Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  08/29/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On August 29, 2023, I sent the following email, with supporting photos, to the owner of Bear Plumbing, who had installed the unit: "Dear Brent (or is it Brett?) A neighbor inspected your installation after I complained about a dripping joint. He found two more drips in the crawl space, plus a pipe left dangling that'll bend or break sooner or later. Then another long-time neighbor, who is familiar with these units, took the front cover off and found a safety violation. Let me know what date and time you'll come over to fix these faults." My dissatisfaction with Brent/Brett goes back to this: In mid-June 2023, I paid $7,500, see attached (receiptBoiler.pdf) which Brett, the owner, said was what the equipment cost. He quoted a total of $15,000 for the unit, the labor, and the parts he would supply. For the next two months he replied to my texts with excuses. When he did not proceed with the installation, I went to his home address on August 10, 2023, at 4:30 PM. Brett was pulling out of the garage in his truck, his young son with him. I said we needed to touch base. Brett agreed to start installing the following week. He did install the unit on August 17 but used the old air pressure tank (see attached OldAirtank.jpeg) and did not have the filter he agreed to install. I complained and he agreed to order the filter and exchange the old tank for a new one. We agreed he would finish the work on Tuesday, August 22. Over the weekend I used the info on the Users' Manual he had left to look up the company--Navien--and the system he installed, NBC240/110H Combi Boiler, see attached. I sent a text, "We need to talk." He stopped by on Monday, August 21, 2023. I told him I learned that the unit cost less than $2,500. He said he paid $3,800 which is half of its price. The next day he returned to finish the installation and said he was prepared to give me $1,000 off his total price of 15,000, then went off to another job but said he'd be back in the PM with the electrician who'd do wiring. I composed a letter to him, see attached, and he read it in my presence. It included a check for $3,000.

  Business response

  08/29/2023

  The complaint from this former customer is false & unfounded. We require a downpayment of 50% before starting all larger jobs, this install being one of them. The invoice that this customer attached was a downpayment & in that same invoice it stated that after completion of the job that we were hired to do, she was to pay the rest IN FULL. I will keep this brief as most of what is being said is completely false &/or is skirting around the truth of this matter. Edith Cook was given a bid, once she received the bid, she accepted the amount of $15,00.00 total with a down payment of $7,500.00 by paying said down payment. Edith Cook was making it impossible to complete any work as she kept added & demanding things that were never in the original agreement or price however as a company that holds up our end of agreements & jobs, we continued to work with her. Edith Cook created a hostile work environment for not only the owner but also at least one other employee. Our job was clear & it was being completed at a very reasonable rate. Edith Cook showed up at our family home which is completely out of line & borderline harassment, only to complain & act totally inappropriate again at our family home which she was not then or has ever been invited to. While working at Edith Cook's house she would badger & complain about almost everything that was being done. Edith Cook also started to add & demand new items to our job as I said prior. Her claims of neighbors coming to look at the work that was completed is totally irrelevant as those people are not plumbers & so they cannot speak to what is right or wrong. Once the job was coming to completion, we, Bear Plumbing hired out for an electrician which was another issue for Edith Cook. She was upset that we were hiring a professional electrician to complete the wiring even as she knew this was not adding to her bill & was already computed into the bid. We take safety very seriously & will not do wiring ourselves as that is not in our job description, which she was aware of before the job had even begun. Edith Cook was told the job was to almost complete, once she knew this information she then complained & stated that she would not being paying her bill in full & would only pay the small amount of $3,000 instead of the total $7,500.00 that she agreed to pay prior. Edith Cook has an outstanding bill with us for the remainder of the amount she refuses to pay. We will no longer work with Edith Cook as we were prior warned not to do so with this customer but choose to give her a chance & she took advantage of our company, kindness, & good work ethic. It is unfortunate that Edith Cook has said some very inappropriate things to Brent the owner, these things I will not repeat as it was very cruel & again inappropriate. Bear Plumbing takes pride in all of our work, these claims are false & as we are not the first for Edith Cook to threaten to report via BBB, Yelp, ECT. nor are we the only company that will no longer conduct any business with her for reasons I will not share for it is not my business to give detail on. This former costumer as I said prior still has an outstanding balance or $4,500.00. Until that is paid there will be no further communication with this customer. 

   

  Thank you, 

  Bear Plumbing & Heating 

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