Does Homeworks Pattaya Have The Worst Service On Planet Earth?

[jaansinatra]

Reasonable people know that service in thailand may not live up to western standards we might get in our home country, but Homeworks Pattaya has set new lows for bad service. For a place so highly staffed, with lots of English speakers around,in my opinion they are the worst possible store to do business with. when things are going well, they are fine. but god forbid something is wrong with your purchase, you can forget about getting any help.

your only recourse will be to dispute the charge with your credit card company back home. if you paid cash, you're out of luck. i'm not going to go into any detail of what they did, but i will never consider spending 1 baht in that store again, and i would strongly encourage others to think twice before going there.

i have to rate stores based on how they treat people under bad circumstances. Homeworks Pattaya receives an F minus grade.

Boonthavorn seems to be the best in town but they don't carry everything.

If you're in doubt, I would suggest avoiding Homeworks pPattaya.

[Chang_paarp]

Which one is homeworks? You have successfully discribed most of the ***home*** stores in the area.

[redman]

Strange post which bad mouths a company but refuses to say what they did. Personally, I have used Homeworks many times and my only beef is that things slow up around the admin counter. Would certainly rate them on a par with any other similar store.

[NotNew2You]

Agreed. Not a very useful post without any details. I have shopped for hardware and paint there and the service has been fine. I ordered a custom sized wooden door also and had no problems. Have not ordered any "complicated" from them but so far, on par with Home Pro, Boonthavorn, and Kanyoom IMO.

[JohnC]

I bought four ceiling lights/fans from Homeworks, four weeks later one packed in, went to the store and they sent the guy from the shop floor round, he fixed it then asked for payment for his motorbike and time, my partner insisted we pay him (it was only 400 baht). about three weeks later the same fan packed in again so I went to homeworks and complained, they sent the same guy around again who repaired it and again asked for money as I was alone I refused citing the guarentee he asked to speak to my partner on the phone which I obliged and explained that under guarentee there should be no charge. The excuse I was given was that he would have to remove the whole unit and take it back to the store for repair and it would take around six weeks, fine I said do that! He left having repaired the light/fan without payment and its worked fine ever since! Since then I have not purchased any major articles from that store.

[innovator]

Well, this is the type of complaint that is so minor in comparison to the drive-bye shootings, muggings, beating, pickpocketing, yaba freaks, and on and on....I can't understand how some posters feel that something so minor is even worth attention, but when a real danger appears, all of the sudden a bunch of pro-Pattaya People/experts come out of the closet and bash the good folks who are complaining about real danger????

The primary reason to report dangerous situations is not so that everyone will head for the airport. The reason is to warn and educate others about the rising crime rates and frequent episodes...not only near the tourist areas, but all over the Pattaya/Jomtien region.

[Pattaya46]

Well, this is the type of complaint that is so minor in comparison to the drive-bye shootings, muggings, beating, pickpocketing, yaba freaks, and on and on.. // about the rising crime rates and frequent episodes...

What are you talking about ??

How do yaba and crimes relate to HomeWorks ?

I do know that my English is not good, but here I think something is wrong somewhere...

[CHdiver]

I bought four ceiling lights/fans from Homeworks, four weeks later one packed in, went to the store and they sent the guy from the shop floor round, he fixed it then asked for payment for his motorbike and time, my partner insisted we pay him (it was only 400 baht). about three weeks later the same fan packed in again so I went to homeworks and complained, they sent the same guy around again who repaired it and again asked for money as I was alone I refused citing the guarentee he asked to speak to my partner on the phone which I obliged and explained that under guarentee there should be no charge. The excuse I was given was that he would have to remove the whole unit and take it back to the store for repair and it would take around six weeks, fine I said do that! He left having repaired the light/fan without payment and its worked fine ever since! Since then I have not purchased any major articles from that store.

If your Partner is Thai, then I would question his action too. I don't think if a Thai would be in the same situation he would hand over his money. But as it was your money, your Partner did not care as much.

[enfield951]

I bought four ceiling lights/fans from Homeworks, four weeks later one packed in, went to the store and they sent the guy from the shop floor round, he fixed it then asked for payment for his motorbike and time, my partner insisted we pay him (it was only 400 baht). about three weeks later the same fan packed in again so I went to homeworks and complained, they sent the same guy around again who repaired it and again asked for money as I was alone I refused citing the guarentee he asked to speak to my partner on the phone which I obliged and explained that under guarentee there should be no charge. The excuse I was given was that he would have to remove the whole unit and take it back to the store for repair and it would take around six weeks, fine I said do that! He left having repaired the light/fan without payment and its worked fine ever since! Since then I have not purchased any major articles from that store.

If your Partner is Thai, then I would question his action too. I don't think if a Thai would be in the same situation he would hand over his money. But as it was your money, your Partner did not care as much.

I have used Homeworks for large and small purchases , fairly regularly,since they opened around 2 years ago.

I have had items delivered etc. and never had cause for complaint.I find them superior in their range to Homepro.

If you don't know it ,it is between Tesco Lotus and Big C on Sukhumvit Road.

[jaansinatra]

too bad no one got the point that when things go well, homeworks was fine. but when things go wrong, you will quickly see what i mean.

one thing they did was when an item scanned the wrong price, (almost 50% higher), it took an hour to sort it out. after an hour of meetings, discussions, more meetings, more discussions, their attitude was "oh ok, we will give you the difference back". so i was supposed to feel happy i paid the price marked and advertised. in other words, they expected me the customer to expect to be overcharged.

another thing they did was deliver a piece of furniture they assembled at their store, to my condo. i signed that i received it, not that i had inspected it, but only i had received it. two minutes later, after the delivery people left, i noticed some concealed damage on the underside of a shelf. eventhough i called them two minutes after they left, they accused me of doing the damage. now they want me to wait home all day for them to come and pick it up, then i'm to come to the store, probably waste an hour, get a refund. then i'm suppsoed to go back exactly ten days later, pay again, then wait for them to deliver it again. and my proposed compensation for all this was the prospect of a free burlap bag of some sort which i refused.

a faster route was to simply dispute the charge with my credit card company, which i already did, got a full credit for the item, which will turn into a permanent credit in about 30 days, because my credit card has a policy that they guarantee i will get what i pay for. so i'll get to keep the junky furniture and get my money back too.

that is how to deal with crooks. and their assembly person that put it together surely noticed it was broken, but he still delivered it, probably cause he didn't want to get blamed for breaking it. so when they get the chargeback from my credit card company that explains the reason, maybe they will have a talk with their incompetant assembly person that caused me grief and time.

Edited July 26, 2008 by jaansinatra

[Digger]

too bad no one got the point that when things go well, homeworks was fine. but when things go wrong, you will quickly see what i mean.

one thing they did was when an item scanned the wrong price, (almost 50% higher), it took an hour to sort it out. after an hour of meetings, discussions, more meetings, more discussions, their attitude was "oh ok, we will give you the difference back". so i was supposed to feel happy i paid the price marked and advertised. in other words, they expected me the customer to expect to be overcharged.

another thing they did was deliver a piece of furniture they assembled at their store, to my condo. i signed that i received it, not that i had inspected it, but only i had received it. two minutes later, after the delivery people left, i noticed some concealed damage on the underside of a shelf. eventhough i called them two minutes after they left, they accused me of doing the damage. now they want me to wait home all day for them to come and pick it up, then i'm to come to the store, probably waste an hour, get a refund. then i'm suppsoed to go back exactly ten days later, pay again, then wait for them to deliver it again. and my proposed compensation for all this was the prospect of a free burlap bag of some sort which i refused.

a faster route was to simply dispute the charge with my credit card company, which i already did, got a full credit for the item, which will turn into a permanent credit in about 30 days, because my credit card has a policy that they guarantee i will get what i pay for. so i'll get to keep the junky furniture and get my money back too.

that is how to deal with crooks. and their assembly person that put it together surely noticed it was broken, but he still delivered it, probably cause he didn't want to get blamed for breaking it. so when they get the chargeback from my credit card company that explains the reason, maybe they will have a talk with their incompetant assembly person that caused me grief and time.

Pretty sad I would think - but if it floats your boat go with it - I have never had any issues with this store and use them often.

Somehow someone has to be guilty and its never the customer but as I say, just go with it.

[Heng]

I'll be on the lookout as I am a regular Homeworks (and Home Pro, and Kanyong) customer as well. I've never experienced anything other than servile grovelling and quick to snap to attention and action service.

[Rimmer]

I have spent over 1m baht in Homeworks and have had only minor problems that were easily solved with a few words from my GF.

Wonder who the crook really is here? Taking goods from a store then canceling the transaction AND keeping the goods.

We all know about marked up prices and checkout price mistakes so how come the OP did not check the charges on the screen at the checkout? I always do and if it does not agree then no need to pay, saves a lot of grief down the line.

[JimmyTheMook]

They all suck with the staff standing around in groups either yakking away or picking the odd pimple off their face with some sort of pointy hand tool.

[NanLaew]

JAFN!

Item 1: Where, in the store employees actions that you have described, is there any evidence of clear intent to overcharge you?

Item 2: Is there any store anywhere in the world where there is a separate sign-off for 'Received' versus 'Inspected'?

Item 3: As already pointed out, at this point in time you have committed a fraud.

Item 4: Maybe we have another criminal moving in to Pattaya?

As I said before, JAFN.

[NotNew2You]

too bad no one got the point that when things go well, homeworks was fine. but when things go wrong, you will quickly see what i mean. ...

blah, blah, blah...I fear what we have here is another one of those complaining farangs who move to Thailand and expect everything to be just like back home and cannot understand why a developing country with a capita income 1/10th where they came from can't be the same. Personally, I find most all types of retail shops provide fairly good service. This "newbie" will probably be posting daily about his frustrations in Pattaya...I wonder why these people ever move here?

[NanLaew]

You got that right nn2u, that's why I have coined the new, snappy label 'JAFN' for them.

Just Another F***ing Newbie.

(Opposed to JimmyTheMook who is a serial JAFIAL)

Edited July 27, 2008 by NanLaew

[jaansinatra]

JAFN!

Item 1: Where, in the store employees actions that you have described, is there any evidence of clear intent to overcharge you?

Item 2: Is there any store anywhere in the world where there is a separate sign-off for 'Received' versus 'Inspected'?

Item 3: As already pointed out, at this point in time you have committed a fraud.

Item 4: Maybe we have another criminal moving in to Pattaya?

As I said before, JAFN.

1. price rung up almost 50% higher, took over an hour just to get my money back. their attitude was that I was a crook. offered nothing for the inconvenience of helping train them to sort out their theiving.

2. absolutely. their delivery document is all in Thai so i really don't know nor can be held accountable for what i'm signing.

3. my credit card company allows me to dispute charges when I don't get what is promised. where is the fraud? just because i take advantage and am smart enough to choose a credit card that offers this policy/service, you think I am a fraud? perhaps you're jealolus your card doesn't offer that to you.

4. yes, and most likely those that accuse others of being frauds, with no evidence, and more likely the ones that could be charged with slander and libel.

[enfield951]

JAFN!

Item 1: Where, in the store employees actions that you have described, is there any evidence of clear intent to overcharge you?

Item 2: Is there any store anywhere in the world where there is a separate sign-off for 'Received' versus 'Inspected'?

Item 3: As already pointed out, at this point in time you have committed a fraud.

Item 4: Maybe we have another criminal moving in to Pattaya?

As I said before, JAFN.

1. price rung up almost 50% higher, took over an hour just to get my money back. their attitude was that I was a crook. offered nothing for the inconvenience of helping train them to sort out their theiving.

2. absolutely. their delivery document is all in Thai so i really don't know nor can be held accountable for what i'm signing.

3. my credit card company allows me to dispute charges when I don't get what is promised. where is the fraud? just because i take advantage and am smart enough to choose a credit card that offers this policy/service, you think I am a fraud? perhaps you're jealolus your card doesn't offer that to you.

4. yes, and most likely those that accuse others of being frauds, with no evidence, and more likely the ones that could be charged with slander and libel.

Have you never dealt with MFI ? That's the furniture mob,by the way, not an arm of the British Secret Service.

They operate in a similar fashion,but it all gets sorted in the end.

Just chill out,and look at the temperature and price of petrol etc. You will realise things are not so bad.

[NanLaew]

JAFN!

Item 1: Where, in the store employees actions that you have described, is there any evidence of clear intent to overcharge you?

Item 2: Is there any store anywhere in the world where there is a separate sign-off for 'Received' versus 'Inspected'?

Item 3: As already pointed out, at this point in time you have committed a fraud.

Item 4: Maybe we have another criminal moving in to Pattaya?

As I said before, JAFN.

Dear JAFN,

1. price rung up almost 50% higher, took over an hour just to get my money back. their attitude was that I was a crook. offered nothing for the inconvenience of helping train them to sort out their theiving.

Oh now they have an attitude and made out like you were the crook. In your opening post you commented that the service here in Thailand probably isn't like Home Depot or B&Q and then get all surprised, indignant and stroppy when it turns out to be just that way. Do you honestly think that this store or it's staff set out to steal from you?

2. absolutely. their delivery document is all in Thai so i really don't know nor can be held accountable for what i'm signing.

Well bugger me JAFN, you are in Thailand after all but if you wish to stretch your rather thin point, why did you sign something you didn't understand?

3. my credit card company allows me to dispute charges when I don't get what is promised. where is the fraud? just because i take advantage and am smart enough to choose a credit card that offers this policy/service, you think I am a fraud? perhaps you're jealolus your card doesn't offer that to you.

Your credit card is like most others allows you dispute illegitimate charges. However, like most others, they will take a pretty dim view of you claiming a refund AND keeping the merchandise. That's not clever, that's theft.

4. yes, and most likely those that accuse others of being frauds, with no evidence, and more likely the ones that could be charged with slander and libel.

Hey JAFN, the evidence is already here, written by your oh so clever self. Keep on digging your hole but I would read the small print on both your credit card agreement AND get a translation of that delivery note you signed.

Enjoy your (short) stay here.

[Chaimai]

Reasonable people know that service in thailand may not live up to western standards we might get in our home country

OP - are you serious !

Are you familiar with that famous UK oxymoron "customer service".

Have you experienced UK "service" lately ? Even the 7-11 staff can (sometimes) be better than the banks, retailers and for getting help in a DIY store forget.

In my view service in Thailand is generallly far better than the UK and they are able to throw people at it

Ever had to queue in a bank or the post office in the UK?

You have to make an appointment to open an account - even a secondary one and God forbid you want to do something complicated like change a standing order. As for the Post Office, you have to wait while a badly scripted sales pitch is spewed out on some 85 year old granny who clearly does not want to buy life insurance or travel money !

Last time I was in Siam Commercial bank there was a guard and a lady member of staff to greet you and then another one came to see if she could help me fill out the paying in slip.

I won't even go there with the difference in service attitudes.......

[jaansinatra]

JAFN!

Item 1: Where, in the store employees actions that you have described, is there any evidence of clear intent to overcharge you?

Item 2: Is there any store anywhere in the world where there is a separate sign-off for 'Received' versus 'Inspected'?

Item 3: As already pointed out, at this point in time you have committed a fraud.

Item 4: Maybe we have another criminal moving in to Pattaya?

As I said before, JAFN.

Dear JAFN,

1. price rung up almost 50% higher, took over an hour just to get my money back. their attitude was that I was a crook. offered nothing for the inconvenience of helping train them to sort out their theiving.

Oh now they have an attitude and made out like you were the crook. In your opening post you commented that the service here in Thailand probably isn't like Home Depot or B&Q and then get all surprised, indignant and stroppy when it turns out to be just that way. Do you honestly think that this store or it's staff set out to steal from you?

2. absolutely. their delivery document is all in Thai so i really don't know nor can be held accountable for what i'm signing.

Well bugger me JAFN, you are in Thailand after all but if you wish to stretch your rather thin point, why did you sign something you didn't understand?

3. my credit card company allows me to dispute charges when I don't get what is promised. where is the fraud? just because i take advantage and am smart enough to choose a credit card that offers this policy/service, you think I am a fraud? perhaps you're jealolus your card doesn't offer that to you.

Your credit card is like most others allows you dispute illegitimate charges. However, like most others, they will take a pretty dim view of you claiming a refund AND keeping the merchandise. That's not clever, that's theft.

4. yes, and most likely those that accuse others of being frauds, with no evidence, and more likely the ones that could be charged with slander and libel.

Hey JAFN, the evidence is already here, written by your oh so clever self. Keep on digging your hole but I would read the small print on both your credit card agreement AND get a translation of that delivery note you signed.

Enjoy your (short) stay here.

1. yes i believe they set out to steal from me, or they would have been apologetic about the theft they attempted.

2. i signed a document in thai because i had already invested too much time. i'm still quite certain it's simply a delivery acknowledgment and not an acknowledment that i had inspected every centimeter of the piece, inside the out, above and below, every joint, etc.

3. i know very well what my credit card policy is. i 'm sorry your policy isn't as good as mine is.

4. no comment needed. you've dug a deep enough hole for yourself.

[JimmyTheMook]

You got that right nn2u, that's why I have coined the new, snappy label 'JAFN' for them.

Just Another F***ing Newbie.

(Opposed to JimmyTheMook who is a serial JAFIAL)

Got the JAF , what is the IAL ?

[moo9]

I did not frequent Homeworks too many times, but I thought it was ok. I bought some floor tiles there and other stuff, so far no problem with it.

[NanLaew]

1. yes i believe they set out to steal from me, or they would have been apologetic about the theft they attempted.

I can see it already. Socially challenged and inexperienced farang with with no knowledge of the language and even less culturally aware shows anger and rudeness when confronted with routine shopping challenge in an alien environment.

2. i signed a document in thai because i had already invested too much time. i'm still quite certain it's simply a delivery acknowledgment and not an acknowledment that i had inspected every centimeter of the piece, inside the out, above and below, every joint, etc.

Signs a piece of paper without having a clue of what it says because he wants to appear as all-knowing and clever rather than the new, scared and not very bright farang that he really is.

3. i know very well what my credit card policy is. i 'm sorry your policy isn't as good as mine is.

Has even less awareness of his legal commitments as party to the contract he has signed with his credit card company.

4. no comment needed. you've dug a deep enough hole for yourself.

"Never argue with a fool . . . . .they'll bring you down to their level and beat you every time with their experience . . . . "

[jaansinatra]

1. yes i believe they set out to steal from me, or they would have been apologetic about the theft they attempted.

I can see it already. Socially challenged and inexperienced farang with with no knowledge of the language and even less culturally aware shows anger and rudeness when confronted with routine shopping challenge in an alien environment.

2. i signed a document in thai because i had already invested too much time. i'm still quite certain it's simply a delivery acknowledgment and not an acknowledment that i had inspected every centimeter of the piece, inside the out, above and below, every joint, etc.

Signs a piece of paper without having a clue of what it says because he wants to appear as all-knowing and clever rather than the new, scared and not very bright farang that he really is.

3. i know very well what my credit card policy is. i 'm sorry your policy isn't as good as mine is.

Has even less awareness of his legal commitments as party to the contract he has signed with his credit card company.

4. no comment needed. you've dug a deep enough hole for yourself.

"Never argue with a fool . . . . .they'll bring you down to their level and beat you every time with their experience . . . . "

regarding #4-- so why did you bother to respond if you're so much smarter and call call others more clever than you "fools"?

now who looks like the fool?

[NanLaew]

regarding #4-- so why did you bother to respond if you're so much smarter and call call others more clever than you "fools"?

now who looks like the fool?

"Sad newbie farang with the hard-on for HomeWorks" for 200 please Alex.

[Beardog]

Reasonable people know that service in thailand may not live up to western standards we might get in our home country, but Homeworks Pattaya has set new lows for bad service. For a place so highly staffed, with lots of English speakers around,in my opinion they are the worst possible store to do business with. when things are going well, they are fine. but god forbid something is wrong with your purchase, you can forget about getting any help.

your only recourse will be to dispute the charge with your credit card company back home. if you paid cash, you're out of luck. i'm not going to go into any detail of what they did, but i will never consider spending 1 baht in that store again, and i would strongly encourage others to think twice before going there.

i have to rate stores based on how they treat people under bad circumstances. Homeworks Pattaya receives an F minus grade.

Boonthavorn seems to be the best in town but they don't carry everything.

If you're in doubt, I would suggest avoiding Homeworks pPattaya.

If you really want an eye opener Try kangyong hardware just outside of Pattaya. One English speaking man & if you let him go before you are done with everything your doomed. That & the Thai's do not seem to understand Thai or anything to do with basic construction. They (most of them wouldn't make it a half a day working at Macdonald's.

Boonthavorn I think is the best , a little pricey but to me worth the value.For bathroom & kitchen they are way better than the home pro-homeworks home mart shops. I inquired & they will order pretty much anything you want- you have to be explicit in explaining what you want. You can be sure of that.

Edited July 31, 2008 by Beardog

[buckeroo2]

Reasonable people know that service in thailand may not live up to western standards we might get in our home country, but Homeworks Pattaya has set new lows for bad service. For a place so highly staffed, with lots of English speakers around,in my opinion they are the worst possible store to do business with. when things are going well, they are fine. but god forbid something is wrong with your purchase, you can forget about getting any help.

your only recourse will be to dispute the charge with your credit card company back home. if you paid cash, you're out of luck. i'm not going to go into any detail of what they did, but i will never consider spending 1 baht in that store again, and i would strongly encourage others to think twice before going there.

i have to rate stores based on how they treat people under bad circumstances.

Homeworks Pattaya receives an F minus grade.

Boonthavorn seems to be the best in town but they don't carry everything.

If you're in doubt, I would suggest avoiding Homeworks pPattaya.

If you really want an eye opener Try kangyong hardware just outside of Pattaya. One English speaking man & if you let him go before you are done with everything your doomed. That & the Thai's do not seem to understand Thai or anything to do with basic construction. They (most of them wouldn't make it a half a day working at Macdonald's.

Boonthavorn I think is the best , a little pricey but to me worth the value.For bathroom & kitchen they are way better than the home pro-homeworks home mart shops. I inquired & they will order pretty much anything you want- you have to be explicit in explaining what you want. You can be sure of that.

I went to Boonathavon Monday to purchase granite for new counter tops. The sales woman was unable to answer any question in regards to how much granite I needed to purchase even though I had the measurements of the area to be covered. She also could not answer any questions about granite vs marble vs tile - advantages, disadvantages. I tried to ask my questions in a manner I thought were easy to understand. I then asked if there was someone else with whom she could consult and she told me to come back later when the regular staff person would be working. I left and purchased elsewhere.

[JimmyTheMook]

I went to Boonathavon Monday to purchase granite for new counter tops. The sales woman was unable to answer any question in regards to how much granite I needed to purchase even though I had the measurements of the area to be covered. She also could not answer any questions about granite vs marble vs tile - advantages, disadvantages. I tried to ask my questions in a manner I thought were easy to understand. I then asked if there was someone else with whom she could consult and she told me to come back later when the regular staff person would be working. I left and purchased elsewhere.

Boonathavon is just about the worst of all of these places. They only have display items and very seldom have any stock.