David in Port Credit

After purchasing a home in need of a facelift, we interviewed a number of contractors to review our renovation wish list and quote on our first major project: the master en-suite. While all the contractors came well referred, John seemed to be the most thoughtful in terms of providing suggestions and alternatives that would allow us to achieve our goals but also keep cost in mind. He provided a detailed quote in a timely manner, offered to introduce us to all the team that would work on the project and generally seemed to value his reputation in the market and the satisfaction of his past and future clients. He also introduced us to a number of his trades (paint, carpet) so that we could work with them directly and thereby avoid his fees for managing them. Based on his professionalism, portfolio and personality we selected him as our contractor. When we had him come back for the final quote, we liked some of his ideas so much that we expanded the project scope beyond the remodel of the master bath to include construction of a laundry closet upstairs, re-carpeting of the house, addition of some pot lights, and removal of a stipple ceiling. As the project continued, we then went a step further and add re-facing of a fireplace, updating of the powder room, repainting of almost the entire interior, a gut and rebuild of a second upstairs bathroom and replacement of our front door. Not surprisingly, what began as a 2.5 month job ended up taking 5 months but not for lack of effort and commitment. I’ve worked with contractors in the past who would show up for one week, then disappear for the next. We had a crew of 2 to 6 guys working 7 days a week from 7:30am to 5:30pm, stopping only for the holidays. Damian, the site supervisor, was incredible – extremely helpful and easy-going. He kept us apprised of what was going on every day, answered any questions we had and cared a lot about the work and our satisfaction. Colin and the rest of the crew were great to work with too, but Damian really was exceptional. If you’re going to work with Oborne, I would recommend you request Damian and you won’t be disappointed. As with all renovations, the project had its ups and downs and a few bumps along the road. We came home to a few unexpected holes in walls and ceilings as well as some items that weren’t quite done right or the way we expected. To their credit, though, all of these minor problems (which never seem so minor at the time) were resolved quickly and ultimately the finished product was of extremely high quality. The workmanship was great and the attention to detail beyond reproach. We love what they did and would recommend them to anyone looking for a top quality, dependable contractor who really cares about their clients’ satisfaction.

Purchased a new Sony big screen 53" projection TV and had problems with it from day one. Picture was distorted, colours were way off, text on the screen couldn't be read. Had 2 repair companies come through Sony, who took it away for months at a time and could never fix the problem. Finally the warranty period expired and I was left with a $3,000 paper weight. Would never buy a Sony TV again.

Had both stove and fridge repaired under extended warranty. Sears was very fast, responsive and resolved the problem quickly at no additional cost. I was very surprised to get this level of service from a large retailer. Highly recommended.