Building Contractors Get Paid and Don't Complete the Building
By mor
@stringer321 (5682)
Kiryat Ata, Israel
August 25, 2016 2:59pm CST
This is another thing that can be called a scam:
In my country, Israel, there is a sick phenomenon of contractors for building and renovations of houses. Those contractors are scums and they pretend to have problems finishing the work, they charge a lot of money in advance and they just find many excuses to stop working.
One case was about a nice couple who wanted to build a house made of wood. They paid a contractor and the contractor started to work. The couple went to a vacation and returned hoping that the house is almost complete. The house was barely at the middle of the work, it was not even protected against the rain, it started to get deteriorated. The contractor said that he needed more money and that he was on a bankruptcy. Not even the court could do something about it, because he couldn't pay back and it was not a crime from him. That story is one example of the culture of scamming innocents.
The couple had some security checks from that contractor, but, the checks were false!!
One old lady who deals with an illness decided to trust a contractor and paid him an average of 7000 shekels per meter square to renovate her apartment, small apartment, 30 square meters.
The TV show with Haim Hecht showed me that if someone gives you security checks, you better check if they can be cashed at the bank.
You need to check the financial state of the contractor.
You have to get an inspector that will supervise the building process.
So far, this kind of scam is not considered as a crime.
The contractor can charge a head a lot of money, a lot more than he needs for the work, that's insane.
There is not yet any law that forces a contractor to be honest and complete the work according to the contract that he makes. No regulations, no laws, too many innocent people that have no clue about construction, the scammers celebrate.
Your take, mylotters, do you have any opinion about the constructing and renovations market ? Do you know some about the law or some scammers ? Please share.
5 people like this
6 responses
@Ceerios (4698)
• Goodfellow, Texas
28 Aug 16
@stringer321 - Friend Mor - This story has no ending - It simply repeats itself time and again. If an innocent can be cheated, he or she will be cheated. There are some people who live and breathe the art of cheating others. One must lose the innocence and begin to dwell in the real world - and there are "apps" that assist in that endeavor. By "apps" I guess that I am referring to "lessons," one of which is to be cheated and thus learn what it is all about. -Gus-
2 people like this
@stringer321 (5682)
• Kiryat Ata, Israel
28 Aug 16
I will install this lessons application right now then.
I read about how to avoid scams and how to recognize scammers in general.
That is hard to do. Scammers have many different characteristics.
One good thing to do is to suspect and investigate.
2 people like this
@Ceerios (4698)
• Goodfellow, Texas
28 Aug 16
@stringer321 - Friend Mor - It would likely be unwise to seek to be cheated or scammed, but those lessons come along of their own accord, typically when you least expect them. -Gus-
1 person likes this
@sofssu (23660)
•
27 Aug 16
We are dealing with a corrupt generation. Its a plague this kind of cheating..but why isn't considered a crime in your country? People shouldn't pay up all that money upfront.. we pay only in stages after a certain promised level of work has been completed.
1 person likes this
@stringer321 (5682)
• Kiryat Ata, Israel
27 Aug 16
All right, in my country many people are innocent and there is not yet enough regulation in this area of renovations and building.
While writing this comment, I send a question to the ministry of construction and housing.
I ask them what can I do as a civilian, to avoid scams like in the TV show.
I also ask them what do they do to prevent such scams.
I hope they will answer soon and I will post their answer (as a photo and I will translate)
@GardenGerty (169479)
• United States
18 Oct 17
I am not sure we have security checks given here. I think we get insurance on the property. It is customary to get an estimate, pay one third to begin the contracted work, one third when it is half completed and the final third is only paid when the final work is done in a satisfactory way.
@stringer321 (5682)
• Kiryat Ata, Israel
18 Oct 17
Thank you very much for reviving this old discussion, I wish it would not be relevant anymore, but, contructors still scam all around...
The arrangement you bring here is very fair for both sides. I think inspectors are also needed to monitor the work process. Sometimes, flaws in the work bring bad results after some time, like a roof that was not taken care of properly, starts to leak with rain in the winter...
@arthurchappell (44941)
• Preston, England
24 Oct 16
the laws are more stringent here but such so-called 'cowboy builders' are still a problem for many
@stringer321 (5682)
• Kiryat Ata, Israel
24 Oct 16
Cowboy builders, sounds just like the phrase they deserve to have.
1 person likes this
@stringer321 (5682)
• Kiryat Ata, Israel
19 Oct 16
In South Africa ?
Can you please tell me about an example that happened there ?
When I imagine Africa, all I see is a desert, some lions and and some jungles, some African tribes...
How is it like living in South Africa, what do you do there ?
1 person likes this
@Inlemay (17712)
• South Africa
20 Oct 16
@stringer321 You are very misinformed - South Africa is a brilliant modern and very cosmopolitan country - we have reserves for the animals and wild, and the deserts are in other reserves. We are lawyers, doctors, teachers, accountants, civil engineers, mechanical engineers, electrical engineers like my husband. I teach ballet.
@Inlemay (17712)
• South Africa
21 Oct 16
@stringer321 nothing to do with me - I write under a pseudonym
@stringer321 (5682)
• Kiryat Ata, Israel
4 Sep 16
Can you please tell me about it ? Maybe some examples ?
What do you think can be done to avoid such scams ?
