I've recently tried to have some deign work done for my home
renovations through a well known design and build company in
Queensland, Australia.

Design Build (formerly Majik) in Brisbane are supposed to be a
professional outfit with experienced architects that deliver what you
want for your home renos. This has NOT been our experience.

Despite us providing a detailed list of the renovations we wanted and
a strict budget from the very first meeting, these guys designed our
renos at over DOUBLE our budget (from $120k to $250k). The company
even acknowledged to us their mistakes and the broken promises of
their staff - but have refused to give us back our money.

When discussing the original estimate provided, it was revealed to us
that the quote was far underestimated by the salesman, in what can
only be seen as an attempt to get our business through intentional
underestimating.

We have now wasted 12 months on these guys and it's cost us close to
$10,000 for a set of plans we can't use. Our home renos haven't even
started yet, even though they promised to have them completed by May.

If anybody has some advice on how to chase our money or a similar
experience with DesignBuild, please send me an email.

On Jun 15, 8:24 am, designbuildsux wrote:
I've recently tried to have some deign work done for my home
renovations through a well known design and build company in
Queensland, Australia.

Design Build (formerly Majik) in Brisbane are supposed to be a
professional outfit with experienced architects that deliver what you
want for your home renos. This has NOT been our experience.

Despite us providing a detailed list of the renovations we wanted and
a strict budget from the very first meeting, these guys designed our
renos at over DOUBLE our budget (from $120k to $250k). The company
even acknowledged to us their mistakes and the broken promises of
their staff - but have refused to give us back our money.

When discussing the original estimate provided, it was revealed to us
that the quote was far underestimated by the salesman, in what can
only be seen as an attempt to get our business through intentional
underestimating.

We have now wasted 12 months on these guys and it's cost us close to
$10,000 for a set of plans we can't use. Our home renos haven't even
started yet, even though they promised to have them completed by May.

If anybody has some advice on how to chase our money or a similar
experience with DesignBuild, please send me an email.

Whinging on Usenet won't help. Contact a lawyer.

R

On Jun 15, 7:24 am, designbuildsux wrote:
I've recently tried to have some deign work done for my home
renovations through a well known design and build company in
Queensland, Australia.

Design Build (formerly Majik) in Brisbane are supposed to be a
professional outfit with experienced architects that deliver what you
want for your home renos. This has NOT been our experience.

Despite us providing a detailed list of the renovations we wanted and
a strict budget from the very first meeting, these guys designed our
renos at over DOUBLE our budget (from $120k to $250k). The company
even acknowledged to us their mistakes and the broken promises of
their staff - but have refused to give us back our money.

When discussing the original estimate provided, it was revealed to us
that the quote was far underestimated by the salesman, in what can
only be seen as an attempt to get our business through intentional
underestimating.

We have now wasted 12 months on these guys and it's cost us close to
$10,000 for a set of plans we can't use. Our home renos haven't even
started yet, even though they promised to have them completed by May.

If anybody has some advice on how to chase our money or a similar
experience with DesignBuild, please send me an email.

If you have only lost 10K then you got off cheap. Write it off to
experience and find another builder. Most lawyers arent' interested
in only 10K so file a lawsuit yourself without a lawyer.

Better, send a certified letter to the thief and promise that lawsuits
will be filed in thirty day if you do not get a full refund of every
penny. You might mention that a bit of publicity wouldn't bother you
any. That should get their attention. They might be willing to
settle just to keep their honored name out of court. If you are
really angry then hold out for every dollar.

You want to be sure you don't have any skeleton in you closet when you
play hard ball. So, watch your back and good luck with your house.

In article om,
designbuildsux wrote:

I've recently tried to have some deign work done for my home
renovations through a well known design and build company in
Queensland, Australia.

Design Build (formerly Majik) in Brisbane are supposed to be a
professional outfit with experienced architects that deliver what you
want for your home renos. This has NOT been our experience.

Despite us providing a detailed list of the renovations we wanted and
a strict budget from the very first meeting, these guys designed our
renos at over DOUBLE our budget (from $120k to $250k). The company
even acknowledged to us their mistakes and the broken promises of
their staff - but have refused to give us back our money.

When discussing the original estimate provided, it was revealed to us
that the quote was far underestimated by the salesman, in what can
only be seen as an attempt to get our business through intentional
underestimating.

We have now wasted 12 months on these guys and it's cost us close to
$10,000 for a set of plans we can't use. Our home renos haven't even
started yet, even though they promised to have them completed by May.

If anybody has some advice on how to chase our money or a similar
experience with DesignBuild, please send me an email.

Is it common to prepay for design work? Do you have a written contract?
Have you shown the plans to other builders for an estimate?

On Fri, 15 Jun 2007 05:24:39 -0700, designbuildsux
wrote:

I've recently tried to have some deign work done for my home
renovations through a well known design and build company in
Queensland, Australia.

Design Build (formerly Majik) in Brisbane are supposed to be a
professional outfit with experienced architects that deliver what you
want for your home renos. This has NOT been our experience.

Despite us providing a detailed list of the renovations we wanted and
a strict budget from the very first meeting, these guys designed our
renos at over DOUBLE our budget (from $120k to $250k). The company
even acknowledged to us their mistakes and the broken promises of
their staff - but have refused to give us back our money.

When discussing the original estimate provided, it was revealed to us
that the quote was far underestimated by the salesman, in what can
only be seen as an attempt to get our business through intentional
underestimating.

We have now wasted 12 months on these guys and it's cost us close to
$10,000 for a set of plans we can't use. Our home renos haven't even
started yet, even though they promised to have them completed by May.

If anybody has some advice on how to chase our money or a similar
experience with DesignBuild, please send me an email.

I think you are full of it.

Those plans are exactly what you spelled out for them. They had
nothing else to work with but your input.