ARCHIVED - Cowboy plumbers in London: PLUMB FORCE DIRECT

[Londoner]

Fellow people,

I urge you, please don't ever call Plumb Force Direct as they are cowboys!

The company is advertised as a sponsored link on Google. I called them as I need minor work on my toilet (syplon needs changing) as when flushed it doesn't always take down the toilet paper in one flush. I called last Friday and explained this on the phone. I was told that if a plumber came out over the weekend I'd be charged £75 as the plumbers work for 1 hour minimum. I explained that the problem was minor and wouldn't take more than 30 minutes to sort out. I was advised to book an appointment for Monday and so I did. I was told the plumber would come between 7 - 9pm and that it would be £37.50 for every 30 minutes.

The plumber arrived this evening, he concluded that he couln't fix the problem as he didn't have the right part. Instead he adjusted the water flow in the toilet which helped control the problem but it's still 50/50 as to whether it flushes correctly the first time round. This was all done in 15 mins. So when it came to paying I was shocked to see a bill of £75 plus VAT. When I asked the plumber he said they charge an hourly rate on weekday evenings regardless of the length of time taken to do a job! I was shocked and explained this wasn't what I was told when I called up and if that were the case I wouldn't have waited TWO days to pay the same price (I would have just had them come on Saturday - which would have been more conveniant instead of me rushing home from work).

I wasn't happy and called the manager back at the office. He was VERY rude and said he didn't 'have time' to deal with my complaint and that if I didn't pay the whole bill then he'd send my details to a debt collector. He explained that other companies usually charge more than £100 and that I got a good deal! It's the principle of the matter - I was mis-sold a service and he didn't seem to care that I was mislead on the phone. Not a good customer service experience in my book! I'm not a cheap person and will pay good money in order for peice of mind. But I do not feel I have been treated fairly - they absolutely mis-sold the service and I waited TWO days to pay the same price, and not even have the problem resolved!!!!

I intend to take this complaint to trading standards and I will complain on every plumbing forum/ website going until I am refunded £37.50. I'm happy to pay for 30 minutes as that's what I agreeed to, even though the plumber didn't even have the right parts (even though I did explain the problem on the phone when booking!) but I'll be damned if I have to foot the bill for another 30 minutes of work that didn't even take place!

These cowboys can't get away with it! It's not fair. How do they sleep at night?? This is the worst service I've ever had and gives the plumbing industry such a bad name. It makes me feel sad that incompetent and unlawful companies like this can advertised on Google, be on top of the search results and therefore get lots of business and rip customers off. I'm sure I'm not the first to complain about this type of treatment!

I urge you - please do not use PLUMB FORCE DIRECT (0800 879 9041). You will be ripped off and left unhappy.

Plumber London | Plumbforce Direct

They are complete crooks. It's the worst customer service I've had in a long, long time!!

Please do not use them. Companies this should not be allowed to operate.

 

[tackleburger]

Re: Cowboy plumbers in London: PLUMB FORCE DIRECT

If I came out at 6pm to do this job it would have cost you £60 ex Vat but it would have been fixed for that and I would have told you the price in advance. If I couldn't fix it generally I'd get the part return & fix same price. As you may have guessed I carry sufficient spares for this type of thing but do get caught out occasionally.

I do think you should be carefull and tone down your opinions of this firm on a public forum, although I sympathise with your plight. Post up your area and perhaps one of the guys on here will help you out or check the find a plumber section in the sticky threads.

 

[stevetheplumber]

Re: Cowboy plumbers in London: PLUMB FORCE DIRECT

moral of this story is the more exspensive the ad the more youll pay all ways go for local paper first then if using directories always miss out the top ads as they only get to be top of the list because theyve paid the most
majority of big ads are agencies who take half or more of what the plumber charges you

 

[Londoner]

Re: Cowboy plumbers in London: PLUMB FORCE DIRECT

Hi Tackleburger,

Thanks for your response.

I think the sheer fact that I've found the energy to post on a plumbing forum must speak levels about how strongly I feel about the level of mis-selling from Plumb Force Direct. I would really hate for another person to fall prey to their mis-quoting. I'm sure I'm not the first but I do hope I'm the last.

It's such a bad experience. I still have a faulty toilet and don't know who to call. Good reputable customers are losing business because of people like Plumb Force Direct!

Their website says: London's astute choice for plumbing, gas and boiler repairs - Plumbforce Direct sets the standard for reliability, quality workmanship, and punctuality.

Are they having a laugh??

 

[tamz]

Re: Cowboy plumbers in London: PLUMB FORCE DIRECT

I'm afraid you will probably have to put this down to experience (learned the hard way) as i doubt if trading standards will help as their price was verbal and will probably be seen as reasonable.

Any out of hours call (weekends and evenings) will always be at a premium rate. Usually 1st hour at £x then half hour increments. Even if the job only took 5 minutes you pay for the hour (he has to travel to you).

You have been unfairly treated and i do sympathize.

 

[WaterTight]

Re: Cowboy plumbers in London: PLUMB FORCE DIRECT

It might be worth mentioning that a syphon change (unless type with detatchable body or perhaps inside a low-level cistern) is quite likely to take longer than half an hour. It can take much more than 3 times that if things go badly. And there are loads of different types, shapes and sizes so carrying every possible type is not likely. Also, if your syphon flushes fine but not all the paper flushes away it might not be the syphon. Especially if it always worked before. It might be a blockage. £75 for a weekend or evening call to a syphon change in London actually sounds reasonable to me.

 

[jimbobajob]

Re: Cowboy plumbers in London: PLUMB FORCE DIRECT

hes hardley a cowbow for charging you that for a call out in london on a night time. that is a bargain it should of been 100 at least

 

[jimbobajob]

Re: Cowboy plumbers in London: PLUMB FORCE DIRECT

how does he sleep at night?? haha calm down

 

[Paulplumb]

Re: Cowboy plumbers in London: PLUMB FORCE DIRECT

First I don't think you should be naming a company on this website and the thread should be deleted or at least edited. Second there is no point you urging us not to use the company as we are unlikely to as we are mostly all plumbers. Thirdly the company in question is not here to defend themselves to hear their side of the story. I had a job to attend the other day. The custard was not onsite on my arrival and a phone call later revealed that they thought I had stated a different time several hours later in the day,my diary says different. It is my opinion that custards on rare occassions like to bend the truth just as there are naughty plumbers. Large comapnies often record their calls and if this company does so you can usually request a copy of the conversation which may clarify the arrangement made. Also although I carry several syphons & drop valves on my van at all times it would not surprise me to turn up at a job & find none of mine fitted and I needed one of a odd shape only available at the merchants. Having said that I could have probaly cut you a new diaphram from a sheet of poly. If a syphon install/repair goes well 20 mins but as stated before it could take well over an hour if some plonker has plastered silicone everywhere or wingnuts are rusted to hell.

 

[Henno82]

Re: Cowboy plumbers in London: PLUMB FORCE DIRECT

I agree although 70 giblets is a reasonable price especially at an out of hours price, i recently did a job in Buckingham where i had to change the siphon and i had to drain down the cistern , sponge out the rest of the water then remove the cistern from the wall and pan , remove old siphon, put in new siphon, screw back on to wall and reconnect to pan fill up to test and check for leaks and that all is correct and working and this took me just under an hour to do and my price was £65 inc parts and like the rest on here i do sympathise but you cannot call them cowboys when there is only one side to the story.