Daddy and Mummy looked around quite a bit for renovation contractors for our house few months back, and finally decided on Weiken, since they advertised on TV (sponsored some TV programs). So they should be not bad, based on their reputation.
And in the end, it was a BIG mistake !!!!
The designer was pretty good, and the designs that she came up with fit Daddy and Mummy's expectation. But their workmanship was TERRIBLE !!! We had new bedroom wardrobes, re-designed the entire kitchen (stove, sink, cupboards), and also did the vanity tops. Of course, a fresh coat of painting for the house. And in the process, we faced the following :
1. Wardrobe dimensions were smaller than the original. Their workers took measurements on-site, but in the end, delivered a product that was smaller than original. And the alignment between the top and bottom wardrobes was out as well !!! Since our schedule was a little tight, we accepted the smaller dimensions, but had them aligned the top and bottom portions.
2. Doors hinges were not installed properly. Drawer locks were faulty. And they thought we would not discover !!! Would have thought these were the simplest things that they should have checked after their installation, before handing over to us.
3. PVC laminate for the wardrobes were not properly cut and glued on the wardrobes. Had some out-of-alignment, and in the end, had to get them to re-do some portions.
4. Toilet bowl was not installed properly and screws not tightened properly. Was slow leaking water out on the floor. Everytime we went to check, there was a puddle of water around the toilet bowl and on the floor. The designer said they were doing some plumbing work so it was normal. But after a few times, Daddy decided to find out for himself. After wiping the floor dry, he realized the floor was wet again after 15 mins, and water seeping out .... had to get the contractor back, and he said the screw was not tightened well ... and imagine, water wastage for easily 2+ weeks !!!
5. Had specifically told the contractor to leave a small gap from the wall, while installing the sink. The designer even had that marked down on the drawings. In the end, they did not leave the gap that we wanted. The designer tried to convince us to accept the mistake. Out of good will, we accepted and had to swap the kitchen fittings around.
6. The painting was not well done, especially tiny gaps where it would take more effort to paint. The contractor thought we would not notice that. In the end, had to get them to do quite a lot of touch up.
7. While fixing the stove so as to connect to LPG cylinder, the contractor threw away the fitting for the LPG cylinder. In the end, Daddy and Mummy had to pay the LPG cylinder vendor for the fitting. Had to ask Weiken to reimburse
8. Before we signed the contract with Weiken, we asked them if they could help us install bathroom fittings, and they said not an issue, with no hidden cost (in fact, for our previous house, the contractor also installed the fittings FOC, so no surprise there). However, when the bill came, we were charged a total of $120 for 2 bathroom installations. When we counted the number of screws they had to drill, each screw came up to cost $8 !!! Had to argue with them to waive this off, since they said no hidden cost.
9. We bought a tap to replace the existing tap since it could not fit our washing machine. Told the contractor where it was so that they can install. When we went for inspection, realized that they changed the tap to a different one, and told us that this one was better, since it was like a universal adapter for all connections. We were fine with that, until the bill came, and that tap cost us $40 !! We were shocked and told them we did not ask for that tap, and told them to reinstall the original one. In the end, they agreed to remove the charge (when they heard that they had to find the original tap for us). We suspected that they lost the tap we bought.
10. And the schedule that we agreed upon could not be met. The vanity mirror were not installed the day before the handover. Reason being, they needed time to make the mirror, and could only be ready 1 week after handover. However, we were puzzled, because the original vanity mirrors were removed long ago, and they could have taken the dimensions and start fabricating the new mirrors. So we told them it was not acceptable, and they made some calls, and said the mirrors could be ready 2 days later.
In short, the experience with Weiken was a total disaster. Would have expected much better workmanship, and more professionalism given that it was a big corporation.
Weiken ??? A Really BIG Disappointment !!!
