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Woman files police report after contractor doesn't begin work on auspicious 'feng shui' date

This article is more than 12 months old

A firm believer in feng shui, a woman was upset when the contractors she hired to revamp her home kitchen cancelled on her the night before work was to begin. 

The woman, surnamed Zhang, had picked Oct 7 as the day for renovation works to begin after consulting her feng shui. 

When she went down to the contractor’s office to inquire about the sudden delay, she claimed she was “turned away” by employees – and duly lodged a police report against the company immediately after.  

Speaking to Shin Min Daily News, Zhang, 36, said she wanted to renovate the kitchen in her five-room Woodlands flat after the floor tiles cracked in June. 

She decided to engage the services of a company as she liked the boss' attitude, and agreed to have her kitchen renovated for $14,775. 

But problems began after Zhang signed the contract last month.

"The boss told me he was busy, so he handed the project over to a young employee," shared Zhang. 

According to her, the staff's inexperience showed when she raised questions about the renovation.

Zhang had queries about the materials used to build the new cabinets, as well as issues with the use of formaldehyde which could cause eye, nose and throat irritation. 

The other party did not give her an answer or provide her with samples, she claimed.

Couldn’t proceed

The night before renovations were to start, the contractor sent her a message saying they couldn't proceed. 

"He said they couldn't start work because they did not know which material to use for the cabinets," she said. 

In an attempt to understand the last-minute change in plans, Zhang visited the company’s office the next day to try and speak with someone. However, she claimed she was turned away by the employees and was unable to contact the boss. 

Furious, Zhang decided to make a police report. 

Huang, the boss of the company, told Shin Min that his staff had reminded Zhang that they could not start on the project without finalisation of the cabinet material. If this happened, there would be delays, they warned her.

According to him, Zhang only asked about the different materials on Oct 5.

The company tried to get her to look at material samples at their office to confirm which one would be used, but she did not show up. 

The construction materials still piled up in her home.

As well, Huang said Zhang wasn't the easiest customer to work with and even called her "picky". 

"Whenever she encountered a problem, she would call me. This affected my work," he said. 

He also pointed out that his employee had patiently gone through the process with Zhang, drawing her 3D designs and accompanying her to choose materials.

As of now, both parties are deciding on their next steps. 

"In our chat group, the customer said she wishes to cancel the renovation," Huang said.

This, however, is an issue, as the contract stipulates that no refunds would be issued if there are cancellations. 

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