Rather go elsewhere

If you can avoid this business, I would suggest that you do it otherwise you will only be setting yourself up for heartache and a high blood pressure.

We wanted new furniture made and we shopped around for some quotes. Ritage Wood Engineers - the owner Musa - was very quick and responsive during this process. He came back with a fast and very reasonable quote and we decided to go with him. How we regret this decision now. I wish we had read the few reviews of his business because we would have steered clear and dealt with one of the other companies who charged more.

He initially said that the job would take him 2-3 weeks to complete but then sent a quote that said 4-6 weeks (first red flag). Then he was very active and responsive when it came to the 60% deposit being paid so the job could be started.

Deposit was paid June 25. He finally delivered an unfinished product, poorly made and not of the quality and standard promised on August 16 - 8 weeks later and many many phone calls to him with little to no response from him.

We asked this man to make 3 custom beds with drawers underneath, 4 side tables and a display stand. After 6 weeks of phoning him and maybe broken promises he said he would bring the two beds for our sons. He said they were complete and that he would also be bringing the side tables. Instead he brought 2 half finished beds with poor support and no drawers for the beds. He arrived late on. Friday afternoon, knowing full well that I was away and it would only be my wife and son at home. He arrived late and brought an incomplete product and then demanded payment for transportation - which had already been paid for as per his quote.

The beds he made had flimsy planks as support so much so that when our 16 year old son lay on his bed, it broke and fell in. The same happened to the 8 year old a couple of days later. When contacted he said he will bring stronger support and boards for the beds the next week. That never happened and he eventually arrived on Aug 16. The drawers were never fitted to the boy's beds and he also did not make the display stand and when asked why he said "I have not made it and I will make it and bring it next time".

The other bed also has some planks as support and no board as he had originally promised. The workmanship is poor and he has been incredibly unreliable.

To show how unreliable he is:

June 6 - I sent him a message for an update. He responded and said he would give me a call on July 8. I eventually contact hm as he doesn't make contact and he says he is busy with assembling the furniture and preparing to spray it.

July 9 - I ask for another update and he says he will be sure by Wednesday July 12.

July 12- WE contact him AGAIN as he radio silent. He then says he is spray painting that needs to be done. This is after he said he was doing it over the weekend. We tell him to focus on two beds and side tables for our boys and he says he will do that.

July 20 - we call and text all day and his phone is off.

July 21 - He responds and says his battery died and he would call later. We again send loads of messages and try to call but his phone is off again.

July 22 - He responds late at night and says his phone was not charging and he will contact us the next day. He then provides an alternative number and says the boy's beds and pedestals are finished and he will deliver on Wednesday.

July 24 - Send him a message as he still has not contacted us and his phone is off. Again responds late at night and says he will deliver on July 26.

July 25: He said he would deliver the next (July 26) in the afternoon. The next day he says the paint hasn't dried and he will deliver on July 27.

July 27: No contact and no show. After multiple phone calls and whatsapp messages he responds and says he will deliver the next day.

Proceeds to deliver half made beds with no pedestals and no support - beds break. He then says he will replace the planks with boards on Saturday 5 August.

We contact him on Friday 4 August and he says he can't deliver because again the paint is wet? This was stuff he said was completed.

Monday 7 August - we contact him to ask when he will deliver our goods. He responds on Tuesday to say he will deliver on Wednesday.

He fails to deliver on Wednesday 9 August because his transport guy has a burst tyre.

Thursday 10 August - he says he still cannot deliver as he has to fix the clutch kit on the car and the car is not engaging the gears and says he will deliver on Friday 11 August.

Friday 11 August - he says he is trying to arrange alternative transport as his car is still not fixed. Later on he says he will deliver on Saturday 12 August.

Saturday 12 August - he says he will deliver on Monday 15 August.

Monday 15 August - he says his guy is in Kyalami and he will deliver on Tuesday. We obviously stopped believing him a few days ago already but he then delivers the goods which are poorly made on Tuesday eveing and this is why we are here.

I wrote a review on Tuesday morning - which was then removed because I wasn't nice about paying somebody my hard earned money and being taken for a ride.

Please rather take your money to anybody else if you don't want heaps of empty promises, excuses and poor workmanship. Just pay a reputable company to do the work and stop supporting guys like this.