AKINS PLUMBING

HORRIBLE!!! I was completely ripped off by this company. The plumber told me that I needed all the galvanized pipes under my house replaced because they were failing and that he would do it for $2300. But then when I asked him three times to go underneath the house with me to show me what he had done, he refused, because he DID NOT DO WHAT I PAID HIM $2300 to do. I had to hire another plumber to come in and repair the shower line that he had put in incorrectly. For this part of the job, he had actually told ME to go buy the correct part for it, but when I came back with the wrong part, he got into his truck, telling me he couldn't do it because I had gotten the wrong part. At that point, I asked him why he hadn't bought the right part since he was the plumber! And he told me he was doing me a favor telling me he would connect the pipe to the dang tub! After I had paid him to do what little he actually did, another plumber pointed out that he hadn't even put a hot water line back in for where the sink was going to go and that he hadn't even put the water line back in for the toilet! It took me days and multiple phone calls to get him to come back out to do those two things and THEN, even though I had shown him the antique dresser I was going to use for the sink and shown him the bowl sink I was putting on top so that I could use the drawers underneath, he STILL put the water line for the sink in too short....So of course I had to have ANOTHER plumber come out and fix that!!! Then when I disputed the charge on my credit card bill, he had the nerve to tell the credit card company that I had personal issues relating to my divorce and that I was vulgar and couldn't be pleased. Seriously?? DO NOT EVER HIRE THIS COMPANY!!! Through the whole thing, the plumber told me numerous times what a great Master Plumber he was and how he had to drive SO far to do this job and repeatedly made it sound like he was doing me a huge favor to do what little he had done. What a TOTAL JOKE! He was lazy and pathetic and a complete RIP OFF! What I would call a snake oil salesman!

I wouldn’t call on this company again for several reasons. I called when I discovered on a weekend that there was a major leak on my side of the city’s water meter box. When I reported it, the city responded promptly, told me what I needed to do and turned my water off to stop the leak. So I was suddenly without water. I settled on this company on the basis of a quick Google Maps search for emergency plumbing service in my area. It had impressive looking ratings from customers, so I went with them. A plumber and a kid he described as his “helper” responded in less than 24 hours, on a Sunday. He located the leak and advised me that the charge to repair it would be $650. That sounded pretty steep but having no water supply I wasn’t in the mood to try to shop the job around on a Sunday. So I agreed. The job took about 30 minutes and I was relieved to have my water supply back. It came out while the plumber was here that he wasn’t actually an Akins employee but was an independent contractor who took referrals from Akins. When he finished, he wrote up an invoice on an Akins form but asked for a check made out to him personally. I thought that was kind of odd but complied. If that had been the end of the story, I wouldn’t be writing this review. But two weeks later, the repair failed and I was once again without water. Since the invoice the plumber had given me included a 30-day guarantee, I called the same plumber again. He responded promptly but when I asked him why the repair had failed, it turned out that his “helper” was actually a trainee who, following the plumber’s instructions, had installed a plastic fitting to join two pipe segments where the leak had been. Because the trainee had overtightened the fitting, it had cracked after only two weeks. This time, the plumber told me, he installed a brass fitting. So for $650, I got a repair not performed by an Akins employee but by a trainee who, under the not very watchful eye of a plumber who told me repeatedly that he had 28 years’ experience, used a substandard part which he installed incorrectly to boot, causing the repair to fail. If I’d thought to look at the listing here for this company first, I never would’ve called them. Won’t make that mistake again.

I called Akins to fix a leaky exterior facuet in my garage. They sent a plumber out who proceeded to cut two huge holes (from the ground up about 4 feet and 1 foot tall and about a foot and half wide) in the walls and cut the electrical wire for the garage. While he did install a new faucet, he also left behind the holes in the walls. I never gave him permission to cut these holes nor did he ever ask if he could. When I asked him if he was going to fix the holes he told me that he was "just a plumber, we don't fix drywall' and that someone else would have to. I had also asked him to look at tub down spout that leaked when you pulled up the plunger to switch from the tub to shower. He proceeded to cut in half the custom made brass downspout then advised me I'd need to buy a new faucet. As he was leaving I realized he tried to take piece with him which I asked for and got back. This plumber had me sign his work order stating it was just an authorizatyion that the work was completed and they'd send someone else back to fix the wall on the garage, I did not see the fine print that stated my signature meant I was happy with the work provided, which I absolutely am NOT happy with. I contacted company to complain and they offered credit $150 but nothing more. I am asking for them to refund the $375 that it cost me to have his damage corrected. Contacted Amex and disputed charge. I have left a report w/ the BBB. Took cut off downspout to another company who investigate problem w/ part and stated it would have been fixed with a 50 cent washer.  I have used them for a clogged toilet previously and it went very well so I was suprised that thing went this way.

Still pending.

unknown

I just did my taxes for 2012 and found my notes about the poor service this company provided.  I hired them to clean the septic for my rental in Dacula, speaking with Ricky Akins when I first called.  I called about a week before leaving home in California for Dacula.  They would not make an appointment for March 22 when I needed them.  Ricky said just to call the day before.  So I called from Dacula.  They showed up and seemed to do a reasonable job.  I paid them by credit card and received an invoice.  Moving the tool shed involved whomping it with the blade of a small tractor, but they got the job done.
The tenant moved in, and despite my warning her about the use of a septic tank and leaving her a sheet on the proper use of a septic tank system, she decided to dump a large quantity of disposable diapers down the toilet, so much so that she clogged the plumbing line to the septic tank.  When the plumber went out to clear the line, he told me that the septic tank was nearly full again with diapers and other junk.  It was hard to believe since the tank had just been emptied two months before, but I knew plumber to be reliable.
So I told the tenant she would be paying for the plumbing repair and the septic tank cleaning, and called Ricky Akins again from California, asking for service the next day and also asking that the invoice be mailed to me in California.   He said that the invoice was no problem.  He gave the tech's name and cell phone number so I could let him know.  I called the tech and we agreed that he would call me as soon as the job was done, I would pay by credit card over the phone, and he would send me the invoice.
The next day came and went and the tech never called.  The following day I called Akins, this time speaking to a man who identified himself as Derek, the service manager.   He said that the service had been done on May 29, and that he would be glad to take care of accepting payment from me.  I gave him the credit card number and he promised me to send the invoice.   The following day I got a half-panicked call from the tech saying that he forgot to call me for the credit card payment, and I told him that I had already paid Derek.
Several days  passed and no invoice showed up.  Without the invoice, I could not bill the tenant for the job.  I called on June 11, reaching a recording.  I left a message for Derek to call me or send the invoice.  I also left a message for Ricky Akins to have Derek or the tech send the invoice.  At this point, I started making notes of my contacts.
I received no reply, so I called on June 13 and spoke with Ricky Akins.  He promised to have someone send the invoice.  He said it was no problem.    I called again on June 28 when no invoice arrived.  I spoke with Derek this time, reminded him of his promise to send the invoice, and received his assurances that it would be done.
I again received no invoice, so on September 3 I sent a letter to the company, attention Ricky Akins, requesting the invoice.  I received no reply.
I had the charge showing on my credit card statement, and I kept the documentation of my contacts so I could defend the deduction in the event of an audit.  However, I did not bill the tenant because I had no proof I paid for that specific job and a billing would be impossible to enforce.  I discovered that "no problem" is just Ricky Akins' way of getting rid of an inconvenient caller.    The unkept promises that he and his staff made cost me $325 minus whatever I saved in taxes.   

Each time I have used them I have been very satisfied

Akins replaced my septic pump, and fixed a 6” by 6” hole near the lid.  Four days later I noticed the tank was still leaking. I called Mr. Griswold  and he said he would return at his first opportunity.  Near that same time I discovered on my own that the ground fault junction box Atkins installed was faulty, so I hooked up the pump to a drop cord run from my house. As the next Monday was a holiday I contacted Akins and told them I had taken care of the problem for that holiday, and they could come on the Tuesday.  Neither Mr. Griswold or any else from Atkins showed up for three days.  I called them and the response was their truck was down (apparently Akins has only 1 truck).  After eight days I called them to tell them I was going to dispute the charge and already had another electrician to fix their problem.  Only at that time did they want to get in a hurry to fix their mess.   Do not use Akins, they have no idea what they are doing, will not fix their problems, and will not return payment when they do not complete their service.

I called Akins plumbing to check on a sewage pump that wasn't working. When they arrived they claimed that the Blue Angel pump was the best with a five year warranty. Not knowing much about it I figured it was an expensive pump, and they were honest. After talking with other plumbers they said "you paid what? Is it made of Gold or Platinum?" I knew it was time to do some research. I first called up Derek Akins, and asked for a copy of my 5 year warranty which I never got. He said "We didn't give it to you?" I said no. He said he would. I started to investigate and found the model number on the pump they installed. It was a two year model!!! This explained why I never got the 5 year warranty. I then got the price of the model they installed. The pump and parts were $400.00. I was looking at a bill of $1800.00 for 90 minutes of labor!!! If I didn't investigate they would have gotten away with putting in a different cheaper model, and overcharging big time. I took it up with the BBB, and after several months of negotiations I was given back the money owed. If they did this to me I wonder how many people they have overcharged and lied to in the past!?

We had several other plumbers out and couldn't locate the leak. They found the leak was coming from a different direction that the others thought. Gerrald came, found the leak and fixed it in one day. I would encourage anyone to use them for any plumbing work. We had to put holes in the sheet rock and they repaired that, too. They put everything back. They explain things very thoroughly.