ComplaintsforJohn's Plumbing & Pumps, Inc

• Initial Complaint

  04/30/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On April 2, 2024, ****'s Plumbing and Pump visited my residence to assess an issue with a pump house that serves my residence and that of my neighbor. The pump and the facilities are located at **************************************************************************A technician named ***** visited the site and performed an evaluation. I was charged $317.32 for the visit and told that a portion of the cost would be put towards the repair if I hired ****'s. On the same day I received two quotes. I called back soon after and scheduled the repair for the following week, also asking that someone from the business call me back before the scheduled date to clear up why there were two quotes for the work.At the end of the week, having not received a call back, I called and asked that ***** get in touch to clear up why there were multiple quotes. At the end of the week I had not received a call back, so I called again and asked that the work be postponed until ***** called to clear up the confusion. I did receive a call back soon after but was unable to take the call at the time. When I called back, the voicemail was full.I called once again early the next week, and reached ***** at the front desk. I let her know that ***** had not yet reached me. ***** in turn informed me that ***** had in fact reached out, but I had not picked up the call. The tone that ***** took was short, and indicated that the breakdown in communication was my fault for not taking the call. I let ***** know that the voicemail was full. ***** promised that ***** would call back soon.On April 30, having not received a call back, I called once more. ************************* picked up the call and we had an initially pleasant conversation about the issues with the well, and he promised to send a revised quote. When I brought up the issue of the voicemail and the tone taken by the *****, ***** began to express frustration and informed me that his company did not wish to perform the work. Before I could respond, ***** terminated the call.

  

  Business response

  05/06/2024

  I'm not sure what occurred prior to my discussion with Mr ************ Whether the calls weren't returned or voicmail full is outside of my knowledge.  

  Our conversation was initially very pleasant.  As I was attempting to determine the 2 estimates in question and make sure Mr ***** understood the cost breakdown of the 2 I informed Mr ***** we would need written authorization from his neighbor to perform work on a well system and controls his neighbor had paid to have installed.   He has a very contentious and hostile relationship with his neighbor as he has informed us multiple times about.  I felt it important to make sure that we would not be held responsible for making changes to the system without his neighbors expressed written permission.  We refuse to get involved in neighbor disputes.  Upon requesting that approval, Mr ***** said I was lucky I answered because he was in the middle of writing a BBB complaint about the phone calls and full voicemail.  His attitude was confrontational and it felt as if he was threatening BBB action if I didn't take care of his complaints.  As a manager, with the contentiousness of his relationship with his neighbor of their shared system, his seemingly non desire to get written permission, and his veiled threat of complaining to BBB, I deemed us performing work for him wasn't worth the potential of issues with his neighbor and performing work for someone so willing to threaten complaint action just wasn't worth the headache.  I gave Mr ***** an estinaye to fix his system over a year ago and needed foll written permission from the neighbor which her never obtained.  

  I feel like the relationship and frustration with his neighbor had spilled over into a potential working relationship with ****'s Plumbing.  Terminating a potential working relationship seemed the better of 2 options.  The tine we spent onsite determining rhe best course of action for Mr ***** is why he was charged.  The failure to provide permission from neighbor and the contentious behavior about the phone calls and ******** helped me realize the customer just isn't one we wish to provide service to as is our right.  

   

  *************************

  Customer response

  05/06/2024

   
  Complaint: 21648828
  
  I am rejecting this response because I would like a refund of the portion of the cost of the initial visit that was meant to be applied to the cost of the work that the business proposed to perform. This is the only resolution that I will accept. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ****************

• Initial Complaint

  11/13/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  1. Appointment made with ****'s for 10/3/23 to ensure our drain lines were flowing. One seemed slow during heavy rain. ****'s wanted $1,319.74. Estimated one hour work.2. Technicians put their jet line in one drain. It became stuck. They finally removed the line and made a second attempt in same drain at different location. Line stuck again. Technician knocked on our door and said they cannot do the job because the line hit drain rock and it could not be remove. They left ************************ our drain and about 50 feet of the same line abandoned in flowerbeds. We offered to pay a reasonable amount for time and travel but this it was rejected. Technicians left the job site (our home) with their line stuck in our drain and heavy rains forecast. 3. We called ****'s within minutes of crew leaving to speak with owner/manager about service problem. Was told owner was not available. Received bill by email for original amount that same afternoon. There was no return call from ****'s Plumbing, ever. We called again 10/6/23 and spoke with owner. We made appointment to meet at ****'s office on 10/10/23. 4. At meeting owner said she had to send her drain line to ******* for repairs and it cost her $2,000. We asked how that could be when the drain line was on our property? Owner said, well, I had to buy a new one. We again offered to pay an amount for time and travel but it was again rejected.5.We hired general contractors to find the line, remove it and repair drain pipe connection damaged by ****'s aggressively pulling on line to try to recover it.6. 10/17/23 received another email bill marked Past Due and that finance charges would accrue daily.7. We told ****'s we had to hire general contractors to fix the problem they created. ****'s technicians pointed out where the line was stuck but contractors found it in another location which was a French Drain. Their error is guessing where line ended took extra contractor time.

  

  Business response

  12/06/2023

  It is unfortunate that ************ doesn't see it the way we do. We have been doing this along time. And made a valiant effort to attempt to clear that line.  It seems to me based off the communication that we had in person in the office that the story has changed significantly. The story based of our visit and this BBB notice has changed a lot. 

  Firstly, we were told that he expected all of his lines cleared, which it states clearly was not the case one only was to be done. Second, he stated that it was for up to 2 hours which we clearly did not say, although we were there for much longer than 2 hours trying to help this home out to figure the next steps, mind you this is more than one guy and with expensive eqt. The unfortunate thing is we can not tell what we will find in these cases where rocks and others build up and they did not have drawings of were lines were running out to the bay.  The homeowner himself had no idea although he tried to say he did onsite which was wrong as well.  When the techs tried to clear but without compromising anything further and could not move the houses out do to the condition of the underground piping any further they had to cut the losses or the main equipment on a 18k piece of eqt would have been compromised. They instructed the homeowners be best to call a contractor to resolve the issue on which we can not get to. Which they did and was stated to us that it took them hours to fix the problem that they had. That in fact was not our issue, it was an issue that had obviously been there, thus otherwise no call to us.

  They then discussed it and said they refused to pay argued with the technicians at length and offered them ****** for the time ( over 2 hours) a complete insulate. And refused to pay the bill that they authorized as an "Attempt only" clearly stated in the first process. We were upfront with them on how we want to proceed from the beginning but refused. We had to leave the hose there for fear of damage to multiple items if we tried to haul it off the property. The pipe itself left us no choice. We only tried to help these folks as we have for 70 years. There was nothing wrong nor nefarious with what they did and only to try to help as well as the referral to a contractor of their choice, which they found. We did not want to mess up there beautiful landscaping or anything else. So it ultimately worked out for the best. 

  My conversation with the homeowners owners was aggressive and trying to be scare me. They were offensive and put everyone down and on edge. I can see why the tech would have had a hard time communicating with them at the end. But it is a choice all homeowners have to move forward with a job once they are provided with details and costs expectations. Yes or No they decide we do not make that for them. They gave the green light for one only and for one hour only. The work attempt in this situation that's exactly what it was and we did the best we could. If there was another way we would have sent someone else out. However with the put downs and they way the techs were treated was very harsh and unkind after hours of attempting to help and please them. It is sad that it had to go this way but we cannot control the weather nor nature nor what is underground or what was waited on way to long. Or the lies that people tell as well. The bill that was agreed to needs to be paid or come to a resolution but ****** for ******* and our eqt. will not stand as a contract was signed and time was set aside for them that we could have done other jobs. They chose to stay when some other companies would have left right away at being treated that way. Nothing is ever a guarantee in these situations, wish it was. 

  Customer response

  12/15/2023

   
  Complaint: 20865654
  
  I am rejecting this response because:  On initial contact with ****'s Plumbing I said I wanted all my roof downspout drains checked to ensure they were all draining.  I stated I did not need several hundred feet of property boundary drains checked. When the technicians (2) arrived I walked the property with the technicians pointing our my knowledge of where I understood the drainage was located.  I stated one 30 foot line had a slow drain during heavy rain events.  I recommended the technician begin there since I knew there seemed to be a restriction.  Somehow the technician concluded only that line would be checked and made a proposal accordingly.  The estimate total was $1,300.00.  I still had in my mind all my lines would be checked for that amount and I was willing to pay that for that service.  Apparently, the technician wanted $1,300.00 to check just one 30 foot line, and one hour's work.   That would have seemed so unreasonable to me I could not comprehend it.

  The technician began on the 30 foot line as I suggested and very soon got his waterjet line stuck.  After some considerable effort the line was able to be removed and he entered the same drain line from the other end.  This line again became stuck.  I then went into my house as I could see the technicians were  becoming frustrated because the line was stuck and I did not want to be standing over them while the attempted to recover their line.  The technician knocked on my door shortly thereafter stating he cannot recover the line and there was nothing he could do for us.  He said they would be leaving the site.  He said I may need to get a general contractor to get the line out as he believed the line was under a concrete slab or under adjoining paver patio.  He pointed where he believed the line ended based on the number of feet of line penetration and his camera device.

  As the technician was preparing to leave our property I told him I had a problem with the dollar estimate.  He asked why and I told him I cannot pay his estimate when only one ************************************************************************************************** my drain pipe.  He asked what I thought the work they did was worth?  My wife and I conferred and decided to offer $300.00 for 2 hours work which is the time they were on site.  The technician said that amount was an insult.  He made no counter offer. He stated no plumber is going to work for that kind of money.   (Please note:  The prior month we had hired a plumber for another matter.  His bill was $323.00 for 2 hours work.  In November 2023 we hired yet another plumber for yet another matter which worked for 2 hours with 3 people and charged $359.00).  The technicians left our property with their waterjet line stuck in our drain pipe, restricting our drainage system.  I immediately called the ****'s Plumbing office to speak with a manager/owner but was told the person was to busy to take my call.  I asked for a return call but never received one.  After 2-3 days I called again and made an appointment to speak with the owner about a service that did not go well for either ****'s Plumbing or us.

  THE LAST PARAGRAPH OF ****'S PLUMBING'S RESPONSE TO OUR COMPLAINT CONSTITUTES  A FABRICATION IN THE FOLLOWING  RESPCTS:

  1.  My wife and I met with the owner of ****'s Plumbing and were not aggressive.  My wife stated we were there to come to an amicable solution.

  2.  The Owner stated she had to send her waterjet line used on our property to ******* for repair and the repair had cost her $2,000.00.  We responded by saying, how could you take the waterjet line to ******* for repair when it is stuck in our drain line on our property?  Her response was, well, I had to purchase a new waterjet line.  (This single point clearly describes the character of the ****'s Plumbing business owner.  It explains why I believe people should avoid this business.  

  3.  We had no problem with the ****'s Plumbing technicians.  We neither miss treated them nor treated them harshly.  Afterall they are just the workers.  In fact I felt bad as we could see the technicians were frustrated that the job was not going well. 

  4.  Heavy rains were forecast for the next several days.  The next day we hired 2 general contractors to locate and remove ****'s Plumbing's waterjet line they had left in our drain pipe.  They worked for 7 hours.  Time was of essence to reduce the risk of significant water erosion damage.

  Due to the disingenuous character of ****'s Plumbing, the fabrication of information that an unsuspecting public would receive when attempting to research information to help them make important decisions about which business to hire, we see no advantage for ourselves or the public to continue a back-and-forth communication with ****'s Plumbing on this matter.  We believe our settlement offer is reasonable, is within the market's range of compensation for plumber work.  We are prepared to honor our offer of compensation in the amount of $300.00 without any interest or other charges.  If ****'s Plumbing will agree to this compensation within the next 30 days from December 15, 2023 we will not demand compensation  from ****'s Plumbing for the time and expenses and slandering statements it has made against us in it's written responses herein.
  Sincerely,
  
  *******************

• Initial Complaint

  08/22/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I was charged 225$ plus tax for a service/ diagnosis visit to get a quote on re- piping our house. I was told 3 times that this amount would be taken off of the total amount for the work. I wrote a check for this amount. I was then given the total amount for the work of ****. When the work was complete they asked for a payment of the total amount of ****. When i told them about the 225 plus tax that should be taken off of the total I was told i still needed to pay the total amount and they would not cash the first check since they hadnt done so yet. I then wrote them a check for the total amount of ****. They then cashed both checks and I paid a total amount of *******. When i called them on Aug. 17th they said they would research it and let me know later that day. I didnt get a call back. I called back the 18th and was told no one was in the office that did billing and they would give me a call back Monday the 21st. I again didnt receive a call back. I called them on the 22nd and was told the owner is out on leave and wouldnt be back for another week or longer for them to then review the issue and discuss whether to refund me my money or not. The invoice, attached, states very clearly on there that they 225$ plus tax is waived if work is performed. I do not understand why I am waiting 2 plus weeks for them to decide on whether they should give me back my money that they were not allowed to take in the first place. I am requesting a refund of the additional charge of the 225$ plus tax (243.23$)

  

  Business response

  10/10/2023

  We have spoken with Mr. ************ style="color: black; font-size: 9pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">*******************************

   

  We have resolved the issue with him by returning the over payment that was due to some lack of communication in details. The owner was out on the death of family member for an extended period of time and the office didnt want to do something that wasnt without permission. Johns has never tried to overcharge a customer on purpose or take advantage of anyone. There are ways that we do work as far as going out and charging and then going back out etc. This just happened to be one of those times.

  We truly apologize to him for any confusion and refunded money to him to make sure he felt happy, early in this time frame.

*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. ↩