Ron G
Pricing was about $600 per hour. Benjamin Franklin Plumbing was called about a blockage in the drain line from the washing machine. The plumber used a camera to locate the blockage, so he was aware in advance where it was located, which was in the wall behind the washer. He then called to say he was unlikely to clear the blockage through the pipe itself and would have to open the wall behind the washer. He provided a quote of over $1,800 to clear the blockage. The plumber said he had eight years of plumbing experience – so he should have known how much work was involved. The invoice was $1,803 for about three hours of time including the travel time. The charges on the final invoice show three-line items as follows: (See photo) • $296 disconnect & reinstall washer & dryer (only pulled back from wall about 18”) • $296 cut access hole (to cut opening in the drywall about 18” by 24”) • $1,211 drain repair A few days later I called to speak about the charges with management, however I could only leave a message with the phone representative. A few days after that I received a call from the Vice President of Operations, and I asked if he would review the charges. He said he would and then he would call me back. He never did call back, so I subsequently sent a letter to the person who is listed as a qualifying party on the Registrar of Contractors website for Benjamin Franklin, and as a statutory agent on the Corporation Commission website, asking him to review the charges. He never contacted me back either. In summary, the charges amounted to about $600 per hour and then no contact from company.
