Home renovations hit a brick wall
Battle with supplier stalls building projects
Make sure you tread carefully when you buy building materials.
A company in Lenasia, Johannesburg, is accused of not delivering materials after receiving consumers’ money.
Three consumers claim to have paid a total of R150 000 to S.P.R.Y. Supplies and Interior Decor for material they bought to refurbish their houses, but say they did not get their full orders.
Esther Mabaso, 62, of Protea Glen, said she is repaying a loan for material she has not received.
Mabaso said she wanted to extend her house as it is too small to house her family of eight.
She said she shopped around and compared prices, and the quote she got from Shakila Dukkan of S.P.R.Y. was thousands of rands cheaper than other quotes.
Mabaso said she authorised a loan provider to pay R62 000 into the S.P.R.Y. bank account in October last year.
She later took delivery of the required material to start foundation work, as well as bricks and building sand, said Mabaso.
Mabaso said that as the construction progressed she encountered problems as Dukkan would deliver the material in dribs and drabs.
“Timber for roofing, windows, doors and ridges have not been delivered and she [Dukkan] has been ignoring my telephone calls.”
She claimed Dukkan also delivered defective pillars and refused to exchange them.
Mabaso had to get the pillars from another supplier, she said.
Sihle Cebekhulu, of Lawley, said he paid R37 600 for building material he received piecemeal.
He said that for two months he had to go back and forth asking for the delivery of his material.
He eventually went to Cash Build. “They were even cheaper than S.P.R.Y. and delivered quality material,” Cebekhulu said.
He later cancelled his purchase and demanded his money back.
Dukkan allegedly said they could not afford to repay him.
He reported the company to the Office of Consumer Affairs.
“I want to tell my story because I don’t want this to happen to someone else.”
Poppy Nhlapo, 65, also of Lawley, said she used a portion of her pension fund to extend her house.
She said she paid R43 000 for material to build three rooms and a garage.
Nhlapo said she was still battling to get roofing material as Dukkan keeps giving her excuses for failing to deliver.
The Office of Consumer Affairs confirmed it had received more than 10 similar complaints against S.P.R.Y., adding that those complaints were resolved through its intervention.
Dukkan confirmed she did not deliver the material after the three consumers had paid in full.
She said although she had promised the Office of Consumer Affairs to refund their money, she needed an extension until February 14.
However, on Friday, an email she sent to Consumer Line read in part: “Please be advised that payment will be done today.”