Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  09/26/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Contacted Pronto Plumbing because had a back up in my basement. They sent their sales team for something that was supposed to be free. I was told they couldn’t see through to find the problem so they would have to take my toilet off. At first the sales guy said it would be 324.00 to remove my toilet. I didn’t agree so he said it would cost 224.00 to remove my toilet and put the camera through. He then said he couldn’t, but they pointed to where they believed the problem was and said it would cost $3724.00 to fix the problem. I thought for that price everything would be fixed. I agreed and they sent their repairmen out that Thursday. I was then told at the end of when I thought they fixed the problem that they sales team would be coming out again the next day. When they came the next day, I questioned why they sent sales out again. I thought the issue was fixed. They wanted to charge me another 15,000 which included jackhammering through my basement and digging out my front yard. I then called a second and third plumber for the estimate. The second plumber that came out found raw sewage Pronto left in yard along with blue rubber gloves. I contacted Pronto and I also contacted ***. *** contacted Pronto and they came out and cleaned the sewage. I didn’t realize not only did Pronto put it in the corner by my bush that can also run into my neighbor’s yard, but they also put it throughout the ivy in my backyard. I have kids and dogs. The General Manager made the joke that it would make my ivy grow. I didn’t find that amusing. I had two other estimates. My third estimate was with a mom-and-Pop plumber, which would usually cost more than a bigger company. I then had I asked the mom-and-Pop company to provide an estimate for the job which they came back with 5700.00 and there would not be any jackhammering in my basement nor digging out my front yard. They also looked at the pipes from my toilet to where Pronto fixed. (uploading attachment)

  

  Business response

  10/11/2022

  Several issues with this complaint -

  1. Our Camera Technician was unable to view the blocked sewer line as normal because there was NOT a Maintenance Access Point (MAP) available, as is common in most homes. The alternative is to remove a toilet to view the line from the toilet to the blockage. This necessitated a new Maintenance Access Point, which we were able to install at the basement stairwell (outside her home). This access is installed at a midway point between her home's underslab sewer line and the main line that leads to the street. We quoted $3724.00 and performed the work as promised. Our crew dumped grey water - and we cleaned it up appropriately.

  2. Upon completion of the work listed above, our Camera Technician viewed the line going to the street and was able to determine additional blockage from the newly installed MAP and the existing transition of piping which was ********** to Terra-Cotta piping. We combined a quote to replace the ********** under her basement slab to the toilet and replace the terracotta from the new MAP to the street. The ********** under *****'s slab will eventually need to be replaced, as it was used during the war because of cast iron shortages. The terracotta going to the street will also need to be replaced, as it is installed in sections and will eventually have invasive tree roots.

  3. The work ***** purchased from the other Plumber is a small 6 ft. section from our newly installed MAP! We consider it a poor option for a homeowner - it's nothing more than a temporary fix to a very inconvenient situation that ***** will have in her future!

  4. Since ***** has homeowner's insurance to help cover such major issues, performing such a disservice in note 3 above is abhorrent. We were willing to assist her with a credible claim by providing the video & photos we have that helps our Customers through the entire process. We have the experience and go the extra mile to help our Customers navigate the process so they don't have a temporary fix that causes sleepless nights and unnecessary worry for years to come. ***** promised to have her agent call us to begin this process - and we tried several times without a call back from her.

  5. We are still willing to help her by providing the real work she needs to have done.

• Initial Complaint

  09/12/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I called in January because our basement overflowed due to a clogged septic main (tree roots).They came out and hydrojetted the piping to remove the roots, instructed the house trap was blocked as well and needed replaced, and offered a liner for the old piping that was affected. The quote was about $10k. This involved digging 10 feet deep out front, and shooting a liner down the problem pipes. We understood this was a big undertaking.They dug the big hole, replaced the house trap, and jetted the line in a very quick manner.Then their plumbing license was revoked for working in lancaster city, so work came to a grinding halt.They missed a portion of piping that was still blocked, and the sewer main backed up a week later. They came out and jetted that portion, and lined it that day for no charge. they were not licensed at this time Then comes the liner When they shot the liner, they did not line as far as they said they would, and they missed a portion that needed a liner. This caused pressure to shoot up the vertical piping, causing a 1 inch hole to blast out the side where it isnt easily replaceable. This was noticed later that evening when my wife was taking a shower and water was running down the basement wall. The fix for this ended up being a liner all the way from the roof to the basement. A portion that wasnt needed when we first called to have work done. The bill for this second half was another $12k, which we were confused as to why we needed to pay for their mistake. We were told that old pipes break, so this obviously wasnt cause by the work we performed We asked for an itemized bill, which was never provided, but the bill was nocked town to an additional $8k. Here, they were trying to also bill us for that free repair mentioned earlier. We ended up paying $18k for a job that was quoted for $10k because we had to pay for the damages they caused to the house.This entire endeavor took 6 months, and multiple phone tag even

  

  Business response

  09/26/2022

  We are sorry and disappointed to hear of your belated unhappiness. 

  When the initial project began on January 20th, we had received the "go-ahead" from Lancaster City. They allowed us to replace your exterior sewer house trap, but advised us that since there was a personnel change within our company, we would have to submit a new application for approval to perform the balance of the necessary work, namely the interior sewer line "lining" process. Unfortunately for us, we had to backfill the outside work for obvious trenching safety reasons. (Plumbing licensing in Lancaster city is specific to a person and not a company & since that person left our employ we were required to submit new information, which required their approval and since they only meet periodically, there was a gap in being able to perform the final work, which was reason for the delay.)

  On March 8th we lined a section of the interior piping where you had roots - in order to relieve a back-up. We didn't charge you for this work.

  We returned on April 21st, with our "new" Lancaster City license to complete the exterior work and the lining from the house trap to underneath the house.

  You discovered a leak in the existing sewer line "vent stack", thinking we may have been responsible.

  Your original sewer line vent stack was installed between brick walls. We worked together to solve the issue to eliminate the need to tear out walls, saving thousands of dollars, not to mention the mess that would certainly have been unpleasant and more expensive. We adjusted the cost to line this vertical vent stack from $12,138 to $8,138. You'll remember the challenge with getting a platform lift to work safely to the top of your roof.
  

  In light of your concern that the leak was because the air pressure from the lining machine may have caused the damage, we consulted with the manufacturer and their response suspected old and deteriorating piping. The lining is confined to a "balloon-type" product that has just enough force to inflate a specific item, namely the liner, and when the machine is directed into a 4" open vent, such as yours, there isn't enough pressure to do damage.

  When we completed the work in May, we understood that you were happy with the final solution as it saved you from having to tear out your walls to resolve the vent stack situation.  We remember that you had expressed being hopeful that your homeowners insurance would cover the cost of the repairs. We certainly empathize with you for how long the entire process took, but feel that both parties maintained an excellent line of communication with over 25+calls to keep you informed of every step throughout the process.

  We firmly believe that we did the best we could with the challenges and that the cost to you could have been so much more. We appreciated the communications we had and the seeming understanding of each step along the arduous process. It's always inconvenient and stressful, not to mention somewhat expensive to upgrade utilities in older homes.

  Customer response

  09/26/2022

  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 would like to clarify however, that the $12,138 to $8,138 “discount” was $4000 that was charged for the work done that was stated was “free”. Although I was told originally it was free, it showed up on the final bill, and was negotiated down.
  
  I would also like to add that if something works before a certified contractor works on it, then it doesn’t work after the repair is completed, that could be considered professional negligence. 
  
  Regards,
  
  ********************

• Initial Complaint

  07/19/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Plumbing is false advertising that they will clear your drain for 93 dollars or its free. Re **** ** **** ****** Harrisburg PA August 2021 I have called them out for two different properties . They attempted to extor more money than advertised to clear my drains. They estimated that I needed to replace my entire house drain sytem for 15,000 dollars when I only needed a drain cleaning. I had three three different companies that determined that I just needed a drain cleaning and I have two written estimates from two of the companies that state that I needed a drain cleaning only. I hired a plumber who successfully cleared the drain. Re **** ********* ****** Harrisburg PA ***** Invoice number ****** On July 5, 2022 Pronto Plumbing added a Difficult access fee to the estimate to clear my drain when there was no difficult access. The plumbing was exposed with easy access. The two access points was through a standard brass cleanout at the front of the tub and the second was through the actual bathroom drain line which was also exposed and under the bathroom sink. Plumbing companies charge an access fee when they have to open a wall to access the plumbing. This company tries to add on unnecessary charges to inflate their bill Also I had an appointment for 8 to 11 and they were approximately two hours late. They wasted 5 hours of my time 

  

  Business response

  07/19/2022

  Our 93 or FREE special is NOT a scam. Our Techs open many lines for 93!

  We also camera the line to let the Customer know if there's an issue with their line that will cause the stoppage again. Very often we find Root Intrusion, pipes that separated, pipes that rot out at the bottom or pipes that collapse. 

  Many companies charge a Dispatch Fee to come out and a separate fee for using a specialized Drain Camera to view the Customer's line!

  We admit to handling the call from ***************** poorly from the original inbound call that our answering service picked up to dispatching a Tech who was having significant personal problems. We relieved the Tech from our employ while he tries to get his life back under control.

  We didn't charge ***************** for our poor performance on the call & I personally talked with her on July 18 and apologized for our performance. I asked our Dispatcher to call and offer a different Tech. She is on our schedule for July 20.

  We believe her experience with our Tech on July 20 will be much better!

  Barry

• Initial Complaint

  03/24/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I am writing to you to complain about Pronto Plumbing/SECCO. I did business with this company from November 2021 to January 2022. During that time, I contacted Pronto Plumbing/SECCO to give me an estimate on some preventative maintenance and some quotes to add a new bathroom and a garbage disposal. Pronto employees came and gave me an estimate about the fore mentioned items. During their estimate, they saw a pipe under the bathtub floor/ceiling in basement that the former owners had taped with duct tape. They recommended i get it fixed along with the preventative work. They rescheduled three times before coming to do the work. Within weeks of the work being completed, the bathroom was flooded and vanity ruined, and basement ceiling tiles because they installed a defective bathtub switch without even tightening the screws and also added a turn off valve for the toilet that leaked. They did not sand the bathtub drain and it leaks. The new pipe they installed leaks and the gasket fell off. Another professional looked at the work and said it was bad work. I am financing the work through another company so withholding payment is not an option. I attempted to contact to resolve this issue in January and request a refund. It took several attempts to have the Operations Manager respond and finally He said they would send an independent company to redo the work and I said, no. I want a refund. They lost my trust and I did not trust their independent company. They said owner would call and never did. I called multiple times in February. During this time, I tried to work from home in basement with constant leaks which I videotaped. The entire invoice they sent was about $2,000. The preventative work seems ok. But the other work they did caused leaking and ruined the vanity, the bathroom floor, and the basement ceiling. The cost to fix and replace is greater than $2,000, but I will settle for my original payment refunded to me in full.

  

  Business response

  04/07/2022

  I will research this Customer's complaint and respond within 3 business days.

   

  Thank You,

  *****

*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. ↩