I give drain works credit for being on time and doing what they said they would do, but they ripped me off big time. Firstly, the job their guy was 99% sure would get fixed (attaching shock arrestors on my washing machine to stop water hammer) didn't actually do the job, but the price they charged was astronomical for the actual labour.
I decided to go with the arrestors in the hopes that they would do the trick. I agreed to the price (and even questioned it at the outset) as I figured (even got the impression from the guy) that I was looking at a couple hours work and maybe some soldering etc. The price included "labour and parts".
After the first 15 minutes at my house the service guy had to go and get some parts. He came back around 45 minutes later and started the work. The work was essentially attaching the arrestors where the waterlines connected with the washer (he also did the kitchen sink). There was no soldering, no special skills needed as the parts simply screwed on from bothh sides. The actual labour was about 30 minutes. If you include the 15 minutes it took to scope out the problem initially and the 15 minutes or so at the end when he tried to figure out where the hammering was still coming from, it was maybe an hours worth of actual labour.
When the guy finished the job I asked if that was the price he was actually going to charge me considering a) he hardly spent any time actually doing the work b) didn't actually fix the problem. I have to say that it is not the fact that the problem didn't get resolved, moreso than the fact that I paid $750 for an hours labour and maybe $100 in parts.
I was told that I had agreed to the price ( that he had set). And he couldn't change it. When I called the office to complain, I was told that was the price i agreed to. My argument was that there was hardly any actual labour done and it should be adjusted. $500 an hour for a plumber is a little steep. They don't itemize their work- they simply say here is the price all in. Being a layman when it comes to plumbing, I figured the price was so high because they would need to do some skill work for a couple of hours. When I saw what was actually involved I felt like I was getting taken. The guy must have known what work was involved when he set the price and I stupidly trusted that the price was going to be fair for the work that was being done. That is the bottom line.
When I called the office to complain about the price John-Paul assured me that they don't change the price and that they gave me a price for the job and if it had taken 9 hours that would have still been the price. I'm not stupid, but I guess I am a little too trustworthy. These guys knew exactly how long the job was going to take. My house is 7 years old and in very good condition. When they quoted me a price they knew exactly how long it was going to take (certainly not 9 hours) so the argument that the price was for " the job", however long it took is bunk.
John Paul also claimed that the charges were for the 3 hours it took to complete the job which is also crap.
I picked drain works due to the good reviews and the fact that they claim to have all the parts in their "warehouse on wheels" trucks they drive. The 15 minutes it took for the service guy to figure out what he wanted to charge me beforehand, the 45 minutes it took him to get the parts and the 10 minutes afterwards to finalize the financial gouging are not, in my books, part of the "on the clock time". If you are being paid to do a job, you show up with the parts ready to work. Don't charge me for the time it takes you to get your act together.
All in all, I understand it is buyer beware. That doesn't mean that Drainworks can't right a wrong - and that would be the true test of good customer care. They didn't give a crap after they had my signature on the estimate. The fact that they don't itemize the charges on the invoice allows them to make up any price they want.
I believe in paying for services rendered - I have absolutely no qualms about it. But when a job is so simple and uncomplicated they should be charging a fair price.
Learn from my lesson and avoid DRAINWORKS
- Approximate cost of services:
- $751.00
- Any advice to offer fellow homeowners facing a similar project?
- I
- Company Response
Damien, we “arrived on time and did exactly what we said we were going to do”, which you expressed in your review. Also, as you stated yourself, the option you chose was one that you “hoped would do the trick”. As documented on your invoice, we made no guarantees or claims that it would solve your issue, and discussed this at length with you prior to commencing with the option you chose. When we left the home, we had tested our work, and the issue was remedied; as far as our Warehouse on Wheels, we do carry several models of toilets, faucets, fittings, piping, etc to complete most jobs on the spot, without ever having to leave your home, but we cannot carry every single item that is required for every possible plumbing scenario or multiples of every single item(as was needed on your call); that would require a transport truck. Also, we’ve looked into our G.P.S records, and our plumber did spend a total of 3 hours on your call, not just over an hour as you stated. Damien, to summarize, you called us for an issue, we arrived at your home, and discussed everything thoroughly with you, including pricing and possible scenarios pertaining to what you wanted done, we then did exactly as discussed and did so in a timely manner; there was never any mention of a certain amount of time associated with the price we gave you, only that we would address your issue for the price given, no more and no less, whether it took 1 hour or 5 hours.