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:04/28/2025

  Type:Order 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.

  BIG EASY PLUMBING TOLD ME IT WOULD COST $500 TO GET A PERMIT TO HAVE MY WATER SERVICE REINSTATED WITH NEW ORLEANS SEWERAGE AND WATER BOARD, THERE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE NO HIDDEN FEES OR UNDISCLOSED CHARGES, I WAS VERY TRUSTING AND I PAID THE $500 IN CASH AND I WAS TOLD THAT THE PERMIT HAD BEEN FILED, THEN BIG EASY DECIDED TO USE EXTORTION AND THREATEN ME SAYING I HAD TO PAY THEN AN ADDITIONAL $258.40 IMMEDIATELY OR ELSE ----THAT WOULD NOW HAVE MY PERMIT REVOKED AND REMOVE MY WATER METER PROVIDING WATER TO MY PROPERTY AT ***************************************************************************, THIS IS ABSOLUTE FRAUD, EXTORTION AND THREATENING ME AND ILLEGAL UNPROFESSIONAL . IT IS ABSOLUTELY SHOCKING AND OUTRAGEOUS NOW I AM BEING THE VICTIM OF FRAUD AND ATTEMPTED EXTORTION TO BE HIGH PRESSURED TO PAY AN EXTRA AMOUNT FOR NOTHING ----NOTHING WAS DONE FOR ANY ADDITIONAL AMOUNT!!!. I HAD AGREED TO THE $500 JUST TO OBTAIN A PERMIT, NO WORK WHATSOEVER WAS PERFORMED. THIS COMPANY IS VERY UNSCRUPULOUS AND FRAUD IS OBVIOUS. I WANT THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU TO MAKE IT TOTALLY CLEAR THAT THIS COMPANY IS TAHING ADVANTAGE OF AN ELDERLY PERSON, A WOMAN. THIS SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO BE IN BUSINESS, THEY ADVERTISE ON THEIR WEBSITE 100 PERCENT SATISFACTION IS GUARANTEED, THEREFORE I AM DEMANDING FOR THIS SITUATION TO BE REFUNDED MY $500 PLUS A LETTER OF APOLOGY. ,

  Business Response

  Date: 05/13/2025

  Out of business for many years, never had a website and had no contact with the complainant. There are other businesses called Big Easy Plumbing who have websites and are still in business. Please respond.

  Business Response

  Date: 06/06/2025

  Dear *** or Madam,

  I, ***** ******, Office Manager for Big Easy Services of New Orleans, LLC, am writing this letter in response to Ms. ****** ****** allegations against our company. I will start off by saying we never actually spoke with Ms. ****** ******, but rather her daughter ********* ******, who called requesting a plumbing inspection for *****************************************************************************************. She has also filed the same dispute with the Consumer Protection Section. our case ID with them is ******. My contact forthat claim is Mr. ******** *******, who found no merit in her claim and has since closed the case against us. Please feel free to contact him *************) with any questions regarding this claim. The below statement of events is what was sent to Mr. ******* as well. 

  The passages to follow will be communication between ********* ******, my administrative assistant, ******** *******, and my service technician ******* **********.
  

  Notes from ******** *******:
  ********* ****** first called on 4/2/** and demanded to speak to ***** ******* (Owner of BES) and said that he needed to get her water fixed that day. I told her he was not in the office and asked her if there was anything I could help her with. She said she was at the Sewerage & *********** and that they told her he needed to file a permit to have her water fixed.
  I asked her to explain the situation to me. ********* said the property is owned by her mother ****** ******, but she is the daughter and manages everything for her. She went on to say that the water has not been on since the pandemic (COVID) and she thinks the meter may be missing. They moved a tenant into the property and there was no water to the property. She was expecting to have the water turned on that day.
  I told her the cost was $450 for us to do an initial plumbing inspection, which includes us checking the property to ensure all fixtures and plumbing is up to code and we would see if the meter was still there and if needed, we would then file for a permit. The cost also includes us filing for the permit and meeting with inspectors on site after we do our initial inspections. I also told her there is a process that takes place with permitting and dealing with the city, and it doesnt happen in one day. I also explained that if things were not up to code or additional repairs needed to be made once the water was back on (leaking faucets, etc.) there would be additional charges, before we could file for a final inspection with the city to get the permit closed. ********* said okay and she was fine with the cost and agreed to get scheduled.
  

  I knew the situation was urgent because she had moved a tenant in with no water service to the property. I scheduled it for the following morning for our first available appointment on 4/3/** between 8:00-10:00 a.m.
  After speaking with the Sewerage & ***********, they said the tenant had to set up an account, then they would install the meter. I called ********* to inform her of this so she could relay the information to her tenant. Once I confirmed the account was set up, the Sewerage & *********** told me they would be able to install the meter on 4/14/20**.
  The first appointment scheduled for April 3 with ******* **********.

  Description for service technician: Water has not been on since the pandemic. Customer thinks they may have taken the meter but is not sure. We have to make sure everything is up to code and file the permit. The cost for the inspection is $450.00 and does not include getting things to code or repairs. I (********) told this to the customer. ********* will meet you there, as this is an investment property, and they have already moved a tenant in.
  

  Notes from Service Technician ******* **********:
  4/3/**:
  Inspection was performed and found all valves, supply lines, and drain lines to be to code regulations. I notified the customer that if there are any leaks, after the water is restored that those will need to be repaired and would be an additional cost before final inspection can be performed. ********* ****** did not have the money on hand to pay for the inspection performed and refused to pay with a credit card. She requested that I follow her to the bank so she could get cash and when she did, she paid for the inspection with (45) $10 bills equaling the $450.00.
  

  4/4/** Permit was issued to BES from S&WB Permit#**-10478-PLMB.
  4/14/** Meter was installed by S&WB.
  

  4/16/**- by ******** *******
  I had ******* scheduled to do our BES final inspection 4/16/** since the water meter was now installed. In the meantime, I received a call from ********* stating the tenant was not getting hot water from the tub. I added this additional work order to the already scheduled appointment.

  Notes from Service Technician ******* **********:
  Arrived on site 4/16/** and was let into the home by the new tenant. I performed my final inspection to ensure there were no leaking fixtures that would cause the inspection to fail with the city inspector. I inspected the toilet and found a fill valve in poor condition causing the toilet to not fill at an adequate rate and a leaking cold water shut off ball valve in the laundry box. While on site, as requested, I inspected and troubleshooted the cause of no hot water and found that the issue was due to an outdoor tankless gas water heater that was no longer working and leaking. The water heater was also not up to code in regard to the mounting location. I called ********* and informed her that in order to replace the water heater the unit would need to be relocated to a suitable location to bring it to code due to the location being too close to a window and would cause concerns of carbon monoxide entering the home. ********* ****** informed me that she had another contractor (not associated with BES) previously replace a different water heater for an empty unit and insisted that I move the new water heater to this address that had the new water meter installed. I refused to do so due to the location not being up to code and she did not want to have to relocate it. After the conversation about the water heater, I explained what else needed to be repaired and the costs associated and let her know that once the repairs to those issues were made the unit would be ready for final plumbing inspection with the city. ********* ****** then authorized me to remove and replace the fill valve on the toilet, the cold-water ball valve on the washing machine box and replace with new ball valve. After the work was completed, I called ********* ****** for payment, and she hung up on me before payment could be collected for the repairs made.
  

  4/17/**- The technician called ********* ****** again at 6:07pm in an attempt to collect payment and she hung up on him again.
  

  4/22/**- The technician texted ********* ****** at 4:42pm in regard to payment and she did not respond. He and I also called from the office land line, and it went straight to voicemail.
  

  I have also made several calls since, trying to collect her unpaid balance from my office number and my work cell phone and she has not returned any calls. It is presumed that she has blocked all numbers associated with BES. I have sent invoices with a link for her to pay online, and we have not received payment. She was made aware before we did the initial plumbing inspection that if there were any repairs to be made to bring items up to code, that it would not be included in the original cost of the plumbing inspection. I cannot request a final inspection with the city until her balance is paid. The city will not close the permit until they pass inspection. I did send an email with an invoice attached informing her that if payment was not received, we would contact S&WB and ask them to cancel the permit which would result in them pulling the meter and then the water will then be turned off to the property. We have provided a service for this customer, that she agreed for us to do and she refuses to pay.

  Every time ********* would call our office, which was multiple times a day every day until the meter was installed, she refused to talk to my receptionist and was very rude. She only wanted to talk to ********. She called the water department asking about the meter and they explained to her the same process of events that need to take place in order for her to get her meter. She even suggested to ******** that someone stole the water meter, and we had to explain to her that if the water is off too long the city will come to pull the meter if there is no service connected to it.
  

  BES is not wrong here so we will not back down on needing to get paid for the work performed.
  She has several discrepancies in her claim that she has filed.
  1.She claims she paid $500.00 cash. That is not true. She does not even have an invoice for $500.00. The total of the invoice she paid cash for was $450.00.
  2.The address she has listed on her claim is ***************. We have not performed any services at ***************. All services performed were at ************************
  3.She is saying we are unethical, yet she moved a tenant into a house knowing that the home had no water service. The tenant had to call us to inquire about when he would have water to flush his toilet, because he could not get in contact with *********.
  4.She is also saying we are con artists and unprofessional yet asked us to do something illegal by wanting us to install a water heater in a location that would never pass inspection because said location is not per Louisiana plumbing code.
  5.The amount she owes BES is $227.50, not $**6.40. She also mentioned to my technician about Roto-Rooter previously coming out to that location as well. Since she has mixed up the amounts on her claim, I cant help but wonder if she owes them money as well and has her businesses confused.
  

  We will not reimburse her any money and will not apologize for doing our job to the best of our ability. We were hired to file a permit for a water meter, get her water turned back on, bring her fixtures up to code, and request inspection. We have done everything we were hired to do professionally and ethically. We are a small family-owned business that stands firm on our high standards of honesty, integrity and professionalism and we take false accusations against our company very seriously.

  I have included copies of ********* ****** invoices, the email correspondence I sent her, pictures from my technician. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns regarding this claim.
  

  Best regards,
  ***** ******
  Office Manager
  Big Easy Services of New Orleans, LLC
  *******************************
  ************