ComplaintsforBenjamin Franklin Plumbing of Western Arizona

• Initial Complaint

  11/16/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  On Nov. 2, 2023, Benjamin Franklin Plumbing sent **** to perform the free "Hero's plumbing inspection". They have been doing this for seven years, ever since they installed a new water heater. I was not present for the inspection but my sister and her husband were. **** recommended putting on a larger drain valve to make it easier to drain the sediment out of the water heater tank. He used about $35 worth of parts (retail price), took two hours and charged $792. I feel that this price is way beyond anything reasonable for the job that was done.I stopped at their office in ******* on Monday Nov. 13, 2023. The only person there that would talk to me was the front desk secretary and she didn't have any information. She assured me that **** would call me to discuss the price. As of Thursday afternoon, I have not receiver a call.

  Business response

  11/17/2023

  Thank you, ********************, for contacting us about your experience. Our plumbers carry a straightforward price guide. All of our prices are listed in this, and we show our clients this guide. This work was authorized, signed and paid for by ************************ brother, who also is a part owner of the home. ***********, ****, did his job appropriately and swiftly as he is a great plumber. With that being said, customer satisfaction is our number one priority, and I authorized a portion to be refunded for customer satisfaction. ******************** was satisfied with this outcome, and I am happy he will remain one of our amazing clients.

  Customer response

  11/17/2023

  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me.  I will wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved.
  
  Regards,
  
  *****************************
  
   
  

• Initial Complaint

  09/14/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  8/23/22 I had Ben ********************** come out to look at a sewer issue and was informed that I have OLD **** piping under the house. Well, I paid BF approximately $14,000 in January of 2021 to replace all of the plumbing under the house! So, after paying $69 for that and NOT even solving the sewer problem, I called BF. The person I spoke to let me know that she would send a senior plumber to the house on Friday to take care of everything and find out why I would have old **** piping since it was all replaced. Not only did no one show after texting they were on the way at 2:45pm, my renter called at 5pm to find out what was happening. She was misinformed and later called saying they had to cancel. "If there's any delay, it's you we pay!" is their motto, ($5 for every minute late, up to $300, per Consumer Affairs). My renter was out $200 in appts for the cancelled call. BF won't honor their motto and haven't called me back about it. 8/27 - The senior plumber arrives and "remembers" replacing all of the plumbing! I am partially appeased by this... but who is lying to me? And though ***** did solve the sewer issue, I was charged $472 for the service when I was led to believe that the call would be covered due to the previous visit. I do understand that this is a separate issue and I am willing to pay, but I feel that I should have a credit applied to this exorbitant charge. AND, there is DEFINITELY a bigger issue here. Consumer Affairs also states a 100% satisfaction guarantee for 2 years for materials, labor and craftsmanship. My plumbing replacement still falls in this window. I dread that I will have to hire a lawyer to resolve this issue.

  Business response

  09/20/2022

  I researched the work that was done and indeed Benjamin Franklin Plumbing did replace the piping in the home. The service call that was run after the fact was another incident, not pertaining to the previously replaced pipe.

  With the mention of the "Any delay, it's you we pay" is a solution for our clients, but this is for a paid for guaranteed time slot. The amount that is charged for this guaranteed time slot is $149 and with this charge you do have a guaranteed 1 hour time slot. Unfortunately when the call was booked, this was not asked for and we did offer a day of availability. 

  As far as an additional charge, it looks like Benjamin Franklin Plumbing was called out to the residence in question on 8/27/2022 ($402 charged) was due to a carpet like substance pulled from the mainline cleanout, it was noted that the substance was about 10 feet past the cleanout. If the stoppage was some sort of soft stoppage (normal bodily waste or tissue paper) there would have been no charge. Our company does have a two (2) year warranty on any work done, but due to this not being a normal stoppage a charge was made.

  With the mention of the tenant missing appointments, we as a company never want to disrupt our clients in any way. 

  Our resolution to this concern would be to reimburse the home owner $200 towards the homeowner to disperse to the tenant as needed. Once this resolution has been agreed upon the check will be mailed to the homeowner.

   

  ***********************

  Customer response

  09/21/2022

  Thank you for your response.  I do appreciate the offer, but please understand, I have been told three different versions of what is under the house.  Hunter states that the sewer pipe is old ***** charges me $69 AND DID NOTHING!!!  **** tells me the pipes for water GOING OUT OF THE HOUSE were the only ones replaced. (???)  How does this make ANY sense when I wanted ALL of the plumbing replaced?  (And paid for it!)  Then, *****, the plumber, tells me he remembers doing the job with *****, and did, in fact, replace ALL of the plumbing!  Who do I believe?  I feel that at this point, I need proof.  I would like someone to go under the house and photograph the piping and tell me what I paid for, at your cost.  (Roughly $100 from what I can gather.) 

  Also, "If there's any delay, it's you we pay"... No asterisk and no fine print.  (I have photos of the van.)   The option you speak of, $149 for an hour window was never even mentioned to me when I called.  FALSE ADVERTISING.  

  Again, I do feel obligated to pay the cost of *****'s visit to pull the carpet from the sewer line.  He did the job and I am grateful. I do not feel that I should pay the $69 charged by ****** for NOTHING DONE and possibly lying to me about old clay ************************** let me know how you want to further resolve this matter. 

  Business response

  09/22/2022

  I am more than willing to send ***** out to your property and have him explain to you as well as take pictures for you. He can take the pictures with his phone and email or text them to you whichever works best for you. All that I would need to know is a date that you are available.

  ***********************

  Customer response

  10/19/2022

  Thank you for your response.  Yes, I would like ***** to come out and take photos of the plumbing under the house and explain to me what EXACTLY was done.  Thank you.  I can make myself available most any day before 2pm.  You have my contact number, so please reach out to me to set up a time.  

  
  

    Also, I reimbursed my tenant the $200 of lost income do to the no-show appointment.  I accept your offer to reimburse me for that loss as well.  Thank you.

• Initial Complaint

  08/08/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  8/5/2022 I called in a repair ticket w/ ***************** Plumbing for ***** liquid developing in the brine tank of a water softening system. I purchased the same system from them in 10/2018. I paid approx $3100.00 for the system and the installation. I was told that no maintenance was needed to the system only the addition of salt on an as needed basis. On 8/5 a plumber came to my home and stated that he didn't know anything about the filtration systems and that he was a plumber not a ***********************. The plumber called other plumbers to try and find someone that could assist him. After he described the ***** liquid the plumber on the phone diagnosed the system as failed. It was confirmed to me that the system was still under the manufacturer warranty, therefore it could be replaced. For Ben ********************** to install it, it would cost me $749.00 as the labor to install was not covered under the warranty. This same plumber also notified me that he would be the one to come back to install the warranty replacement system. This repair/ticket visit cost me $69.00. I contacted Ben ********************** again on 8/8 asking how long it would take the warranty replacement to get here. They were unable to answer my question. I also requested that they honor the manufacturer warranty but that I would install it on my own. I was told that I could NOT get the warranty replacement without them installing it. I am unable to utilize the manufacturer warranty for the replacement as the warranty is listed under Ben ********************** Plumbing and not myself, so I can't reach out to the maker on my own. They did not offer any other solution. It was pay the installation fee or don't utilize the warranty. All I have asked for is to abide by the warranty on the machine and replace it. Not honoring a machine warranty unless I pay more does not seem correct. This area has extremely hard water and either water softening system or a R/O is needed for health reasons. That's all I'm asking for is the system that I already paid for.

  Business response

  08/19/2022

  ***************************, Operation Manager, reached out to the manufacturer and set up for plumber to troubleshoot problem directly with Novo. Salt Brim needed to be cleaned from an air born bacteria. Plumber returned on 8/18/2022 and cleaned each piece with sani system solutions per manufacturer specs. System was salt tested and is performing at this time.

  Customer response

  08/19/2022

  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me.  I will wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved.
  
  Regards,
  
  *************************
  
   
  

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