Complaints

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• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/03/2025

  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.

  This is the single worst contractor I've ever encountered. They did nothing but try to overcharge and upsell me, and would not do only the work I needed.Details:A year ago I paid for a service plan that got me proactive service on my HVAC system and prioritized and discounted service for HVAC and plumbing.I have two bathroom sinks that need the stopper repaired. I called them, their technician came out, looked at it, showed me the part that needs to be replaced on each sink, and said he'd come back with an estimate. He also asked me if there was anything else I'd like him to look at. I showed him a minor issue with the handle on one of our toilets. He told me my best bet would be to just get a replacement handle at ***********He then came in with the estimate for the sinks, which involved replacing a lot of hardware (not just the part that was broken) for more than $500. He also had an option to do that work and to replace the entire toilet (which wasn't even part of the service call). I asked him why he couldn't just replace to small part that needs to be replaced. He said I could go to ********** and buy that part and do it myself. I said I understood that, but that my expectation is that if I called a plumber they would do that for me and charge me a fee.He went back to talk to his boss and they now said they could replace just the part I needed on both sinks for $200 (which is about what I thought I'd have to pay) but only if I agreed to have them replace the toilet. Needless to say they did not get my business.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 07/07/2025

  Dear BBB and Mr. ********** style="box-sizing: inherit;">Thank you for bringing this to our attention. Mr. ****** is a service plan member who contacted us regarding repair work on two bathroom sink stoppers. Our technician provided an estimate to replace the full assemblies, which is standard to ensure durability.
  A toilet replacement option was also discussed but not required. We recognize that the way the pricing was presented may have caused confusion, and we apologize for that.
  No work was performed, and no charges were collected during the visit. However, we understand the experience was not satisfactory. If Mr. ****** would like, were open to arranging a full refund of his ************* Plan directly with him.
  Respectfully,
   Cornels Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning
   Resolutions Team

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/07/2025

   
  Complaint: 23554178
  
  I am rejecting this response because: 
  
  Their response is inaccurate and it does not acknowledge (let alone address how it will be avoided in the future with other customers) the untrustworthy and predatory business practices they displayed.
  
  This was not a case of the pricing options being presented in a confusing fashion.  When I expressed displeasure that their initial proposal to address the sinks only included replacing a number of hardware comports that were not broken (and the technician on site did not indicate any issue with those other components), he said he would go ask his boss.  He also asked what price I was looking to pay.  My response was that even accounting for some exorbitant fees for on-site labor, I expected the total price to be under $300.
  
  The technician returned and said very clearly and unambiguously that they could do the sink repair for $200, but only if I also agreed to pay for them to replace the toilet.  
  
  Having later completed the repairs on the sinks myself I can report the following on the costs of the components involved:
  
  Sink 1:  $12.44 (this included a few additional parts I didn't need)
  Sink 2: $6.97 
  
  (a note on the above--the fact that the prices are different shows that the technician did not properly diagnose the issue with one of the sinks. )
  
  I've never completed the repairs in question before.  As such it took me longer than most to figure things out. In total I spent probably 30 minutes doing the repair.
  
  I would have been happy to pay $200 (even a bit more), even knowing the task was simple and the parts are cheap.  However I was given two options: Pay $550ish for replacing much more hardware on the sinks than was needed, or $1200ish for the correct fix for the sinks plus the replacement of the toilet (which I repaired, by the way, for $10).
  
  I shudder to think about the number of customers who have fallen for these shamefully dishonest tactics.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***** ******