Complaints

This profile includes complaints for John The Plumber's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see Find Local Branches.

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  John The Plumber

  1541 Riverside Dr Ottawa, ON K1G 4E2

  
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  John The Plumber

  348 Omer Lacasse Ave Orleans, ON K1E 2X8

  
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  John The Plumber

  308 Wellington St Unit 4 Kingston, ON K7K 7A8

  
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  John The Plumber

  131 King St E Brockville, ON K6V 1B7

  
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  John The Plumber

  38 Gledhill Cres Hamilton, ON L9C 6H4

  

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:04/02/2025

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore 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.

  In October 2024 we required the main plumbing lines in our home to be replaced. We chose 2 plumbers from the Better Business Bureau website, had onsite meetings and calls and got quotes from them. During this research, we had a discussion with John The Plumber (JTP hereafter) with a list of questions, and took note of their answers. One question was if there would be a licensed plumber doing the install to which they confirmed there would be. This was a major factor in us choosing JTP.The cost was $15,128.44 (inc. ***). Per **** request 50% of the cost of the project was paid on November 6, in the amount of $7,564.22 (inc. HST) prior to the work *************** commenced January 5, 2025 with **** ******* running the project and working with two workers (that he mentioned were Apprentices) and continued until January 8, 2025 when we discovered that **** was not a licensed Plumber and therefore there was no licensed plumber on site for the duration of the project. We contacted "Consumer Protection Ontario" who advised us to file a complaint with them since this likely falls under "misrepresentation and unethical practice" and to write to JTP. We did this and also asked that they cease work. *** denied having the conversation with us where we asked for a licensed plumber and said they could finish the work and extend the 2 year warranty to 10 years or have us finish the work and give a 10% discount. Since we were concerned about the work we hired a licensed plumber from the Better Business Bureau site to review JTP's work (at a cost of approx $450). They advised that the whole job needs to be redone since there is improper sloping therefore standing water and the plumbing is worse than before *** did the work. This has caused a lot of inconvenience, stress and time off work and since we need to redo all the work we would like a full refund at the very least. The cost to redo the work is 24k. We will get another quote for comparison.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 19/02/2025

  Thank you for reaching out and providing detailed feedback on your experience. We understand that this has been a stressful situation, and we want to address your concerns transparently and fairly.
  First and foremost, in all our documentation and communications, there is no record of a specific request for a licensed plumber to be on-site for the entirety of the project. Had this been requested, we absolutely would have ensured that a licensed plumber was present throughout. **** is highly capable, experienced, and qualified to oversee projects of this nature, and we stand by his expertise.
  Additionally, we have made multiple attempts to contact you regarding the camera inspection with your new plumber, as you had suggested. Unfortunately, we have received little to no response from you regarding this matter. We are still more than willing to proceed with this inspection to assess the work and discuss the best path forward.
  From the beginning, *** and our team have been actively working to resolve this situation with you. We have made every effort to be accommodating, offering solutions to address your concerns and ensure your satisfaction. Our priority remains to find a fair resolution.
  Please let us know how youd like to proceed with the inspection so we can move forward in a constructive way. We are committed to making this right.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/09/2024

  Type:Order Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore 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.

  We have not paid the company any money.They are claiming that we need $24000 worth of work and asking for half up front, but they refuse to provide a contract.We are scared because they have indicated the matter is urgent, but we can't give them $12000 without a contract.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 16/09/2024

  Hi,

  We use a CRM called Jobber. Through Jobber, we create quotes, email them to customers, and from there they must sign the agreement.

  I have attached a *** copy of the quote where we discuss the work. This *** is a copy but it differs from the system to which we use for quoting as the software requires a signature, making it a contract.

  Initially we were called back in July due to strange smells. We found a pipe that required a cap, so we capped that off. But additionally, thought that the smell may be from inactivity in that pipe. We suggested waiting to see if the smell came back.

  We were offering a camera inspection promotion at the same time ($25 for a camera inspection that usually costs much more). The camera inspection showed the plumber that the line was made of cast iron and that it had broken. There were tree roots coming in, as well as water coming in closer to the foundation. There's a possibility of a burst waterline in the ground. Whether it's both the drain pipe with tree roots and a broken water line or just the drain pipe, both situations are considered emergencies in the plumbing world.

  If someone is paying for plumbing services out of pocket, we require a 50% deposit for anything over $1500. This is standard practice. 

  We also provided information for an alternative payment method that does not require a deposit. It's using financing through a third party called FinanceIt who we are affiliated with. 

  This email was viewed by the customer in the Jobber platform on 09/05/2024. 

  I've attached 3 screenshots where I created a mock quote so the process can be seen. In screenshot 1, it shows the email with brief details. In the second screenshot, it shows the work that we would do. In this case, it only says Test. But this is where the customer would see the details outlined in the *** I attached of their quote. And, in screen shot 3, you can see where and how they sign the agreement before paying the deposit.

  If you have suggestions for how we can improve this system, I'll gladly consider them. But this system requires a signature, which I believe makes it an official agreement between both parties.

  Additionally, we're a 5-star company. We are in hundreds of homes a week. We have a stellar reputation. We get the odd bad review, but we do our best to offer world-class service on every experience. Unfortunately, the news we often deliver isn't what people want to hear. It goes with the territory of our industry. 

  Thank you.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 16/09/2024

   
  Complaint: 22261519
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  We are still not being offered a signed contract which details the work that will be done.
  We have no problem paying the full amount, the issue is not the cost, the issue is we would be fools to give any company thousands of dollars without a contract signed by them. There are clear expectations for a contract in ******* which we have not been offered. If something went wrong after we hand over the money, without a contract we would be laughed out of court. By law, the lack of a signature would normally suggest that the parties had not yet reached the point where they were agreeing to be bound.
  

  A legal contract requires the signature of both parties, the project schedule, and the estimated dates of completion, We were told the company does not give signed contracts. 

  If they are able to provide a contract, please note the information provided in the pdf is not current as the company was able to arrange with another company to replace the stairs as well.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ******** ******

  Customer Answer

  Date: 31/10/2024

  Better Business Bureau:

  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and I would like to move forward with mediation.

  Regards,

  ******** ******/ ***** ****

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

  

  Business Response

  Date: 01/11/2024

  Better Business Bureau:

  I have reviewed the response made by the consumer in reference to complaint ID ********, and I would like to move forward with mediation.

  Thank you.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/12/2024

  12/5/2024 PE:  Email to consumer informing her of mediator assignment.  Asked if a resolution had been reached.  If not, besides contact by the business and a physical contract, if there was anything else she needed as a resolution.  Provided her my CA email to respond as well as the CA phone number.

  12/11/2024 PE:  Called the consumer and spoke to her husband, *****.  Asked for ******** to either call me back (provided the Canadian number) or to respond to the email that was sent 12/5.

  12/11/2024 PE:  Received email from ******** giving permission to have her husband speak on her behalf.

  12/13/2024 PE:  Left vm for ***** to speak to him about the specifics of their desired resolution on the case.

  12/17/2024 PE:  Left vm for ***** and ******** to confirm by email what their desired outcome is.  Confirm:  a physical contract and contact by the business.

  12/20/204 PE:  Spoke with ***** about next steps.  He is unsure whether or not he and his wife *** want to use the company for the work since they cannot perform the rebuilding of the porch, only the take down.  The company would be using subcontractors.  He will call back next week to advise after speaking to his wife, ********.

  1/14/2025 PE:  Left vm for consumer asking for a callback.  Inquired as to whether or not they want to move forward with the company to make the repairs.

  1/16/2025 PE:  Received this vm from the consumer:  And indeed we are not proceeding, we are going to drop the whole thing. I do not believe we intend to go forth with We are definitely not going forth with them. We may get the work done eventually, but we will probably start from scratch with a different company and so forth. Feel free to email us perhaps would be the best way to get on with things further. If you have questions, we can answer them so on and so forth, but or call as you wish, been a pleasure.--Wood Ord
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:29/06/2023

  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.

  On May 12/23 I called John the Plumber for a possible clogged toilet.
  They sent a plumber that day. I was told that he would try augering and that would cost $250. If that didn't work, he would have to bring the commercial auger which would cost $650. I said ok.
  He didn't do an inspection of anything before he started to auger. He tried for an hour with no luck. He then told me he would be back the next day with the more expensive option.
  He augeed for 3 hours the next day and still couldn't clear the clog. He called his boss a couple of times. The boss told him to give up, I guess because he packed up his stuff. Before he left he told me they might have to rip up my front lawn at a cost of $15000.
  It finally occurred to him just before he left to inspect the pipe he was trying to clear. My house is a century home with some cast pipe. He finally realized that one part of that pipe had crumbled and was clogged at that part.
  A competent plumber would have done his due diligence before resorting to expensive options that weren't going to work.
  The next day I got an invoice for $791. When I emailed them to inquire about this, I was ignored.
  They then sent me a quote to replace 40' of pipe for $4800.
  I had two more plumbers give me a quote. I ended up paying only $783 for the replacement of the crumbled cast and the pipe that was clogged. Not the 40' they claimed needed replacing. The pipe that was replaced wasn't anywhere near 40'.
  I sent them an email to tell them what had happened. I was called immediately by *******, the office manager, who proceeded to give me excuses as to why competence and due diligence isn't part of their plumbers job. She told me that she had to speak to ***** ******, the plumber that was here and would call me back the next day. That was two weeks ago.
  I gave them an opportunity to make it right a couple of times since and they've ignored me.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/07/2023

  As discussed, the plumber went out to clear a clogged toilet, the issue that was presented to the plumber.  He did discuss the pricing with the client as to what it would cost to do the work.  After many hours of work, it was determined that the client had more than just a  clogged toilet.  The diagnosis was made based on the expertise of the licensed plumber would had dealt with this issue before.  The client asked why the plumber took so long to determine that perhaps the issue was in the basement.  I advised the client that she presented a clogged toilet, and we attempted to clear that.

  Our plumber presented a no obligation quote to repair the issue based on his diagnosis, from what he saw.  The client's complaint about the issue not being resolved came in over a month after the work had been completed by our plumber, and she stated the toilet had never been cleared, nor usable since our plumber was there.  I did ask the plumber to contact the client to discuss the issue, as he is the expert.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/07/2023

  
  
  Complaint: 20256078
  
  
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  

  Their claim that I waited a month is untrue. I had been in contact with them a week or two later through their website and on the phone, after I had other companies come take a look and give me a quote. They have ignored me since the initial contact. I have the emails to prove it.

  *****, the plumber they sent, also didn't secure the toilet on one side and it has been leaking under the flooring. Videos attached. Now, I have to pay someone else fix it. He also sprayed gray water all over the bathroom.
  I maintain that competence, due diligence and good business practices are sorely lacking.
  Here's a link to all the bad reviews on ****

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

  
  Sincerely,
  
  
  
  ******* ****

  

  Business Response

  Date: 03/08/2023

  We would be willing to discuss a partial refund based on the improper reinstallation of the toilet.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/08/2023

  
  
  Complaint: 20256078
  
  
  
  I am rejecting the complaint because;

  **** ****** issued a full refund of $791 to my credit card yesterday after weeks of me trying to resolve this. 
  
  He refused to pay the $284 for the toilet to be reattached by another company as it was left by their plumber just sitting on the floor. It had been leaking under the flooring for weeks. 
  

  The company took the refund back today and is now trying to offer me a partial refund based on the toilet not being attached after **** telling me that wasn't their responsibility, it was the responsibility of the company that did the pipe replacement. I'm currently discussing my options with my credit card company. 

  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  
  
  ******* ****

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/08/2023

  
  
  ****** ******** *******
  
  
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID 20256078, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  
  
  ******* ****

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/09/2022

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore 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.

  I hired John the Plumber to repair a leak in in the foundation seal of my sump pump discharge line. **** came out and told me he would be able to fix the problem, my realtor was also here and mentioned that it would be a good idea to buy blue seal to add on the flundation wall once **** was finished, to go above and beyond his work. I booked him for the job and he came out on 30 Aug 22. When he arrived he told me he was only replacing the line and that I would have to seal the foundation wall when he was finished. He cut out the old line (which was working fine) and added a new line. (Also at this time, cutting through my heat line that prevents my line from freezing). He then told me to use what I bought to seal the hole in the foundation wall. What I bought is not designed to seal the hole, it's designed to add a thin layer of water proofing on the wall after the hole is sealed.
  He then helped me tarp the area off as it was starting to rain. It's rained for two days and I've had water draining into my house ever since.
  
  I've called their office and they said they do not seal foundation walls and they were only hired to replace the discharge line.
  A month earlier, a different plumber from John the Plumber was here inspecting the sub pump, and said the line was not cracked.
  When I had **** come out to give me an estimate, he did not say he would not seal the foundation. I assumed that he needed to replace the line in order to reseal the wall.
  
  I have called foundation repair specialists, who have told me that it's crazy they did this and they wont take on the job because they dont want to be tied to their work.
  
  John the plumber is refusing to finish the job and I still have a hole in my foundation.
  
  This company advertises sump pump installation on their website and guarantee their work...I don't understand how you install a sump pump and not seal it.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 22/09/2022

  We are working directly with the client in question to resolve their issue.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 26/09/2022

  
  
  Complaint: 17813093
  
  
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

   

  This company has refused to complete the job and habe given me a numbe of excuses as to why they are unable to finish the job they quoted and guaranteed they could do. I have contacted a number of other plumbing companies and foundation experts who have all stated it is the plumbers responsibility so seal the foundation wall. 

  Due to the weather I have had to go out of pocket and complete the work myself to avoid my house flooding further. I no longer require them to complete this job. 

   

  However, I will be submitting a supplemental complaint, as while they were working on my original work order they damaged my sump pump system and have refused to correct the problem properly. They have found a cheap solution, vice correcting the damaged line as they guaranteed they would. They have verbally acknowledged they are using a cheap solution due to the cost to correct properly. 
  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  
  
  ****** *****

  

  Business Response

  Date: 24/10/2022

  To this very day our management has been in contact with Mr. ***** to attempt to resolve his issue.  We are still working with him to have this resolved. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 24/10/2022

  
  
  Complaint: 17813093
  
  
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

   

  There response is a complete lie.

  I have not been in or received contact from John the Plumber since 27 Sep 22 when I was told by **** ****** that they were satisfied with the work they completed and that nothing else would be done. I informed him and sent him multiple photos and videos that water was still leaking into my home through the broken cable and he disregarded the issue. He stated that their electrician confirmed everything was working at the time of install. 

  I contacted him on 24 Oct 22 and left a voice mail stating that my circuit breaker has been tripping when I turn on my heat trace cable and now have proof that it was not repaired properly. I am now in fear that my house will flood this winter due to my broken heat trace cable or that my house will catch fire due to the faulty electrical work. 
  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  
  
  ****** *****

  

  Business Response

  Date: 09/11/2022

  The ****** *****e situation is unique.  As much as ****** claims that we have not been in touch with him, he has communicated with **** most recently through emails.  When John the Plumber went to his home to complete the work we encountered the heat trace cable that was inside the pipe, and not outside the pipe as it should have been.  It was completely accidental that the heat trace cable was cut, and our plumber notified the office immediately.  I first spoke with ****** regarding the situation as there was much dispute over what was to be done by our company and by what Mr. *****e was responsible for.  I advised Mr. *****e that we would look into a solution to repair the heat trace cable.
  We hired an electrician to complete the work.  While the electrician, our plumber and our apprentice were there, Mr. *****e was less than pleasant (to remain impartial as I was not there, I will not delve any further).  At this stage, the owners of the company are involved and are dealing with the situation.
  We have acted in good faith with Mr. *****e, but I believe his expectations of what needs to be done are outside of what we are responsible for.  At this stage as well, I am no longer involved in working with ****** *****e, and there may be updates that I am not privy to.
  

  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/11/2022

  
  
  Complaint: 17813093
  
  
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

   

  I only just finally received a responce via email from **** ****** on 7 Nov 22. This is the first contact I had from anyone at John the Plumber since September. I believe i only received this email due to the fact i called **** several times over two weeks and contacted the front office to always be told he was in a meeting and would call me back (which never happened). This email was not anything other then telling me a series of inaccurate information relayed from their plumber that worked on my system. The email brought forward new lies they were told by their plumber, such as my father being present during the initial quote, which is not true and now shows the plumber really did provide them a series of inaccurate information to cover the fact he was in the wrong and accepted a job that was out of his depth.

  I was pleasant during the site visit with the electrician and simply expressed my concerns and unsatisfaction that the work was not being done as I was promised. You can imagine my shock when I saw the cable was being repaired by someone that had never repaired such a cable (verbally stated he had never this before) and was using an instruction manual and making up ideas as he went along. If I had not been there, the initial fix would have created a blockage in my discharge line and luckily I was able to convince them to change their installation. My behavior was pleasant and positive. I even encouraged the workers against spending extra time moving rocks and smoothing my yard after the hole was back filled and told them not to worry about it as the weather was cold and they'd been outside long enough.

  I was initially promised by **** ****** that they would be replacing the cable and was asked a number of times for the distance needed. Once they did their research, they discovered the repair was too costly for them and they found a solution that was cheaper. **** literally said over the phone they were trying to save ask much money as they could and they were happy with their solution. Even though I'd informed him it was not a proper solution as I still had water entering my house and risking fire damage due to water being in my electrical outlet from the severed cable.

   

  John the Plumber has not acted in good faith, that statementis laughable. They have ignored my phone calls and voice messages, they have disregarded my concerns for my family's safety. I expressed my concerns several times and was told they needed to save money and they would not be doing anything else further to resolve the issue. They have used excuses and continue to blame my system for how it was installed 20 years ago instead of solving the issue they caused. I sent them video confirmation of the water entering my electeical system as requested and it was ignored and I was told they were moving on. Telling a customer good luck and hanging up the phone is not acting in good faith. 

  I completely understand that severing the cable was an accident. I've made that clear several times. I have only ever asked for the repair to be done properly so that my house doesnt flood during the winter and that my house doesnt catch fire. A company trying to save a couple thousand dollars while putting a family and their home at risk is not a company that should be in business. This is such a simple solution and its extremely unprofessional this has gone on so long. 

   

  I am now being cast in a negative light by this company in their reaponses to help convince readers of this saga that I am the issue. That's also laughable. Please John the Plumber, just fix the issue so that I can feel safe in my home. 
  
  
  
  ****** ***** (No e on my last name)