Two Gauteng building suppliers are accused of collecting the full payment for building materials from customers and later refusing to deliver the goods as agreed.

This follows a Consumer Line article exposing S.P.R.Y. based in Lenasia.

Company owner Shakila Dukkan later refunded clients about R80000 for the material she failed to deliver.

Since the publication of that story about a month ago, two more companies have been accused of a similar unfair business practice.

Milford Mashele, of Vereeniging, cannot complete the construction of his house because he has not received material worth R42729 from Jozi Bricks that he paid for in November.

Mashele, 50, bought a piece of land to build a house for his family of six.

He said his builder gave him a quotation for the amount and type of material needed for the construction of the nine-roomed house and double garage.

He said he did an internet search and came across Jozi Bricks, who promised a good relationship and a delivery service that exceeds customers' expectations.

"I then visited them and told David I wanted to take occupation of the house before the Easter holidays as I am expecting visitors around that time," Mashele said.

He said he received the foundation material, 150 bags of cement and bricks.

Windows, roof tiles and timber were not delivered, said Mashele.

"If they were not loading the material, their excuse would be the falling rain until they closed for December holidays," Mashele said.

Mashele gave them an extension until the end of January, but Jozi Bricks still failed to honour their side of the contract.

"I had no option but to cancel the contract and demanded my refund," he said. "They calculated the outstanding material to the tune of R42729, which David, the owner of Jozi Bricks, promised to pay in 14 working days.

"Today it's March 7 and I have not received my refund," he said last week.

Brandon Harrison said they could not deliver because he had provided incorrect addresses.

"We were put under pressure to deliver at short notice to rectify said wrong deliveries, but were not granted grace when our factory was unable to deliver on time when our production had failed."

Harrison said the matter has been delayed due to unforeseen circumstances and he would like to apologise for any undue suffering caused.

Harrison offered to refund his money by March 27 but threatened Sowetan that "any unwarranted negative press given to this matter will further delay all processes and put us all in a negative spiral from which we will not recover".

Selwyn Sander, owner of Lisel Building Supplies in Benoni, on the East Rand, refused to deliver paving material after Bantu Mkhonto, 58, of Witbank paid for it in full.

Mkhonto said: "It's been now seven months and now he told me I'm stupid and he is a lawyer and I won't get my money back."

Sander said there was no one available when they went to deliver the material to the address given and offered to refund Mkhonto R8800.