Miller Plumbing Heating & Cooling

Brian was on time and did a very excellent job of unclogging the drain
plus he told us what to do each month to help the drains he made sure everything was
open and working properly

Made an appointment for plumbing services and took a day off of work, No show and no phone call back. I attempted to call twice to reach someone and a recording states that you will receive a return call within 5 to 15 minutes. No return call back. If this is how they treat potential customers, then I don't want to be one.

Review: We contacted Miller Plumbing in an emergency situation as our basement was flooding secondary to a non-functioning sump pump. When the plumber arrived to assess the situation he proposed a replacement sump pump and presented what I thought was an proposed estimate for the job which included absolutely no details or itemization with only a price listed as "$1495". I asked to receive an itemized bill with all component costs included and the plumber just made a sound that I believed to be a "yes" or similar acknowledgement. At no time was I informed that this was a fee for the service or that costs would not be itemized. The plumber left and returned 45 minutes later and was then finished with the job 30 minutes later. I was astonished when he told me the bill was $1495 and I asked for an itemized bill. I was told that the company did not provide itemized bills and that this was the fee I owed. I complained that this was not what I agreed to and asked to speak with the owner who I was told was a Mr. Eric Miller. The plumber returned to his vehicle to "explain the situation to his boss" and returned later to inform me that he had spoken to Mr. Miller and that Mr. Miller refused to speak to me and that Mr. Miller's advice was to use a coupon available at the company website. I again complained that the charge of $1495 for what amounted to ~3 hours of total work at site plus travel time and parts that are estimated to cost ~$200 to $250 is excessive even for an emergency call out on a Sunday. I again asked the plumber to itemize the bill and account for the total bill of $1495 and he refused.

I consider this practice of NOT fully disclosing that this was not going to be an itemized contract to the customer, for refusing to itemize the bill and for declaring only after the fact of completion of the work, that this was a fixed fee for service, to be unethical behavior and a deceptive business practice.Desired Settlement: The desired outcome would be:-

1. For Miller Plumbing, and specifically its assumed owner, Mr. Eric Miller, to acknowledge that his operator who provided these services at my home, failed to properly inform me of both the nature of the contract that was presented to me, i.e., that it was a fixed fee, failed to itemize a bill per my specific and direct request, and failed to perform these responsibilities to me before commencement of the work that was done.

2. For Miller Plumbing to provide this customer with an itemized bill for services provided including all parts and labor and including additional costs for services provided on a Sunday (if that indeed is a fair trade practice) and all added state sales taxes and/or fees, etc., and,

3. For Miller Plumbing to refund this customer for excessive costs of services provided based on a reasonable fair trade and comparable evaluation of the typical costs for both the parts and labor that in total amounted to all services that were provided.

Business

Response:

Hi [redacted]We appreciate this opportunity to go over the facts and the contract. As you know it is very hard to get a A+ Revdex.com rating like we have a business cannot buy the rating it is earned over a long period of time.We have been doing business the same way since 1991 and I believe because we go over pricing and the work , get everything signed and initialed before any work is done then there are no surprises.This is why we run a flat rate company like most businesses in America, we don't sell labor or parts we sell the total job.1. Allan the technician went to [redacted] house on Sunday 06/28/15.2. The trip fee was written on invoice and told to customer by me when the customer called, like it is told to all customers.3.A complete description of work to be done and also a recommendation for me to look at system for possible future upgrades is written down, The price of $1495.00 is listed and customer initialed right next to price showing he new cost of job.4.The technician signed his name stating the job costs and contract were discussed prior to work being done.5.Customer signed and authorized work to be done.6.Customer signed and dated terms and conditions of contract7.Our contract like almost all business of our type clearly state in bold print that we are flat rate company we and no break down will be given.8.Customer signed that he is satisfied with all work9.Technician as a courtesy waived the trip fee which we almost never do.10.Customer also used online coupon as well.11. Contracts are large 8.5x14 reduced size to fax.12. Un like almost every business in Pittsburgh I answer the phone direct like I did for [redacted] I answer 24/7 and this sets us apart from almost all company's customers know they are talking to a registered Master Plumber with 36 years experience . I answer all calls.[redacted] received good service on a Sunday we looked at and solved the problem preventing additional flooding. There is not one complaint about anything except price,Clearly all prices were listed and authorized. We provide quality service done right when the customer wants it, The technician followed company standards no refund is due or justified.

Review: On December 29, 2015 I called Miller Plumbing and believe I spoke with Eric M[redacted] the owner of this company. I told Mr. M[redacted] I had a plumbing issue and explained I had two story home with 2 bathrooms. The bathroom on the second floor when flushed made a burping sound in the bathroom on the lower floor.

I also told him I had already had a plumber at my home that had run a snake through the line found no clogs. The plumber told me the problem was more than likely a problem with the vent which was located on my roof. My son in law who is a plumber in Maryland told me that this was more than likely the problem.

Now as I explained to Mr. M[redacted] the original plumber was not able to go up on my roof so today I was looking for a company that could get up on the roof and check the vent.

Mr. M[redacted] insisted that this was probably not the problem Kept telling me he would send his plumber who would fix the problem. I asked if the plumber could go on the roof and he stated that it would be very unlikely he would need to go up. I halfheartedly agreed to them coming out to my home. As soon as I hung up I called my son in law in Maryland who told me to call them back and cancel. He said unless they could would go on the roof it would be a waste of time and money as I had already had another plumber there who told me that the vent was the problem

Within 10 minutes I called MR M[redacted] back and canceled. 20 minutes later a Miller plumber showed up anyway. I told him I had canceled his call He said he was aware of this but his boss Eric M[redacted] told him to come and collect a $39 dollar fee since he had come out. I again reminded him I had canceled the call he insisted he wanted his $39 dollars.

I told him the story of the previous plumber and asked if he could go up on the roof? He said NO! He could not go up on a roof as he had no ladder and did not like roofs. I asked him why they sent him he said he did not know but he wanted his $39 dollars. He called his boss and said I would not pay him.

Now I am a 63 year old women and I was very frightened by this company I did not have any cash or I probably would have just paid him I was on the verge of calling the police but finally he left.

I do not think I am responsible for this call. I immediately canceled it. They were coming to try to do some type of repair which I plainly told them I did not want. I wanted the roof vent checked which this company had no intention or ability to do. The sent a man to threaten me asking for money.

This was very unfair. Please help me.Desired Settlement: I would like this business to never contact me and stop billing me for something I canceled . They should not harress senior citizens

Thank you

Business

Response:

Hi [redacted]1. [redacted] called for service on 12/29/2015 she explained her problem. I told her there is a trip fee and we would send a technician out to diagnose the problem and price repair..2.We listen to customer but always need to diagnose problem so the customer can benefit from our experience we don't have customer instruct us on how to find or repair problem we go by experience training any any current codes.3 [redacted] called and canceled when we were almost at her house.4. I will waive the trip fee but I hope she knows we were not in her neighborhood she called us for service and I had to pay for the gas tires maintenance insurance and technicians time to get there so we are at a loss trying to help her.Thank you Eric M[redacted]Miller plumbing Heating Cooling

Do not call this company! Scammers! I had a tech come out to repair my a/c. Tech said my unit needed to be replaced at a cost of $3995. I got a second opinion. Second company was in the house five minutes and repaired the system. Gunk in my condensate drain line. Called Miller to get my money back and they hung up on me.