NORHIO PLUMBING

Service Provider Response

Because the AL member (the home's owner) lives in Massachusetts, we met his tenant at the house here in Ohio. Once our technician investigated the water leak problem on the 2nd floor toilet, he determined that the toilet tank was separating from the toilet bowl. He explained the situation to the AL member on the phone. He told him that to repair the toilet he would need to replace the seal as well as the nuts & bolts to eliminate the leak & secure the tank and bowl together. He told him the cost of the repair upfront (prior to any work starting). When AL member gave us verbal approval over the phone to proceed, we repaired the toilet and flushed it multiple times w/the tenant present to assure the leak was gone. The AL member was not forced into any work. We have never operated that way in the over 40 years that we've been in business. If he was unhappy with the price, he could have declined the work and contacted someone else. He did not raise any concerns to us about the price of the work prior to its completion. Additionally, our service invoices state clearly on the front in bold that there may be another plumbing service provider willing to perform the work at a lower price. It was only many months after we did the work did we find out there was a problem. We only found out about it through this review that he posted. He never contacted us directly about it. We apologize that we were unable to meet this AL member's expectations of great service at a cheap price.

Service Provider Response

AT THE TIME OF THIS COMPLAINT, THE MEMBER HAD BEEN A CLIENT FOR ABOUT 9 YEARS AND HAD BEEN VERY SATISFIED WITH OUR WORK. SHE CALLED OUR OFFICE IN LATE FEB 2004 AND ASKED US TO COME OUT TO LOOK AT WORK THAT SHE NEEDED DONE AT HER HOME. SHE UNDERSTOOD AND AGREED TO THE SERVICE CALL FEE. WE INFORMED HER THAT WE WAIVE THE SERVICE CALL FEE WHEN ANY WORK IS DONE AT THE HOME. ON LARGER PROJECTS, LIKE THIS ONE, WE APPLY THE FEE AS A DEPOSIT WHEN THE OWNER HAS US DO THE WORK. THE MEMBER ASKED ME TO INSPECT THE HOUSE FOR REPAIRS AND UPGRADES BECAUSE SHE WANTED TO SELL THE HOME AND SAID IT NEEDED SOME UPGRADES. SHE SHOWED ME AROUND THE HOUSE AND I INSPECTED THE PLUMBING SYSTEM. PIPES IN THE HOME HAD FROZEN & SPLIT OVER THE WINTER CAUSING MASSIVE DAMAGE IN THE HOME. I EXPLAINED TO HER THAT THE DAMAGE IN THE HOME WAS EXTENSIVE BUT THAT WE'D PUT TOGETHER A PROPOSAL FOR HER ON REPAIRING THE PLUMBING ISSUES. THE NEXT DAY A PROPOSAL FOR THE PROJECT WAS SENT FOR $4,230 (NOT $6000 AS SHE CLAIMED). THE WORK INCLUDED THE FOLLOWING: REMOVING AN OLD STEEL BATH TUB, INSTALLING A NEW FIBERGLASS TUB WITH A NEW PRESSURE-BALANCED TUB AND SHOWER FAUCET, REROUTING A WATER MAIN FROM THE CLOSE INTO THE BATHROOM WALL AND MOVING A FAUCET ACROSS THE GARAGE, SNAKING THE MAIN SEWER LINE, INSTALLING A NEW KITCHEN FAUCET AND RE-PIPING UNDER THE SINK, SNAKE & CHECK OUT THE 2'' WASHER DRAIN AND INSTALL A NEW TOILET, SINK AND FAUCET IN THE BATHROOM ONCE THE PAINTING AND NEW FLOORING WORK WAS COMPLETED. THE MEMBER CALLED OUR OFFICE THE FOLLOWING WEEK ASKING US TO COME OUT TO LOOK AT A DRAIN LINE PROBLEM. I SENT MY TECHNICIAN GREG OUT TO HER HOUSE TO LOOK AT THE PROBLEM. (GREG HAD BEEN TO HER HOUSE ON PRIOR SERVICE CALLS) HE QUOTED HER $236 TO OPEN THE FLOORS AND DO THE ADDITIONAL INVESTIGATION WORK. HE DID THE FOLLOWING: OPENED THE FLOOR IN THE KITCHEN TO INVESTIGATE THE PROBLEM WITH THE DRAIN LINE, OPENED THE FLOOR IN THE BATHROOM TO CHECK THAT DRAIN LINE AND FOUND THE TUB DRAIN WAS COMPLETELY BROKEN. THE FLOOR WAS COMPLETELY ROTTEN. HIS LEG ACTUALLY FELL THROUGH THE FLOOR IN ONE AREA. AFTER OPENING THE FLOOR, HE ALSO NOTICED THAT THERE WAS NO VENT FOR EITHER THE KITCHEN OR THE TUB & SINK IN THE BATHROOM. AT THIS POINT, WE ADVISED THE MEMBER TO CALL THE CLEVELAND BUILDING DEPARTMENT AND HAVE THE INSPECTOR COME OUT BECAUSE THE HOUSE WAS IN THAT BAD OF SHAPE AND MIGHT BE BEYOND BASIC REPAIR. SHE PAID THE INVOICE AND SAID THAT SHE'D FOLLOW UP WITH US AFTER SHE TALKED WITH HER SON ABOUT THE WORK. THAT WAS THE LAST WE HEARD FROM HER UNTIL THIS COMPLAINT WAS MADE. PLEASE NOTE THAT, ACCORDING TO OUR RECORDS, SHE FILED HER COMPLAINT WITH ANGIE'S LIST THE DAY AFTER GREG WAS THERE. WE NEVER DID HEAR FROM HER AGAIN.

Service Provider Response

THIS MEMBER HIRED US TO PROVIDE MANPOWER, PIPING AND STONE TO REPLACE SECTION OF SEWER. HE DID HIS OWN INVESTIGATION AND DIAGNOSIS OF PROBLEM. HE REFUSED TO ALLOW US TO DO OUR OWN INVESTIGATION AND ONLY WANTED PIPING REPLACED. WE REPLACED THE PIPING AND WARNED HIM OF ADDITIONAL POSSIBLE PROBLEMS IN THE HOUSE. HE CHOSE TO WAIT AND SEE WHAT HAPPENED. OUR WORK WAS INSPECTED AND APPROVED BY THE INSPECTOR FOR THE CITY OF SOUTH EUCLID. IF OUR WORK WAS DONE IMPROPERLY, THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN A PROBLEM IMMEDIATELY. HE HAD NO PROBLEMS FOR OVER 16 MONTHS.