An alert has been issued in Melbourne regarding a 'serial scammer' in the construction industry, who has reportedly cost innocent victims tens of thousands of dollars.

Meet Tomislav 'Tom' Jankovic, the Director of Big Tom Construction, who is supposed to be a seasoned professional in his field. However, recent allegations suggest a different story.

Melbourne residents claim that Mr Jankovic has left numerous customers devastated, each out of pocket by thousands of dollars, and more cases are continuing to surface.

What's especially troubling is that these customers paid for deck, pergola, and bathroom renovation jobs that were either poorly executed or not carried out at all. Even worse, some of these victims are retirees relying on their pensions.

The joists that Gemma has to step on to enter and exit her home. Credit: news.com.au.

Among those affected is retiree Gemma, whose name is kept private for her safety. Gemma invested $10,200 in a promised deck and pergola contracted with Big Tom Construction.

However, her yard remains incomplete, and she's now forced to navigate unsecured joists just to enter or exit her house—as she cannot afford to engage a new tradesman to finish the job.

'It's a dangerous mess he has left me in,' she said.

'He turned up, he was very nice, and he was very polite. He needed a 50 per cent deposit,' she recalled.

Initially, she gave the contractor the benefit of the doubt, considering his excuses for the delays, such as various family issues, an injured hand, and unfavourable weather, to be legitimate.

As time went on, though, doubts began to creep in.

Unfortunately, Gemma is just one of many victims of this tradesman, who has already taken money from other disgruntled customers.

Trent Thomason is another victim. He paid a substantial $31,500 upfront to Mr Jankovic to renovate two bathrooms. However, a year later, Mr Thomason found himself drowning in a sea of excuses, with only minimal work completed.

Initially, things were smooth sailing. Mr Thomason's confidence in Mr Jankovic was such that he even recommended the tradesman to his neighbour, who has sadly also found themselves out of pocket.

The tradie used various excuses to justify the delayed work, including a false claim about his 'sick wife'.

'He was basically telling us she was on the verge of death,' the customer recalled. However, Mr Jankovic is not even married.

The state of the bathroom the Thomasons' bathroom was in. Credit: news.com.au.

Myrilla Nelthropp is another victim of the builder's conduct. She took Mr Jankovic to court and successfully secured a judgement.

In a ruling handed down by the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) in July, Mr Jankovic was ordered to reimburse her $7,000 and an additional $220 to cover Ms Nelthropp's application fee.

However, to date, she has not received any payment. Ms Nelthropp has stated that her next step is to take the judgement to the magistrate's court to enforce the order.

This judgement came after enduring an 18-month ordeal in her efforts to have her deck constructed. It all began when she initially engaged Mr Jankovic in February of the previous year.

No work was ever completed.

Sandy and Peter Jahnke's story is equally disheartening. After promising to construct a deck and pergola for $27,000, Mr Jankovic left them with a partially finished renovation and a $15,000 demand for a refund.

Apparently, the tradie bombarded them with a barrage of excuses for the project's delays. These included claims that the supplier had mishandled orders, that he was ill, that his entire family was unwell, that his 'wife' was sick, that his apprentice was sick, and even that it was raining—even when the weather was clear.

Key Takeaways

• Melbourne residents have claimed that tradie Tomislav 'Tom' Jankovic of Big Tom Construction has scammed them, leaving the customers tens of thousands of dollars out of pocket.
• Victims, including retirees and families, have reported paying substantial deposits for construction and renovation jobs that were never completed or even started.
• Several customers have taken legal action against Mr Jankovic; one customer, Myrilla Nelthropp, won a judgement order to repay her deposit plus costs, though no money has yet been received.
• Customers have reported Mr Jankovic used a series of excuses for failed or delayed jobs, including the supposed illness of both himself and his 'wife'. However, Mr Jankovic is not married.

Members, if you've fallen victim to this scam in the past or suspect you may have been targeted, please don't hesitate to contact your state's consumer protection agency or contact a lawyer for assistance.

To prevent such situations from occurring in the first place, our top recommendation is to collaborate exclusively with trusted professionals and conduct thorough research beforehand. Be sure to obtain references from their previous clients; this way, you can better assess the tradesperson's professionalism and reliability.

We extend our best wishes for all your future interactions with tradespeople, whether it's a DIY endeavour or a professional project!

What are your thoughts on these stories? Have you experienced or heard of similar scams? Please share your experiences with us in the comments below; we'd love to hear from you and learn more.

 

[Babybird]

An alert has been issued in Melbourne regarding a 'serial scammer' in the construction industry, who has reportedly cost innocent victims tens of thousands of dollars.

Meet Tomislav 'Tom' Jankovic, the Director of Big Tom Construction, who is supposed to be a seasoned professional in his field. However, recent allegations suggest a different story.

Melbourne residents claim that Mr Jankovic has left numerous customers devastated, each out of pocket by thousands of dollars, and more cases are continuing to surface.

What's especially troubling is that these customers paid for deck, pergola, and bathroom renovation jobs that were either poorly executed or not carried out at all. Even worse, some of these victims are retirees relying on their pensions.

View attachment 29967

The joists that Gemma has to step on to enter and exit her home. Credit: news.com.au.

Among those affected is retiree Gemma, whose name is kept private for her safety. Gemma invested $10,200 in a promised deck and pergola contracted with Big Tom Construction.

However, her yard remains incomplete, and she's now forced to navigate unsecured joists just to enter or exit her house—as she cannot afford to engage a new tradesman to finish the job.

'It's a dangerous mess he has left me in,' she said.

'He turned up, he was very nice, and he was very polite. He needed a 50 per cent deposit,' she recalled.

Initially, she gave the contractor the benefit of the doubt, considering his excuses for the delays, such as various family issues, an injured hand, and unfavourable weather, to be legitimate.

As time went on, though, doubts began to creep in.

Unfortunately, Gemma is just one of many victims of this tradesman, who has already taken money from other disgruntled customers.

Trent Thomason is another victim. He paid a substantial $31,500 upfront to Mr Jankovic to renovate two bathrooms. However, a year later, Mr Thomason found himself drowning in a sea of excuses, with only minimal work completed.

Initially, things were smooth sailing. Mr Thomason's confidence in Mr Jankovic was such that he even recommended the tradesman to his neighbour, who has sadly also found themselves out of pocket.

The tradie used various excuses to justify the delayed work, including a false claim about his 'sick wife'.

'He was basically telling us she was on the verge of death,' the customer recalled. However, Mr Jankovic is not even married.

View attachment 29968

The state of the bathroom the Thomasons' bathroom was in. Credit: news.com.au.

Myrilla Nelthropp is another victim of the builder's conduct. She took Mr Jankovic to court and successfully secured a judgement.

In a ruling handed down by the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) in July, Mr Jankovic was ordered to reimburse her $7,000 and an additional $220 to cover Ms Nelthropp's application fee.

However, to date, she has not received any payment. Ms Nelthropp has stated that her next step is to take the judgement to the magistrate's court to enforce the order.

This judgement came after enduring an 18-month ordeal in her efforts to have her deck constructed. It all began when she initially engaged Mr Jankovic in February of the previous year.

No work was ever completed.

Sandy and Peter Jahnke's story is equally disheartening. After promising to construct a deck and pergola for $27,000, Mr Jankovic left them with a partially finished renovation and a $15,000 demand for a refund.

Apparently, the tradie bombarded them with a barrage of excuses for the project's delays. These included claims that the supplier had mishandled orders, that he was ill, that his entire family was unwell, that his 'wife' was sick, that his apprentice was sick, and even that it was raining—even when the weather was clear.

Key Takeaways

• Melbourne residents have claimed that tradie Tomislav 'Tom' Jankovic of Big Tom Construction has scammed them, leaving the customers tens of thousands of dollars out of pocket.
• Victims, including retirees and families, have reported paying substantial deposits for construction and renovation jobs that were never completed or even started.
• Several customers have taken legal action against Mr Jankovic; one customer, Myrilla Nelthropp, won a judgement order to repay her deposit plus costs, though no money has yet been received.
• Customers have reported Mr Jankovic used a series of excuses for failed or delayed jobs, including the supposed illness of both himself and his 'wife'. However, Mr Jankovic is not married.

Members, if you've fallen victim to this scam in the past or suspect you may have been targeted, please don't hesitate to contact your state's consumer protection agency or contact a lawyer for assistance.

To prevent such situations from occurring in the first place, our top recommendation is to collaborate exclusively with trusted professionals and conduct thorough research beforehand. Be sure to obtain references from their previous clients; this way, you can better assess the tradesperson's professionalism and reliability.

We extend our best wishes for all your future interactions with tradespeople, whether it's a DIY endeavour or a professional project!

What are your thoughts on these stories? Have you experienced or heard of similar scams? Please share your experiences with us in the comments below; we'd love to hear from you and learn more.

Why would you pay anyone unless job completed. I don't pay anything up front I say when the job is done.
If they don't like
than find
another tradie.

 

[Col@45]

An alert has been issued in Melbourne regarding a 'serial scammer' in the construction industry, who has reportedly cost innocent victims tens of thousands of dollars.

Meet Tomislav 'Tom' Jankovic, the Director of Big Tom Construction, who is supposed to be a seasoned professional in his field. However, recent allegations suggest a different story.

Melbourne residents claim that Mr Jankovic has left numerous customers devastated, each out of pocket by thousands of dollars, and more cases are continuing to surface.

What's especially troubling is that these customers paid for deck, pergola, and bathroom renovation jobs that were either poorly executed or not carried out at all. Even worse, some of these victims are retirees relying on their pensions.

View attachment 29967

The joists that Gemma has to step on to enter and exit her home. Credit: news.com.au.

Among those affected is retiree Gemma, whose name is kept private for her safety. Gemma invested $10,200 in a promised deck and pergola contracted with Big Tom Construction.

However, her yard remains incomplete, and she's now forced to navigate unsecured joists just to enter or exit her house—as she cannot afford to engage a new tradesman to finish the job.

'It's a dangerous mess he has left me in,' she said.

'He turned up, he was very nice, and he was very polite. He needed a 50 per cent deposit,' she recalled.

Initially, she gave the contractor the benefit of the doubt, considering his excuses for the delays, such as various family issues, an injured hand, and unfavourable weather, to be legitimate.

As time went on, though, doubts began to creep in.

Unfortunately, Gemma is just one of many victims of this tradesman, who has already taken money from other disgruntled customers.

Trent Thomason is another victim. He paid a substantial $31,500 upfront to Mr Jankovic to renovate two bathrooms. However, a year later, Mr Thomason found himself drowning in a sea of excuses, with only minimal work completed.

Initially, things were smooth sailing. Mr Thomason's confidence in Mr Jankovic was such that he even recommended the tradesman to his neighbour, who has sadly also found themselves out of pocket.

The tradie used various excuses to justify the delayed work, including a false claim about his 'sick wife'.

'He was basically telling us she was on the verge of death,' the customer recalled. However, Mr Jankovic is not even married.

View attachment 29968

The state of the bathroom the Thomasons' bathroom was in. Credit: news.com.au.

Myrilla Nelthropp is another victim of the builder's conduct. She took Mr Jankovic to court and successfully secured a judgement.

In a ruling handed down by the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) in July, Mr Jankovic was ordered to reimburse her $7,000 and an additional $220 to cover Ms Nelthropp's application fee.

However, to date, she has not received any payment. Ms Nelthropp has stated that her next step is to take the judgement to the magistrate's court to enforce the order.

This judgement came after enduring an 18-month ordeal in her efforts to have her deck constructed. It all began when she initially engaged Mr Jankovic in February of the previous year.

No work was ever completed.

Sandy and Peter Jahnke's story is equally disheartening. After promising to construct a deck and pergola for $27,000, Mr Jankovic left them with a partially finished renovation and a $15,000 demand for a refund.

Apparently, the tradie bombarded them with a barrage of excuses for the project's delays. These included claims that the supplier had mishandled orders, that he was ill, that his entire family was unwell, that his 'wife' was sick, that his apprentice was sick, and even that it was raining—even when the weather was clear.

Key Takeaways

• Melbourne residents have claimed that tradie Tomislav 'Tom' Jankovic of Big Tom Construction has scammed them, leaving the customers tens of thousands of dollars out of pocket.
• Victims, including retirees and families, have reported paying substantial deposits for construction and renovation jobs that were never completed or even started.
• Several customers have taken legal action against Mr Jankovic; one customer, Myrilla Nelthropp, won a judgement order to repay her deposit plus costs, though no money has yet been received.
• Customers have reported Mr Jankovic used a series of excuses for failed or delayed jobs, including the supposed illness of both himself and his 'wife'. However, Mr Jankovic is not married.

Members, if you've fallen victim to this scam in the past or suspect you may have been targeted, please don't hesitate to contact your state's consumer protection agency or contact a lawyer for assistance.

To prevent such situations from occurring in the first place, our top recommendation is to collaborate exclusively with trusted professionals and conduct thorough research beforehand. Be sure to obtain references from their previous clients; this way, you can better assess the tradesperson's professionalism and reliability.

We extend our best wishes for all your future interactions with tradespeople, whether it's a DIY endeavour or a professional project!

What are your thoughts on these stories? Have you experienced or heard of similar scams? Please share your experiences with us in the comments below; we'd love to hear from you and learn more.

Never ever pay up front for a job !!
So many gullible people fall for this trick by tradesmen. If these trades people are genuine, they will complete the job first before expecting any payment.

 

[Dennis]

Why pay a trades man before the job is done, The money is better off in your pocket than his.

 

[lonelyasacloud]

Never never never pay up front. If that is the deal find someone else. I do however sympathise with those that have been “had”. We did it once with a carpet in our younger years, lesson well learnt.

 

[Penny4]

I realise people shouldn't pay up front, however I find these days tradies want a deposit. My mother recently replaced her verandah balastrade. Every quote needed a deposit.
Very sad for these people who got swindled.

 

[peteloo]

An alert has been issued in Melbourne regarding a 'serial scammer' in the construction industry, who has reportedly cost innocent victims tens of thousands of dollars.

Meet Tomislav 'Tom' Jankovic, the Director of Big Tom Construction, who is supposed to be a seasoned professional in his field. However, recent allegations suggest a different story.

Melbourne residents claim that Mr Jankovic has left numerous customers devastated, each out of pocket by thousands of dollars, and more cases are continuing to surface.

What's especially troubling is that these customers paid for deck, pergola, and bathroom renovation jobs that were either poorly executed or not carried out at all. Even worse, some of these victims are retirees relying on their pensions.

View attachment 29967

The joists that Gemma has to step on to enter and exit her home. Credit: news.com.au.

Among those affected is retiree Gemma, whose name is kept private for her safety. Gemma invested $10,200 in a promised deck and pergola contracted with Big Tom Construction.

However, her yard remains incomplete, and she's now forced to navigate unsecured joists just to enter or exit her house—as she cannot afford to engage a new tradesman to finish the job.

'It's a dangerous mess he has left me in,' she said.

'He turned up, he was very nice, and he was very polite. He needed a 50 per cent deposit,' she recalled.

Initially, she gave the contractor the benefit of the doubt, considering his excuses for the delays, such as various family issues, an injured hand, and unfavourable weather, to be legitimate.

As time went on, though, doubts began to creep in.

Unfortunately, Gemma is just one of many victims of this tradesman, who has already taken money from other disgruntled customers.

Trent Thomason is another victim. He paid a substantial $31,500 upfront to Mr Jankovic to renovate two bathrooms. However, a year later, Mr Thomason found himself drowning in a sea of excuses, with only minimal work completed.

Initially, things were smooth sailing. Mr Thomason's confidence in Mr Jankovic was such that he even recommended the tradesman to his neighbour, who has sadly also found themselves out of pocket.

The tradie used various excuses to justify the delayed work, including a false claim about his 'sick wife'.

'He was basically telling us she was on the verge of death,' the customer recalled. However, Mr Jankovic is not even married.

View attachment 29968

The state of the bathroom the Thomasons' bathroom was in. Credit: news.com.au.

Myrilla Nelthropp is another victim of the builder's conduct. She took Mr Jankovic to court and successfully secured a judgement.

In a ruling handed down by the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) in July, Mr Jankovic was ordered to reimburse her $7,000 and an additional $220 to cover Ms Nelthropp's application fee.

However, to date, she has not received any payment. Ms Nelthropp has stated that her next step is to take the judgement to the magistrate's court to enforce the order.

This judgement came after enduring an 18-month ordeal in her efforts to have her deck constructed. It all began when she initially engaged Mr Jankovic in February of the previous year.

No work was ever completed.

Sandy and Peter Jahnke's story is equally disheartening. After promising to construct a deck and pergola for $27,000, Mr Jankovic left them with a partially finished renovation and a $15,000 demand for a refund.

Apparently, the tradie bombarded them with a barrage of excuses for the project's delays. These included claims that the supplier had mishandled orders, that he was ill, that his entire family was unwell, that his 'wife' was sick, that his apprentice was sick, and even that it was raining—even when the weather was clear.

Key Takeaways

• Melbourne residents have claimed that tradie Tomislav 'Tom' Jankovic of Big Tom Construction has scammed them, leaving the customers tens of thousands of dollars out of pocket.
• Victims, including retirees and families, have reported paying substantial deposits for construction and renovation jobs that were never completed or even started.
• Several customers have taken legal action against Mr Jankovic; one customer, Myrilla Nelthropp, won a judgement order to repay her deposit plus costs, though no money has yet been received.
• Customers have reported Mr Jankovic used a series of excuses for failed or delayed jobs, including the supposed illness of both himself and his 'wife'. However, Mr Jankovic is not married.

Members, if you've fallen victim to this scam in the past or suspect you may have been targeted, please don't hesitate to contact your state's consumer protection agency or contact a lawyer for assistance.

To prevent such situations from occurring in the first place, our top recommendation is to collaborate exclusively with trusted professionals and conduct thorough research beforehand. Be sure to obtain references from their previous clients; this way, you can better assess the tradesperson's professionalism and reliability.

We extend our best wishes for all your future interactions with tradespeople, whether it's a DIY endeavour or a professional project!

What are your thoughts on these stories? Have you experienced or heard of similar scams? Please share your experiences with us in the comments below; we'd love to hear from you and learn more.

I faced a tradie who didn’t complete the full job scope. Paid him in progress amounts when he completed tasks but after completing 80% of renovations, he stopped coming to complete the 20% of work. He was paid 80% but left my renovations 20% uncompleted. VERY UNRELIABLE with excuses. He might do the same for another. John’s mobile 0415nnn084 in case you face him too.

 

[Babybird]

I realise people shouldn't pay up front, however I find these days tradies want a deposit. My mother recently replaced her verandah balastrade. Every quote needed a deposit.
Very sad for these people who got swindled.

But I refuse I figure if they want the job they will do it accept paymen at the end

 

[Penny4]

But I refuse I figure if they want the job they will do it accept paymen at the end

You can. My mother's quotes were ridicously varied. One was $3,500 difference. They wanted the job, as they kept ringing. It wasn't about charging more, due to having a lot of work as this often occurs. Of course this tradie didn't get the job.

 

[mylittletibbies]

Having been in the Reno business for many years I understand that people do not realise that the building code states a deposit of 5% is required for jobs over $20,000.
10% for jobs $3500 to $20,000.

In saying this we never requested a deposit, submitted a bill at the end
However, this sometimes backfired on us with people who just don't pay.
It's a Catch 22 situation

In fairness to all a progress payment system is probably the best way to go. Some smaller tradies do not have enough funds behind them to carry a large job to completion, their suppliers require paying as well.
If your job is in excess of $20000 it is a bit unrealistic for you to expect the tradies to wait until the end of the job.
Most people get paid weekly or fortnightly but seem to think that tradies should wait sometimes for months until the job is completed
In the meantime they have to live themselves, in some cases pay wages and pay for all the materials required for the job
The above does not mean I am sticking up for this cretin, or all these building companies here in WA that are leaving people high and dry.

There are always two sides to every story, just a view from the other side.
In these days with such a shortage of tradies, insisting on not paying for a job until completion will probably mean you won't be able to get a tradie
If it was me though, IMO, if a tradie can't carry a job for under $10,000 to completion then steer clear of him, he shouldn't be in business.

 

[Juicy]

An alert has been issued in Melbourne regarding a 'serial scammer' in the construction industry, who has reportedly cost innocent victims tens of thousands of dollars.

Meet Tomislav 'Tom' Jankovic, the Director of Big Tom Construction, who is supposed to be a seasoned professional in his field. However, recent allegations suggest a different story.

Melbourne residents claim that Mr Jankovic has left numerous customers devastated, each out of pocket by thousands of dollars, and more cases are continuing to surface.

What's especially troubling is that these customers paid for deck, pergola, and bathroom renovation jobs that were either poorly executed or not carried out at all. Even worse, some of these victims are retirees relying on their pensions.

View attachment 29967

The joists that Gemma has to step on to enter and exit her home. Credit: news.com.au.

Among those affected is retiree Gemma, whose name is kept private for her safety. Gemma invested $10,200 in a promised deck and pergola contracted with Big Tom Construction.

However, her yard remains incomplete, and she's now forced to navigate unsecured joists just to enter or exit her house—as she cannot afford to engage a new tradesman to finish the job.

'It's a dangerous mess he has left me in,' she said.

'He turned up, he was very nice, and he was very polite. He needed a 50 per cent deposit,' she recalled.

Initially, she gave the contractor the benefit of the doubt, considering his excuses for the delays, such as various family issues, an injured hand, and unfavourable weather, to be legitimate.

As time went on, though, doubts began to creep in.

Unfortunately, Gemma is just one of many victims of this tradesman, who has already taken money from other disgruntled customers.

Trent Thomason is another victim. He paid a substantial $31,500 upfront to Mr Jankovic to renovate two bathrooms. However, a year later, Mr Thomason found himself drowning in a sea of excuses, with only minimal work completed.

Initially, things were smooth sailing. Mr Thomason's confidence in Mr Jankovic was such that he even recommended the tradesman to his neighbour, who has sadly also found themselves out of pocket.

The tradie used various excuses to justify the delayed work, including a false claim about his 'sick wife'.

'He was basically telling us she was on the verge of death,' the customer recalled. However, Mr Jankovic is not even married.

View attachment 29968

The state of the bathroom the Thomasons' bathroom was in. Credit: news.com.au.

Myrilla Nelthropp is another victim of the builder's conduct. She took Mr Jankovic to court and successfully secured a judgement.

In a ruling handed down by the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) in July, Mr Jankovic was ordered to reimburse her $7,000 and an additional $220 to cover Ms Nelthropp's application fee.

However, to date, she has not received any payment. Ms Nelthropp has stated that her next step is to take the judgement to the magistrate's court to enforce the order.

This judgement came after enduring an 18-month ordeal in her efforts to have her deck constructed. It all began when she initially engaged Mr Jankovic in February of the previous year.

No work was ever completed.

Sandy and Peter Jahnke's story is equally disheartening. After promising to construct a deck and pergola for $27,000, Mr Jankovic left them with a partially finished renovation and a $15,000 demand for a refund.

Apparently, the tradie bombarded them with a barrage of excuses for the project's delays. These included claims that the supplier had mishandled orders, that he was ill, that his entire family was unwell, that his 'wife' was sick, that his apprentice was sick, and even that it was raining—even when the weather was clear.

Key Takeaways

• Melbourne residents have claimed that tradie Tomislav 'Tom' Jankovic of Big Tom Construction has scammed them, leaving the customers tens of thousands of dollars out of pocket.
• Victims, including retirees and families, have reported paying substantial deposits for construction and renovation jobs that were never completed or even started.
• Several customers have taken legal action against Mr Jankovic; one customer, Myrilla Nelthropp, won a judgement order to repay her deposit plus costs, though no money has yet been received.
• Customers have reported Mr Jankovic used a series of excuses for failed or delayed jobs, including the supposed illness of both himself and his 'wife'. However, Mr Jankovic is not married.

Members, if you've fallen victim to this scam in the past or suspect you may have been targeted, please don't hesitate to contact your state's consumer protection agency or contact a lawyer for assistance.

To prevent such situations from occurring in the first place, our top recommendation is to collaborate exclusively with trusted professionals and conduct thorough research beforehand. Be sure to obtain references from their previous clients; this way, you can better assess the tradesperson's professionalism and reliability.

We extend our best wishes for all your future interactions with tradespeople, whether it's a DIY endeavour or a professional project!

What are your thoughts on these stories? Have you experienced or heard of similar scams? Please share your experiences with us in the comments below; we'd love to hear from you and learn more.

 

[Juicy]

I employed a handyman? Who was supposed to do painting and a deck and yes he was very nice. In the first week he wanted $8000.00 which was half the quote and I paid. Next he wanted another third and I did not pay. The whole time he was here I had to keep telling him things were not right with the painting. Stupidly I did not check what the outside was like and only saw the inside of my kitchen window. I told him not to come back on a Saturday for the Monday and demanded my money back. He offered me about $2000.00. I said not enough I would take him to court and he would end up paying even more. I had another person inspect his work and was pointed out a lot of things he did wrong. After one week he agreed to giving me $5000.00 back. I agreed as I could not argue anymore. I employed a new person to fix everything but I didn’t know about more things he did wrong.
The fence not painted properly and paint on the outside bricks which had to be removed. These cost me $1,000.00 to fix. I was told the paint on other things like windows and door handles was not the responsibility of the new painters to remove and I had to argue with them to remove it. The original guy said he went home every night and cried because I always had something to complain about but mind you this was only my kitchen window. He said he hated coming back.
I had paid him in cash and expected to get my bank account details which I would not give him. He put the money over two days in my letterbox after messaging me it was there.
He had told me when he first got the job the place would be beautiful. I wish I had registered his name so that nobody else employs him. I have been dealing with the new ones and I got told we don’t clean windows only the paint we put on. Also they put nothing back they had moved. I queried why my things were not put back on the deck and was told it would stain the deck.

 

[Bridgit]

Having been in the Reno business for many years I understand that people do not realise that the building code states a deposit of 5% is required for jobs over $20,000.
10% for jobs $3500 to $20,000.

In saying this we never requested a deposit, submitted a bill at the end
However, this sometimes backfired on us with people who just don't pay.
It's a Catch 22 situation

In fairness to all a progress payment system is probably the best way to go. Some smaller tradies do not have enough funds behind them to carry a large job to completion, their suppliers require paying as well.
If your job is in excess of $20000 it is a bit unrealistic for you to expect the tradies to wait until the end of the job.
Most people get paid weekly or fortnightly but seem to think that tradies should wait sometimes for months until the job is completed
In the meantime they have to live themselves, in some cases pay wages and pay for all the materials required for the job
The above does not mean I am sticking up for this cretin, or all these building companies here in WA that are leaving people high and dry.

There are always two sides to every story, just a view from the other side.
In these days with such a shortage of tradies, insisting on not paying for a job until completion will probably mean you won't be able to get a tradie
If it was me though, IMO, if a tradie can't carry a job for under $10,000 to completion then steer clear of him, he shouldn't be in business.

Yes I got around this problem by ordering the materials and paying for them to be delivered to site. Then I paid him for his labour only on completion - this has worked for us.

 

[Babybird]

I faced a tradie who didn’t complete the full job scope. Paid him in progress amounts when he completed tasks but after completing 80% of renovations, he stopped coming to complete the 20% of work. He was paid 80% but left my renovations 20% uncompleted. VERY UNRELIABLE with excuses. He might do the same for another. John’s mobile 0415nnn084 in case you face him too.

There should be a site amendment a d shame tradie

 

[Ronloby]

Why is this so-called" tradie" still out on the street? He should be locked up for a couple of years. This way he can't rip off someone else. His business should be closed as well.

 

[gordon1940]

During my years of Employment as a Banker, I approved MANY Business "CarryOn" loans for Builders/Renovators. I tried my best to always dissuade my Customers to provide Funding. Let the Bank do the Financial assessment and provide the Funds. I pay a couple of hundred dollars as Deposit for a M/V purchase am happy to pay 20% deposit for Reno's and 10% for a Real Estate purchase. NO MORE!

 

[Ashmenou]

Why would you pay anyone unless job completed. I don't pay anything up front I say when the job is done.
If they don't like that find another tradie.

Well said

 

[Phantom55]

An alert has been issued in Melbourne regarding a 'serial scammer' in the construction industry, who has reportedly cost innocent victims tens of thousands of dollars.

Meet Tomislav 'Tom' Jankovic, the Director of Big Tom Construction, who is supposed to be a seasoned professional in his field. However, recent allegations suggest a different story.

Melbourne residents claim that Mr Jankovic has left numerous customers devastated, each out of pocket by thousands of dollars, and more cases are continuing to surface.

What's especially troubling is that these customers paid for deck, pergola, and bathroom renovation jobs that were either poorly executed or not carried out at all. Even worse, some of these victims are retirees relying on their pensions.

View attachment 29967

The joists that Gemma has to step on to enter and exit her home. Credit: news.com.au.

Among those affected is retiree Gemma, whose name is kept private for her safety. Gemma invested $10,200 in a promised deck and pergola contracted with Big Tom Construction.

However, her yard remains incomplete, and she's now forced to navigate unsecured joists just to enter or exit her house—as she cannot afford to engage a new tradesman to finish the job.

'It's a dangerous mess he has left me in,' she said.

'He turned up, he was very nice, and he was very polite. He needed a 50 per cent deposit,' she recalled.

Initially, she gave the contractor the benefit of the doubt, considering his excuses for the delays, such as various family issues, an injured hand, and unfavourable weather, to be legitimate.

As time went on, though, doubts began to creep in.

Unfortunately, Gemma is just one of many victims of this tradesman, who has already taken money from other disgruntled customers.

Trent Thomason is another victim. He paid a substantial $31,500 upfront to Mr Jankovic to renovate two bathrooms. However, a year later, Mr Thomason found himself drowning in a sea of excuses, with only minimal work completed.

Initially, things were smooth sailing. Mr Thomason's confidence in Mr Jankovic was such that he even recommended the tradesman to his neighbour, who has sadly also found themselves out of pocket.

The tradie used various excuses to justify the delayed work, including a false claim about his 'sick wife'.

'He was basically telling us she was on the verge of death,' the customer recalled. However, Mr Jankovic is not even married.

View attachment 29968

The state of the bathroom the Thomasons' bathroom was in. Credit: news.com.au.

Myrilla Nelthropp is another victim of the builder's conduct. She took Mr Jankovic to court and successfully secured a judgement.

In a ruling handed down by the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) in July, Mr Jankovic was ordered to reimburse her $7,000 and an additional $220 to cover Ms Nelthropp's application fee.

However, to date, she has not received any payment. Ms Nelthropp has stated that her next step is to take the judgement to the magistrate's court to enforce the order.

This judgement came after enduring an 18-month ordeal in her efforts to have her deck constructed. It all began when she initially engaged Mr Jankovic in February of the previous year.

No work was ever completed.

Sandy and Peter Jahnke's story is equally disheartening. After promising to construct a deck and pergola for $27,000, Mr Jankovic left them with a partially finished renovation and a $15,000 demand for a refund.

Apparently, the tradie bombarded them with a barrage of excuses for the project's delays. These included claims that the supplier had mishandled orders, that he was ill, that his entire family was unwell, that his 'wife' was sick, that his apprentice was sick, and even that it was raining—even when the weather was clear.

Key Takeaways

• Melbourne residents have claimed that tradie Tomislav 'Tom' Jankovic of Big Tom Construction has scammed them, leaving the customers tens of thousands of dollars out of pocket.
• Victims, including retirees and families, have reported paying substantial deposits for construction and renovation jobs that were never completed or even started.
• Several customers have taken legal action against Mr Jankovic; one customer, Myrilla Nelthropp, won a judgement order to repay her deposit plus costs, though no money has yet been received.
• Customers have reported Mr Jankovic used a series of excuses for failed or delayed jobs, including the supposed illness of both himself and his 'wife'. However, Mr Jankovic is not married.

Members, if you've fallen victim to this scam in the past or suspect you may have been targeted, please don't hesitate to contact your state's consumer protection agency or contact a lawyer for assistance.

To prevent such situations from occurring in the first place, our top recommendation is to collaborate exclusively with trusted professionals and conduct thorough research beforehand. Be sure to obtain references from their previous clients; this way, you can better assess the tradesperson's professionalism and reliability.

We extend our best wishes for all your future interactions with tradespeople, whether it's a DIY endeavour or a professional project!

What are your thoughts on these stories? Have you experienced or heard of similar scams? Please share your experiences with us in the comments below; we'd love to hear from you and learn more.

if a tradesman needs your money to do a job....he is no good. a 10% or5% dep is the rule, progress payments paid at agreed intervals or stages of completion, strictly adhered to ,.
remember he knows your address and you are staying put, but you don't know his

 

[Luckyus]

An alert has been issued in Melbourne regarding a 'serial scammer' in the construction industry, who has reportedly cost innocent victims tens of thousands of dollars.

Meet Tomislav 'Tom' Jankovic, the Director of Big Tom Construction, who is supposed to be a seasoned professional in his field. However, recent allegations suggest a different story.

Melbourne residents claim that Mr Jankovic has left numerous customers devastated, each out of pocket by thousands of dollars, and more cases are continuing to surface.

What's especially troubling is that these customers paid for deck, pergola, and bathroom renovation jobs that were either poorly executed or not carried out at all. Even worse, some of these victims are retirees relying on their pensions.

View attachment 29967

The joists that Gemma has to step on to enter and exit her home. Credit: news.com.au.

Among those affected is retiree Gemma, whose name is kept private for her safety. Gemma invested $10,200 in a promised deck and pergola contracted with Big Tom Construction.

However, her yard remains incomplete, and she's now forced to navigate unsecured joists just to enter or exit her house—as she cannot afford to engage a new tradesman to finish the job.

'It's a dangerous mess he has left me in,' she said.

'He turned up, he was very nice, and he was very polite. He needed a 50 per cent deposit,' she recalled.

Initially, she gave the contractor the benefit of the doubt, considering his excuses for the delays, such as various family issues, an injured hand, and unfavourable weather, to be legitimate.

As time went on, though, doubts began to creep in.

Unfortunately, Gemma is just one of many victims of this tradesman, who has already taken money from other disgruntled customers.

Trent Thomason is another victim. He paid a substantial $31,500 upfront to Mr Jankovic to renovate two bathrooms. However, a year later, Mr Thomason found himself drowning in a sea of excuses, with only minimal work completed.

Initially, things were smooth sailing. Mr Thomason's confidence in Mr Jankovic was such that he even recommended the tradesman to his neighbour, who has sadly also found themselves out of pocket.

The tradie used various excuses to justify the delayed work, including a false claim about his 'sick wife'.

'He was basically telling us she was on the verge of death,' the customer recalled. However, Mr Jankovic is not even married.

View attachment 29968

The state of the bathroom the Thomasons' bathroom was in. Credit: news.com.au.

Myrilla Nelthropp is another victim of the builder's conduct. She took Mr Jankovic to court and successfully secured a judgement.

In a ruling handed down by the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) in July, Mr Jankovic was ordered to reimburse her $7,000 and an additional $220 to cover Ms Nelthropp's application fee.

However, to date, she has not received any payment. Ms Nelthropp has stated that her next step is to take the judgement to the magistrate's court to enforce the order.

This judgement came after enduring an 18-month ordeal in her efforts to have her deck constructed. It all began when she initially engaged Mr Jankovic in February of the previous year.

No work was ever completed.

Sandy and Peter Jahnke's story is equally disheartening. After promising to construct a deck and pergola for $27,000, Mr Jankovic left them with a partially finished renovation and a $15,000 demand for a refund.

Apparently, the tradie bombarded them with a barrage of excuses for the project's delays. These included claims that the supplier had mishandled orders, that he was ill, that his entire family was unwell, that his 'wife' was sick, that his apprentice was sick, and even that it was raining—even when the weather was clear.

Key Takeaways

• Melbourne residents have claimed that tradie Tomislav 'Tom' Jankovic of Big Tom Construction has scammed them, leaving the customers tens of thousands of dollars out of pocket.
• Victims, including retirees and families, have reported paying substantial deposits for construction and renovation jobs that were never completed or even started.
• Several customers have taken legal action against Mr Jankovic; one customer, Myrilla Nelthropp, won a judgement order to repay her deposit plus costs, though no money has yet been received.
• Customers have reported Mr Jankovic used a series of excuses for failed or delayed jobs, including the supposed illness of both himself and his 'wife'. However, Mr Jankovic is not married.

Members, if you've fallen victim to this scam in the past or suspect you may have been targeted, please don't hesitate to contact your state's consumer protection agency or contact a lawyer for assistance.

To prevent such situations from occurring in the first place, our top recommendation is to collaborate exclusively with trusted professionals and conduct thorough research beforehand. Be sure to obtain references from their previous clients; this way, you can better assess the tradesperson's professionalism and reliability.

We extend our best wishes for all your future interactions with tradespeople, whether it's a DIY endeavour or a professional project!

What are your thoughts on these stories? Have you experienced or heard of similar scams? Please share your experiences with us in the comments below; we'd love to hear from you and learn more.

I have never, nor will I put money up front to any body. I have paid for receipted materials and on completion of the job tell the contracror that the remaining materials are mine. If need be Ill get a list of materials required.

 

[Babybird]

if a tradesman needs your money to do a job....he is no good. a 10% or5% dep is the rule, progress payments paid at agreed intervals or stages of completion, strictly adhered to ,.
remember he knows your address and you are staying put, but you don't know his

This is why on onset of any work or contract say I want to see your id I want to see whom is working for me, if he is genuine he will produced take note name address..if he is not genuine you don't want him...

But first of all ask for their trade licence without that legally no leg to stand on...always ask for both trade and normal licence take copy of their rego number that will cover you to produce it to police or court.that will have the date and time ..this is all concrete evidence...when you take photo all those dots on right hand side click on detail...that will give you date and time...and you have a photo of his rego.

Hence forth his address..