Christy Plumbing & Heating Company Inc

Review: [redacted] the plumber was called to find a gas leak at our home. He said he charges $79 per hour, and that a gas leak test is less than one hour. His complete gas test was actually 30 minutes of time. He could not find any gas leak. At that time, he should have packed up his test equipment and given us the bill for 30 minutes his service time and then proceed to leave our home. Instead, he took it upon himself to install a flex gas line to our gas dryer, and a shut off valve to our gas water heater. We tried to stop him, but he just kept going. As he was refusing to stop, he reached out with his pipe wrench towards our hot water tank, with a short fast movement, he actually loosened the black gas pipe at the fitting. He then claimed it was loose. I was carefully watching his every move. He continued to take the pipe assembly apart at the union and install the shut off valve. The shut off valve installation was 15 minutes. He then looked over at our gas dryer flex line. I said that it was installed by the people who installed our gas dryer. He then took it upon himself to remove our gas dryer flex line. Since he did not have a flex line in his truck, he left for 45 minutes to pick one up at his plumbing business shop. It is 20 minutes away from our home location. As he tried to install his flex line to our dryer, it did not fit. He had a difficult time removing the nipple fitting from our dryer and replacing it with his nipple fitting. He tried to charged us for installing two items we did not order or require. We removed the flex line from our gas dryer and the 2 nipples he installed, and returned these items to him at his residence, along with a letter and a check for one hour of his time and the cost of the shut off valve. We have a digital photo showing the returned parts, with check envelope on his front porch. We also contacted the consumer protection agency and made a copy of the laws regulating [redacted] service practices. He clearly violated the law. We feel victimized. [redacted] clearly tried to take advantage of the situation for his gain and profit.Desired Settlement: We want a written apology from [redacted] the plumber for his actions.

Business

Response:

When I arrived customer advised me that the house line was off for gas smell by water heater and dryer. Customer stated gas company checked inside but could not detect a leak but turned the house line off. Gas company wanted another valve because water heater and dryer were using same valve. Dryer flex connection was undersized in length and volume and had to be disconnected to test line along with fittings at water heater which I mentioned were loose but had to be disconnected anyway.

Customer was aware of hourly rate as per his letter.

I described work as it was being completed while customer watched. When pressure test held, I told customer outside service line that is located on opposite side of dryer may be leaking. Customer said it was not per gas company testing.

Gas was turned back on in house. Final connections were soap tested and appliances relit. Customer was handed invoice and signed it stating that work had been completed as ordered.

Customer said he could not pay this bill at present. He was waiting for a new credit card that will give him back $50.00 toward this purchase and expected card to arrive in the next 7 days. Approximately 2 weeks later I did see Mr. [redacted] at a local store and he told me credit card did not come and he would have to drop off a check for payment at our office. At that time he did not mention poor service or unwanted parts. If the customer was not satisfied with work completed, why did he wait for 3 weeks to make claim and never called me to discuss.

Review: My Air Cond. was not putting out cold air. I got Christy Plumbing name out of our church paper. They offered a senior discount. Tech came out and charged me$180.75 and told me my compressor was shot. He said the AC could last 1 day or 1 week. WE looked into our warranty papers and found out the compressor was guaranteed for 10 years by [redacted] Heating who originally installed the unit 9 years ago. I was fearful that it would break in a day or two, so I contacted [redacted] Plumbing and a tech was sent out. He charged me 138.00 and said that there was absolutely nothing wrong with the compressor that it would last another 5 to 10 years. I asked the tech why Christy would tell me that it was shot? He said some companies give their tech bonuses if the sell more services or repairs. I call and spoke to Mr. Christy and he was very curt with me and pretty much told me I was a liar that his tech did no such thing. His tech wrote on my service slip: "Replaced capacitor to get working. No guaranty how long the unit will work." He verbally told me the compressor needed replaced.Desired Settlement: As I told Mr. Christy, I want the $132 dollars refunded because if his tech had not lied to me I would not have the expense for the second visit to get the compressor replaced while it was under warranty. The second tech also said the part Christy put on was the wrong size! We are seniors on tight budget and do not think it is right to dupe seniors like this. I called Mr Christy 2 more times after he said he would get back to me. Still no call. His tech came to the house July 1, 2013.

Business

Response:

6/24/13 CALLED FOR AIR CONDITIONER NOT WORKING. REPLACED CAPACITOR AND INS TALLED A HARD START KIT TO GET UNIT WORKING PROPERLY.

ADVISED MR. [redacted] THERE IS NO GUARANTEE HOW LONG UNIT WILL RUN WHEN HE ASKED. TOLD HIM IT COULD LAST 1 DAY , 1 YEAR OR 10 YEARS WE COULD NOT GUARANTEE. WE DID NOT OFFER TO SELL HIM A NEW UNIT OR GIVE ESTIMATE FOR A NEW UNIT BECAUSE IT WAS WORKING PROPERLY, MRS. [redacted] CALLED TO OUR OFFICE AND SAID WE FORGOT TO GIVE HER A SENIOR CITIZEN DISCOUNT SO WE SENT HER A REFUND CHECK OF $4.25 ON 6/25/13.

7/2/13 MRS. [redacted] CALLED OUR OFFICE AND LEFT MESSAGE STILL HAVING PROBLEMS WITH A/C SO THEY CALLED [redacted] HEATING AND THEY ADVISED HER THE WORK THAT WE DID WAS NOT NECESSARY AND THEY CORRECTED PROBLEM.

7/3/13 I CALLED [redacted] HEATING BEFORE CALLING MRS. [redacted] TO FIND OUT WI IAT WAS WRONG WITH REPAIR. SERVICE MANAGER ADVISED ME THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG AND UNIT WAS RUNNING AS IT SHOULD BUT CUSTOMER CALLED BECAUSE IT WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY AND THEY INSTALLED UNIT. I CALLED MRS. [redacted] AND SHE TOLD ME SHE HAD TO CALL [redacted] HEATING, 1 TOLD HER 1 TALKED TO [redacted] HEATING BEFORE 1 CALLED HER AND THEY FOUND NOTHING WRONG WITH UNIT.

MRS. [redacted] SAID WE PUT THE WRONG PARTS IN BUT [redacted] HEATING DID NOT TELL ME ANYTHING ABOUT THAT. I TOLD HER I COULD NOT PAY FOR [redacted] HEATING SERVICE CALL IF UNIT WAS WORKING PROPERLY. SHE THEN TOLD ME [redacted] HEATING WAS LYING. I THEN TOLD HER IF PARTS ARE WRONG SHE CAN RETURN THEM TO ME AND I WOULD REFUND HER MONEY BUT SHE DID NOT WANT TO DO THAT AND SAID SHE WOULD FILE A COMPLAINT AGAINST US.