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:04/02/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore 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.

  Complaint for excessive billing for labor in the amount of 960.00. I recognize 500.00 as a customary charge and have paid this amount. The 460.00 balance is disputed. I have repeatedly attempted to reconcile this with ****** the office manager, but she has offered no adjustment to the invoice.
  
  In July 2022 SS was contacted by my property manager ****** ***** to replace my failed hot water heater. They (SS) purchased and installed a 12yr warranty heater. Cost was 1292.97 parts and 500.00 labor (which established customary labor charge). This was paid in full in the amount of 1792.97.
  
  On March 4, the hot water heater emit a burning smell and nearly caught fire. SS was contacted they inspected and determined it needed replacement. *** agreed to *** to be processed by the purchaser SS. After follow up on my part and delays on their part for 3 days, they finally replaced the unit late Friday.
  
  The disputed is for the excessive labor charge. They established 500 as install rate but claim to have spent hours with their supplier in locating a replacement.
  
  My claim is their supply chain issue is their issue not mine. They chose the supplier not me, and they paid the supplier for the heater.
  
  Their claim is that I “authorized” extra billing which is not true. I only authorized the heater replacement, whatever supply problems they had are their fault. For instance there is a 240.00 charge for travel (on day of install) to another supplier location because they failed to confirm the supplier had the heater locally earlier in the week. If they had done so alternate shipping plans could have been made as early as Tuesday. They took advantage, holding us hostage, as we had no working water heater and they turned off the main water supply.
  
  In summary I find the 500 charge to be reasonable so I paid them that amount. Additional charge of 460.00 is excessive and disputed. I have made a good faith payment, they have offered no concession.
  
  invoices attached

  Business Response

  Date: 04/09/2024

  Dear Better Business Bureau,
  I am responding to a complaint submitted on 4/1/2024 and was
  assigned an ID of ********.
  On 3/5/24 we were contacted by the property manager, ******
  *****, who said the water heater had a burning smell. Our technician went to
  the home to assess the water heater. Owner was told that the water heater would
  need replaced.
  On 3/8/24 the owner of Southern Services, **** ******,
  contacted the owner of *** *****, *** *****. ** ***** was told that the water
  heater was under warranty and the material was included in warranty but not any
  labor to install, deliver or return existing water heater to the retail store.
  ** ***** gave his approval for the labor cost at that time. Our technician
  agreed to work two hours of overtime to accommodate ** ***** by driving to
  ******** to pick up, deliver and install the water heater. Then another technician
  drove back to ******** to return the defective water heater to the retail store
  where exchanged.
  
  I spoke to ** ***** by phone and email on several occasions
  about his invoice. ** ***** had agreed to pay for labor and was aware that our
  technicians were driving 3 hours, twice, to take care of this water heater for
  him. Our technician spent a total of 9 hours at two stores, driving to pick up
  and then installing after hours while another technician spent 3 hours of
  driving to return the existing water heater. I find that this invoice is correct
  and was pre approved by ** *****.
  The water heater was installed correctly the first time and clearly a
  manufacturer defect and the labor to uninstall the defective one, pick up,
  deliver, install the replacement and dispose of the replacement is not covered
  by the manufacturer. We charged no disposal fee for the old one to ** *****,
  which he should have been charged.
  
  
   ** ***** will also
  receive a rebate for $150.00 from the manufacturer paid directly to him.
  Please contact the property manager, ****** ***** with any
  further questions as she was aware of the situation.
  Feel free to contact me if you have any questions,

  Thank you,

  ****** *****

  Southern Services

  ************

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/09/2024

  
  
  

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]

  
  

   Complaint: ********

  
  

  I am rejecting this response because: 

  The response from the vendor is just a reiteration of their previous statements, so no effort has been made to negotiate. 

  I agreed to water heater replacement, but i did not agree to pay for their problems with their supplier that caused the additional time spent tracking a replacement down.  As previously explained they could have avoided these delays if they had better coordinated inventory with their supplier earlier in the week, notably they only discovered this issue last minute on Friday when attempting to pickup the replacement and the supplier didn't have one in stock, forcing them to source one in a different city, all while my heater was shutdown.   

  I have made good faith payment in the amount of $500 to cover their customary charge for the heater install as was established when they first installed it. They have made no offer to match that price instead they are trying to pass their supplier overhead charges on to me.  The $460.00 additional labor charges are disputed.

  
  

  Regards,

  
  

  ******* *****

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  
  

  Business Response

  Date: 04/22/2024

  ** ***** agreed to pay for all labor and any other costs outside of the warranty agreement. The labor charge is for is for two technicians and he was aware of the cost. This warranty did not cover any labor or disposal of the existing water heater, which we took back to the store instead of inconveniencing ** *****. ** ***** will be directly receiving a refund from the manufacture for $150.00 because of their faulty product. This labor charge would be the same for any customer that we did the same work for.  We dispute his claim.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/29/2024

  
  
  

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]

  
  

   Complaint: ********

  
  

  I am rejecting this response because:

  Southern Services insists I approved additional expenses that I did not approve, and were the result of their poor business practices.  They have made no effort to work with me on resolution, although as previously noted I have made a $500 payment to cover the non-disputed cost.   They have made no offer,  so I will make one final offer to close this issue. I will pay the balance due of $460 less the itemized charge of $240 they said was to pickup the water heater at a different location.   So I am willing to pay an additional $220 on top of the $500 already paid if they will close out this issue.  If they will not accept then I'm afraid we are at an impasse. 

  Regards,
  

  
  

  ******* *****

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  
  

  Business Response

  Date: 05/16/2024

  I will accept the $220.00 payment.

  Thank you,

  ****** *****

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/16/2024

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]

  
  

  Better Business Bureau:

  
  

  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  Regards,
  

  
  

  
  

  ******* *****