Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:21/08/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  
  

  Business Response

  Date: 21/08/2024

  I installed the shower base and plumbing pipes to the shower. Another contractor installed the shower kit including the walls. ******* reached out about a leak and I went over to investigate it, I called ******* upon discovery of the leak and received no answer. I called the other contractor as well and got no answer. 
  

  the leak was at the bottom of the shower walls where the silicone placed by the contractor who installed the shower kit let go. I re siliconed the walls to stop the leak and prevent further damage. 
  

  I sent ******* an invoice for my time as the leak was not caused by me nor my responsibility. He has referred to Lents Plumbing & Heating Ltd. and ****** It as partners multiple times ignoring my attempts to explain to him we are separate businesses and not partners. ****** It is a carpentry and remodelling company and I am a Plumbing Company with no affiliation other than recommendations from working together in the past. 
  

  I do not believe it to be my responsibility to collect payment from a third party contractor. I believe that to be the property owners responsibility. As well as the lawyers office, collection agency and property Lien Officer I spoke to about this situation. 
  

  I have sent the account to the collection agency and hauled communication with ******* based off there recommendations. 

   

   

  Customer Answer

  Date: 26/08/2024

   I am rejecting this response because:
  
  
  1. Continued Denial of Responsibility:
  Lent's Plumbing’s response continues to deny any responsibility for the issue with the new shower stall, despite their clear involvement in the overall project. **** from Lent's Plumbing claims he only installed the shower base and plumbing pipes and shifts the blame entirely onto ****** It Project Specialist, who installed the shower kit, including the walls. However, this deflection does not absolve him from responsibility. As a professional who recommended and collaborated with ****** It on this project, he bears accountability for ensuring the entire installation was completed correctly.
  2. Failure to Address Specifics in the Complaint:
  ****** response avoided addressing the specific issues and details outlined in my complaint, such as the partnership between his company and ****** It, which was evident throughout the project. He has repeatedly referred to himself and ****** It as separate entities, yet the nature of their working relationship and the coordinated effort in the shower installation suggests otherwise. Despite my numerous attempts to discuss and resolve this issue with both parties, **** has only focused on denying responsibility and evading the core issues.
  3. Unprofessional Approach to Communication:
  In his response, **** indicated his intention to halt communication and refused to engage in any further discussion to resolve the issue. This approach is unprofessional and dismissive of my legitimate concerns as a customer. A responsible business owner should be willing to engage in constructive dialogue, especially when a defect arises so soon after project completion. Instead, ****** decision to cease communication further underscores a lack of commitment to customer service and resolution.
  4. Misrepresentation of Communication Attempts:
  **** claims that he called both me and ****** from ****** It on April 27th and received no response. However, he fails to clarify whether he communicated with ****** at ****** It about the defect on April 26th, April 27th, or thereafter. If he did indeed speak with ****** about the issue, then it would have been appropriate for him to bill ****** It directly, as he attributes the defect to their workmanship according to him. Instead, he chose to threaten and bill me, the property owner, who had no responsibility for the defect. This action, coupled with the decision to escalate the invoice to a collection agency, appears to be an intimidation tactic rather than a genuine effort to resolve the dispute.
  5. Continued Promotion of ****** It Despite Defects:
  If **** truly believes that ****** It’s workmanship caused the defect and that they failed to honor the warranty, it raises serious concerns about why he continues to actively promote and recommend ****** It to other customers. His business website and social media profiles show ongoing support for ****** It, including multiple "likes" on ****** It’s posts during the period of our dispute (e.g., June 17th, July 22nd, July 23rd, 2024). This ongoing promotion of ****** It, despite acknowledging their role in the defective workmanship, is both unprofessional and unethical. It suggests that the partnership between Lent's Plumbing and ****** It may prioritize their mutual financial gain over the quality and integrity of the services provided to customers. This conduct is concerning and should be scrutinized closely.
  6. Unjustified Collection Action:
  The decision to send the invoice to a collection agency without any meaningful attempt to resolve the dispute is a clear overreach. The invoice pertains to work that should have been covered under the warranty, and there was no justification for taking such drastic action, especially without addressing the core issues raised in the complaint. This action seems to have been taken with the intent to intimidate rather than to resolve the underlying problem.
  7. Invalid Claim of No Responsibility:
  Lent's Plumbing's claim of no responsibility is not valid, as **** cannot be both the judge and the alleged party in this dispute. His assertion that the defect was caused by insufficient caulking by ****** It is unproven. There is the possibility that the leak was due to an issue with the plumbing that **** corrected before re-caulking the area, thereby shifting the blame to ****** It. Alternatively, the need for re-caulking could have arisen from damage caused by Lent's Plumbing during the installation process. The only indisputable fact is that as the property owner, I had no part in causing the defect in which he acknowledged. The responsibility for this issue lies between Lent's Plumbing and ****** It, making it unjustifiable for Lent's Plumbing to bill me for a dispute that should be resolved between the two contractors.
  Requested Actions:
  I reiterate my request that Lent's Plumbing & Heating Ltd. take the following actions:
  Immediately withdraw the invoice from the collection agency and confirm in writing that it has been removed from my credit record.
  Acknowledge responsibility for the warranty-covered issue and provide a proper resolution for the defective installation.
  Cease promoting ****** It Project Specialist if they believe the company to be responsible for substandard workmanship and failure to honor warranties.
  Refrain from further attempts to collect payment for work that should have been covered under the warranty.
  I seek compensation for the damages incurred, including the costs associated with the damage, any impact on my credit, and the stress and inconvenience this situation has caused.
  I request that the BBB thoroughly investigate this matter and take appropriate action to prevent Lent's Plumbing and ****** It from engaging in similar deceptive practices in the future.
  
  I am committed to resolving this matter fairly and expect Lent's Plumbing & Heating Ltd. to act in good faith by addressing these concerns appropriately.
  

  Business Response

  Date: 24/09/2024

  Reject it all you want ******* the fact of the matter is: 

  1. Another contractor had a leak and it got fixed. They ARE NO affiliation with my company nor do we do business on each others behalf. I’m not as you say claiming we are separate I’m stating a fact that we are separate. Your issue is with them not me. You were welcome to forward the invoice to them. It’s $95 invoice. 
  

  2. it is none of your business what so ever who I continue or not continue to do work with. If you don’t like what i share and post and like on my social media’s feel free to not go on my page I’ll continue to do as I please as it’s again none of your business. 
  

  3. It is not my responsibility to check over another contractors work at the end of a project I am my own entity and in no job site anywhere would I be responsible to check another’s work. 
  

  4. As I stated I checked with the collection agency, my lawyers officer and a property lien officer as to what my course of actions where and moved forward based off the professional advice I was given. 
  

  5. When did ******* reach out to ****** It over the invoice? Has he tried to contact them about payment for it? Why do you continue to harass me over it? It was my fault it was leaking and your welcome that your property didn’t result in any further damages. 
  

  6. If you want to keep going on and on and “rejecting” the same answers if given you over and over I’ll await my subpoena you send to me and we can settle it in court. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 29/09/2024

   I am rejecting this response because:
  
  Lent’s Plumbing has consistently failed to address several critical issues and continues to rely on invalid arguments rather than seeking a fair resolution.
  
  Response to Specific Points Raised by Lent’s Plumbing
  Point #1 – “Another contractor had a leak, and it got fixed. They are no affiliation…”
  Lent’s Plumbing is attempting to avoid accountability by claiming that ****** It is a separate entity. However, Lent’s Plumbing clearly has an ongoing working relationship with ****** It, as evidenced by their continued promotion and collaboration. If Lent’s Plumbing believed that ****** It was responsible for the defect, why did they bill me and not ****** It? Furthermore, as a customer, I have every right to point out unethical business practices on BBB to protect future customers.
  Point #2 – “It is none of your business who I work with…”
  Lent's Plumbing claims that their partnerships are irrelevant to me, but they are directly related to this issue. If Lent’s Plumbing continues to promote ****** It and work with them, despite knowing they caused the defect, this demonstrates unethical behavior. This is not just a matter of personal preference, but a legitimate concern for potential customers.
  Point #3 – “It is not my responsibility to check another contractor’s work…”
  While Lent’s Plumbing claims it is not their responsibility to check ****** It’s work, they still chose to send an invoice to me, rather than ****** It, despite acknowledging that ****** It caused the defect. This contradicts their position and further shows negligence in how they handled the situation.
  Point #4 – “I checked with professionals before sending to collections…”
  Lent’s Plumbing claims they sought professional advice before sending the invoice to collections. However, did they provide the full facts, including that I, as the property owner, was not responsible for the defect and that the issue was within the warranty period? Sending an invalid invoice to collections was a reckless decision that has the potential to cause significant financial damage to me. An average NB household with a $250k mortgage could face an additional 1% interest, costing up to $12.5k over five years—this is a serious financial burden caused by Lent’s Plumbing’s actions.
  Point #5 – “When did ******* reach out to ****** It?”
  The claim that I didn’t reach out to ****** It is completely false. I forwarded Lent’s Plumbing’s invoice to ****** It as a courtesy on multiple occasions—on May 2nd, July 10th, and July 12th, 2024—asking them to settle the matter. Lent’s Plumbing was included in these communications. In particular, on July 10th, I provided a deadline for ****** It to resolve the issue by July 19th, 2024. However, instead of focusing on billing ****** It, **** from Lent’s Plumbing immediately responded that the invoice had already been sold to a collection agency. This suggests that Lent's Plumbing was more concerned with defending ****** It and shifting the blame to me, rather than properly addressing the issue by holding ****** It accountable.
  Point #6 – “Why do you continue to harass me?”
  Lent’s Plumbing has made an unfounded accusation of harassment. They have failed to provide any specific examples. In contrast, it is Lent’s Plumbing that has used harassment tactics by sending an invalid invoice to collections, damaging my credit, and causing financial harm. I have worked professionally through the BBB to resolve this, while Lent’s Plumbing has done nothing to address the issue or repair the damage they have caused.
  
  Failure to Address Communication with ****** It and Avoidance of Responsibility
  Lent’s Plumbing has repeatedly failed to address critical questions, specifically regarding their communication with ****** It about the defect. **** from Lent's Plumbing continues to avoid answering a simple, direct question: Did he speak with ****** at ****** It about the defect, and if so, when? This silence is telling. If Lent’s Plumbing had communicated with ****** It, it would have been clear that ****** It was responsible for the defect, and the correct course of action would have been to bill ****** It—not me. The evidence and facts suggest that such communication did take place, and **** understood fully that the invoice should have been directed to ****** It.
  By deliberately avoiding this simple question, **** from Lent’s Plumbing not only demonstrates a lack of intention to resolve the matter professionally and ethically, but he also shows a clear willingness to cause harm to me as the client. Sending an illegitimate invoice to a collection agency, knowing it was invalid, was a deliberate act of harassment intended to damage my credit and burden me with future borrowing costs that could total tens of thousands of dollars.
  Remaining silent on this critical issue does not absolve Lent’s Plumbing of responsibility. On the contrary, it reveals negligence and a lack of accountability. ****** behavior—daring me to take legal action over a $97 invoice—shows a disregard for the significant damage he could be causing to my credit and financial well-being. The potential costs of this damage could easily exceed $10,000 to $20,000 in additional loan interest and borrowing costs. Did Lent’s Plumbing truly expect me, the client, to simply absorb these losses for an issue that was never my responsibility?
  This behavior reflects a pattern of bullying, negligence, and ignorance on the part of Lent’s Plumbing. Rather than taking responsibility for their actions or working towards a resolution, they have chosen to escalate the situation and cause harm to their client.
  
  Conclusion and Requested Actions
  In light of the unresolved issues and failure to take responsibility, I reiterate my original requests:
  Immediate Withdrawal of the Collection Action: Lent's Plumbing should immediately withdraw the invoice sent to the collection agency. They should also ensure that any negative impact on my credit score is reversed and provide written confirmation that this has been done.
  Formal Acknowledgment of Responsibility: Lent's Plumbing must acknowledge their role in this situation and apologize for the distress and inconvenience caused by their handling of the issue.
  Resolution of the Defect: Lent's Plumbing and ****** It should collaborate to rectify the defective installation at no further cost to me, the property owner.
  Compensation for Damages: I seek compensation for any financial damages incurred, including those related to the damage to my credit and the stress this situation has caused.
  BBB Investigation and Action: I request that the BBB thoroughly investigate this matter and take appropriate steps to prevent Lent’s Plumbing and ****** It from engaging in similar practices in the future.
  Thank you for your attention to this matter. I look forward to your prompt response.
  
  

  Business Response

  Date: 01/10/2024

  Good luck to you Raymond