Dear All,

I would like to use this platform to share my very bad renovation experience in Singapore. It first started when we visited one of the many renovation exhibitions in singapore at Expo. While we were looking and signing the contract for our laminated floor, the sales person introduce us to a ID next door. After many sweet talking and very good promises, we signed Designer Guy Pte Ltd as our contractor.

Ashwin Tan (MUST REMEMBER THIS NAME), was assigned to do up our house. After a very good start, he ferry my wife to visit shops to choose tiles etc. Together with his very good assistant, January, they posed as a very helpful, caring, concern couple, helping my wife choose tiles and effortlessly ferry my wif around without complain.

Next their tricks is showing, they claimed that their boss, Andrew badmouth us, saying that we are fool accepting such high quotation etc. Ashwin and January promised us if we go direct to those subcontractor we will save at least 3-5k even after we pay him 2k of his hardwork. Listed below are their tricks

1) They will badmouth us in front of his boss

2) They will badmouth his boss in front of us

3) They will always delay or forget to bring the new quotation

4) They will say they don't know the actual price, only the subcontractor comes, then they will know

5) They will hang up or don't answer call

6) Once they get what they want, there was no more ferrying around

7) Every shop that they brought us there, they will get commission

8) They don't come back and do repair

9) They don't have after sales

10) They "attack" your kind heart

11) They will ask for their 2k first even before start work

12) Once you start paying the subcontractor without going through the company, you don't hold any money in you hand, and if they decided not to come back...

13) There is nothing behind toilet tiles, when we drill holes, the whole tile crack, reveiing the hollow wall

14) Thy default on some of the contractor

15) They promise to do this and that, but there isn't anything done

In the end we save less than $200 and we got more than what we want, lots of defects and super poor quality in our whole house.

Dear All, look out for these guys, there might be more out there which we have not encounter, but all their tricks will be the same. Never be a nice guy like us, they will not appreciate, instead they will say we are fools trusting them so much.

I have lived in China for a number of years, no doubt they also trick us, but their tricks are so well planned that even after being tricked, we feel that they are professional trick master and we Gum Wan! But this 2...if anyone interested to get them for renovation work, let me know, i am very willing to give you their numbers.

By the way, both of them are husband and wife and they are even better than TCS actor and actress!

did you try reporting this to their higher management?

is there any contract that states that there is a 1-2 yr warranty on workmanship after renovation?

how about writing to the press or case? cause sometimes u need to kick them for them to move.........

Higher management? They are all the same, now this Ashwin had been sacked by Andrew, who is the boss of Designer Guy. What tricks they are playing behind, nobody knows. So it is not worthwhile doing the rest. My main intention is to let everyone be aware of this couple and not to be cheated by them.

I read somewhere (I forgot where) that if a good id/contractors, normally they will be very busy renovating houses after houses and not station at the expo waiting for customers.

1 thing I learnt is do not deposit money for the 3d drawing.

This is a very good advice, never came into my mind before. Yup its quite logical, good contractor will not have time to station in exhibition! Good one, but it came too late!

They can always change names...better to post their pictures if you have.

I read somewhere (I forgot where) that if a good id/contractors, normally they will be very busy renovating houses after houses and not station at the expo waiting for customers.

1 thing I learnt is do not deposit money for the 3d drawing.

Ha ha, that's very good advice!

My ID is so busy that he had to reject potential customers. (Recommended a friend to him, but was apologetically asked to call back next month)

haha... then i think next time, before we sign contract, we take a photo of the ID 1st.

don't take photo? than dun sign.

if ID have clear conscience, he will not reject.

Make sure it is a high resolution picture, best if you can get him to stand in front of his shop.

if he cheats, run, etc. post it up..

u may say he can just quit and join another company,

but i think his face will ward off any potential company./ or customers..

I seriously think that ID want to doa good job as well, it is afterall their rice bowl

I am sure some ID surf reno talk as well..

So far, I have been quite happy with my ID although we are just going thru the 3D drawings review phase. They have been very patient with us and for each view, they have been generating 4-5 different options for us to choose. In the end, it is abt the reputation and you pay for what you get. If your scrimp too much on the margins, we as the customer will suffer. Everyone is in here to do a living. They as ID wanna do a decent living like we do and we as customer juz dun wanna be screwed too much in terms of pricing rite?

Ciseern is the ID I engaged.

We had a quick handover just before CNY.

During CNY, I noticed a long crack on my kitchen black granite counter top.

Imagine a rectangle piece of granite, the crack is 30deg parallel to the short side. Two pieces of granite joined together.

Ciseern was closed till 15th day of CNY. The ID only returned to work on 22nd Feb. He came with his granite supplier on 26 Feb to view the cracks. The supplier said that is natural stone joint. He talked a lot. I said I reject both pieces of granite. Both of them just shout up and discuss among themselves. The ID said he will talk to his bosses.

Next day after discussion with his bosses, he called me saying that they will issue a letter saying the granite is of natural joint. If I am not satisfied, I can get a Geologist to examine it. I was not informed of this defect. He then pointed out to me that there is a clause in the contract that the client has to accept the natural state of the stone.

These people are irresponsible. As a project manager, he never informed me beforehand that the stone will have such a long"natural crack line". He himself doen't even know until I informed him. He might act as if he doesn't know, he act blur. Maybe he already knew, just kept quiet.

As a project manager he doesn't check for defects. I have to look around the house looking for defects. He only know how to ask for money.

Evern all the design concept are given by me. He only know how to ask what I want.

It is easy to be ID. No need to be a graduate, just take some courses, can join an ID company. After that, just need a thick skin to get scolding from clients. There is draughtsman to draw 3-d drawings, there are suppliers and sub contractors to hack the walls, install floor tiles, aircon, etc.

Anyone doing granite counter tops, please look out.

Ciseern even did a poor connection to my aircon, that all the gas leaked. The aircon guys came to repair one month after I moved in, then they realise the poor connection. No wonder my aircons are not working.

Irresponsible people. Singapore companies need to improve themselves in terms of workmanship and service attitude.

I think most of us learn the hard way after renovating the house for the first time so it's good to seek advise on renotalk before making any major decisions. After the first time, we will be wiser and more cautious when renovating our house in the future.

As for granite tops and tiles I have learnt it is best to go the the bigger shops to look and compare prices. I found out that I could save 2K plus if I went direct as the costs for black galaxy granite is only$37.16/ft verses the $150/ft my contractor quoted. Installtion is $350 and every hole you need to cut (e.g. sink etc) is $80. Quite significant savings.

Ciseern is the ID I engaged.

We had a quick handover just before CNY.

During CNY, I noticed a long crack on my kitchen black granite counter top.

Imagine a rectangle piece of granite, the crack is 30deg parallel to the short side. Two pieces of granite joined together.

Ciseern was closed till 15th day of CNY. The ID only returned to work on 22nd Feb. He came with his granite supplier on 26 Feb to view the cracks. The supplier said that is natural stone joint. He talked a lot. I said I reject both pieces of granite. Both of them just shout up and discuss among themselves. The ID said he will talk to his bosses.

Next day after discussion with his bosses, he called me saying that they will issue a letter saying the granite is of natural joint. If I am not satisfied, I can get a Geologist to examine it. I was not informed of this defect. He then pointed out to me that there is a clause in the contract that the client has to accept the natural state of the stone.

These people are irresponsible. As a project manager, he never informed me beforehand that the stone will have such a long"natural crack line". He himself doen't even know until I informed him. He might act as if he doesn't know, he act blur. Maybe he already knew, just kept quiet.

As a project manager he doesn't check for defects. I have to look around the house looking for defects. He only know how to ask for money.

Evern all the design concept are given by me. He only know how to ask what I want.

It is easy to be ID. No need to be a graduate, just take some courses, can join an ID company. After that, just need a thick skin to get scolding from clients. There is draughtsman to draw 3-d drawings, there are suppliers and sub contractors to hack the walls, install floor tiles, aircon, etc.

Anyone doing granite counter tops, please look out.

Ciseern even did a poor connection to my aircon, that all the gas leaked. The aircon guys came to repair one month after I moved in, then they realise the poor connection. No wonder my aircons are not working.

Irresponsible people. Singapore companies need to improve themselves in terms of workmanship and service attitude.

Hi Jius,

So sorry to hear abt ur mishap and those irresponsible ID, I am quit surprise Ciseern mgmt handle the suitation like that I though they are big company, everytime participant in the exhibition and published in the magazine.

Can u post ur granite photos so that the forumers will be aware if they wan to do granite counter tops.