ComplaintsforBell Plumbing & Heating Co.

• Initial Complaint

  03/20/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Jan 31 24 | **** conducted a site visit to diagnose the third failure since an install in December 21, involving replacement of a water heater providing radiant floor heating to my garage.Feb 5 | **** quoted $2,558.00 for a diagnostic, but my 21 invoice states Our workmanship is warranted for a period of five (5) years from date of completion. Feb 14 | Received 2nd opinion: ... glycol radiant system that was being heated by an electric water heater. This water heater is not meant for any type of radiant heat. Manufacturer Installation instructions state this is unacceptable on the first page of the instructions With the current system that was installed ***** is not comfortable attempting to "fix" the current set up because it shouldn't have been installed in the first place. State EN6-30-DORT 100 warranty document: Manufacturer shall not be liable under this warranty and the unit and/or parts will not be covered, and have no effect if the following events occur: the water heater is not continuously supplied with potable water.Feb 20 | Emailed complaint to **** citing voided manufacturer warranty, lack of inspection, and failure to honor the workmanship warranty. I requested a refund for the original payment. I sent it to ************************************ and ***********************.Feb 26 | Replied to my own email, indicating that if **** did not respond by the end of the following business day, I would contact BBB.Feb 27 | **** called to claim they did file a permit in December 2021, but had no evidence, and blamed post-covid process for lack of inspection. I offered two resolutions: refund of original payment or discount (using original payment) to replace with ductless mini-split.Mar 5 | Bell called back and pushed for repair. I disagreed - it shouldnt have been installed, so it cant be fixed.Mar 7 | Emailed Bell again with a summary of our calls and requested a final consideration: remove system free of charge. Mar 20 | **** has not replied to my emails.

  

  Business response

  03/27/2024

  ****************,

  Thank you for taking the time to offer Bell additional feedback on your water heater installation and service.
  We did respond to you directly on your concerns. Bell installed the system in December of 2021. We pulled a permit for the water heater and electrical work so it could be inspected. When a permit is pulled, the homeowner has 365 days to get an inspection. The inspection was never called in. After a recent repair visit by one of our technicians, we offered to waive the diagnostic cost to get the system back up and running and ready for a new inspection to be called. We also indicated we would honor our warranty on any work we have done. ************** notes showed a potential leak in the manifold loop, which was not covered under our workmanship warranty.
  You then asked for **** to refund the equipment and labor expenses and have us instead install a mini-split system due to "buyers remorse".
  While we appreciate that a system malfunction is frustrating, Bell is not in a position to refund all of your money. We were willing instead, to get the system up and running, which was declined.
  If there is anything you would like us to do to repair the system, or again get it ready for an inspection, please do let us know.

  Customer response

  03/28/2024

   
  Complaint: 21463014
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  Dear Bell, 

  You did NOT reply directly to my concerns. You ignored the original email complaint for 6 days, I sent a second email with indication that I would be contacting the BBB if I received no response by day 7, and then you called on day 7. The choice to call rather than respond to any of the emails sent between Feb 20th and March 7th indicates that you actively avoided direct communication and the creation of a trail of documentation.

  You claim to have filed a permit in December of 2021, but have no proof of this. You also say that it is the homeowners responsibility to schedule an inspection, yet you provided no instruction to do so. I cant speak to what the local inspection site said in December 2021, but I can tell you that today it states: schedule a building inspection by accessing the permit through your eTRAKiT dashboard. At a minimum, I would have needed a permit number from you if I was to schedule an inspection. The fact that you never provided one only supports the possibility that no permit was actually filed in the first place.

  You did NOT offer to waive the diagnostic after your repair visit. You sent us a quote for $2,558. It was only after I emailed you our complaint and spoke on the phone with a Bell employee (where we reminded you of the workmanship warranty) that you offered to waive the amount. On the subject of what is and is not covered by that warranty, the invoice shows no breakdown of qualifying parts.

  I resent the accusation of buyers remorse, which requires a feeling of regret or anxiety after a purchase. I felt no regret or anxiety after making my purchase. However, about two years later, I did realize that Id been deceived by ****. Bells own employees, as well as a company who provided a second opinion, have noted on visits over the last two years that the system should not have been installed and/or not in the way in which it was installed. My request to put the original payment toward a mini-split was an offer to Bell to make amends. Other companies wont touch what you installed. Your own company has not been able to permanently fix what it installed. Replacement with a proven alternative is the most reasonable solution. It would be illogical to continue spending money on band-aid solutions that continue to fail. After you denied that option, I even offered a solution in which **** simply removed the system free of charge to put the matter behind us.

  Finally, I dont believe that you appreciate that a system malfunction is frustrating. There have been multiple failures and the inability to prevent them from recurring tells me its not really a malfunction, but a botched installation. If you truly appreciated the frustration, you would try to work with me to come up with a compromise that works for both parties. Another band-aid is not a solution. If I agreed to allow you to get the existing system back up and running, then I might as well also schedule a repair visit appointment for next January right now.

  I will not consider this matter resolved until we can come to a compromise that does not involve getting the existing system running again.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *****************************

  

  Business response

  04/12/2024

  ********,

  We want to acknowledge that you prefer not to be contacted by phone to discuss options. ***** has reached out several times to attempt a dialogue, but in lieu of that, here are suggested courses of action.

  1. We can provide the full credit of $4,648.00 toward a new "Gas fired" garage heater. We would have one of our project managers meet onsite and provide a quote. In order to complete the install, a new gas line would need to be run from the Gas Meter (located by the house) to the garage. We would also need to make a roof or a sidewall penetration for venting the flue gases. 

  2. We can provide the full credit of $4,648.00 toward a new mini split system. We would have one of our project managers meet onsite and provide a quote. Depending on the heat load calculation, this option may require two units and will be more expensive. 

  Both options would give you the ability to control the space via thermostat.
  Permits will be pulled for the newly installed equipment. 
  We would provide the $4,648.00 credit only in the event of BELL installing the new equipment.
  We would remove the water heater that is currently installed and cap the water lines. 

  We look forward to hearing next steps.

  Customer response

  04/22/2024

  **** has responded with an offer to resolve that is aligned with our original request. We will accept their response. However, due to the difficulty in getting to this resolution with ****, our trust in the business has been lost and we wont be taking them up on their offer. Even in their most recent reply, they noted that they attempted to reach us several times, while we only received a single text, to which we replied. We were able to find another HVAC company that offered to install a mini-split system and remove Bells existing water heater system for free. This other company offered the removal for free because they say that theyve helped other customers who have had bad experiences specifically with ****.

  Customer response

  04/22/2024

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

  Although we have reached a resolution, I will not be moving forward with Bells offer. My trust has been violated and at this point, I do not feel comfortable with **** working on anything else in my home. 

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

• Initial Complaint

  11/08/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We purchased a new kitchen faucet. Reviews said this was an easy installation. My 70-year-old husband did not want to get down on his knees. So, we decided to have a professional installation done. We called Bell Plumbing. They would not give a range or estimate for this installation over the phone but said there would be a $99 service call charged. When the plumber came on November 3,2022 the estimated cost for the installation was $590.Wow! If we had known ahead of time, we would not have made an appointment. Seems predatory. Others should be forewarned, particularly seniors. We would like our $99 refunded! We did call Bell Plumbing. The receptionist was polite but did not offer a refund.

  

  Business response

  11/14/2022

  ******************************,

  Thank you for taking the time to speak with our Customer Relations Manager regarding your service appointment. We have a standard practice of not quoting prices over the phone without first seeing the scope of the job. We would much rather quote an actual price rather than guess on what we are going to find. Seeing in your post that your husband is 70, we did look back at the estimate and see that we did not offer you a complimentary *************** plan. We do offer discounts to our 65+ customers as well as First Responders, and Military customers. Please do let us know if you would like a ********** plan which not only offers service discounts, but also seasonal coupons and waived service evaluation fees when work is performed. We would be happy to send you a revised quote based on the information above.

• Initial Complaint

  11/01/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I had Bell Plumbing come out to fix a leak (which was coming from the bottom of the toilet). When the plumber was there he told me of a separate issue- he needed to replace a pipe (which wasnt even the reason it was leaking from the bottom of the toilet). They charged me $800 for that repair, to not even reset the toilet. The plumber said he fixed an issue and if it continued to leak he would need to reset the toilet. He never said the price to me for resetting the toilet so I assumed it was included in the $800. Well, 4 days later it is still leaking from the bottom (which is what I called them out to fix in the first place) and now they want to charge me $300 to reset it and fix the original issue. $1,100 for a simple repair?? Very unreasonable price. For $800 the repair should have been fixed. I am extremely unhappy with the customer service as well when asking for the service to be done without additional charges.

  

  Business response

  11/07/2022

  *****, thank you for taking the time to leave Bell a written response regarding your recent service appointment. We do circulate all reviews to the full company so that we can better understand the situation and learn from any reported concerns. It appears that our licensed plumber found that the bolts that mount the tank to the toilet bowl were loose and the bowl gasket was damaged. He replaced the gasket, tightened bolts properly, and added a new toilet supply line. It was his belief that the water remaining was residual water from the original tank leak. We see you signed the estimate for replacing the tank to bowl gasket and bolts, prior to us doing the work. You added a ********** Plan purchase to your approved invoice. And you received an estimate to reset the toilet, all on the same day, October 29th. Customer satisfaction is very important to us. Please let us know how we might have better explained our pricing to you. We look forward to hearing back from you, and to ensuring your satisfaction.

• Initial Complaint

  11/01/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  When making an appointment with Bell Plumbing (to replace the anode rod) in my water heater, I was told a technician would arrive at my home wearing shoe coverings and a face mask. The technician, a ***********************************, wore neither shoe coverings or a face mask while at my home. During the time ******************** was in my home I told him I was a current cancer patient, I'm battling head and neck cancer. ******************** still continued to work without a face mask (i could care less about the shoe coverings).I have several disagreements with **** concerning this service call but my complaint centers on ****** deceit. I'm told one thing when I make the appointment, and the technician when he arrives ignores the policy and possibly puts my health in peril. I have spoken with a women named ***** at Bell Plumbing. I have no idea who she is except I know she is argumentative. I want to accept ****** bid for the work to be done but I cannot allow technicians in my home without proper face coverings. This is for *****: I'm sure you doubt my claim as a cancer patient. My oncologist is ********************************* at ********************* ******* I'm not sure if RMCC will discuss my cancer with you but I would expect them to verify that I am a current cancer patient there. RMCC can be reached at ************.I reluctantly paid Bell $99.00 for the service call because I'm honest and as good as my word. I told the technician ******************** I made a mistake calling Bell Plumbing but I pay my bills.

  

  Business response

  11/04/2022

  ****************,

  We would like to sincerely apologize for taking several days to respond to your concern. We have a policy of airing any customer concerns to the full company so that we can understand what happened, and allow all employees to learn from each issue so that we don't have repeat concerns. We do acknowledge the confusion we have caused have have since made corrections to our process. Currently, the ***** encourages all Coloradans to keep masks with them in public and wear them when asked. We understand that different people may have different risk factors and levels of comfort around using tools like mask-wearing. We remain respectful of each customer's choice about how they protect themselves and others. We indeed had a disconnect between our **************** Team continuing to quote the mask policy and our Technicians having masks and shoe coverings ready, should a customer request it. Please know we have employees and family members who also have risk factors and we want to put all of our customers and employees wellness at the top of our service commitment. Please be assured that at future appointments we will honor your request to wear protective equipment. Do let us know if there is anything we can do to make you feel more comfortable with Bell. Wishing you good health.

• Initial Complaint

  08/12/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  On April 15 we paid ******** and on April 20 we paid ******* to Bell Plumbing to fix our furnace which was leaking rust. Then on August 1 we had to pay Aurora Plumbing Company another ******. The technicnian from Aurora Plumbing found a pipe that was not connected and the main pipe for the overflow was clogged so could not drain properly and resulted in another rust leak. We have picture of these problems that he emailed to us. I think Bell Plumbing should refund us for the shoddy workmanship that was done. **** did not send us a detailed bill of what they did. We do have a detailed bill from Aurora Plumbing. Bell is advertising that they are approved by BBB. Please advise if anything can be done. Thank you.

  

  Business response

  08/26/2022

   

  Good morning ****************,

  We have tried to contact you on several occasions and have yet been able to reach you. We at Bell have been in business for nearly 100 years by making sure all of our customers receive great customer service and high quality work. We would love the opportunity to talk with you about your concerns.

   

  Please feel free reaching out to our main number at ************ or call my direct line at ************.

   

  I look forward to talking with you.

   

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

  Director of Operations

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

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

   

  Customer response

  08/31/2022

   
  Complaint: 17704245
  
  I am rejecting this response because: **************** called and denied that the service performed had anything to do with rust in our furnace.  This was a main problem as discussed with my husband.  We have sent them pictures and a copy of the invoice for having to have additional work done.  ************ is untrustworthy and should not be recommended by the BBB.  I would never recommend this company.  Please pull your name from their advertising.

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

  Customer response

  09/26/2022

  This problem with Bell Plumbing has been resolved to our satisfaction.  I would like to have the complaint removed.  Thank you.

   

  Best regards

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

  4013 ************, ******, ** 80013

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

  

  Business response

  09/27/2022

  Our Customer Relations specialist has been in contact with the Gibsons to discuss resolution of their concerns.

  Per the customer:

  As per my last email to you I said I would sent a message to BBB that this was resolved to our satisfaction as soon as we receive the check. The message you just sent me was my original statement to the BBB. This was prior to your offer. Again as soon as we receive the check I will post that this is resolved to our satisfaction. Thank you.
  
  Best Regards
  *********************

• Initial Complaint

  02/22/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  During our new home inspection, the inspector flagged that the tankless hot water heater/boiler wasn't heating properly. The previous owners called **** out to inspect it and they gave it a clean **** of health (we later found out that the tech they sent is not certified to work on this hot water heater). Once we took ownership, we noticed the hot water was not functioning properly and that we needed several other plumbing projects completed. We signed a contract that promised to:?1. Diagnose the issue with the tankless hot water heater / boiler?2. Install a soft water system 3. Install a drain below the hot water heater 4. Re-pipe the crawl space. ?**** was not able to diagnose the issue with the hot water heater and instead told us we needed an additional tank in our basement (which we did not) and refused to refund us any amount for failing to diagnose the issue. ??In addition the drain they installed has leaked since its installation despite numerous trips here to fix it. The soft water system has not drained properly since its installation leaving us with salty water every time it performs a re-gen despite several trips here to fix it. We ended up having to pay a different company to diagnose and fix the hot water heater and learned that **** had not installed the soft water system correctly since soft water should not enter a boiler. We paid to have this fixed as well as their leaky drain. ?We also learned that ****** "boiler expert" left our system running in extremely unsafe settings (****** PPM CO2)that could have resulted in death had there been any kind of leak. We want to be refunded for:1. The cost of a second company having to diagnose my water heater 2. The cost for a second company to fix the leaking drain 3. The cost for fixing the soft water install 4. Additionally I want **** to come fix the other ongoing issue with the soft water not draining properly I have reached out to **** several times over the past week with no response.

  

  Business response

  03/03/2022

  Hello ********************,

  First of all, I want to thank you for spending the time talking to us so that we could better understand your concerns, we appreciate it. As we discussed previously, **** has been in business for over 96 years and our ultimate goal is to serve our customers and make sure they are happy and satisfied with the work we have done. We take all customer concerns seriously, with your situation we have gathered all the information from our system as well as all the information you shared and met as a leadership team. We have been diligent in researching and determining how we can make your situation one that will leave you a satisfied **** customer. I understand we have an appointment set for Friday, March 4, 2021 to finalize our resolution. I look forward to speaking to you on Friday. 

• Initial Complaint

  07/20/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I had a friend come to my house to troubleshoot why the AC went out. He noticed that I had a bad coil and he recommended that I get a new coil and get it installed. I called Bell to come replace the Coil and get my AC unit back up and working. I gave them the model number of the coil they needed to bring. When the technician showed up he thought he could cut corners and not replace the coil and do some drain work. After he left we noticed the AC was still not working. I called Bell again and they scheduled someone to come out the next day to fix the issue. We waited around most of the day and the technician didn't show up. Frustrating to have a now show/no call. On the third attempt the tech came and decided once again not to replace the coil and tried to cut corners once again. Guess what, once again the AC didn't work. So I called a 4th time and and once again not successful. $3000 later and my AC still doesn't work. Now now one will return my call. WOW! At a loss of words.

  

  Business response

  08/02/2021

  Mr. ***********,

  
  

  This is not the experience we want our customers to have.

  We will absolutely finish this job and are calling to schedule a follow-up with you immediately.

  It is unfortunate that we did not receive your first request to the BBB, only a follow-up that came to us over the weekend.

  Please expect a call today.

  
  

  Best,

  
  

  Karla M*****

  Bell Plumbing and Heating

  Customer response

  08/02/2021

  I would like a full refund. After 4 in person attempts and one no show appointment, Bell Plumbing was not successful in getting my AC to work. It has been miserable with no AC for a couple months now. Bell Plumbing charged me $2600 and I still don't have the AC working. I ended up calling another company after being outright ignored by the Bell Plumbing staff on multiple occasions. Blue Spruce Heating and Cooling came out and they found out that the problem is a bad condensor fan motor. We need to replace the ****** condensor Fan Motor and they quoted me a total cost of $625. Please issue the refund. 
  

   

  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ****** ***********

  

  Business response

  08/03/2021

  Mr. ***********,

  
  

  Thank you for taking the time to speak to our Customer Relations Manager, Jim V******.

  As discussed, you will be issued a refund for charges to repair your air conditioner.

  We hope the work provided by others solves the issues you were having.

  If you have any questions or need further clarification, please don't hesitate to reach out directly to Jim at ************

  We look forward to helping you in the future.

  
  

  Best,

  
  

  Karla M*****

  Bell Plumbing and Heating

  303-757-5661

*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. ↩