'Grinch' builder spoils family’s Christmas: ‘It’s so upsetting’
By
Seia Ibanez
- Replies 7
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.
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.'
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.
What are your tips for hiring a reliable homebuilder? Share them with us in the comments below!
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.
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.'
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.