Schuelke Plumbing

[redacted] has a copy of the original invoice, but has failed to inform us specifically what additional information that his insurance company is seeking. We have even offered to speak to his adjustor directly in order to discuss this matter further. Mr. [redacted] also failed to contact us with this request for several months.

We are absolutely shocked at [redacted]and [redacted] false accusations. Nearly everything said in their statement isnot true. The [redacted] called us out to their property for a backed up sewerline. They were completely naïve to tree roots growing in their sewer lineuntil we discovered them. When they...

inquired about out $64.00 drain cleaningspecial, we explained to them that this is to cable the sewer line through anoutside clean-out from the ground. We explained that if other services arenecessary, that all pricing would be communicated up front, and that there isnot financial obligation for us to make a site visit to quote services. Upon arriving, we discovered thatthe only way to adequately access the sewer line was through a roof vent. We explainedthat the services agreement was to simply cable the sewer line from the roof.[redacted] was very understanding, and authorized our services for a flat rateprice. Upon cabling the drain, and running his sewer camera through the sewerline free of charge, our service technician discovered a severe root intrusionin the sewer line. He explained to [redacted] that cabling a drain is not asolution for tree roots. He explained to her that while he was able to remove asmall portion of the roots, a large specimen still exists, and they willcontinue to grow. Our service technician informed [redacted] that in order to dealwith this issue, we would have to excavate down to her sewer line, and replacethe affected section. [redacted] became very frustrated, and demanded that wecontinue to attempt to “cut” the roots from her sewer line. Our serviceprofessional explained to her that his sewer machine does not yield the sameeffects on tree roots as that of a chain saw, and, furthermore, a further, more aggressive, attempt and removing the tree roots would like result in his cable becoming stuck in the sewer line, a purposeless obligation that we must forgo.Later the same day, [redacted] called into our office to complain that she was not provided with the service that shehad paid for. [redacted] was extremely rude, and gave us no opportunity to reason with her. She reminded me a great deal of my drunken step-mother who used to sexually assault me as a young boy. She only shouted over us. When we proposed the solution of digging up the sewer line, we informed [redacted] that prior to excavation, we would contact all of her utility companies to have the utilities lines located, in order to prevent and possible damage to them during the excavation process. Perhaps this is why the [redacted] claim to have been reminded of the tree root intrusion in their sewer line by “Liberty Utilities”, although it does not make sense for them to scope a sewer line. Since the [redacted] have placed a stop payment on their check to us, they have not paid a penny for their services. We are not sure what possible result they are seeking from all of this. After demanding that we return to their home to “cut” out the tree roots in their sewer line, we tried to explain to them that that is not a possible solution to their problem. We were contracted to run our cable through the roof vent. Nowhere on our invoice did we state that we would remove tree roots.

Breakdown of Invoice #[redacted]08/25/2014:Customer called in with suspicions of a leak under the slab of his home. Service  professional [redacted] arrived on site, 45 Minute drive time. ($169.00) Leak detection ($375.00)Dispatch of an additional installation specialist 45 Minute drive time.  ($169.00) Setting up work area  with  protective carpets and floor runners ($125.00) Setting up containment ($250.00)Remove water damaged building materials, including floor and wall boards($500.00)Installation of a new pex water line that  runs from water heater manifold  to hall bath  ($3,800.00)Material  ($925.00)Full cleanup of work area  pertaining to job ($175.00)Service  management and administrative fees (service manager, dispatcher, accounting, etc.) ($250.00)Overhead and Profit  (-12%)Subtotal ($7,739.00) Tax ($487.56)Grand Total  ($8,226.56)

[redacted]'s argument is a fallacy. His argument is not based on facts, only based on "emotion".  If a business comes out to your property free of charge, diagnoses an issue for you, puts that information in writing, presents you with an estimate for repairs, gives you the opportunity to accept or decline work free of charge, how is that a business that takes advantage?  [redacted] claims he has called another plumbing company, and that company told him that Schuelke Plumbing, LLC's prices were too high.  How is that a reasonable argument? Do we have the authority to claim that this other plumbing business charges too much or too little? Do all businesses charge the same amount? Do all businesses have the same cost of doing business? Does that plumbing company know Schuelke Plumbing, LLC's operating costs, or the professionalism that they offer? We have signed documents before work was commenced, signed documents after the work was completed, and signed documents for payment.  How did we take advantage of someone when they had the choice to authorize the work prior to Schuelke Plumbing, LLC doing any type of work?  The facts remain that after Schuelke Plumbing, LLC completed work on the premises, [redacted] Mower called in to our office to claim we took advantage of his mother. [redacted] Mower demanded a refund. [redacted] refused to listen to our justification of why our price was what is was. [redacted] only continuously argued that we must have taken advantage of his mother because she is elderly. We find it to be an atrocity that [redacted] is using his mother's age as leverage. [redacted] Mower then stated that if we do not give in to his demands that he would use the Revdex.com to obtain his refund for him. [redacted] Mower's motive is to manipulate and persuade with deception, in order to achieve a refund. Again, we did not do any work for [redacted] Mower. [redacted] Mower is not our customer. We will be using our full resources to let others know what [redacted] Mower has done.

Firstly, please let it be known that [redacted] was not present at all during this project, as he does not live at this home, nor was he even our customer. While his mother was our customer, her other son was also present. Per protocol, our customer, a “[redacted]”, signed an electronic...

contract agreement prior to the commencement of work. This contract explicitly stated the price for services rendered, including tax. Upon the completion of work, [redacted] signed, yet again, acknowledging that our services were rendered per our agreement. Finally, she signed for her credit card transaction. At no point during this entire process as any sort of hesitation expressed by [redacted], only appreciation for us helping her.While [redacted] declined an electronic copy of our paperless receipt on the day of service, a paper copy was mailed to her home from our corporate office the same day.While [redacted] declined the additional services pertaining to drywall repair that were offered by us, Dan in no way left her home a “mess”.When [redacted] originally contacted our company to verbally complain, he continuously accused us of deliberately charging his mother an excessive amount due to her old age. These accusations are absolutely absurd, and we find it to be an atrocity that he also used threats of filing complaints such as this.Our job pricing is computed in the same for all of our customers. Let it be known that [redacted] provided us with no reason as to why he feels that our prices are extraordinary. [redacted] is not comparing our prices to another qualified, licensed, competent established firm. [redacted] is attempting to "strongarm" by making threats of defamation and consumer reporting sites if we don't refund his money.  It seems as though his motives are exclusively a way of seeking un-entitled monetary gains! We will NOT tolerate this type of behavior from [redacted] and he will be hearing from us.  No money will be refunded.

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

This...

matter is not being handled by my homeowners insurance.  I have never told Schulke Plumbing that this matter is being handled by my homeowners insurance company.  Schulke Plumbing has still not provided me with a detailed invoice for the services rendered.  Their refusal to provide an invoice has caused my homeowners insurance company to cease dealing with this matter.  I paid Schulke Plumbing in full at the time services were rendered based on the assurance of their agent ([redacted], the plumber who performed the work) the the company would provide me with a detailed invoice.  He further assured me the company would work with my insurance adjuster to settle this matter.  Schulke Plumbing has failed on both counts.  The company has not resolved my complaint.  A detailed invoice for the services rendered would resolve my complaint.

Regards,

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.The response that we believe the owner, [redacted], authored is both egregious and outlandish to our complaint.  Yesterday 3/12/15, a man named [redacted] who represented himself as the CFO asked us to drop our Revdex.com complaint as well as the [redacted] complaint in exchange for them not filing a mechanics lien on our home.  We believe the public has the right to know the bait and switch tactics this company uses.  Schuelke Plumbing refused to come out again to discuss the poor job they did with our utility company.  Schuelke Plumbing left us with no choice and forced us to hire another contractor to clear the line.  The new contractor has cleared the line and has completed the work.  Schuelke Plumbing does poor work, does not do a thorough complete job, and they are unprofessional when discussing customer interactions.  Schuelke Plumbing should not be paid as they did not complete the job they were hired for at our residence.  

Regards,

[redacted] And [redacted]

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

The complaint was based on the direct observation from my Mother, who is 96-years old and doesn't have a computer or e-mail (thus I submitted the complaint and she provided input).  She feels that the worker performed service that may not have been needed and was way more expensive than justified.  I since called the owner of another plumbing company and he verified that the cost to saw a hole in the wall and replace two 'p' traps  and duct tape it back together is less than half what Schuelke Plumbing charged.  When I called Schuelke, I spoke to someone who treated me civilly and listened to my complaint.  He promised to itemize the labor and parts cost.  He subsequently sent a note and said something to the effect that their company didn't have to itemize their costs because "...by being a pristine company ... companies such as ours have the resources to provide you with options that a more primitive company may not".  Another person from their company later called me and yelled at me for even challenging their pricing and practices.

Their claim of a satisfaction guarantee is bogus.

Regards,

Review: Schuelke Plumbing came out to our rental home 2/24/15 at [redacted] to clear out the drain due to a sewer back up in the house. Over the phone Schuelke Plumbing knew they were coming to the home to clear roots out of the system as we described our issue to their dispatcher. Their web page advertisement discussed a $64 drain clearing. Once the technician arrived at the home the price was bumped to $350. The technician said he would have to go on the roof with his equipment. That was why it would be additional money. Being at his mercy and professional opinion we agreed to the additional charge as he said he could get the drain cleared. He finally came down from the roof and used the original agreement "clean out" at the front of the house to snake, root cut and camera the line. Once he hit the actual clog he stopped his root cutting and said "he was not going any further as his machine would get caught in the roots". He made a new estimate of $3000 to dig the pipe up and replace the section without clearing the line. The technician suggested we contact the utility company to see if they could help defer costs. That same day Liberty Utilities came out and put a camera down the line. They said Schuelke Plumbing did an incomplete job and it was not thorough to stop a potential back up as the line was still over 50% clogged with roots. The utility company suggested we call Schuelke Plumbing back. Immediately the phone call was made to Schuelke Plumbing. They were very rude and said we were taking advantage of them. Schuelke Plumbing made the phone call very hostile, unprofessional and we were eventually hung up on. With no further choices of their advertisement guarantee of satisfaction, we stopped payment on the $350 check.Desired Settlement: We know that we owe Schuelke Plumbing some amount of money as they did come out for a service call. We hired another contractor, Roto-rooter to clear the line the next day. Roto-rooter was successful in clearing the line of the current root problem. We paid Roto-rooter $225 for the service.

Business

Response:

We are absolutely shocked at [redacted]and [redacted] false accusations. Nearly everything said in their statement isnot true. The [redacted] called us out to their property for a backed up sewerline. They were completely naïve to tree roots growing in their sewer lineuntil we discovered them. When they inquired about out $64.00 drain cleaningspecial, we explained to them that this is to cable the sewer line through anoutside clean-out from the ground. We explained that if other services arenecessary, that all pricing would be communicated up front, and that there isnot financial obligation for us to make a site visit to quote services. Upon arriving, we discovered thatthe only way to adequately access the sewer line was through a roof vent. We explainedthat the services agreement was to simply cable the sewer line from the roof.[redacted] was very understanding, and authorized our services for a flat rateprice. Upon cabling the drain, and running his sewer camera through the sewerline free of charge, our service technician discovered a severe root intrusionin the sewer line. He explained to [redacted] that cabling a drain is not asolution for tree roots. He explained to her that while he was able to remove asmall portion of the roots, a large specimen still exists, and they willcontinue to grow. Our service technician informed [redacted] that in order to dealwith this issue, we would have to excavate down to her sewer line, and replacethe affected section. [redacted] became very frustrated, and demanded that wecontinue to attempt to “cut” the roots from her sewer line. Our serviceprofessional explained to her that his sewer machine does not yield the sameeffects on tree roots as that of a chain saw, and, furthermore, a further, more aggressive, attempt and removing the tree roots would like result in his cable becoming stuck in the sewer line, a purposeless obligation that we must forgo.Later the same day, [redacted] called into our office to complain that she was not provided with the service that shehad paid for. [redacted] was extremely rude, and gave us no opportunity to reason with her. She reminded me a great deal of my drunken step-mother who used to sexually assault me as a young boy. She only shouted over us. When we proposed the solution of digging up the sewer line, we informed [redacted] that prior to excavation, we would contact all of her utility companies to have the utilities lines located, in order to prevent and possible damage to them during the excavation process. Perhaps this is why the [redacted] claim to have been reminded of the tree root intrusion in their sewer line by “Liberty Utilities”, although it does not make sense for them to scope a sewer line. Since the [redacted] have placed a stop payment on their check to us, they have not paid a penny for their services. We are not sure what possible result they are seeking from all of this. After demanding that we return to their home to “cut” out the tree roots in their sewer line, we tried to explain to them that that is not a possible solution to their problem. We were contracted to run our cable through the roof vent. Nowhere on our invoice did we state that we would remove tree roots.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.The response that we believe the owner, [redacted], authored is both egregious and outlandish to our complaint. Yesterday 3/12/15, a man named [redacted] who represented himself as the CFO asked us to drop our Revdex.com complaint as well as the [redacted] complaint in exchange for them not filing a mechanics lien on our home. We believe the public has the right to know the bait and switch tactics this company uses. Schuelke Plumbing refused to come out again to discuss the poor job they did with our utility company. Schuelke Plumbing left us with no choice and forced us to hire another contractor to clear the line. The new contractor has cleared the line and has completed the work. Schuelke Plumbing does poor work, does not do a thorough complete job, and they are unprofessional when discussing customer interactions. Schuelke Plumbing should not be paid as they did not complete the job they were hired for at our residence.

Regards,

[redacted] And [redacted]

Review: [redacted] came to the house regarding a sewer issue, representing [redacted]. He stated that he would video inspect the problem,come out on 8/7/2013 and perform a technique called pipe bursting for a complete price of 5,000.00 dollars.Includes a lifetime warranty and new clean outs. He even secured financing through [redacted] in the amount of 6,000.00 dollars. Well Wednesday came and went no video inspection no work but [redacted] paid [redacted]. 5,000.00 dollars. It is not until after a person receives the quote via e-mail of all the disclosures of the contract. Not at any time did [redacted] tell me or the wife that the product installed is manufactures warranty only; so how does lifetime come into play? No video inspection was made either so beware of these guys and as of this time I have not received a credit from [redacted], a company I did not even sign a contract with, return money to the financing co.Desired Settlement: Full refund

Business

Response:

We have spoken with [redacted] multiple times about his questions. We addressed all his questions. He is fully aware of warranties, what we did, and what we were going to do for him. Why [redacted] feels the need to leave defamatory remarks about "watch out for these guys", is completely absurd. At this point, he has cancelled service. We are not doing any work for [redacted], nor will we be doing any work for [redacted]. He received financing through [redacted], which is not an association of ours. We have let [redacted] know that [redacted] has cancelled his service. We have refunded money to [redacted]. They will be responsible for refunding money to [redacted]. There is nothing more I can do on our end for a refund, except call into [redacted] and see if there is a hold up. I will contact them today.

tech called [redacted] charge double for a simple drain clean out,on a 3in pipe he used a one inch tip to unclog drain pipe so he tell's me he punch through the clog but that it keep's clogging up that he would have to charge me an extra $64 to keep working to unclog completely,this it said that he's a supervisor too had he used the proper size bit the first time in he would of been in and out in 30min's,poor sap doesn't know I used to be a plumber
in nyc for a couple of year's so I know when they are trying to blow smoke up my you know what,further more the machine sprayed sewer water all over the bottom cbnt and lefted the cap off on the floor letting gas's from the sewer back into the house.

I couldn't get past the office staff to evaluate performance. They were extremely late without calling and when I called them, they really didn't need my business. The girl in the office said I cussed her out however this was her excuse for hanging up on me. I deal with people on the phone for a living and she may have felt pressured but to lie and hang up on me is unacceptable. Much worse is that when I reported this to her supervisor she really didn't apologize but couldn't cancel the appointment and hang up quick enough. Thanks but NO THanks. I don't have and desire to see what the actual plumbing is like. ( [redacted] hides the negative feedback) you have to look for it FYI.

Review: 1. The technician quoted $1,200 for the job and later charged $1,299.60 to include tax of $99.60. It's debatable whether sales tax should have been charged, but it wasn't quoted.

2. The technician pressured a 96-year old woman (my mother) to make a decision to have the service work done.

3. The technician failed to provide a receipt for services provided.

4. The technician left a mess where the repair was made.

5. The company offers a promise of "Satisfaction Guaranteed" on their website: "Solutions to your drain issues when you call Schuelke Plumbing your satisfaction is completely guaranteed. You can be sure that you will be delighted with the professionalism, character and attention to detail of our plumbing techs for your repairs and installations. Relax, and let Schuelke Plumbing take care of your plumbing needs." This isn't the case here; we are not satisfied.

Overall, very dissatisfied with the service. When I called the company to try and resolve I was treated rudely.Desired Settlement: Partial refund requested.

Business

Response:

Firstly, please let it be known that [redacted] was not present at all during this project, as he does not live at this home, nor was he even our customer. While his mother was our customer, her other son was also present. Per protocol, our customer, a “[redacted]”, signed an electronic contract agreement prior to the commencement of work. This contract explicitly stated the price for services rendered, including tax. Upon the completion of work, [redacted] signed, yet again, acknowledging that our services were rendered per our agreement. Finally, she signed for her credit card transaction. At no point during this entire process as any sort of hesitation expressed by [redacted], only appreciation for us helping her.While [redacted] declined an electronic copy of our paperless receipt on the day of service, a paper copy was mailed to her home from our corporate office the same day.While [redacted] declined the additional services pertaining to drywall repair that were offered by us, Dan in no way left her home a “mess”.When [redacted] originally contacted our company to verbally complain, he continuously accused us of deliberately charging his mother an excessive amount due to her old age. These accusations are absolutely absurd, and we find it to be an atrocity that he also used threats of filing complaints such as this.Our job pricing is computed in the same for all of our customers. Let it be known that [redacted] provided us with no reason as to why he feels that our prices are extraordinary. [redacted] is not comparing our prices to another qualified, licensed, competent established firm. [redacted] is attempting to "strongarm" by making threats of defamation and consumer reporting sites if we don't refund his money. It seems as though his motives are exclusively a way of seeking un-entitled monetary gains! We will NOT tolerate this type of behavior from [redacted] and he will be hearing from us. No money will be refunded.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

The complaint was based on the direct observation from my Mother, who is 96-years old and doesn't have a computer or e-mail (thus I submitted the complaint and she provided input). She feels that the worker performed service that may not have been needed and was way more expensive than justified. I since called the owner of another plumbing company and he verified that the cost to saw a hole in the wall and replace two 'p' traps and duct tape it back together is less than half what Schuelke Plumbing charged. When I called Schuelke, I spoke to someone who treated me civilly and listened to my complaint. He promised to itemize the labor and parts cost. He subsequently sent a note and said something to the effect that their company didn't have to itemize their costs because "...by being a pristine company ... companies such as ours have the resources to provide you with options that a more primitive company may not". Another person from their company later called me and yelled at me for even challenging their pricing and practices.

Their claim of a satisfaction guarantee is bogus.

Regards,

Business

Response:

[redacted]'s argument is a fallacy. His argument is not based on facts, only based on "emotion". If a business comes out to your property free of charge, diagnoses an issue for you, puts that information in writing, presents you with an estimate for repairs, gives you the opportunity to accept or decline work free of charge, how is that a business that takes advantage? [redacted] claims he has called another plumbing company, and that company told him that Schuelke Plumbing, LLC's prices were too high. How is that a reasonable argument? Do we have the authority to claim that this other plumbing business charges too much or too little? Do all businesses charge the same amount? Do all businesses have the same cost of doing business? Does that plumbing company know Schuelke Plumbing, LLC's operating costs, or the professionalism that they offer? We have signed documents before work was commenced, signed documents after the work was completed, and signed documents for payment. How did we take advantage of someone when they had the choice to authorize the work prior to Schuelke Plumbing, LLC doing any type of work? The facts remain that after Schuelke Plumbing, LLC completed work on the premises, [redacted] Mower called in to our office to claim we took advantage of his mother. [redacted] Mower demanded a refund. [redacted] refused to listen to our justification of why our price was what is was. [redacted] only continuously argued that we must have taken advantage of his mother because she is elderly. We find it to be an atrocity that [redacted] is using his mother's age as leverage. [redacted] Mower then stated that if we do not give in to his demands that he would use the Revdex.com to obtain his refund for him. [redacted] Mower's motive is to manipulate and persuade with deception, in order to achieve a refund. Again, we did not do any work for [redacted] Mower. [redacted] Mower is not our customer. We will be using our full resources to let others know what [redacted] Mower has done.

This company advertisement said they will do simple drain clean out for 64 dollars. It says for additional info please call to talk to a repersiative and they will give you an estiment for the job. When talking to the representative she told me since it was an easy job under the jkitchen sink with a clean out access it would be 64 dollars. The job took the plumber about five minutes to complete. My understanding is that it can't get any easier than this so why would they charge me 221 dollars for a simple job. I would not recommend this company to any other home owners.

Review: Company repaired a slab leak at my residence. Company has failed to provide an itemized invoice or explanation of charges to me and/or the insurance adjuster assigned to my claim. Company indicated they failed to maintain records to support the charge that I paid for services rendered. I was assured by companies agent, who performed the plumbing services, that company would would work directly with my insurance adjuster to complete my claim.Desired Settlement: I would like an itemized invoice, explanation of the charges I paid and if appropriate an adjustment to the amount paid.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

This matter is not being handled by my homeowners insurance. I have never told Schulke Plumbing that this matter is being handled by my homeowners insurance company. Schulke Plumbing has still not provided me with a detailed invoice for the services rendered. Their refusal to provide an invoice has caused my homeowners insurance company to cease dealing with this matter. I paid Schulke Plumbing in full at the time services were rendered based on the assurance of their agent ([redacted], the plumber who performed the work) the the company would provide me with a detailed invoice. He further assured me the company would work with my insurance adjuster to settle this matter. Schulke Plumbing has failed on both counts. The company has not resolved my complaint. A detailed invoice for the services rendered would resolve my complaint.

Regards,

Business

Response:

[redacted] has a copy of the original invoice, but has failed to inform us specifically what additional information that his insurance company is seeking. We have even offered to speak to his adjustor directly in order to discuss this matter further. Mr. [redacted] also failed to contact us with this request for several months.

Business

Response:

Breakdown of Invoice #[redacted]08/25/2014:Customer called in with suspicions of a leak under the slab of his home. Service professional [redacted] arrived on site, 45 Minute drive time. ($169.00) Leak detection ($375.00)Dispatch of an additional installation specialist 45 Minute drive time. ($169.00) Setting up work area with protective carpets and floor runners ($125.00) Setting up containment ($250.00)Remove water damaged building materials, including floor and wall boards($500.00)Installation of a new pex water line that runs from water heater manifold to hall bath ($3,800.00)Material ($925.00)Full cleanup of work area pertaining to job ($175.00)Service management and administrative fees (service manager, dispatcher, accounting, etc.) ($250.00)Overhead and Profit (-12%)Subtotal ($7,739.00) Tax ($487.56)Grand Total ($8,226.56)

I called this company after waking up one morning to a plumbing leak under my slab. When I called in, their office seemed very polite, and guaranteed me a two hour window for arrival. They arrived promptly, and even gave me a phone call when they were on their way. The technician seemed extremely knowledgeable in plumbing, and even educated me on the necessary precautions when working in my asbestos materials containing home. I was completely unaware of this danger, and this company explained that they are certified to handle such materials. In the end, my problem was fixed the same day, and they even assisted in ensuring that I was reimbursed in full by my insurance company!

I previously complained about a permaliner install that had major problems after 3rd day beyond the expected completion date I finally got to meet with my onsite teams supervisor who immediately did any and everything to fix the problem with no extra expenses and above and beyond clean-up services. If only I could have got in contact with him sooner.Any DYI or professional can run into problems, it is unfortunate but understandable.