Bonney Plumbing

I spoke to Mr [redacted] after speaking to our technician, [redacted] *., and verified [redacted] completely understood our policy and procedures on Pressure Reducing Valve recommendation for replacement He did an outstanding job and does completely understand our policy [redacted] remembered this call vividly and stated he remembers the water pressure at 75PSI and not 55PSI He stated he would never recommend replacing the PRV at There was no formal recon his invoice which indicates it was not something he was concerned about I relayed this conversation and our policies to Mr [redacted] and he seemed very satisfied Said he may have misunderstood [redacted] 's original PSI test number I feel Mr [redacted] is completely happy Thank You, [redacted]

We have contacted the customer and resolved this matter by issuing a refund for $for the maintenance contract as requested by *** *** Customer was satisfied with resolution and has no other issues

Response:RE: Complaint #[redacted] The following is an account from our Plumbing Manager: "After several attempts to contact [redacted] during the week of October 14th I was finally able to reach her by phone on the 20th.. We had a good conversation about the work that we performed at her home; her...

account of what had happened; and where we missed the mark that kept her being 100% satisfied. [redacted] agreed to allow me to go out to her house and see for myself what was done and what we proposed to do to fix the problem. On Wednesday the 21st, I met [redacted] at her house and went over the work she authorized and what we actually did. We discussed the plugged sewer and the lack of cleanout/ access for the sewer lateral, and that the least expensive way (standard flat rate $385) to locate the sewer was from the roof top sewer vent. We also talked about locating the pipe and clearing the sewer blockage. To access the pipe, we had to dig it up and break a small hole to gain access for cabling. At this point in time, we found the pipe was a type called Orangeburg. This pipe is a known problem in our business. It was determined at this time that because the pipe was in such poor condition it required replacement. After cabling and clearing the blockage our tech gave an estimate for an open trench sewer replacement and gave a quote of $5800. At this point in the call, the decision was made they were done with our services and the tech left. The technician was paid cash by the owners and had left the hole in the front yard which gave access to the pipe. [redacted] called another company which was then hired for a lesser amount to replace the sewer using the trenchless method. [redacted] stated that the other company told her we shouldn’t have charged her so much to locate and clear her sewer. At this point she felt that she was not given enough options and that she paid too much for our services. After discussing the job with her she agreed that we did an “okay” job of locating and clearing the sewer but was unhappy we didn’t give more options for replacement and that the hole dug to access the pipe was left open. I agreed with [redacted] in the fact that we could have given more options for replacement and the tech should have communicated better about leaving the hole open. The hole was left open because the pipe had to be replaced and backfilling would have caused dirt to fill the pipe and plug the sewer again. I told her that I would get back to her about what Bonney could for her to make things right. I called [redacted] Thursday the 22nd and offered to refund 50% of the total paid, $192.50. She agreed that this refund would resolve her dissatisfaction and satisfy her complaint with Bonney and to the Revdex.com. Today October 23rd I am delivering the refund to [redacted]." Sincerely, Sam We appreciate the being to work with [redacted] to a happy resolution on this. We value each opportunity to serve a client and strive to make doing business with Bonney a great experience. Thank you, [redacted] President, Bonney Plumbing [redacted]Sent on: 10/23/2015 7:29:22 PMSent by: 24.251.242.18

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to my concern, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
I feel that I misunderstood what [redacted] told me about my water pressure and sincerely apologize for this error on my part.  They did great work on the water heater and I highly recommend them.[redacted]

After speaking with Mr. [redacted] regarding this concern and the communication involved between the technician and Brother-in-Law it is clear that there was a breakdown in the communication during and after this service visit.  I regret that it got to a point that it did without...

the ability to clear up the details to avoid the frustration that the [redacted] experienced.  However, I completely disagree with the allegations that we misled Mr. [redacted] in any way on this service visit or sales call. Regarding the service visit: The fan motor was over-amping and barely spinning.  This was indicated on the invoice and was verified by the subsequent tech from second company.  The compressor was also running at an extremely high amperage.  The technician discussed this as possibly caused by the motor failure but he couldn’t be certain.  The other components recommended are items that we recommend replacing when we replace a compressor (liquid line filter dryer and contactor).  The only repair that was NEEDED to get the unit running was the motor for $625.  This was detailed on the invoice and discussed with the Brother-in-law. Our technician offered to have a Salesman come out to go over replacement options on this 11-year-old system.  This was agreed upon and they decided to do so before making a decision regarding the repairs.  During this visit our Salesman offered replacement options.  This was the reason that he was there.  He was not there to verify if the unit “needed” to be replaced.  The pricing is based off of what options that were chosen or what system requirements are dictated by the design of the home.  The financing options that were offered included an option for the PACE financing program.  This is just one of our financing options.  It’s not for everyone, but many people find that this is a great way for them to qualify for a new system without tying up available credit from credit cards or other credit lines.  This program is used all over California and is not unique to Bonney.  The insinuation that WE would place a Mechanics Lien on the property is incorrect as we are not the provider of the loan.  We get paid and our PACE financing provider will be the holder of the lien and the note.  Again, this isn’t for everyone and was only one of the options that we offer for financing.  I’m glad that Mr. [redacted] got his fan motor replaced and the unit is currently working to his satisfaction. I regret that we weren’t able to clear this up prior to this.   Although our diagnosis of the failed fan motor proved accurate, I have refunded the $54 from the service call visit.  Hopefully, we will get a chance in the future to work with Mr. [redacted] in the future.  I’ll make sure that we continually work to improve our communications so that we more clearly lay out the consumer options and give a better channel for clearing up mis-understandings. Thank you,[redacted]General Manager, Bonney Plumbing, Heating, and Air Conditioning

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to my concern, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

To whom it may concern:    October 5, 2016 the home owner of [redacted] called Bonney Plumbing and requested service for a kitchen/laundry drain stoppage. When we arrived the owner explained that the kitchen sink had been plugged for a long time and that they were using buckets...

to dump the waste water down the front yard main sewer cleanout. The area around the clean out was covered in rotten food and waste water. The kitchen sink drain assembly was in such disrepair that our technician needed to cable/snake the drain from the laundry drain that tee’s into the kitchen drain. After removing the laundry stand pipe, he snaked the drain to clear the blockage. While snaking the line, he hit a hard area but was unable clear the drain. The technician made multiple attempts at this. He then used a smaller cable and made several additional attempts but this was also unsuccessful. At this point, the tech had been on site for several hours and had called his manager who also spoke the customer. The conversation that transpired was that there is an issue with the drain and it could possibly be broken, rotten or have roots in the line. The customer authorized an additional $158.82 and asked the technician to just to continue the cabling to see if this would eventually break through and solve the problem. We again attempted to clear the line multiple times. With every attempt the cable would go in a slight amount further so the tech would pull it out and then send it back in to go just a little further. After doing this many times at the customer’s request, the cable got stuck. He attempted to pull the cable back at which point it continued to get harder and harder to move. The more he attempted to get the cable in or out, the more it just locked up tighter and tighter.    At that point, the home owner was made aware of the situation and the technician called his manager to discuss options.    When a cable gets stuck in the drain there are usually only a couple reasons. First the drain line may have roots in it which have bound around the cable. When the roots bind up they create a mass similar to a rope and this makes it very difficult to clear. Most of the time we are able to retrieve the cable in this situation. A second scenario and most common is that the bottom of the old cast iron drain pipe is rotted out and now allows the cable to leave the pipe and get lodged in the earth surrounding the pipe. When this happens, there is no way to tell what is going on because we cannot see the head of the cable. We are only going by experience and feel at this point. When the tech was cabling in and out over and over to go only an inch or two every time he was most likely borrowing a hole through the earth. Because the line was full of waste water he could not tell what condition the pipe was in and when he pulled the cable back it was clean. In this case, if the line had been empty and he pulled it back after cabling through the earth the line would have had mud or sand on it.    The technician made every effort to remove the cable but was not successful. By this time, he had been on site from 9:15am to 3:30pm attempting to clear the line and attempting to remove the stuck cable.  He spoke to his manager again and then to the homeowner about the cable getting stuck. He explained to the owner that at this point the there are three options, one was to cut open the slab floor and replace the pipe, one was to do a full pipe replacement, and the other option was to leave the cable and just cut the cable off near the pipe. We discussed that a spot repair in the slab which would mean cutting only a small hole in the slab and cutting the pipe open to get the cable out. The issue with this was that when the pipe is that if the pipe is rotten and if there is not a pipe in good condition to make a connection to after cutting it open, then we would have to go to the bigger and more expensive repair. There is could not be a guarantee that this less expensive repair on the pipe could be made until we made the cuts in the slab. We also explained that the best option with a house of its age would be to completely replace the pipe.  This would consist of cutting the slab open all the way across the house. For the owner, this was not an option he wanted to do.   After our technician was there 6 hours on site the customer made the decision to cut the cable and leave it, but they refused to pay any more than $295 because the cabling was unsuccessful. The customer said they would think about the estimate to replace the line because they understood a repair was not a viable option.  We gave them the replacement options and was prepared to do the work if they decided to authorize the repairs.   With no communication for more than seven months, we assumed the customer went with another company to fix the issue.    Once we received the Revdex.com complaint, the plumbing manager called the owner to attempt to resolve the complaint. We agreed to send another technician and assistant to try and get the cable out.  Although our technician was allowed to try, we were still unable to get it out. At this time, Customer threatened that he could hire a lawyer for $5,000 or we could re-pipe it for $5,000. This was not a viable option as our cost is considerably higher than the $5,000 for this project.   Section 18 in Terms and Conditions of our contract with the customer clearly states: Owner recognizes that aged and deteriorated plumbing, heating and air conditioning equipment, fixtures, piping and appurtenances many no longer be serviceable, and agree to hold Bonney harmless for any damage or destruction to those items as a result of these conventional repair efforts.   We would love the opportunity to fix this problem for the customer.  We feel that we have tried to do what is professional and right by the way of the customer.  We are willing to refund all the money that the customer has spent with Bonney on this ($295) and take $2,000 off our original estimate to repair the line.     Please feel free to call me to discuss any other factors or options that could lead us to a positive resolution for this situation.   Thank you,   [redacted], CEO Bonney Plumbing LLC

RE: Complaint #[redacted] Thank you for bringing this situation to our attention. I see that we installed your unit in July 2009 and that you reached out to us in April 2016 regarding your filters not being ordered. First and foremost I would like to apologize for your concern slipping through...

the cracks on our end as well as the inconvenience we have caused you. We value our customers and above all else, providing excellent customer service is our top priority. Unfortunately sometimes things do happen and we are grateful to the Revdex.com for being a resource to help facilitate a conversation. We would like to address and resolve the situation, so we have reached out to you by phone as well as email, however we have not received a response as of yet. Please let me know how to contact you so we are able to make things right.  Thank you, [redacted] CEO, Bonney Plumbing [redacted]

We absolutely want to make every effort to resolve thisissue. To answer your question  about the $837 charge, you were charged$369 for the duel capacitor, $369 for the start assist, an $99 for the Bonneymaintenance program. As for the $89 diagnostic fee for the next visit after theoriginal visit, it is agreed that we can refund that to you. If you are wantingany further refund, we will need the information for where you got the price ofthe parts, what parts were ordered, the license number of your friend who isthe technician, and what work he did. Once we receive this information, we willbe happy to take a further look into this in effort to come to a moresatisfactory resolution.   Thank you,[redacted]Tell us why here...

Dear Mr. [redacted],My Name is [redacted]. I have taken over the duties of [redacted]. I would like to absolutely get this matter resolved as soon as possible. [redacted] left notes in regard to Ms [redacted] concerns. She last noted that she sent a response to directly to...

you on 7/30/14 that stated she was having trouble posting to the web site and ask for your help. Not sure if you received that email or not. Her notes stated that on 7/20 we had gotten a call from her friend Chris who told us that he is an HVAC technician. He stated that he did repairs to fix the system. We where told that he would send us details of the repairs, but we never received and email. With her system being fixed, we are unclear as to how we can further help in resolving this issue. Please let me know what the next step is and I will gladly help. Regards,[redacted]

I am rejecting this response because: This is an ongoing issue that has not been fully resolved as of 8/21/15. I am working with Bonney Plumbing on a satisfactory resolution, which once achieved will result in acceptance and closure of original complaint.[redacted]

I spoke to Mr. [redacted] after speaking to our technician, [redacted]., and verified [redacted] completely understood our policy and procedures on Pressure Reducing Valve recommendation for replacement.  He did an outstanding job and does completely understand our policy.  [redacted] remembered...

this call vividly and stated he remembers the water pressure at 75PSI and not 55PSI.  He stated he would never recommend replacing the PRV at 55.  There was no formal rec. on his invoice which indicates it was not something he was concerned about.  I relayed this conversation and our policies to Mr. [redacted] and he seemed very satisfied.  Said he may have misunderstood [redacted]'s original PSI test number.  I feel Mr. [redacted] is completely happy.  Thank You, [redacted]

Shane provided all the information I needed before deciding to replace my 30-year-old water heater. He answered all of my questions and had everything he needed on the truck to complete the job. If all Bonney employees are of Shane's caliber, I highly recommend this company!

Hello I am writing this review to state a positive experience with the Bonney Plumbing Company and the experienced, knowledgeable technician named Martin Herrera that came to my house on Saturday September 3, 2016. Martin took the time to not only explain the problem but also drew a diagram for me so that I could explain it to my husband. When my husband arrived, Martin took the extra time to once again explain it to him. We REALLY APPRECIATE, the professionalism he showed. Thanks for sending Martin we will request him in the future, for our home and also our family and friends.

Dustin provide fast and efficient service.

Had an appointment with Clinton R. He was able to come by the same day I called and diagnosed my problem very quickly. In addition to expertly fixing the issue, (a worn out shower handle cartridge), he also took the time to explain to me what he was doing and gave me a few tips for future care and maintenance. Its now several weeks later and everything is functioning 100% perfectly. Was glad to have Clinton take care of my plumbing problems and would strongly recommend him in the future.

John M. is an excellent technician. I always felt like he was on my side. When my ancient system faltered, he tried to keep it going but it was destined to be replaced. I went with Bonney after several bids just because of John M.

He's a good, honorable man. Great employee.

Bonney plumbing showed up on time and gave us a fair estimate. The plumber, Dustin H. completed the job in a professional and timely manner. We are pleased with the work.

Review: On August 26, 2015 we contacted Bonney to repair The A/C unit in our rental property. The technician arrived and inspected the unit, and advised us that the unit needed $3673.00 in repairs to make it operational again. Later in the day we met with another representative from who told us that the unit needed to be replaced at a cost of between $7800.00 and $9500.00. He also offered a financing offer that would have placed a mechanics lien on the property. On August 27, 2015, I contacted another heating and air contractor, who sent a technician out for a second opinion. The technician inspected the A/C unit and determined that the unit ONLY needed a fan motor and that the other parts that Bonney said NEEDED to be replaced in order for the unit to operate, were functioning properly.Desired Settlement: Refund the $ 54.00 service charge from Bonney

Business

Response:

After speaking with Mr. [redacted] regarding this concern and the communication involved between the technician and Brother-in-Law it is clear that there was a breakdown in the communication during and after this service visit. I regret that it got to a point that it did without the ability to clear up the details to avoid the frustration that the [redacted] experienced. However, I completely disagree with the allegations that we misled Mr. [redacted] in any way on this service visit or sales call. Regarding the service visit: The fan motor was over-amping and barely spinning. This was indicated on the invoice and was verified by the subsequent tech from second company. The compressor was also running at an extremely high amperage. The technician discussed this as possibly caused by the motor failure but he couldn’t be certain. The other components recommended are items that we recommend replacing when we replace a compressor (liquid line filter dryer and contactor). The only repair that was NEEDED to get the unit running was the motor for $625. This was detailed on the invoice and discussed with the Brother-in-law. Our technician offered to have a Salesman come out to go over replacement options on this 11-year-old system. This was agreed upon and they decided to do so before making a decision regarding the repairs. During this visit our Salesman offered replacement options. This was the reason that he was there. He was not there to verify if the unit “needed” to be replaced. The pricing is based off of what options that were chosen or what system requirements are dictated by the design of the home. The financing options that were offered included an option for the PACE financing program. This is just one of our financing options. It’s not for everyone, but many people find that this is a great way for them to qualify for a new system without tying up available credit from credit cards or other credit lines. This program is used all over California and is not unique to Bonney. The insinuation that WE would place a Mechanics Lien on the property is incorrect as we are not the provider of the loan. We get paid and our PACE financing provider will be the holder of the lien and the note. Again, this isn’t for everyone and was only one of the options that we offer for financing. I’m glad that Mr. [redacted] got his fan motor replaced and the unit is currently working to his satisfaction. I regret that we weren’t able to clear this up prior to this. Although our diagnosis of the failed fan motor proved accurate, I have refunded the $54 from the service call visit. Hopefully, we will get a chance in the future to work with Mr. [redacted] in the future. I’ll make sure that we continually work to improve our communications so that we more clearly lay out the consumer options and give a better channel for clearing up mis-understandings. Thank you,[redacted]General Manager, Bonney Plumbing, Heating, and Air Conditioning

Review: BAM Plan annual service on my AC, tech appears to have left a valve open after testing refrigerant pressure, R410 leaked out

BAM plan annual service call 07/13/13 - tech [redacted]

- Everything tested fine

- He recommended $900 worth of work (fan motor and contactor) declined service at this time as it was not pressing or urgent

- Paid $99 BAM plan to re-enroll

About 3 weeks later noticed AC was not able to cool house, it was running all afternoon/evening with cool but not cold air coming out of vents. Called Bonney back out.

Service call 8/30/13 - tech [redacted]

- He found the system was low on charge. He said very low - almost completely out.

- He pointed out the oil on the refrigerant line on both sides of the test valve and said that oil was present due to leak. He did not make any mention of possible causes, observation that valve was loose or anything else.

- He recommended the following possible solutions to the problem

-sealant and moisture removal + up to 3 lbs $665 (not guaranteed to work, cross your fingers and hope was his summary)

-Leak detection w/ fluorescent dye $580

-Leak repair with evac and 5 lbs refrigerant $985

-2 lbs refrigerant $290

- He also said that I could not run my system until the problem was fixed as I could blow up my compressor due to low pressure. This was very bad news at 3 PM on the Friday before Labor Day.

With the outstanding $900 of recommended fixes and also the approximate $1500 of repairs, I asked to talk to a Bonney salesman to see how much a new system was. He also came out and looked at my system and recommended a replacement was about $5-6k.

You can see from the above that the cheapest option (one that was not recommended) was $665 on a system that is only 10 years old and never had any problems before. The full solution was over $1,500. I decided to suffer through a hot weekend and get a second opinion.

Second Opinion from independent AC company recommended by a coworker 9/4/13

- Her opinion was "leak" is pretty clearly a valve that was left open

- She put in about 1 lb of R410 refrigerant

- Total cost $110 to fix

- System is working fine, no more leaks

- She also pointed out that my system has a low pressure sensor so it shuts off automatically if there is danger to the compressor. That is how she know my pressure wasn't super low.

9/4/13 Talked to Clyde at Bonney, he passed along my complaint to [redacted]. He said [redacted] would call me - probably the next day. Today is a week later and no call or any effort from Bonney to make this right.

I am astonished that a company of Bonney's size has treated a long time customer so poorly. Your mistake lead to weeks of a non working air conditioner. 1 tech made an honest mistake. 2 other Bonney employees saw the mistake, but neither of them owned up to it and made it right. Both of them simply saw an opportunity to turn the screws and get some more money out of me.

Desired Settlement: Full refund of all money spent with Bonney.

Reimbursement for costs of repairing their mistake.

Reimbursement for time lost, discomfort caused by their mistake.

Business

Response:

Initial Business Response

After speaking with you on the phone, thank you for giving us the opportunity to come out and make things right.

I would like to update this report after we visit your home on September 27.

Final Consumer Response

(The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.)

[redacted] gave me everything I requested and appeared to be truly sorry for their mistake.