ComplaintsforPlumbing Nerds, LLC

• Initial Complaint

  12/08/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  12/5/23 Lack of transparency in pricing. ******* said the garbage disposal would cost about $500. Emailed invoice showed $595. I asked for an itemized bill to explain the costs. Never provided. Plumber said their parts were better than ********** version. (Same product in box.) Installation took about a half hour; that would come to several hundred dollars/hour labor. I was promised that there would be no trip charge included in the bill; it seems the bill was still 'padded' but I have no way to know how or how much, since there was no line by line cost explanation. Even worse: I contacted their 'customer service' several times to have them explain how they got to the total cost, and they repeatedly put me off. "The manager is away from his desk. he will call you shortly." Calls were never returned, They obviously do not care about customer satisfaction. If there is an error, they should admit it. I do not like being ripped off. Such behavior is suspicious at the least. I would warn people about having dealings with this company. When the plumber arrived, he offered the better model of garbage disposal--about $900 (read $1000). For a garbage disposal! Full disclosure: I received a $35 discount (which everyone gets for a purchase of over $250), and $25 credit because I had to wait an entire day for them to come out the day before.

  

  Business response

  12/21/2023

  The Service Manager, ***, spoke to ****** on 12/8/2023. They discussed Flat Rate pricing and the importance of using that structure versus hourly rates. If we used an hourly rate then a person that *** have less experience would get paid more on a job than a person that has more experience. This is because if you have more experience  it will take you less time to troubleshoot and you will most likely do the job more efficiently. Someone that doesn't have as much experience would take longer and *** make timely mistakes. Hourly rates would make the customer pay more for the less experienced person. We price our jobs basked on the task and not the time. That way if it takes more time the customer doesn't pay more and if the experienced tech does a better job they make the same amount. Our focus is that the technician is not rushed through a job, which hourly rates typically make this happen. We want our technicians to take their time and take care of the customer and their issues and not be rushed. *** and ****** also discussed how we price the tasks of our jobs. 50% is towards the job costs, 40% is company overhead and 1-% is company profit. Without the 10% profit the company will not grow and strive to hire the best talent, ensure the team has quality healthcare, etc. Plumbing Nerds has been in business since ******************************************************************************************************* business. *** said that it was a good conversation and that ****** appreciated the explanation. 

• Initial Complaint

  04/03/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I called above plumbing company to my home to repair a water pressure pipe leak in the master bathroom. The technician completed the job on 11/8/2021 and charged me $483. However the repair was faulty and it started leaking again within approximately a two week period without our knowledge. As a result the inner wall was satuated and developed mold and the hall way floor became wet. I first noticed the repair failed on 2/18/2022, I then called the same company and they came back admitted fault and re-did the job.The technician from Plumbing Nerds then called United Water Restoration to come to our home to evaluate damage and start the dry-out process. As events unfolded I would consistantly request documentation for the work being done and would never get any. I would frequently call to find out what the next process would be to get my home back to its original condition and I constantlly get ignored. It is now 4/3/2022 and my home repairs are no where near complete.

  

  Business response

  04/19/2022

  You are right, we are only as good as our vendors. Simple drywall patch work, painting and vanity install shouldn't take as long as it has. All of us here wish the supply chain wasn't a mess and could secure our materials sooner and it would be nice if our vendors weren't scheduling work 3-4 weeks out. I'm really sorry about the delay and we will continue to push our vendors and suppliers.

  Customer response

  04/26/2022

  (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
  They are using some supply chain issues as an excuse. The bathroom vanity was ordered from *********** it was not a custom order. There are over a hundred ********** stores in Florida. How hard did they try to find a vanity that would fit? From the start there has been very little communication and attention to the damage done to our home due to their negligence. They also refuse to take another look at what we believe to be water damage to the sub floor in the hall way three feet from where the faulty leak repair was. I have talked to other tradesmen and all agreed that this plumbing company 's procedure is to minimize repair cost with no regard to the imposition on us.
  
  This has been going on since 2/18/22 and won't be finished until 2 1/2, almost 3 months later. This should be unacceptable for anyone.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Customer response

  05/19/2022

  (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
  I received a call from **** ************* at the BBB and he asked me if my complaint against Plubing Nerds was resolved. The short answer is no. They have four things to adress to get the repair job complete. 1. Trim and blend the gap between the new vanity and the wall as the new vanity was not the correct dimensions. 2.Complete the finish work on the linen closet threshhold trim. 3.Adrress the loose floor tile in the hall way that was affected by the water leak that was 2-3 feet away. 4. Plumbing Nerds needs to reimburse me $86 for the cost of running dehumidifiers and blowers night and day for a week and a half.

  Customer response

  06/23/2022

  (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
  Though I do agree with Plumbing Nerd's response the complaint is not settled as there are some minor issues to be resolved after I return to my home the first week of July 2022. REP

  

  Business response

  06/23/2022

  This response was provided verbally to BBB:
  
  There are a couple of remaining issues to be fixed. ************** is out of town through 7/5, and we are scheduling the remaining items following his return.

  

  Business response

  06/29/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 7, 2022/04/19) */ You are right, we are only as good as our vendors. Simple drywall patch work, painting and vanity install shouldn't take as long as it has. All of us here wish the supply chain wasn't a mess and could secure our materials sooner and it would be nice if our vendors weren't scheduling work 3-4 weeks out. I'm really sorry about the delay and we will continue to push our vendors and suppliers. Consumer Response /* (3000, 9, 2022/04/26) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) They are using some supply chain issues as an excuse. The bathroom vanity was ordered from Home Depot, it was not a custom order. There are over a hundred Home Depot stores in Florida. How hard did they try to find a vanity that would fit? From the start there has been very little communication and attention to the damage done to our home due to their negligence. They also refuse to take another look at what we believe to be water damage to the sub floor in the hall way three feet from where the faulty leak repair was. I have talked to other tradesmen and all agreed that this plumbing company 's procedure is to minimize repair cost with no regard to the imposition on us. This has been going on since 2/18/22 and won't be finished until 2 1/2, almost 3 months later. This should be unacceptable for anyone. Consumer Response /* (4200, 14, 2022/05/19) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) I received a call from **** (XXX)XXX-XXXX at the BBB and he asked me if my complaint against Plubing Nerds was resolved. The short answer is no. They have four things to adress to get the repair job complete. 1. Trim and blend the gap between the new vanity and the wall as the new vanity was not the correct dimensions. 2.Complete the finish work on the linen closet threshhold trim. 3.Adrress the loose floor tile in the hall way that was affected by the water leak that was 2-3 feet away. 4. Plumbing Nerds needs to reimburse me $86 for the cost of running dehumidifiers and blowers night and day for a week and a half. Business Response /* (4000, 18, 2022/06/23) */ This response was provided verbally to BBB: There are a couple of remaining issues to be fixed. Mr. ***** is out of town through 7/5, and we are scheduling the remaining items following his return. Consumer Response /* (3000, 20, 2022/06/23) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) Though I do agree with Plumbing Nerd's response the complaint is not settled as there are some minor issues to be resolved after I return to my home the first week of July 2022. REP

  Customer response

  10/14/2022

   
  Complaint: 17913279
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  This is a continuation of complaint #********. Plumbing Nerds has failed to reimburse me for my excessive electric bill I received as a result for operating United Water Restoration's blowers and dehumidifiers to dry out my home after their plumbing repair failed. Plumbing Nerds concede they owe me this utility charge and should pay it unconditionally.

  Plumbing Nerds owes me $86
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***********************

  

  Business response

  12/19/2022

  This response was taken verbally by BBB:

  The offer to reimburse for the electric bill was contingent upon the customer signing for full and final settlement to prevent further disputes. The customer refused to sign and so the goodwill offer was not provided.

• Initial Complaint

  01/05/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I called to schedule an appointment on 12/31/21 due to my water heater leaking and because it is located in my attic, it was leaking into my house. An appointment was made for 1/1/22, when I realized my home warranty company wouldn't pay for it unless it was authorized first, I cancelled the appointment. Later that morning they did authorize me to use an outside company if I paid up front and was reimbursed from them later. I called and rescheduled the appointment with Plumbing Nerds and informed them that I was going to be submitting to my warranty company for reimbursement. They came and gave me an estimate and I paid them $85 check, then submitted the estimate to the warranty company with pictures. The warranty company was requesting more detailed pricing, which I called Plumbing Nerds and requested on 1/1/22, they said they could do that and would call the technician and have him call me back. No one called back, I called again on 1/2/22 and requested the same thing and the receptionist stated she would have the quality control person call me back and he never did. I called again on 1/4/22 and the receptionist stated that the quality control person was there, put me on hold, then the receptionist came back on the line and stated they only had per job pricing and would not give a detailed estimate. I asked that they just call and speak with the warranty company, which they refused to do. I requested my service charge of $85 back as they would not provide what I needed to submit to the warranty company. She refused to return the money and stated she would look into the process. I stated that due to my inability to use them because they would not submit what I needed for the warranty company when they knew I was working with a warranty company, I deserved to have my money refunded, she again refused and stated she would review the process. I feel I deserve to have my money refunded and they should state they do not work with warranty companies up front

  

  Business response

  01/25/2022

  Consumer Response /* (2000, 7, 2022/01/25) */ (The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.) This response was taken verbally by BBB: The busienss took care of the complaint and refunded me.

• Initial Complaint

  09/30/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Hired this company to replace a toilet, Repair was done but they overcharged. I emailed the owner and requested an itemized breakdown, which he did not provide. Instead, he told me that his company is a 'premium services' company and not for everyone. In addition, he stated that I was charged for his employee's driving time to my residence. His employee spent a majority of his time talking to my tenant and did not explain the various service options they provide- silver, gold, etc. Instead I was charged at his discretion. Being an out of state landlord is difficult and this company took complete advantage of that. In addition, the employee was pushing a problem he found that required another $1600 repair. Very deceptive business practices, over charging for their services and no sufficient resolution from the owner.

  

  Business response

  11/23/2021

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2021/10/02) */ After our technician arrived and assessed the issue we gave "customer" 3 different options (quoted) for his toilet issue. The options we provided were flat rate costs (not hourly) and we did not charge separately for drive time. We didn't start any work until we got his approval of one of the 3 options (this is a company standard). Once his approval was given we then completed the work and billed him for exactly what he was quoted. The repair we "found" was actually us informing the customer of the age of his water heater which was over 6 years old and past manufacturer warranty. We didn't act in a fraudulent way nor did we make fraudulent claims. We did provide an estimate for the replacement again should he choose to. I responded to all 3 of his emails and broke the pricing down 2 different ways for his review. Customer said he was given multiple estimates for the same work but at half the cost. As a resolution to this matter I offered to pay the difference of his lowest quote with the stipulations that the work was like for like including materials and the quote had to be from a licensed and insured company. He did not respond to this. Consumer Response /* (3000, 7, 2021/10/04) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) The business owner NEVER offered to make an adjustment to the bill charged. This seems like he is offering to do this now in order to appear as if he is legitimate, but he should have just made an adjustment and refunded the difference to my credit card. Requiring the work to be 'like for like' is nonsense. How about not up charging on materials, not charging for his employee's time socializing with my tenant (which I can provide documentation from her validating to this) and not charging travel expenses. It's unfortunate that it requires intervention from a third party such as the BBB to get less than honest business owners such as this one to be called out for unscrupulous practices.

*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. ↩