Derrick Baard from Purespace Design delivers bad service

Derrick Baard from Purespace Design was referred to me end July 2017 by Dial a Contractor. It was a disastrous experience with much consequences. Not only did he miss his deadline six times over, when he finally did hand in the plans he could not present proof of delivery when the municipality lost the plans. Furthermore his plans were rejected by the municipality after several months. When the municipality contacted the architect appointed by Derrick it ended up to be a no number. Though the project were pointed out as urgent, there is still no approved plans 9 months down the line. Below discuss the matter in more detail.

The first thing I mentioned when contacting Derrick Baard was that the house is urgent due to a medical condition that I suffer from called EHS. This is a disability, and if one does not get help for it on time, one’s health can collapse. The house was part of the help I would have received, because EHS sufferers need to block microwave radiation emitted from cellphones and wifi. Thus one then builds the house in a way that incorporates this. Not only my health, but also a project that I am involved in that helps threatened species, depended on the timely delivery of the draughtsman services. Thus this was one of the biggest requirements I had, and when I enquired at first, I mentioned this under no uncertain conditions. Seeing I already had a pencil sketch of what I wanted, as well as the building being tiny - just over a 100sqm, the project was not specifically challenging. He did not have to present a proposal or anything similar. I simply needed my tiny drawing translated to something technically sound. Therefore I thought it reasonable to request a 2 week delivery period. Derrick Baard mentioned he can and will deliver in three weeks and suggested 21 August 2017 as deadline. His words were that he likes the deadline for it lends accountability to the project, and that he takes accountability serious. These words strike me as an honest heart and were the main deciding factor for me. There were others that were cheaper and also said they can deliver sooner. They were also in the area, whereas Derrick was in Cape Town (the project is between Kuilsrivier and Stellenbosch). However, I wanted someone with ethical and good principles. His company name also influenced me since I value and strive for pure and ethical dealings.

The 21st came and went. After he missed the 5th suggested deadline I requested my deposit back since it seemed he is not going to deliver after all. By this time he had already set me back tremendously. However when requesting for a refund of my deposit due to failure to deliver, he mentioned this would not be in my best interest. (How?) And requested for yet another chance. I agreed to give him another chance on the premise that he signs a 50% penalty fee agreement. He did, but still did not deliver on the new deadline - this was now 6 times over - so much for strike three.

I felt sorry for him after he mentioned he has financial problems (which I now regret for one would obviously struggle financially if this is the quality service one delivers It did not seem he had too little business, for he was always busy. Furthermore, it is unprofessional to share this with a client - especially seeing we have a penalty arrangement due to his own doings. In hindsight I realise this was actually manipulating me emotionally, since I always try to be kind and considerate to others) I had to keep him accountable, otherwise my word also means nothing, a terrible example to give to someone who obviously already struggles to keep their word. Furthermore he costed me dearly. Not only costs such as having to pay an extra few months of storage (and in the middle of this the storage company went bankrupt so there is a second cost of moving my furniture to a new storage company), but it delayed a conservation project for threatened species, for I can only commence this project once the house project is completed for it is in a remote area It affected the relationship I had with some of the sponsors, and also the survival chances of the threatened species we work with. Furthermore my health took a massive knock because I have not received the emergency housing. My bone marrow is now suppressed, this is terrible - an unmeasurable cost (If you are unfamiliar with this condition, more can be learned on this condition at: https://youtu.be/fqMCjEs9oxE, https://mdsafetech.org/problems/electro-sensitivity/ and www.ehtrust.org) Still I had mercy and forgiveness for Derrick, and said I will lower the penalty fee to the outstanding deposit of 40%. Thus I write the penalty of 50% off, if he is willing to write off the 40% deposit - this way we share in the suffering of damages. Derrick was made full aware of the damages I encountered due to his negligence. Still, this did not change his attitude.

He continually tried to get the 40% that he seemingly wrote of due to a lack of service back. First he asked if I can after all pay 50% of it, and later if I’ll pay an additional R1000 for printing costs… Not considering how his lack of service costed me. He played the victim, when actually I was suffering under him. Obviously I resisted his requests, and by now my patience was tested. That he expects I have to write off everything, but he who caused the situation can’t even do so??

A project that would have taken 3 weeks ended up taking 4,5 months. Please remember, this is a tiny home of just over 100sqms that simply needed to be translated technically from a pencil sketch that was provided. We missed one HOA meeting which added one month. Did he deliver on time this would not be a problem. Still, HOA and all, 3.5 months is not 3 weeks. This is the amount of time one takes to build a small home, not draw it. This also pushes us to December, that caused an additional month delay from the municipality, since they were only willing to generate an invoice in January. Furthermore the plans got lost at the municipality, and Derrick had no proof that he delivered it there to ease tracking. Finally we did track it.

By now I suspected something must be terribly wrong on Derrick’s side. Surely someone cannot have this lack of care without something truly being wrong or challenged in his own life. Most of my work is about caring about others. Because I struggle with disability and also work with those in need, I compassionately asked if he has any personal problems that are keeping him from service delivery. He said his personal life is great! It is just that he really struggled financially. This boggled me, for why does he struggle financially if he is seemingly so busy that he cannot draw and submit a simplistic plan in a 4 month period. Furthermore if in financial trouble and there is nothing else that keeps one back, should one not deliver timely an excellent service to ensure you get the payments of current business soonest? This angered me, for here I struggled tremendous challenges personally, as well as financially, and bothered to still care. But Derrick Baard did not have a care in the world, yet could not care about me as a client. He seemed to suffer only due to his own lack of service delivery.

He missed an email that I sent enquiring when he are planning to hand in the plans for the HOA to approve. When I followed up a couple days later he denied that he received the email. After I’ve sent the proof of the email to his inbox, he projected this error and still blamed me for not seeing this email. It was my fault that he did not see it?? Only after addressing him very directly about this he apologised for the misunderstanding. This is when I had enough. I forwarded the municipality document of Stellenbosch to him, something he should have send to me, and requested that submission would happen no later than Friday else I am forced to share with future clients on Hellopeter what they might experience if dealing with his company. This was on a Monday morning, thus I gave him 5 business days for submission. Regardless that I had sent the links to Stellenbosch municipality forms to him, he still sent incorrect forms to me (Cape Town’s municipality). He then complained that it is 12 pages that needs to be filled in. He mentioned that he has never handed in to Stellenbosch municipality before, and their process is different than Cape Town. This is all good an well, but when I asked him prior appointing him if he is comfortable with Stellenbosch Municipality, he mentioned he has several projects in the area, it won’t be a problem… when he finally had to submit my project, seemingly these projects he previously referred to were only in the pipeline. It really becomes hard to trust Derricks words.

Finally he sent the forms on Thursday afternoon for my signature. I sent it back within more or less two hours. He waited till the last moment to arrange stamping by the HOA and to go to the municipality. The plans ended up being submitted 2 and a half weeks after that Monday where I gave him 5 days to submit. The HOA only added two business days to the factor. This leads me to believe he does not mind if I write a report on Hellopeter.

It is difficult to address any of these matters as he becomes personal if one questions his ethical standards after all these events, by words such as : ‘do you question my integrity?’ Thus one cannot confront these matters, and he denies that these lack of service delivery are problems. Delivering a quality service is far more than product delivery. It is to deliver it in good timing, quality, honesty, and so forth. To stick to your word as much as possible. Service delivery is not a one dimensional experience.

But worsts even, after this tortures bad service, the plans were rejected by the municipality. Derrick Baardman is a draughtsman, and seemingly had to appoint a architect at the municipality to oversea the plans and help with any changes if needed. However, the architect that he appointed’s number seems to be a no number - it only beeeeeep. Thus after all the effort, I am not much further than 9 months ago.

Derrick Baard from PureScape Designs all and all had a terribly negative impact on the project and shows little to no remorse for it. He did mention he is sorry, but this did not change his attitude and he repetitively continued with the same attitude. Then sorry is also just words but not a shift in heart.. There is a difference between remorse and repentance about how one’s actions affected others, opposing to feeling depressed on how one’s own negligence might affect one’s own life negatively. The first leads to change, the other to procrastination, self-pity and narcism.

In conclusion: I would much prefer to have paid the full amount to Derrick and to receive the service we agreed upon initially. This would have costed me far less. Even though this penalty was fair considering all factors, he still tried several ways to get this money back, showing little to no remorse on how his lack of service affected me and the greater good. To me dealing with matters within integrity and truth creates a pure-space. Sorry Derrick, but your company name PureSpace Designs, seems to not add up to the service delivered. In fact so far your services have not helped to streamline the project for it seems to lack certain technical aspects. Hopefully this can be cleared up in the future? Else SACAP will.