Dashed Dreams
After working in Hangzhou, China for several years, Ms. Zhang decided to stay and settle down in the city. She got married and had a child.
After her child was born, Ms. Zhang discussed with her husband about buying a bigger apartment. They decided to buy a 139m2 apartment for over 5 million yuan (more than 17 billion VND), including a parking space.
“A while ago, the developer announced that the construction of the apartment was 100% completed. Some homeowners went to see it in person, but they found that it was different from the advertised images. The exterior of the building doesn’t look modern or attractive, it looks like a newly finished construction site,” Ms. Zhang shared.
Advertisement image provided by the developer. |
The pictures provided by Ms. Zhang show the difference between the images she took and the developer’s advertisement images. The facade in the advertisement looks better, with more colors, while the actual exterior of the building, after completion, is gray like a newly finished construction site.
“This is false advertising, deceiving the customers,” Ms. Zhang complained.
Another buyer who purchased an apartment in the same project commented, “I bought a beautiful apartment, but the developer delivered an apartment that looks like it’s newly finished. Over 100 homeowners are facing this situation, and we don’t have any words to say.”
According to the homeowners’ reports, they contacted the construction company of the apartment building after the incident.
Initially, the developer was relatively cooperative and proposed a solution to fix the issues. However, recently, when homeowners contacted the developer again, they refused to make any repairs.
Upset with the developer’s attitude, the homeowners sent a letter to the media to raise awareness about the issue.
In the afternoon of March 12, Ms. Xu, the representative of the developer, met with the reporters. She stated that they are coordinating to address the problem and actively seeking solutions. The developer will also organize a meeting between the homeowners, the developer, and the media to clarify the issues.
Images of the unfinished apartment buildings. |
Meanwhile, Mr. Chen, who lives in Tiaosan, China, discovered that the developer changed the exterior paint color of the apartment buildings without consulting the homeowners. According to the original design, the exterior facade was supposed to be gray-white and looked very elegant. However, the developer arbitrarily changed it to khaki, which looks old-fashioned and gloomy.
After investigating, the homeowners found that the actual color of the exterior paint was different from the previous advertisements. Some homeowners even reported that there are cracks on the walls, even though the construction is relatively new.
Living in Fear
The issue with the apartment not matching the advertisement is not the only concern. Many people are also worried about spending a large sum of money but receiving an apartment with poor quality.
Mr. Mo, who lives in Taizhou, China, reported that three years ago, he and his wife spent 2 million yuan (7 billion VND) to buy a 105m2 apartment.
“In June last year, the house was supposed to be handed over as scheduled, but it was delayed. It wasn’t until January this year that the apartment was officially delivered,” Mr. Mo shared.
After receiving the apartment, the residents had concerns about its quality.
“The kitchen has many areas that haven’t been tiled, the bathrooms are not waterproofed, and the door frames have peeling paint. Some people even discovered that the doors were not properly installed when they received their apartments,” Mr. Mo shared.
 Many areas are still messy, causing safety concerns for the residents. |
After a heavy rain, the roofs and entrances of the parking garage in the building collapsed. Some exposed electrical wires also compromised the aesthetics and safety of the residents.
Another apartment owner stated, “When buying the apartment, the developer advertised that it would be a new residential area in the city center with beautiful gardens and a pathway leading to a nearby large supermarket. However, it hasn’t been completed yet.”
Regarding why the homeowners still agreed to sign the sales contracts despite the poor quality, the homeowners explained that the project had two phases. Phase 1 had already been delivered, but during the construction of Phase 2, the developer faced financial difficulties. Homeowners had two choices: to sign the sales contract or to consider the money they had already paid as a debt owed by the developer.
After involving the media, the developer stated that they would review the homeowners’ issues. However, Mr. Mo believed that “the developer always makes good promises but fails to fulfill them. They have said similar things before, but it had no effect.”
Hong Khanh (Source: News)
