ComplaintsforMister Sparky

• Initial Complaint

  07/17/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  We paid for electric service to our home. A pedestal unit was installed but not connected to our mobile home. The tech quoted the service knowing the mobile home was being moved out the next day - in fact the mobile home was flagged and we were instructed it needed to be placed immediately near where he was placing the pedestal - which it was. When he installed the pedestal unit the mobile home was there but the Mister Sparky tech did not connect the pedestal/electric to the home. The tech refused to respond to texts or messages for over a week and finally responded when we called the office to say they want more money to connect the pedestal to the house. What sense does it make to install an electric unit and not connect it? Additionally the electric pedestal failed the county installation because it had no ground wire attached which is required by code, but we were unable to get the tech to respond. We paid $2535 for electric to be connected from the **** ****** line to our home and the work was not completed.

  1) The second photo supplied in the response is not even of our home! That picture looks like a nice completed job - but that is not our place!
  
  
  2) The other picture that shows the ground wire hooked up shows it is clearly too short...(perhaps Duke unhooked it to put in the meter) but the ground wire would then have to go around the meter and that would make the ground wire short. The ground wire should have been routed around the top perimeter of the box.
  
  
  We had to buy additional wire to put the ground in correctly to be safe and pass inspection. The job would not have passed inspection as completed by Mr Sparky.
  
  
  Additionally the Inspector did NOT hook up the wire. He called Todd and explained the ground wire deficiency and met with him and gave us an opportunity to purchase the additional wire needed and correct the deficiency to avoid failing the job. But the work done by Mr Sparky would not have passed inspection whether or not Duke had disconnected the wire to install the meter.
  
  
  These are additional inaccuracies being stated by Mr Sparky that are important to note in the complaint.

  

  Business response

  07/19/2023

  Mrs. **** called us out on June 6th to have an estimate for a 100 amp farm panel and electric pole to set on her property.  She then called us back for a 200 amp service pedestal for a future mobile home and farm use.  When we arrived for our visit at the homeowners was not a home on site, therefore no estimate was given due to the fact that we are unable to quote an actual hookup for the home as we don’t know where the panel will be located in the home as it relates to the service pedestal.  It may be 20 ft or 100ft which would change any estimate dramatically as the costs of wire have gone up since Covid.  **** ****** (the Electric Utility) came out and marked where we could place the service pedestal.  Our technician ***** ***** built the service pedestal on June 14th off site and installed the service pedestal on June 15th.   When ***** returned on the 15th the home was present.  Both he and Ms. **** were in a rush, he had a graduation to attend and she was heading out to feed her dogs.  ***** offered to give her a quote for connecting the home at that time, she said come back to do it since they were both busy.  She praised the work that ***** did per ***** and was very happy that we performed the job so quickly.  ***** told Ms. **** to call him back so that he could return for that estimate.  She paid for our service at that time.  Ms. **** then called the next June 16th to let management know how great of a job ***** did and to say thanks for fitting her in on such short notice. 
  ***** had no idea of any issues regarding the work or the estimate and tried calling Ms. **** several times, as well as our manager in Florence who tried to reach her as well.  Ms. **** did call back and claimed that the estimate did contain the price for hooking up her home.  As you will see on the estimate (attached) and invoice (attached) there was not a price included for the remainder of the work.
  As to the ground wire not being attached to the ground rods, ***** completed that task when he left.  If you will look at the picture taken you can see the 2 grounds and see that the ground wires were attached to the ground rods.  The utility took it upon themselves to remove the ground wires without giving us any notification.  The ****** County inspector reattached the wires as he knows the quality of our work and realized the power company disconnected them.  The electrical inspection passed albeit they assisted at the time to stop any further inconvenience for Ms. ****. 

  Customer response

  07/19/2023

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

  there several inaccurate statements provided by Mr. Sparky. I have a message out to the ****** County Inspector as he did not indicate to us that the wires had been unattached by **** ******. We actually had to purchase additional wire and supplies to make the connections required to pass the inspection. The original work done failed inspection.

  I also did not need to leave early. ***** needed to leave he said to take his wife to dinner. I needed to go to a pasture about 200 feet away to feed dogs but was on the property for another 2 hours that evening.

  We called and texted multiple times and never received a response from ***** that entire week. Could Mr Sparky show any proof we were called the week of July 10th by Brian? I can show my phone log never received a call and that he never responded to 5 texts from my husband and I.

  In between our original request for service and the initial quote the County approved our mobile home from an original agricultural permit. The quote was for 200 amp service to the mobile home. When we met with ***** and **** ****** on Friday we discussed the mobile home was moving out on Sat (and it was there when they put in the electric installation). ***** even advised we could not put the mobile home where we wanted to and what side of the mobile home had to be near the pedestal for them to connect the home (both the placement and the side of the home placed by the pedestal were not what we preferred but how we were instructed by ***** so he could connect the home). On multiple occasions we asked him to advise if he needed anything further from us to ensure they did not have to come back out for any reason (see attached text). There was never - not one time - any mention that additional work would need to be done or any additional quotes needed. The **** ****** Tech actually spoke with ***** to ensure he knew of our plans for the mobile home and that we were going to be starting building of our permanent home.

  My assumption is ***** was in too much of a hurry to finish the job. We paid $2625 for electrical service to be connected to our home. A pedestal only costs $1000-1500 from any other provider. Why would anyone purchase electrical service not connected to anything? What would be the point? If this was the case why did Mr Sparky never indicate additional work and expense would be required to connect the electric to the home? If you had a technician install a well but didn’t connect it to water, what good would a well do from which you couldn’t get water?

  We have also requested a refund of their “club” membership as we do not intend to use a company we have to file complaints with the BBB and State to resolve a service issue, but have not received a response. 

  We are simply as**** Mr Sparky to finish the job we paid them to do. 

  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***** ****

  

  Business response

  07/21/2023

  Please see the original estimate.  The estimate is for installing the service pedestal only, we have a service cable line item for when we are pricing the service wire to the home, which is clearly not on this estimate or the invoice.  There are additional charges for the remainder of the work.  The grounding in question was installed at the time of our departure as the last picture clearly states.  Both pictures show that the grounding wire and rods were complete.  You will see the ground wire at the top of the meter and attached to both ground rods. How or why it was cut or disconnected prior to inspection is a great question since we didn't return after we completed the job.  The picture clearly shows this.  The fact that the inspector completed the job while he was there was a favor to the homeowner as well as our company since he knows the type of work we perform is always correct and up to code.  When he left the service was correct and safe just as when we left the job site (Again refer to the pictures).  We will not return to perform any more work Ms. ****.  I will offer a refund of 350.00 for her to have another provider come perform the remainder of the work due to a significant other of Ms. ****s threatened our technician verbally over this matter.  Therefore we will not be returning.  If accepted we will place a check in the mail the same day that we receive her approval to move forward so that this matter will be resolved. 

  Customer response

  08/16/2023

  
  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. We were contacted by the owner, Mr **** ****, who went above and beyond to make things right.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***** ****

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