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:11/20/2024

  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.

  I hired north river plumbing to come out to my home on November 19th 2024 to fix a toilet in my house that was having an issue flushing. He had told me originally he would arrive from 1-3pm however he did not arrive until 5pm and did not call to otherwise tell me he would not be on schedule. Once he arrived he looked at the toilet and said it just needed a new pump. He fixed the pump but throughout fixing the pump he was harassing my mother and I to look at our water heater which is fairly new ( 2019) and was not the reason for the service call. We had kindly said no thank you but he kept on with requesting. He fixed the pump and then gave us the bill in which he said his labor rate is 200 an hour and that he also counts travel time but did not specify where he came from and did not let us know that before completing the service. He also lied about the pricing of the pump, it was MAX a 50 dollar part that he said was way more expensive than that. So in the end he charged us 365 dollars to replace a pump in the toilet that was way cheaper and that could have been substantially cheaper and then the harrassment we received about investigating further into other aspects of our water system was too much. It was a very uncomfortable experience financially and then also from a business standpoint. The resolution I am requesting is a refund for the fair value price of the work done plus consideration for the burden and distress of dealing with the inappropriate contractor.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/28/2024

  So yes we were late because of another clients emergency. This client had called and I said that I would be late but we were still coming. Which was around 5. On arrival our tech did apologize for being late. He went to see the issue and because chlorine (purple) have been used in the tank the slime and chlorine had damaged the part so he replaced it. 
       He asked to see the water heater out of concern because we find gas leaks or water leaks the customer dont know about and we or some other company fixes any issues is up to the clients its more of a safety check for the clients.

         And as for the bill is concerned it was $300 for labor and travel time $50 for parts and a credit card fee. And after they where presented with the bill they where given three options on payment cash ,check or a credit card which has a convenience fee if they use the credit card and they chose the credit card.  Our company strives to see that our customers have no problems with there systems that we can see in the open and we give suggestions to help them .

  Customer Answer

  Date: 12/02/2024

   
  Complaint: 22578943
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  I feel that it was not addressed properly by North River Plumbing Company.  He had never once while he was here mentioned his labor rate nor did he mention how much the work was going to be at any given time. Then even before he got to our house he gave us a window of time of when he would be here which was 1-3pm and he never even called after 3 pm had passed and he wasn't there. It was my responsibility to reach out and see where he had went. Then when he mentions " travel time" being a part of how he calculates how he charges people, he never mentioned that either. In regard to his comment on the water heater also, I understand " concern" for  other things however we politely declined and he kept on harassing us to look at it even though we had politely declined and it then seemed he had a different motive as to why he wanted to look at it as he was persistent and pushy even after we had mentioned it is a new water heater and we get it serviced regularly. This experience was overall very uncomfortable and the way North River Plumbing Company is still refusing to be held accountable for the way that they acted while they were here is ridiculous and then the way they have not or are still unwilling to make an adjustment to that price is also unsatisfactory for me seeing as it is less than a 50 dollar part and a 300 dollar labor rate is just crazy for the amount of time spent over here and the service provided.
  Sincerely,
  
  ******* *******

  Business Response

  Date: 12/09/2024

  Our Master Plumber/Gasfitter, with over 45 years of residential/commercial experience, provided the plumbing service as signed/accepted by our contracted client (your mother). She acknowledged the service/charges, signed the service ticket you attached,and subsequently provided a credit card payment for services rendered.
  

  We charge a competitive price for plumbing services irrespective of material cost.  We also provide emergent plumbing services that may cause schedule delays.
  

  Our Master Plumber/Gasfitter uses his wealth of experience and expertise to offer a complimentary review of our clients plumbing systems to look for potential water/gas leaks and identify any potential issues that may need to be addressed by the homeowner. Of course, the homeowner can hire any State licensed plumber of their choice.The review is to minimize any future leaks/floods/mold remediation services or potential house explosions.  We often identify gas issues that the power company must correct at the power companys cost.
  

  Of the thousands of clients that we service, no one has objected to this complimentary safety review, but it is certainly your prerogative.  ************* as well as any necessary remedies, can certainly be contracted with any Maryland licensed plumber/gasfitter that you choose.

  We strive to provide exemplary, licensed plumbing services at a fair price.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/22/2024

  Type:Billing 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.

  This plumber was recommended by a client and friend and I felt somewhat obligated to try him. He came in to my home to assess two possible leaky toilets. The county had said my high water bill might be attributed to the leaky toilets.He said if would be about $200. He proceeded to walk to my laundry room where my hot water heater was and said it was leaking and that I needed a new one. He said he could do it for $4,000. That is more than double what most plumbers charge. He then said my sump pump was faulty and I needed some contraption to be sure it is up to code. And that the county must inspect it every year. I have never heard of anything like that. He quoted that to be over $1,000.He said he would be back in the morning to repair the toilets. He showed up and said it would take him 1-1 1/2 hours and be $600+. The $200 was for the day before!! He was working on one of them and I walked in. He seemed surprised and said that the manufacturers "special" part has been discontinued and he simply picked up a universal flapper at *********** He showed me that part. I asked if that changed the price and he said no. He then completed both toilets in less than 30 minutes. I feel like I was taken advantage of. Before I met him I had even told him I was seeking a plumber to be invited to our vendor fair at my real estate office. I want 50% refund from Mr. ****** I should ask for more!

  Business Response

  Date: 02/29/2024

  We provided 2 service engagements for the client a walk-thru plumbing assessment/inspection from our Master Plumber/Gasfitter and then a return visit for subsequent toilet repairs.  We found several toilet issues and indicated that we would get the parts and return the following day for the toilet repairs that may be causing an increased water consumption.
  During the walk-thru, we alerted the client of several plumbing issues as well as several code violations. We also alerted her to the age of the water heater (15 years old) and found rust on top of it around the electrical connections (potentially indicating a prior leak).  Because of these factors, we provided an estimate for a heater replacement including permits, labor, and materials.
  Our Master Plumber, with over 40 years residential/commercial experience, also identified several plumbing code violations for the sub-soil drain sump pump and discussed this with the client.  The violations include cross connections and missing devices (one of which is Federally required to be inspected yearly).  We provided the client with an estimate to bring this system up to code.
  The client indicated that a building in the complex previously serviced some of their plumbing installs/service.  Perhaps they provided this service without a licensed plumber since they were obviously not aware of the Federal and County plumbing codes and installed cross connections without attention to public safety/knowledge.  As such, we confirmed our findings with the County Plumbing Inspector and the ***************** as we are concerned about the health and safety of our community.  The inspector indicated that there were not any plumbing permits pulled for the sump pump and would be happy to inspect the clients plumbing to confirm these code violations.
  Regarding the repairs, we indicated that we would attempt to get manufacturers parts or obtain the necessary parts from our plumbing supplier (not **********).  Unfortunately,the parts were no longer available so we purchased parts from our plumbing supplier.  Our Master Plumber returned the following day to repair the toilets.
  We provided verbal estimates prior to both service engagements and the client agreed to proceed.  We billed accordingly for both services - $200 for the wallk-thru assessment and $464.22 for the return trip for repairs of both toilets. After completion, the client signed the service ticket acknowledging the services and cost breakdown and subsequently provided a personal check in the amount invoiced.
  We are perplexed about this complaint as we strive to provide exemplary, licensed plumbing services at a fair price.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/05/2024

  This guy is a con artist. I'm not sure how to deal with him.  His reviews are horrible and I should have checked them first.  I felt completely intimidated by him in my own home and was nervous about speaking up.  Not the way I usually handle contractors.  He was a grimy, grumbly personality.  He didn't remove his shoes coming in and that should have been my first red flag.  Who doesn't do that these days?  I hate that I was taken advantage of and hope that no one else experiences it. I want to write a review on Yelp, but am nervous of retribution.