Complaint Review: BONNEY PLUMBING - SACRAMENTO California

If you go to the emergency room and you think your dying, You'll pay anything to survive right. Would it be ethical to hike up the price just because the consumer has limited choice? Would the consumer know how much an emergeny surgery would cost? would they know an outrageos price versus what it should really cost so they can make an informed decision..Probably not. As an honest consumer you expect an honest price from a professional .  Yes you expect to pay more for emergncey services but in my case 2 to 3 times the cost for a repair.  I was not able to determine this unitl after work a had started. My bad and at this point all I can do is warn others.

Do you get it now?  This is my experince with Bonney.  I will never call them again and I will warn anyone I can.

Dear Mr. Bonney, So few people take the time to let a business know when they are satisfied with their service and/or products. This thank you letter is a little late, but my gratitude has not diminished. Sadly, I was prompted to write you this letter as a result of the outrage I felt after I read a derogatory and inflammatory website on the internet. Comments made by this unfortunate individual not only insult you: it insults me. I purchased a home 10 months ago for a below-market price thinking I had got a good deal. Immediately (and I do mean the very day I moved into this home), plumbing problems were rampant. The home came with a home warranty and I was soon on the phone placing service calls. Each time I paid the requisite $40 deductible to the warranty-approved plumber only to have the work band-aided to make it appear the problem was fixed. To make a long story a little shorter, the warranty company referred 4 different local plumbing companies to my home over a 6 month period. Because the previous owner thought he was McGuyver and tampered with everything, all the repairs were paid for by me and not the warranty company. One of the repair jobs took 3 visits by 2 different plumbers to fix a shower valve. And that repair only lasted about 2 months before it needed repairing again. I finally pulled out the yellow pages and noticed immediately that your advertisement was different than the others. Save money, we charge by the jobnot the hour.quick response plumber. That was music to my ears. The other 4 plumbing companies had me waiting on average 3 days and on one occasion, they did not even show up. Those that did show up were usually 40-60 minutes late. The first time I called Bonney Plumbing, I needed the above mentioned shower valve repaired yet again. The employee who showed up immediately made a lasting impression. He was clean-shaven, well-groomed, was wearing what appeared to be a freshly ironed shirt. A plumber's crack was nowhere to be found as he was wearing his shirt tucked in. How refreshing. An actual professional had arrived at my door. The employee, Curtis States, arrived on time and ready to work. He quickly assessed the problem, gave me several options from which to choose, and clearly stated the bottom line price in writing. Curtis even went further to suggest I use the 10% coupon from the yellow pages to save even more money. Prior to completing the work, Curtis explained in detail the work he would be performing. Curtis took great care removing a tiled section around the shower valve rather than hacking it to pieces. (He did such a good job that the section was easily re-grouted back in place). He also ensured the tub below would not be damaged from falling debris. In addition, he wore foot protection so as not to track debris throughout my home. The shower valve Curtis installed was of superior quality to the existing one. I was thrilled with the work completed. I just knew in my heart I would not be calling your office to have someone come out and work on it again. On a side note, during this visit, I had contractors performing duct work inside my home that I threw out on their ear before completing their work. On their way out the door, they attempted to engage Curtis in a conversation regarding me, to which he continued his professionalism. I was so impressed with your personnel, that when my next plumbing emergency arrived, you were the only plumbing company I called. This time, 1 had flushed a brand-new bar of soap into the master bath toilet (don't ask). Again, the person who took my call was very pleasant and would have a plumber out later that afternoon. About an hour later, the remaining toilet would not flush. Now we had an urgent problem. Four people and zero toilets. I called your office back to update them and they were able to get a plumber out much sooner. This time it was Greg R. who responded. Greg was also extremely courteous, clean-shaven, well-groomed, and professionally attired. What are the odds 2 employees would be like this? Greg made his assessments of the repairs needed and again I was given several options on ways to either repair or replace. Greg also mentioned using a coupon to save some additional money which I greatly appreciated. He also extolled the advantages of replacing my toilets with the low-volume models by TOTO in addition to possible water company rebates! I decided to replace both toilets and have been extremely pleased with the work completed. Sadly, my world ended at I knew it. Several weeks later sewage backed up and flooded the interior of my home causing black water damage to the flooring and walls. Bonney Plumbing was at my home within the hour unclogging the sewage line. While they were there, I asked them about getting an estimate on repairing the water main (I was unable to shut the water off to the house with the existing valve). I was given an estimate for the sewage repair and a separate estimate for the water main. After further investigating the cause of the backup, Jason showed me on the camera where the break in the line occurred and why it occurred. He then told me he had good news and could save me a lot of money. The break he discovered was on the County end which meant the County would be responsible to make the repairs at no cost to me. He could just as easily made repairs, charged me for them and I never would have known the difference. But again, your employees have integrity that most other employers can only dream of. Elated that I would not have to pay for the sewage repair, I decided to replace the water main as a preventative measure. This required your employees to dig through an unimaginably tangled root system to replace the pipes. The inspector from the County came a couple days later to inspect the work and was quite pleased with the workmanship. After the inspection, Jason and his helper (I did not get his name) made every effort to return the yard to its former condition. During the 2 months my home was uninhabitable from the containment (interior walls and flooring had to be removed/destroyed and a mold problem was discovered) I again called your company for assistance. Both bathrooms had been installed incorrectly by the builder 20 years ago. Tile had been glued directly onto sheetrock without the benefit of green board. I chose to have the bathrooms and tile work installed correctly and Curtis again responded to move the shower valves further out from the wall to allow space for the green board and mortar base. At this time, Curtis also replaced the master shower valve with the same superior valve the he installed in the hall bath. In addition, Curtis noticed the poor condition of the original shower pan in the master bath and gave me an estimate to replace it. I am so grateful he did, because the new tile was very white and if I had not replaced the shower pan I would have been mortified with the results. The shower pan was probably 20 years old and dingy beyond belief. It saved me money replacing it at this time rather than later. I cannot thank him enough. But Curtis went above and beyond yet again.once Curtis heard that the tile contractor was arriving in the morning to place the tile, he immediately offered to obtain a new one and install it that same day since it would have to be in place prior to the tile installation. He also lined the new pan with cardboard to prevent potential damage from other contractors. During this time, the sewage backed up again, this time, however, it backed up into the new shower pan. Jason had thankfully plugged the drain under the indoor washing machine where the initial flooding occurred thus preventing damage to the brand new interior walls that were put up 3 days prior. Again, I cannot thank your employees enough. This time Greg returned, fixed the 2 breaks in the sewage line near the house this time and updated some plumbing in the hall bath saving me money (since the bathroom vanity had been destroyed and removed allowing him access to the plumbing). I am a single mother with 2 children and a niece I am raising. This entire experience has been overwhelming and on more than one occasion, I broke down crying while your employees were in my home. They demonstrated nothing but the utmost compassion and were never condescending . One of the plumbers before Bonney, talked to me like I was an idiot. But your employees explained the problems and solutions on my level and to my satisfaction. And when they had to repeat something they had already told me, never once were they curt. On each and every visit, your employees gave me various options always trying to save me money without skimping on workmanship or materials. It was nice to know the price up front, especially since some of the jobs turned out to be time-consuming. Had I gone with another company, I would expect to have paid much more. I have recommended your company to my neighbors, family, co-workers and whoever I hear needs a good honest plumber. I have the peace of mind that the repairs were done correctly, with above standard materials, and by the most professional staff of employees I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. Knowing that I do not have to worry if your employees only half-assed the jobs has given me the strength to deal with other issues in my home. I am ashamed that it took a derogatory statement from someone on the internet to cause me to write this letter. A job well done should always be recognized. I have never said anything I do not mean so please share this letter with whomever you feel appropriate. Sincerely (a customer for life),

I find it ironic that someone would complain about price when they had every opportunity to seek additional estimates from other companies. I recently went to a residence where another co. charged $625 for an $80 toilet, which plugged up continually after installation. I installed a top of the line Toto toilet with G-max flush technology (which all other manufacturers are trying to copy) for $605 and the customer was extremely satisfied with its performance. We could sell you a cheaper toilet, but you would be calling us screaming how we sold you a bad toilet. If you buy a Mercedes Benz you're going to pay alot more for it than you would a Volkswagen.I bet you'll like the Mercedes performance much better. Toto toilets are like Mercedes, you pay more for the performance...What is your frustration worth???

Almost everyone of these posts have the same basic complaint. After everything was done (a little late isn't it?), I decided I didn't like the price (that they gave me upfront). Don't any of you realize that's the way it works all around you every day? When was the last time you complained that your doctor only spent 10 minutes with you but the bill was for $200.00? Never! Maybe because your insurance was paying anyway (then you turn around and complain about premiuns!), or maybe because you decided that hey, that's what he gets for learning his trade. Funny considering that they all tell you they are just "practicing" medicine. I can only imagine what your response would be if the plumber told you he was just an apprentice and was using your system to practice on. The dinner you went out and bought last night was on a flat rate pricing guide. Or didn't you know that? When's the last time you told the Manager at the restaurant "You know, I think you charged me too much, it really wasn't that good, and you didn't even have to cook it, it was only a salad. I would like you to lower the price or else I am going to the BBB." Your mechanic, the grocery store, the car dealer, your child's day care center, your local stereo and computer dealers. They ALL give you a price up front. You like it and take it, or you don't and go somewhere else. Maybe you all are just blowing off steam because the neighbor knows someone who knows someone who had it done cheaper 5 years ago. Go blow it off somewhere. The defamation you are causing to all of these companies because you can't make up your mind about what you want is unwarranted and frankly just plain shows what type of people you are. Time to study up on your Latin. Caveat Emptor. Oops! Sorry. I forgot they don't start teaching that until the 9th grade.