ComplaintsforTom Drexler Plumbing, Heating, Cooling and Electric

• Initial Complaint

  01/08/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I had called the company to have them see what the issue was for an electrical problem involving my light in my bathroom the switch was not working to turn on the light. The service guy was super nice. I explained to him I wanted to get a quote for a light fixture change and seeing what’s wrong with my light at the moment. The guy advised me of a few numbers which 245 was the amount I neeeded to pay for service today for fixing my light and he said he could come back after I receive my light fixture to replace the current. I thought the 245 was for everything today and the additional was going to need to be paid after my light fixture was changed making it around 300$ total. That was not the case the service tech was at my house for two seconds to fix a loose switch which I honestly could have done myself or paid someone else to do it for cheaper or free. There was no electrician issue no invasive procedure that needed to be done….. I looked at the estimate and it stated 292 additional for the light fixture to be replaced….. I called the company and expressed my regret and suprise at the cost and they offered me 45 off the light fixture replacement. Which at that point made me feel like they waxed me and was like well we can help but we’re still gonna wax you price wise…..I work with the same people over and over again if they provide me with good service and prices as well as recommend companies to my clients and place of business. This company I will never recommend or use again. If they offered half off for my light fixture replacement I wouldn’t be writing this an still would have done business but only 45$ off was a slap in the face.

  

  Business response

  01/18/2024

  We are sorry about the stress and confusion that this situation has caused you. Our up front pricing is intended to relieve the stress from these situations so that customers know with certainty how much the work will cost before it is performed. Our technicians try to create multiple estimates up front to allow the customer the option that fits their budget best, and will not collect payment until after the work is completed. It seems that the technician was not clear about the differences between the estimates presented to you, and so again we sincerely apologize. We are currently working with the customer on the pricing of the fixture installation as compensation for this issue.

• Initial Complaint

  12/13/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  In booking Tom Drexler I specifically asked if they could service my **** Doorbell. They said they do service **** doorbells. When service person arrived he said specifically that they do not service **** doorbells. However, the service person presented me with a service call bill for $89. I paid but think my $89 service fee should be returned. Drexler promised over the phone that they could service the **** doorbell but service person arrived to say that they don’t service ****. They should not have promised to do work and then arrived to immediately say they could not do the work they’d booked. I believe they should return my $89 service fee.

  

  Business response

  12/28/2023

  
  The customer’s complaint is that we told them that we could service the **** Doorbell and once the technician arrived said that he could not work on the system.  We do apologize for the misunderstanding and that we could not service the **** Doorbell, we were under the assumption that the customer needed wi**** for the system. Unfortunately, we only service installation or wi**** for appliances; we do not service the camera system. We have contacted the customer and we have reached a resolution we believe is acceptable by the consumer.  

• Initial Complaint

  11/30/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I have had Tom drexler out to my house. Come to find out not all of their technicians are licensed in the state of Kentucky. Pretty sure that is a requirement but I’m assuming they get away with it due to being so involved with Louisville the city and the university of Louisville. Beware using a company that will send unlicensed technicians to your home

  

  Business response

  12/06/2023

  The customer claims that we have unlicensed technicians. Tom Drexler provides services in Plumbing, Electric, and HVAC. The customer did not specify which department he references and we are unable to reach him. We will assume that the customer is referencing our HVAC department because all of our technicians who are journeyman and above in electric and plumbing are licensed in Kentucky.
  
  In our HVAC Service staff, about a quarter of the technicians are not licensed in the state of Kentucky. Those technicians are reserved for our customers in Southern Indiana and performing routine maintenance, which does not require a journeyman's license in the state of Kentucky. They are however EPA licensed so that they can check refrigerant readings and appropriately diagnose any issues.

  Many of our drain technicians are also not licensed plumbers. Kentucky does not require a license for drain cleaning and fixture installation, such as a faucet.

  We hope this clears up any confusion and are looking forward to your continued business.
  

• Initial Complaint

  11/20/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  We called Tom Drexler to come unclog our kitchen drain on 11/15. They did not come that day and made us reschedule for the next day, 11/16. They came out that morning and Tyler, the Drexler employee, attempted to snake our kitchen drain. He said he couldn’t do it because our sink was cast iron. He then went and sat in his truck for a while and called his supervisor. His supervisor then came out and did not attempt to do anything. They told us it would cost $1900 to redo our pipes. We called Tom Drexler because they advertise a $89 “clean any drain” special. We told Tyler to get the heck out of our house. We called a real plumbing company and they came out the next day, snaked our drain in about 20 minutes and without any problem. Our kitchen sink is draining perfectly now. I’m writing this complaint because people need to know that Tom Drexler Plumbing is either completely incompetent or actual criminals trying to steal money from *********** by telling them the problems are worse then they are. I’m irritated that we wasted time with a clogged sink just so they could try to sell us new pipes that we didn’t even need. The real plumbers we called told us that they hear this about Tom Drexler all the time in their work. They are just salesmen who work on commission. Luckily we did not fall for their games.

  

  Business response

  11/20/2023

  Our organization has contacted the customer concerning this complaint. In addition to the circumstances highlighted by the customer, the customer expressed that the technician did not put forward his best effort to unclog his drain. It is our responsibility to set the expectation for what we are capable of doing, and in this scenario we failed to do so. This ultimately would have saved the customer time and money. We are very sorry that the customer had this experience. Management has been notified of this situation and we are resolved to coach our drain technicians on making sure that customers get the best value from our $99 drain clearing. We take all customer feedback seriously and we appreciate the time and effort the customer has provided to bring this to our attention.

  

  Business response

  12/06/2023

  Although we are able to unclog most drains, we were unable to unclog your drain. Many customers are able to have their drains unclogged by taking advantage of our specials. We are very sorry that you could not be one of those customers. We try diligently to serve our customers and make sure that our customers get the best experience and value from our services. We aspire to meet the needs of our customers by thoroughly exhausting all options before recommending an intensive repair, because  our opinion is that the best relationships are built on integrity and hard work. You seem to feel that we did not deliver these values in our visit, and for that again I apologize. They should be modeled in every interaction. In the future we will attempt to be more transparent about the capability we have to perform work, and to be "more upfront with our services" as you put it. We are glad that you were able to get your drain unclogged, even if it was with a different plumber. We are confident that if you continue to explore the services we offer, that you would find a more positive experience. We want to offer the customer a year of our Carefree Maintenance Plan at no cost.

  Customer response

  12/08/2023

  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. I appreciate the attempt to be more transparent with their service in the future. I think that is vital in a business built on relationships, however, I wish to receive no further service from Tom Drexler. I have no interest in their maintenance plan and will be taking my service elsewhere if anything arises down the road.
  

   I consider this matter closed. I appreciate the company’s willingness to work on being more upfront about what they can offer.   
  Sincerely,
  
  ***** ****

  ***If you are interested in supporting the BBB's free services, please consider giving to BBB's Consumer Education Fund, which provides other services to the community, like Charity Review, Identity Theft Seminars, Free Shred/Recycle Events, Senior Citizen programs, High School and College Programs, and providing information at local community events. Donations can be sent via Venmo to @bbbcefky or mail your donation to BBB Consumer Education Fund, 13104 Eastpoint Park Blvd., Louisville, KY 40223. For more information on these programs, call 800-388-2222. Thank you for your consideration. 

• Initial Complaint

  11/13/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Tom Drexler came out to perform some furnace work and install a return vent. The furnace was installed incorrectly and needed to be recalibrated the return vent was also non functional. I continued to ask about the return vent and they claimed they gave it their best effort but can not complete the job. I asked for a refund or even partial refund but they claim that I knew the job may not be successful. Not sure how you can charge for work that was never completed.

  

  Business response

  11/20/2023

  Thank you for bringing this concern to our attention. While we do our best to meet every customer's needs, there are some situations that are beyond our control. We try hard to make sure our customers understand that the work we perform may not resolve all problems before the work is performed. We sincerely apologize for the frustration this has caused you and management has worked with the customer for a fair compromise.

  Customer response

  11/20/2023

  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  **** *********

  ***If you are interested in supporting the BBB's free services, please consider giving to BBB's Consumer Education Fund, which provides other services to the community, like Charity Review, Identity Theft Seminars, Free Shred/Recycle Events, Senior Citizen programs, High School and College Programs, and providing information at local community events. Donations can be sent via Venmo to @bbbcefky or mail your donation to BBB Consumer Education Fund, 13104 Eastpoint Park Blvd., Louisville, KY 40223. For more information on these programs, call 800-388-2222. Thank you for your consideration. 

• Initial Complaint

  10/16/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We hired drexler to fix underground water leak. After job was completed,we were told they would inform water company. They would come out and inspect work. Then drexler would come back and clean up yard and remove tube left. After several months we contacted water company about inspection. We were told drexler never contacted them. We called drexler and three days later the water company came out. It's been 8 days since then. We have tubes still in our yard. We have gotten several letters from our HOA a out our unsightly front yard. This is unprofessional on drexler's part. We feel some type of compensation is due. Also some type of landscaping needs to be done. Thanks the ******* family.

  

  Business response

  10/23/2023

  In response to the first complaint, we believe the customer contacted the Louisville Water Company to follow up on the permit and inspection. The Louisville Water Company does not in fact conduct inspections for the kind of work performed at the customer's residence. That inspection is actually conducted by the Kentucky Department of Housing, Plumbing Inspector Division. We notified this institution of our intent to perform the work on 7/31/2023, which we have a permit showing. It is uncommon, but not unheard of, for the inspector to perform their duty three months from the work performed. It seems that this was the case in this circumstance.

  In regards to the second concern about the piping, unfortunately we were not able to resolve the exposed pipe until the inspection was completed in October. We apologize for the problem this created with the customer's HOA. We have contacted the customer and reached an agreeable resolution to rectify these issues.

• Initial Complaint

  08/10/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I had a water line leak in my front yard repaired by Tom Drexler in May 2023 They had to rig up my front yard. I have called on several occasions as to when and how will they fix the area that was dug up First I was told the ground has to settle. Ok it has settled and I have holes in the yard now. Today 8 Aug they sent someone out to pour bags of topsoil on the areas. I called the company to explain this is not how to fix this yard. And was told I would get a call back from the manager. I never received a call so once again I called Tom Drexlar. Again was told I would receive a call back today. I never received a call. My yard was a very green perfect yard and need it back to at least no holes and rocks I can’t even mow in the front now. I have pictures of this horrible looking yard

  

  Business response

  08/10/2023

  We have spoken with ***** and apologized, and agreed to send a landscaping company out to fix her yard. We neglected to add that we do not do landscaping on her invoice.

  Customer response

  08/10/2023

  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***** *****

  
  

  ***If you are happy with BBB's free services, please consider giving to BBB's Consumer Education Fund, which provides other free services to the community, like Charity Review, Identity Theft Seminars, Free Shred/Recycle Events, Senior Citizen programs, High School and College Programs, and providing information at local community events. Donations can be sent to: BBB Consumer Education Fund, 13104 Eastpoint Park Blvd., Louisville, KY 40223. For more information on these programs, call 800-388-2222. Thank you for your consideration. 

• Initial Complaint

  07/12/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On Thursday, July 6, 2023 Tom Drexler sent a tech from Louisville to my house ( visit was rescheduled 3 times) to replace a spigot on the back of my house and a section of pipe under my house in the crawl space and he put some packing around my front spigot. He was there 2 hours or less and charged me $881 after discount and didn’t give me a quote beforehand. He just did the work then gave me the price. I heard I’m not the only one he has done that to. I think he like’s taking advantage of older ladies. I’m not asking for all my money back, but at least half of it. I was not given an itemized receipt, just one that had the price on it. I have requested an itemized receipt now 3 times. I was not given an estimate of how much it was going to cost. I understand there were 4 prices he could have given me and he gave me the highest one. Your assistance in this matter would be greatly appreciated.

  

  Business response

  07/12/2023

  Our customer care dept. has been in touch with Lucia.  We are refunding her $481.10 and she confirmed that was sufficient.  There has also been a coaching conversation with the tech that was involved.

• Initial Complaint

  06/14/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I had someone come out to do a Air Conditioner cleaning, & check. On 6-12-2023. Near the end. He said that my Capacitor was weak. I made a BIG mistake in telling him to replace it. I was taken. He put on a $20.00 part that took 2 minutes. You can buy these capacitors all day & buy them for $20.00 or less. Now listen. He charged me $327.00. What it boils down to. He took me. I have tried calling the company, and I keep getting put on hold. Someone is supposed to call me. No calls. I talked to my friend next store. He used to work in Commercial Air. He told me that I was ripped off. He said he has heard of this company screwing people out of their money saying you need this or that. At this point I am disputing this charge with my credit card company. That charge is on hold now. I will wait to hear back from them. Drexler seems to not want to call me. I am 80 years old. I always try and watch things that I buy. Too many crooks out there. And. I was supposed to have a FREE inspection and cleaning. Well that free cleaning is costing me $327.00?? A $20.00 part costing that much, & taking 2 minutes to put on. I am a Veteran. I served 4 years in the Army, from 1964 to 1968 during the Vietnam War. It is sad that these crooks are out there. I am telling everyone that I know in what they did. I will not pay it. Stay away from this company. They are crooks.

  

  Business response

  06/23/2023

  I tried calling ** ********  and had to leave a vm. I let him know there was a decision and informed him of that decision.

• Initial Complaint

  05/30/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Maintenance-Plan Fiasco: In reference to an earlier complaint regarding extreme price-gouging on a plumbing repair, the tech offered me a $300 maintenance plan, free of charge, as compensation. I accepted the plan, but later regretted it. I requested the “free” furnace tune-up. I expected that the tune-up would certainly include blowing carbon build-up out of gas burners. This cleaning is really the only service I sought since it had not been performed in several years, although my furnace had been operating just fine. Upon two technicians’ arrival, I was disappointed to learn that the service is NOT included with the basic tune-up. So, essentially, the technicians spent a couple of hours with my furnace partly disassembled looking for ways to help me spend money. But that was fine, I supposed, since I had no obligation; however, later that evening, we had no heat because the pilot light was out. I tried to relight it, but it would not remain lit. The next day, another tech came to investigate. He ultimately concluded that my gas controller happened to fail after the original techs’ visit. I will say that I was convinced from observing his troubleshooting that the gas valve was truly faulty. At my insistence, he first ruled out the thermocouple, which would have been a much less costly repair. Nonetheless, for the valve to fail “after” the original techs departed is quite a coincidence, but I cannot prove otherwise. Ultimately, I was charged another $500 for installation of a new controller, which is more than I think it should have been, especially considering the apparent likelihood that the original techs somehow damaged it. Now for the icing on the cake: Several weeks ago, after enjoying some warm spring weather with no need for heat, the temperature dropped overnight enough the warrant running the furnace. You guessed it! I woke up to a cold house during the night because the pilot light had gone out, again. Fortunately, I was able to relight it this time.

  

  Business response

  06/07/2023

  Our HVAC manager has attempted to reach out, has left voicemails to speak to this customer.  No return calls have been made.

  Customer response

  06/12/2023

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I agree with the business’s response only in part. I had indeed responded to HVAC manager **** *****’ original call, but was forced to delay discussion of the complaint due to urgent medical issues. Later, I realized another reason to the further delay my response, which was to understand why my first complaint regarding a plumbing issue *** ********) had been closed immediately after its submittal. Late last week, I eventually managed to speak with *** ********* at BBB, who explained the reason.
  
  I will attempt to contact *** *****, today, after which I will update this ticket, accordingly.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***** *****

  

  Business response

  06/14/2023

  ***** and our HVAC Manager spoke and came to an agreement that they both were good with.

  Customer response

  06/16/2023

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  I accept the agreement that the HVAC manager, **** *****, and I came to regarding the failed gas valve. However, when *** ***** & I spoke, I presented to him an earlier issue pertaining to plumbing service in December to repair a pipe that burst due to freezing. In short, the amount I was charged was 3 to 4 times more than what I believe to be a fair price, based on a neighbor’s identical situation. I provided details to *** ***** to forward to the plumbing manager, and can provide them, here, if necessary as a matter of record.
  
  Presently, I am awaiting contact from the plumbing manager. Therefore, I am rejecting the business’s response for the outstanding issue.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***** *****

  Customer response

  06/18/2023

  
  
  
  

  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  I accept the agreement that the HVAC manager, **** *****, and I came to regarding the failed gas valve. However, when *** ***** & I spoke, I presented to him an earlier issue pertaining to plumbing service in December to repair a pipe that burst due to freezing. In short, the amount I was charged was 3 to 4 times more than what I believe to be a fair price, based on a neighbor’s identical situation. I provided details to *** ***** to forward to the plumbing manager, and can provide them, here, if necessary as a matter of record.
  
  Presently, I am awaiting contact from the plumbing manager. Therefore, I am rejecting the business’s response for the outstanding issue.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***** *****

  
  

  

  Business response

  06/23/2023

  There has been an agreement between *** ***** and our Plumbing Manager.

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