ComplaintsforThe Drain Team

• Initial Complaint

  07/05/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Attempted pricing gouging by plumber; he removed a perfectly good pipe with the excuse that he could not cut the pipe due to lack of room; we negotiated initially re the replacement of two bibb valves for a washing machine box; we provided the valves; he was not skilled at soldering connections; the lead was burnt and sloppily done; our cost on invoice was originally 425 reduced by 15 for the two valves; he took out a perfectly good pipe and wanted me to give it to him as a souvenir; at end of job he said that he did additional soldering and wanted 50 bucks more; we refused given that he wrote 410 on our invoice and he knew he had done something wrong by taking out a perfectly good pipe from the bathroom side; a skilled plumber with integrity would have made only one cut in the drywall to remove the old valves; moreover, he did not really check for leaks; he did not use two channel locks, one to hold the main pipe and the other to screw on the valves; finally, my wife asked him a question about the solder dry time - because we had refused to pay him for the so-called extra work which he did to try to increase his fee - he said to my wife - 'I do not want to talk to you'. He gave me a perfunctory answer about the dry time of the solder, which was done in an amateurish manner - whenever he had to do any soldering, he went outside our apartment - he left burn marks on the concrete and did not fully clean the space at the end of the job - I am particularly incensed by the fact of his tone of voice to my wife - he insulted her and by extension he insulted me as well by his disrespectful manner. Consumers should be aware that this plumbing firm is not honest and permits its technical staff to attempt to price gouge consumers for slipshod work. We do also detest the lack of transparency re the price game - he quoted us one price and then after the contract, he came back with another price.

  

  Business response

  07/15/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/07/06) */ Contact Name and Title: Marcus G. Operations Mngr Contact Phone: XXX-XXX-XXXX Contact Email: ********************* I'm very troubled and concerned to hear about the service that we provided on July 4th. After reviewing your complaint and speaking with you over the phone, I agree that our technician acted in an unprofessional manner. Quality craftsmanship, jobsite cleanliness, and a positive attitude are just a few of the things our technicians receive training on before stepping into a customer's home. Occasionally, there may be a need to increase the price of a project due to unforeseen or concealed issues. In your case I do not believe that a price increase was necessary, and you should not have received an invoice with a higher amount than was signed/agreed upon. Our accounting department has been notified that we will not be cashing your check payment in the amount of $410.00. The check will be mailed back to you as requested during our phone conversation on 07/06/2022. If given the opportunity in the future, we would appreciate the opportunity to re-earn your business. Consumer Response /* (3000, 7, 2022/07/10) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) Drainteam failed to mention ‘amateurish’ work that raised customer’s repair costs. In particular, technician ‘cut’ into drywall in both the laundry nook and the bathroom. There was no alledgedly concealed issue. This response attempts to deflect the less-than-professional work of technician who attempted to ‘pad’ his bill by cutting out a perfectly good pipe that he said had to be removed so that he had the room (space) to install the new valves. The cut was made to a pipe on the side of washing machine box where there was ample working space to remove the old valve. In contrast, on the side where the space was limited, no cut was made to any pipes. Firm is supporting their technician and rubber-stamping his misrepresentation of the situation in our unit. Further, it fails to acknowledge the costs, labor and materials, to replace the dry wall in two places. In addition, untrained technician failed to use channel locks on the main pipes underneath the valves and only used a channel lock to tighten the valve. He put unnecessary stress (torque) on the main pipes in an old building with an antiquated plumbing system. This negligence in technique may lead down the road to subsequent leaks in the main pipes (as opposed to the installed valves, which were not secured properly by technician, leading to a leak from the packing nut from the new hot water valve upon testing.) Under pressure, the main pipes may very well spring a leak in future. Finally, the technician was unprofessional and insulted both myself and my wife when questioned regarding the soldering that he did after removing a good pipe. He provided a nontransparent, perfunctory response. Under the circumstances, reimbursement for a shoddy plumbing job is insufficient. Customer has been given unnecessary pain and suffering. We request BBB to approach Drainteam on our behalf and demand a supplementary ‘damage’ fee of $250.00 to defray the cost of repairing the drywalls. The response of Drainteam to our situation sugarcoats the reality that we have been subjected to by a poorly trained technician, who only looked to inflate the price and not provide a quality repair service. Business Response /* (4000, 9, 2022/07/13) */ We will be sending a check for $250.00 per the customer request. Consumer Response /* (2000, 11, 2022/07/13) */ (The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.)

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩