Will be done”
8th Nov 2017 (3rd week – Wednesday)
Jackie sms “Good morning XXXXXX(sub con name) is on the way. After installation of water heater I need to collect some payment of $250, because still need to have your ceiling and shower screen. So I asked her not finishing everything today? She replied not today, the shower screen people will install on Friday and ceiling. This time round I was really pissed off of all the lips service. I called her to ask her to stop everything and refund the money. Everything she did is so unprofessional. And she said she can stop everything and I CAN keep the balance and get other people to do the job. She wanted to swallow my $1085 for only the 2 jobs.
I am totally at her mercy, his man came to install the storage heater AND it is a 15L Champ, is not what she mentioned as 38L Joven. This is all ridiculous, the contradiction and unprofessionalism. She doesn’t know what she is talking about, no concept of renovation, how can she help people with their house out there.
I asked her to give me a detailed work what will be done on Friday before handing her the $250 cheque, she said she is outside and will send a sms
“Dear Mr, Your unit is left with the ceiling board and shower screen panel. This will be completed not later than Monday. We will collect a payment of $250 today. We will try our best by Friday later afternoon.”
Notice the date change again. And I notice that she did not mention the skirting tiles and cement. I replied to her “I believe that the shower screen panel is inclusive cement and tiles for bathroom”, she replied “your place no need cement skirting because the water would come out but up to you”. So I was thinking, why do you quote me in the first place. I checked another quotation by another contractor, they quote $220 for that job. So I asked her if not doing it how much refund can I get since it was quoted in your quotation. And she can shamelessly say $80….
On 9th Nov, she sent an email with the detailed invoice (see attached bj2ndinvoice.jpg) totally ridiculously marked up for bathtub and storage heater removal/installation for $950.00 whereby the other contractor that quoted me for the same job is $610. She factored in the cost for the installation of bath area skirting into the $950 and stated as FOC!! So that if I do not want to do the skirting, she doesn’t need to return my money.
I want to share this to alert people wanting to engage this main contractor, if you have A LOT of time and can slowly let the contractor do your job, engage her with a $100 discount. And I am really feel regret to other contractor out there that really want to do the job well and not giving them the job just to save the few cents. I have had a good feeling of another contractor but due to the different price I choose the cheaper. Cheap is not always good is a true reflection for this case.
