The holiday season is a time for joy and celebration, but for some unfortunate Australian families, it's turning into a nightmare, thanks to a deceitful builder who has been dubbed the Christmas ‘Grinch'.

This builder, known as Hiep T Phung, owner of NT Kitchens, has been accused of taking hefty deposits for home renovations, only to leave the jobs incomplete and the homeowners in distress.

Zane and Melody Ralph were victims of this unscrupulous builder, according to an exclusive Daily Mail Australia report. They paid Hiep a deposit of $9,000 in April for a home renovation project.

Work did commence, but eight months later, their home remains in a state of disarray, with the renovation far from complete.

Homebuilder Hiep T Phung was accused of taking money for renovations. Credit: Unsplash

Despite numerous attempts to contact Hiep and get him to finish the job, the family's pleas have largely fallen on deaf ears. Thus, Melody described the builder as a ‘Grinch’.

Hiep responded and lied to the family several times that he would attend their home, then made up excuses about why he didn’t arrive.

‘We've paid nearly $9,000 for this work to be completed. We paid every time he requested. No questions asked. We took it in good faith that he would complete the job in the time frame he gave us,' Melody said.

'We were told it would take five weeks to complete the job. That was in April. It should've been finished at the end of May. It's now December. We've been given some many excuses now, we've lost count.’

The Ralphs are not alone in their plight.

A quick glance at NT Kitchens' social media page reveals a slew of disgruntled customers sharing similar stories of incomplete projects, broken promises, and poor workmanship.

‘If I could give zero stars, I would. Started a small pantry project in March, and as of October, it was still unfinished,' a disgruntled customer posted.

One customer lamented, 'Started a small pantry project in March and as of October, it was still unfinished. He never showed up when promised, damaged the bench top in at least 5 places with large chips missing. So many lies and drama.'

The stress of living in a half-renovated home has taken a toll on the Ralph family.

'We've been living with half a renovation for months. We've got things all over the house because we have nowhere to put it all,' Melody complained.

‘My husband and I have wasted over two weeks of our own time waiting around the house for him to show up, only for him to not arrive. We'd be lucky to get a text from him letting us know he wasn't coming. It's just beyond comprehension. Who runs a business like that?’

'We are honest, hard-working people. We just want this work finished. Now we have no money left to complete the work because he's taken it all.'

The Ralph family’s home has been in shambles for months due to Hiep’s negligence. Credit: pexels

When confronted by the Daily Mail Australia, Hiep claimed that personal issues, including the death of his father and a recent divorce, had led to his lack of communication and inability to complete the jobs.

‘I've not robbed them...I'm not a thief. I'm so sorry about what happened...I did not rob them. They know my friend, and I did not rob them. Many things have happened, that's why.’

Hiep also mentioned he was struggling financially to complete the renovations due to his recent divorce.

‘I'm not running. I'm not a runner...I'm not playing games,' he said.

'Too many things have happened to me over the past 11 months. I know it's my business, but I will call them this week...what can I do? At the moment, I have financial problems, I have to figure out the money and keep the job rolling.’

Hiep said he would sort the Ralph’s renovations.

‘I will contact them and figure out the problem and keep the job rolling,’ he noted.

However, Hiep’s work remains incomplete despite contacting the Ralphs. It is believed it will likely end up in the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal.

‘He begged me for two weeks more after he was contacted by the Daily Mail. I reluctantly gave it to him,' Ms Ralph said.

'We've been totally taken advantage of. It's disheartening to know that this has happened to other people, too. I just don't want anyone else to go through what we have. It's so upsetting.’

The Ralph family's ordeal is a stark reminder of the importance of due diligence when hiring a contractor for home renovations.

After all, everyone deserves to have a comfortable place to stay in and call it home.

In a previous story, a great-grandmother revealed the shocking state of her public housing, where her ‘beautiful’ home was slowly turning into ruins. Read more about the story here.

Key Takeaways

• A family in Australia has been left out of pocket after builder Hiep T Phung, owner of NT Kitchens, failed to complete a home renovation despite taking a $9,000 deposit.
• Despite numerous promises from Hiep to complete the job, his poor communication and ongoing excuses have left the family in difficulty.
• The family is not the only one to have had issues with NT Kitchens, with other disgruntled customers sharing their own negative experiences on social media.
• Hiep has claimed personal issues, including the death of his father and financial issues due to a recent divorce, as his reasons for not completing the work. However, the matter will likely end up in the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal.

What are your tips for hiring a reliable homebuilder? Share them with us in the comments below!

 

[Col@45]

The holiday season is a time for joy and celebration, but for some unfortunate Australian families, it's turning into a nightmare, thanks to a deceitful builder who has been dubbed the Christmas ‘Grinch'.

This builder, known as Hiep T Phung, owner of NT Kitchens, has been accused of taking hefty deposits for home renovations, only to leave the jobs incomplete and the homeowners in distress.

Zane and Melody Ralph were victims of this unscrupulous builder, according to an exclusive Daily Mail Australia report. They paid Hiep a deposit of $9,000 in April for a home renovation project.

Work did commence, but eight months later, their home remains in a state of disarray, with the renovation far from complete.

View attachment 36643

Homebuilder Hiep T Phung was accused of taking money for renovations. Credit: Unsplash

Despite numerous attempts to contact Hiep and get him to finish the job, the family's pleas have largely fallen on deaf ears. Thus, Melody described the builder as a ‘Grinch’.

Hiep responded and lied to the family several times that he would attend their home, then made up excuses about why he didn’t arrive.

‘We've paid nearly $9,000 for this work to be completed. We paid every time he requested. No questions asked. We took it in good faith that he would complete the job in the time frame he gave us,' Melody said.

'We were told it would take five weeks to complete the job. That was in April. It should've been finished at the end of May. It's now December. We've been given some many excuses now, we've lost count.’

The Ralphs are not alone in their plight.

A quick glance at NT Kitchens' social media page reveals a slew of disgruntled customers sharing similar stories of incomplete projects, broken promises, and poor workmanship.

‘If I could give zero stars, I would. Started a small pantry project in March, and as of October, it was still unfinished,' a disgruntled customer posted.

One customer lamented, 'Started a small pantry project in March and as of October, it was still unfinished. He never showed up when promised, damaged the bench top in at least 5 places with large chips missing. So many lies and drama.'

The stress of living in a half-renovated home has taken a toll on the Ralph family.

'We've been living with half a renovation for months. We've got things all over the house because we have nowhere to put it all,' Melody complained.

‘My husband and I have wasted over two weeks of our own time waiting around the house for him to show up, only for him to not arrive. We'd be lucky to get a text from him letting us know he wasn't coming. It's just beyond comprehension. Who runs a business like that?’

'We are honest, hard-working people. We just want this work finished. Now we have no money left to complete the work because he's taken it all.'

View attachment 36644

The Ralph family’s home has been in shambles for months due to Hiep’s negligence. Credit: pexels

When confronted by the Daily Mail Australia, Hiep claimed that personal issues, including the death of his father and a recent divorce, had led to his lack of communication and inability to complete the jobs.

‘I've not robbed them...I'm not a thief. I'm so sorry about what happened...I did not rob them. They know my friend, and I did not rob them. Many things have happened, that's why.’

Hiep also mentioned he was struggling financially to complete the renovations due to his recent divorce.

‘I'm not running. I'm not a runner...I'm not playing games,' he said.

'Too many things have happened to me over the past 11 months. I know it's my business, but I will call them this week...what can I do? At the moment, I have financial problems, I have to figure out the money and keep the job rolling.’

Hiep said he would sort the Ralph’s renovations.

‘I will contact them and figure out the problem and keep the job rolling,’ he noted.

However, Hiep’s work remains incomplete despite contacting the Ralphs. It is believed it will likely end up in the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal.

‘He begged me for two weeks more after he was contacted by the Daily Mail. I reluctantly gave it to him,' Ms Ralph said.

'We've been totally taken advantage of. It's disheartening to know that this has happened to other people, too. I just don't want anyone else to go through what we have. It's so upsetting.’

The Ralph family's ordeal is a stark reminder of the importance of due diligence when hiring a contractor for home renovations.

After all, everyone deserves to have a comfortable place to stay in and call it home.

In a previous story, a great-grandmother revealed the shocking state of her public housing, where her ‘beautiful’ home was slowly turning into ruins. Read more about the story here.

Key Takeaways

• A family in Australia has been left out of pocket after builder Hiep T Phung, owner of NT Kitchens, failed to complete a home renovation despite taking a $9,000 deposit.
• Despite numerous promises from Hiep to complete the job, his poor communication and ongoing excuses have left the family in difficulty.
• The family is not the only one to have had issues with NT Kitchens, with other disgruntled customers sharing their own negative experiences on social media.
• Hiep has claimed personal issues, including the death of his father and financial issues due to a recent divorce, as his reasons for not completing the work. However, the matter will likely end up in the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal.

What are your tips for hiring a reliable homebuilder? Share them with us in the comments below!

So many people seem to trust these so called "renovation tradesmen" and pay money up front ! I would never pay anyone money till the job is finished...far too risky.

 

[mylittletibbies]

Yes, there are laws regarding the amount that can be charged as a deposit. Make sure, before hiring contractors what your rights are and under no circumstances , no matter what the sob story they may spin you, should you pay any more. Their personal problems are theirs, not yours.
Over many years of doing renovations, we never requested a deposit let alone progress payments, we just submitted the bill at the end and we're always payed in full.
A large percentage of builders and contractors are not good money managers. They run 30 day accounts with their suppliers (most of them not paying on time, the bigger the company the slower they are).,
When money comes in, they think of this money as theirs, forgetting about the money they owe. They live the high life and eventually have to declare bankruptcy, leaving their clients high and dry.
Only use recommended contractors
In all the years we were in business all our work came through word of mouth, we always had work booked up for months in advance and people were happy to wait, even when I referred them to other contractors, because of our reputation.
There are many shonky tradesmen out there. It's virtually impossible to get an electrician or plumber even to give you a quote these days.
We would give a fixed price quote for entire extensions (and stick to it).
They want to work on an hourly rate and then spend hours on the phone talking to other clients, suppliers, the wife etc. charging you, the client for this time.
The whole system has turned into a big rort, I don't know what the answer is.

 

[MariaG]

The last tradie I had at my place was a tree trimmer.
I spoke to 2 others when looking for quotes.
I went with one that was a little dearer, however, this one did front up to quote and also said, no payment until the job is complete.
The other 2 asked for deposits.
The only time we have ever paid for materials up front was when we were able to pay the supplier of goods, not the builder. Also, it is super important that a proper check is carried out on the contractors insurance cover.

 

[Vinylted]

So many people seem to trust these so called "renovation tradesmen" and pay money up front ! I would never pay anyone money till the job is finished...far too risky.

Pay for materials as they arrive on site, pay for labour as the job progresses, not in advance!

 

[Ezzy]

Years ago when we were Owner Builders we paid, what we now know to be an exorbitant deposit for windows & doors. At lock-up when we called for sashes, glass, door panels etc we were told the builder had gone into liquidation & those parts were not amongst those manufactured before this happened. The only company making those windows was in the country & charged an arm & a leg for this reason. (It turned out builders were also caught out with this situation). I fitted door panels,, window sashes & put in glass myself to reduce further costs.

Knowing the reputation of the company & being aware of the % of a deposit required to be paid before work begins (as was required here) is extremely important.

 

[mylittletibbies]

Years ago when we were Owner Builders we paid, what we now know to be an exorbitant deposit for windows & doors. At lock-up when we called for sashes, glass, door panels etc we were told the builder had gone into liquidation & those parts were not amongst those manufactured before this happened. The only company making those windows was in the country & charged an arm & a leg for this reason. (It turned out builders were also caught out with this situation). I fitted door panels,, window sashes & put in glass myself to reduce further costs.

Knowing the reputation of the company & being aware of the % of a deposit required to be paid before work begins (as was required here) is extremely important.

It is terrible when things like this happen. Usually these companies have continued trading for months, knowing they were going under.
I had a friend who was caught out by a patio company.
She' was a lovely girl, but not the sharpest knife in the drawer.
She paid an exhorbitant deposit followed by two progress payments, and the timber was never even delivered. Obviously didn't
understand what "progress*meant???
The company went into liquidation,.she lost all her money while the proprietor continued to live on in his mansion, drive his flash car and about 12 months later started up again.
It stinks the way the system works.

 

[Ezzy]

It is terrible when things like this happen. Usually these companies have continued trading for months, knowing they were going under.
I had a friend who was caught out by a patio company.
She' was a lovely girl, but not the sharpest knife in the drawer.
She paid an exhorbitant deposit followed by two progress payments, and the timber was never even delivered. Obviously didn't
understand what "progress*meant???
The company went into liquidation,.she lost all her money while the proprietor continued to live on in his mansion, drive his flash car and about 12 months later started up again.
It stinks the way the system works.

Yes they start a new business under a new business name & don't have to pay previous debts.
This is outright deceit & theft & should not be allowed to happen.

Your friend, as we know, should never have paid progress payments. A sad situation indeed.