Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  10/06/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  The Sinak plumbing billed us not only with unfinished plumbing job but also made the condition worse. We though if they know the problem can't be fixed, they should not continue to try it, then over charged us with $290 (an hour and a half of labor fees.). After we complained that the working times was wrong, they adjusted the bill to one hour labor fee $210 and taken off the fuel surcharge for the final bill $190. We still feel very disappointed and frustrated for the bill because their roughly unfinished job, had caused more problems to us. ---------------------------------------- On September 9th, we had a plumbing service from Sinak plumbing for repairing a leaking problem with shower faucet in our bathroom. Service address: **** ***** **** ********** ** ****** I was instructed by ******** who always answered my questions and suggested to purchase the parts ******* brand). Then rescheduled a time for their service on September 9th, 2022. When their technician ***** showed up almost three hours late, he found out the new part won't fit because the size is bigger than the old one. If the size of parts are different, as a professional plumber should be able to tell, in this point, he should tell us and stop to replace it. But he still tried to fix it, until the condition more worse. After their left unfinished job, we hadn't noticed that ***** left the old parts aside without assembling it to original condition. We later turned on the main water valve in the house, the water shot out strongly that made a mess of the bathroom, even the water running behind the wall. We have to turn the water supply off to the house for more than one week. It was in an emergency condition, but ******** told me their earliest schedule for replacing a new valve only available on 9/23 (two weeks waiting time), leaving us to have to find someone else to replace the whole shower set until 9/20/22. The attachment are worsen condition after Sinak plumbing service.

  Business response

  10/17/2022

  The statement, "the plumber arrived three hours late" is untrue.  Our company does not assign times to our service calls.  The office staff called customer at 2:29 pm to say, "the plumber is on the way."  The plumber noted he arrived at **** ***** *** ** **** ***

  Our plumber went to residence at **** ***** **** ***** on September 9, 2022 to install owner's new cartridge in a basement bathroom's ****** tub/shower valve.  The customer had purchased the replacement cartridge.  As the valve was a ****** brand and the cartridge was also ******, the plumber had not reason to suspect it would not be compatible.  After several attempts, he found the replacement cartridge was not compatible and that the valve would need to be changed.  The plumber specifically called ***** nd her husband to the bathroom on three occasions to explain the situation.  The customer agreed that the valve would be changed and, since that requires four hours of time, it would need to be scheduled for another day.

  Once it was determined that the valve would need to be changed, the plumber asked the customer if she wanted him to re-install the old cartridge.  Since the house was vacant, and the water was turned off to the house, there was really no reason to re-install the old part.  The customer agreed to have the plumber leave to old cartridge out.

  Our company keeps a very full schedule and yes, the next opportunity for a four hour appointment was September 23rd.  The customer said she wanted to get the work done sooner so she could schedule real estate photos in preparation of selling the house.  She found another company **** ******) to install the new valve on September 20th.

  Regarding the charges for the plumber's visit on September 9th.  The plumber noted he arrived at the home at 2:49 pm and left at 4:15 pm.  Our objective charge for 1 1/2 hours is, yes, $290.  When the frustrated customer disputed the bill and claimed the plumber was not there 1 1/2  hours, we did agree to adjust her bill to $190.  We do not have GPS tracking but the plumber was, in fact, at the home for 1 1/2 hours.  Since the bathroom being serviced is in the basement of the house, it takes quite a while after turning off the water, for the water to drain down from the upstairs.  The water must be drained down before a shower valve can be taken apart for service.  The plumber then spent time working with the owner's part.  Yes, we did bill for the time the plumber was not compatible, the problem could not be solved for this visit.

   

  Customer response

  10/21/2022

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

  To whom it may concern,

  We Reject Sinak plumbing's statement to BBB.

   

  There are lot of reasons we have to reject them.

   

  Something untrue from their statement/description.

   

  1. They did delay the schedule for unusual time. They said the plumber might come after 11:30am or around lunch time on September 9th (as the email below).

  We were working in the house and waiting for the plumber to come around noon, but no one coming, until I called three times and left the messages at 2:33pm which was showed on my iPhone, we were done our job and waiting in the car around 20 minutes after the company's staff ******** returning my message. 

   

   

   

  1. It's untrue that they said the plumber left at 4:15pm. In fact, the plumber told my husband that he won't be able to fix it because the part can't fit, so he returned to his truck around 3:30pm. I wanted to know what's the problem, so he came out from his truck and walking down to the basement with me, he showed me the size of the new cartridge was bigger than the old one, and he said ******** shouldn't suggest us to buy the ****** cartridge instead of replacing a new **** shower valve, that was same with our original idea...so we agreed with him and asked to reschedule for installing a new valve.

  He returned to his truck around 4pm after he answered our questions. We didn't know when he drove away though.

   

  1. It's untrue about we agreed to have the plumber leave to old cartridge out.. 

  The truth, "We didn't know" he wasn't put the cartridge back, but left the shower faucet trim kit out the shower sink. He hadn't asked us "do we want to re-install the old cartridge", if he asked, we definitely need it re-install to original condition. Especially we have to work in the house for cleaning and painting from morning to evening (everyday). But after then, we can't use the toilet in the bathroom upstairs without turning on the water...which was very inconvenient. It was an emergency situation, but they still leave it with two-week schedule for returning to install a new valve.

   

  We felt let down by this incident and were wondering why we have to pay the total amount for other people's mistake plus unfinished job? 

   

  1. they gave me a bad idea for buying a rare part by myself without noticing me that's a rare part which might not be fixed. 

  2. Once the plumber found out the new part won't fit, as a professional plumber suppose to stop working on it. Why they still charge the labor fee by hours (with $ 35 for each 15 minutes)? 

  3. The condition is worsened after their plumber left the parts out without re-install, neither noticed it to us. We later turned on the main water valve in the house, the water shot out from the shower valve, and the water flowing on the ground from the back wall where is a closet. It had caused another trouble to us for cleaning the bathroom and the closet. Isn't it the plumber's liability?

  (Please check the videos below)

   

  it's an irresponsible statement from a service company to say: "Since the house was vacant, and the water was turned off to the house, there was really no reason to re-install the old part". 

  A professional technician should be reliable for cleaning or re-install the parts even it can't be fixed.

  They did know we have to work in the house and to fix the drain problem with washer pipe in the following week, how can they say it's a vacant house? 

   

  For the Price, this company can't provide us a clear policy of their labor fees in the beginning.

   

  When we asked the plumber how much we have to pay for his job? He said that's not his job for telling us about the service charge. (As our experience, we always pay the service bill by writing a check to the technician on the service day, because all the technician can provide the service details with their invoice before they leave.)

   

  In this case, I sent email to ask their staff ******** same day on 9/9/22, but no response from her until 9/13/22 (as below):

   

   

   

  On 9/14/22, ******** sent email message along attached invoice as below.

  -------------------------------------------------

  Hi ******

  Your invoice for the time on ***** *** is attached.

  Please let me know whether or not you want that appointment on September 23.

  If you do not, I need to open that slot to another customer.

  ********

  Sinak Plumbing

  -------------------------------------------------

   

  We was shocked with $290 bill from them. 

  So on 9/15/22, I called her to ask the details of their labor fees, and asked her again (the third time) about how much they will charge for 4-hour job on 9/23/22?

   

  Finally she told me, they charge the labor fees with service call $105 (including 15 minutes service), then $35 each 15-minute ($140/hr), so she roughly estimated the 4 hours job included the supplies for the new valve will be $800.

  Then we learned from her, the labor fees included the times for talking and answering our questions...which we didn't know.

   

  This original bill $290 (they counted one and a half hours) with unfinished job was unbelievable...so I asked her to compare their service on 7/26/22 for "furnished and installed with new front hosebibb". They said it took "two days" to finish their job with the total of one and a half hours job, so it's the same labor charge of $290. 

   

  How possible a completed installation and unfinished replacing part to be counted the same time with same charge? (Please compare the invoice on 9/14/22 & 7/26/22 below)

  Their price scared us, so we have to ask other company to help us for installing a new set of Shower Valve on 9/20/22. This company *** ****** did a good quality job with $318.63 of labor fees for more than 5 hours job (8am-1:30pm) which was much reasonable price for comparing a same job by Sinak (a roughly estimate around $800, with 4 hours labor fee, included **** shower valve set).

   

  For all the situation above, it was not fair for us to pay the final bill of $190 with a failure job.

  Compare to HVAC company we had, they only charged $95 for the service call, if a problem can't be fixed. 

   

  We are returning customer to them, but they don't value our business. Even though we offered to pay $105 for their service call, but they said "No", and still asked us to pay the total amount of $190 after received our complain from BBB.

  
  

  We had to mail a check of $190 to them, but it doesn't mean we agree with them. We want to reject their statement, and having the record on BBB's file online, to aware people checking the company's service record from BBB before having a service from a company.

  *****

  Sincerely,
  

  ***** ***

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