Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  06/10/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  This company was sent to me by my home warranty company for multiple issues. They sent someone out on Wednesday, who left claiming he would be back with parts. Thursday they did not answer the phone. Today (Friday) I received a call to inform me that they had the valve and wanted to send someone out to replace it. When I asked if they planned to inspect the drainage issue probably, ***** became upset and began asking the same question over and over “did he inspect the sinks.” She would cut me off and repeat the question. She would not listen to my answer that every time it backs up it backs up in 3 places together, and that checking underneath one sink was not going to find a problem that was common to all 3 locations. ***** apparently was upset enough with being questioned about the company’s quality of work, that after she hung up on me the company then submitted false paperwork to the home warranty claiming that the laundry room that the valve they were ready to replace was in is not part of “the main subfloor” so they wouldn’t have to do that job anymore. I have no idea what they are claiming with it not being part of the main sub-floor. The room is in line with a bathroom and my child’s bathroom. The entire house is attached, and on an elevated floor. In short, the company did not want to do the full job they were contracted to do by the home warranty. When questioned about part of the job, they lied to the warranty company to get out of doing even the part that they wanted to do.

  Business response

  06/11/2022

  I ended the call with Mr. ********** when he tried to record our conversation without my permission. 

  
  

  Regarding the drainage issue:  Mr. ********** claims his drains back up in several areas, and inspecting "underneath" one sink isn't going to find the problem.  That's not how you check for a blockage or a slow drain, you don't check underneath.  When I asked him if my technician look at any one of the sinks that he was having issues with (he first said he didn't check any sinks), he wouldn't answer, instead making more comments that didn't make sense.  Answering "yes" to my question would have allowed me to ask the second question, "Did he run the water in that sink."  Another yes, and we are on to the third question, "Did he run water in multiple sinks at the same time?"  Answering yes again, I could ask the final question, "Did the sinks back up?"  But Mr. ********** apparently thinks he runs things.  In fact, Mr. ********** was so upset that after he and his wife or girlfriend were on speaker, I heard some shuffling and then a woman shriek, my impression is that he hit her or grabbed the phone out of her hand because then I was no longer hearing her, just him.  Later she must have been in the next room because he said, "Get back in here, record this!"  This is what I observed and is not an accusation of abuse.  Since we then tried to record the conversation I said, "Good bye, I'm hanging up." and hung up the phone.  Please see the pictures my tech took when he ran the water in multiple drains to try to make them back up, he also checked the clean out and saw water flowing fine.  No issues were found.

  
  

  Regarding the faucet.  At first, my secretary did obtain authorization for the "valve" which was located in the laundry room.  I had not looked at the pictures before the call with Mr. ********** so I assumed it was the washer connection valve.  After Mr. ********** left an angry voicemail, upset that the "faucet" was not covered, I called him back to tell him that it was covered.  But after our phone call, when I was looking at my techs pictures to see if he had run multiple sinks to check the drainage, I saw the "valve" (see pic).  As you can see it is a makeshift faucet with a valve to turn off and on the water.  It looks like this was previously located outside the home (see the paneling), in addition, it is not an approved fixture, not a real faucet.  I updated our report to the home warranty company and they changed the status from approved to denied.  It should have been denied from the beginning.  That was our mistake, my secretary didn't know something like that has to be described very well so the home warranty can consider whether their contract states they have to pay to have it repaired or not.  Mr. ********** can ask for a second opinion if he wants to but I can't force the home warranty to do it.  His contract is with them, not us.  

  
  

  Mr. ********** is not going to get any further service from our company.  We did everything properly and stand by our diagnosis.  

  
  

  Thank you for your time and for the opportunity to respond.

  
  

  Sincerely, 

  
  

  
  

  ***** ******, Office Manager

  PACIFIC PLUMBING CO.

  ###-###-####         

  Customer response

  06/13/2022

   I am rejecting this response because:
  
  And now we can see why ***** wanted to ensure that she would not be recorded, so she could make wild accusations and continue her lies to ensure that her company actually does no work. Let’s get back to the facts. She claims that this laundry room is not part of the main foundation. The same room that you can see in the pictures I have provided has the original main breaker panel attached to the outside wall, and shares a wall with my bathroom. All of these wild stories, for what? To not have to fix a valve and check a drain that backs up into 3 sinks that her company was contracted to do.

  Business response

  06/14/2022

  I think it is irresponsible for the BBB to request I respond again to this complaint.  Clearly, we are no where close to being able to accommodate the customer.  I advised that the customer's contract is with his warranty company and the only recourse for the customer is to obtain a second opinion if his home warranty grants one.  So the back and forth continues...  

  
  

  I have already addressed the slow drain diagnosis with pictures and have nothing to add.  We ran the drains, they did not back up.

  
  

  The customer states that his picture of the electrical box (somehow) proves  that the laundry area is "within the main foundation" of the home.  My exact words (which are in writing and can be reviewed again) were, "It looks like this was PREVIOUSLY located outside the home." This statement is 100% accurate and NOT why the faucet was denied.  See the photo attached.  There were no homes built in 1948 with three car garages.  See the customer's photo (since deleted) of the electrical box located on the corner of the house and the multiple roof lines, this is an ADDITION. See the picture of the entire home showing different rooflines and a three car garage.  The customer's picture of the interior of the home also shows the awkward wall placement indicative of an addition.  The paneling behind the "faucet' was, at some point in the past, an outside wall.   

  
  

  Now back to the reason for the denial.  I advised the warranty company (and attached a picture to my response here) that the "faucet" is a makeshift faucet, made from pieces of pipes and round hose bib wheel handles, and they denied the repair or replacement.  My report is 100% accurate.  Home warranty companies are not going to fix custom, makeshift fixtures created by homeowners that start to leak or do not function properly.

  
  

  Finally, I did not refuse to be illegally recorded by the customer because I had a premonition that the customer would make a BBB complaint where I could then throw around "wild accusations."  Except for knowing that we will not service this customer again, I cannot predict the future.  ****, I am not. 

  
  

  This is my final response.  Have a good day.       

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