PETALING JAYA: A tempting offer to repair his kitchen tiles at half the price nearly saved a homeowner money until the contractor disappeared with his deposit.
Mat, 49, a salesman from Ampang, said his kitchen tiles had cracked and lifted earlier this year, prompting him to seek renovation services.
“A contractor who had renovated my toilet two years ago quoted RM4,900 for the work, including materials and labour.
“But I had limited cash available, so I looked for a cheaper alternative,” he said in an interview.
Mat then came across an advertisement on a Facebook community page offering to fix a similar problem for about half the price using what was described as a high-tech glue solution.
After inspecting his home, a foreign national who responded to the advertisement requested a RM1,500 deposit to prepare his tools and equipment.
“I paid him RM1,000 in cash, the amount that I had available, after he agreed to return and begin work within three days,” Mat recalled.
But the man never showed up. His telephone number became unreachable, while the company address turned out to be fake.
The experience left Mat regretting that he had not checked the contractor’s credentials before making payment.
The Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca) said the National Consumer Complaints Centre has received complaints involving foreign nationals offering home renovation, repair and maintenance services without proper business registration, licences or relevant certifications.
Fomca chief executive officer Dr Saravanan Thambirajah said the complaints include contractors abandoning projects after collecting deposits, delivering substandard work, refusing to rectify defects and becoming uncontactable.
“Some operators do not provide proper written contracts, official receipts or clear terms and conditions. This makes it extremely difficult for consumers to pursue their rights when disputes arise,” he said.
Some operators allegedly conduct business using the names of Malaysian spouses or other local individuals, while collecting payments through personal bank accounts. This can make it difficult to establish who is responsible when disputes arise.
Dr Saravanan also raised concerns about misleading social media advertisements, including those using AI-generated photographs or videos to showcase work that may never have been carried out by the advertiser.
“Consumers must be extremely careful before engaging anyone for renovation or repair work. They should verify the company’s SSM registration, check relevant CIDB registration and credentials, request written quotations and contracts, and avoid making substantial advance payments,” he said, referring to the Companies Commission Malaysia and Construction Industry Development Board respectively.
“Consumers who encounter problems should keep advertisements, messages, quotations and payment records, and seek help from the relevant authorities.
“Depending on the circumstances, they may approach the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry, the Tribunal for Consumer Claims Malaysia or the police,” he added.
