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Business Profile

Plumber

DRF Water Heating Solutions

Complaints

This profile includes complaints for DRF Water Heating Solutions's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see

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DRF Water Heating Solutions has 7 locations, listed below.

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    Customer Complaints Summary

    • 16 total complaints in the last 3 years.
    • 6 complaints closed in the last 12 months.

    If you've experienced an issue

    Submit a Complaint

    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.

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    Complaint status

    Complaint type

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:07/28/2023

      Type:Product 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 requested service from DRF through Lowes for a water heater installation since I have an account with Lowes. I received quotes from competitors, but the employee promised that with their price match guarantee they will reimburse the difference. After checking multiple times and giving them a preemptive quote to make sure that the product on that one will be accepted for a price match guarantee. I have uploaded a copy of that email to this claim, where the employee confirms that the quoted water heater is comparable but that I would need to get a full quote and not limited one. Because of the way they have it setup they require you to accept the service and promise to honor the price match guarantee later. But after going through the service and signing the paperwork, couple weeks later I receive an email that the price match guarantee application was denied. After trying to contact their team multiple times, the last communication I get is from their agent saying that it was a mistake and that they can do nothing to fix it. This is unacceptable and borderline bad practice. I wish I saw the BBB page before signing up but since it was through ****** I was more confident, which is a regret.

      Business Response

      Date: 08/24/2023

      Our customer service team has had several interactions with this customer and has explained that while the unit we installed and the unit quoted by another contractor are "comparable," the competitor quote submitted was not for "identical products and services" as required to meet the terms of our 1-year best value price guarantee ... **************************************************************************************************

       

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:05/03/2023

      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 purchased a new water heater through ****** and used DRF to install it. A installation service manager from DRF told me if I paid $300 more I could get a self-cleaning heater that doesn't require annual service, so I upgraded to that tank. After installation I learned the tank is not actually self-cleaning, and does actually require regular **** month cleaning, and the man misspoke. This conversation was recorded by DRF and is available for listening. I have contacted DRF requesting a refund for the difference between the original cheaper tank and the more expensive one and they have declined to do so. I then requested they remove the tank and they also won't do that. The water tank came with a warranty that DRF will not activate until I sign a statement saying I'm happy with the installation process. As I'm not satisfied, I don't want to sign the document but am concerned that the warranty isn't activated. I'm not sure this is a legal process on their end. Additionally, DRF sent an installation contract for me to review, but waited until the installer was at my house to install the tank. I was not given time to read the contract and was actually pressured by the installer to sign it out without reading it. This was not an oversight on their end, it is their standard practice to not send customers contracts until the day of installation. All the aforementioned practices give the customer a sense that ********************** is deceitful and interested in taking advantage of customers.

      Business Response

      Date: 05/10/2023

      Our customer service team has reviewed the purchase and installation and has had multiple conversations with ********** regarding the water heater purchased. We have confirmed that she received what was purchased at the price agreed to prior to installation. The manufacturer classifies the water heater as a self-cleaning unit, and it carries a 6-year parts warranty. A self-cleaning water heater basically filters out sediment and build up by circulating water throughout it.Reducing this build up means that you do not have to flush the system as often yourself as a non-self-cleaning unit. Sediment build-up is never completely eliminated in a self-cleaning tank, it does remove the vast majority and keeps your tank running effectively and efficiently, per manufacturer specifications and guidelines. We have provided the customer with documentation on features advertised by the manufacturer. Additionally, to discuss concerns on options that the water heater has, we also provided contact information for both the manufacturer and the business unit that manages the Lowes installation program.

      Customer Answer

      Date: 05/10/2023

       
      Complaint: 20016329

      I am rejecting this response because: I have stated several times to the business that I was told the unit "never had to be cleaned", not that it had to be cleaned less often, and this is why I purchased it. They continue to side-step or ignore this statement. I have stated this to the business multiple times, on the phone and via email, to multiple people, and have been quite clear and consistent with this. I have shown them the owners manual which states the unit has to be cleaned every 6 months which is the same as any other model.  The business recorded the phone call in which I was told it never had to be cleaned, and I have reminded them of this several times. I was told they would listen to the phone call and get back to me, but they stopped communicating with me after this. This leads me to believe they listened to the phone call, confirmed what I said is true, and don't want to acknowledge it.  
      Sincerely,

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

      Business Response

      Date: 05/23/2023

      We have reviewed phone calls with this customer as well as emails and notes for the installation. We also contacted the manufacturer to clarify maintenance recommendations. We said that the self-cleaning model would help extend the life of the heater. We also said that it would not need to be drained. However,the reason we moved to this heater was that the original one quoted was not available in her area. We wanted to restore hot water to the customers home as soon as possible and she did agree to the change.

      According to *************** (the manufacturer of the water heater installed), she has a unit that is better and more efficient than the one that was not available. Their electric water heaters include a self-cleaning dip tube to help minimize sediment in the tank, prolonging long tank life and enhancing efficiency. Over time, some sediment will accumulate in your self-cleaning water heaters tank,so draining the tank is needed every three years or so.

      Refunding the price difference does not account for her BETTER tank that is only recommended to be drained 1/3 the time as a normal tank at worst every three years and not every year according to ***************.

      Customer Answer

      Date: 05/25/2023

       
      Complaint: 20016329

      I am rejecting this response because:  *********** has now changed their story and the most recent statement is false. The original unit was indeed available in my area. The only reason I upgraded to this one was the reason I cited in my previous response.

      Sincerely,

      *********************** ***
    • Initial Complaint

      Date:12/29/2022

      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 called DRF because they replaced my original water heater, I called them due to the water heater making noises. Im elderly (83) and can get confused with certain things at times. I wanted the water heater checked, I was told to replace the water heater. It wasnt leaking and also still was working. The charge was $2650 to replace a 40 gallon water heater. We called DRF to ask for the original notes on inspection - to ask why the unit needed to be replaced but they did not provide information and simply said that by calling DRF you will be replacing the unit, they wouldnt know if previous unit was working or not.They also did not give me a bill and I asked for it in the mail, so I have nothing to send in.

      Business Response

      Date: 01/11/2023

      We were contracted by the customer for replacement of a ********** power vent water heater. We do utilize licensed plumbers and require that all local codes be closely followed. Our pricing is competitive in the market and includes the water heater, delivery, installation by a state licensed plumbing contractor, and haul-away of the old heater. Through our One Year Best Value Price Guarantee, we will honor competitors quotes within a year of our installation. Details here: **************************************************************************************************
    • Initial Complaint

      Date:10/04/2022

      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.
      This complaint is about the failure of a contractor to return the work area back to its original state after completing their work. This failure resulted in a flooded basement for my home. As a result of the flooded basement, I incurred an extra cost of $1902.09 from a water mitigation contractor to dry out the basement. In addition, we lost several personal items including a one-year-old treadmill ($545) and two 40" TVs ($220) that were being stored on the floor.Complaint Incident - 7/6/2022. On the morning of July 6th, I went downstairs to find the basement flooded with about 6 inches of water (we had experienced a couple of days of steady rain). I immediately went to the sump pump to see what was wrong and found it unplugged. As soon I plugged it in it started to run and clear the water. Unfortunately, the damage was already done. No one had been in the basement since the plumbing contractor did the repair to the water heater on June 28, 2022. They did use power tools during their repair. The closest outlet to the water heater by easily 20 feet is the single outlet for the sump pump. I assume they used that outlet and then forgot to plug the sump pump back in which caused the basement to flood due to the rain we had. This is obvious negligence on the part of the plumbing contractor.I called a Water Mitigation contractor (Service Master) to come out and dry out the basement. This contractor cost $1902.09 to complete the service. I have reached out to DRF multiple times by way of phone calls, emails, and customer service chats. I have been promised multiple times they would look into the incident and get back to me. It is now early October and I have not heard back from anyone. I am tired of asking for a response from DRF and not receiving anything back from them I want this matter settled.Attaching a full explanation of contact with DRF as well as supporting documents.

      Business Response

      Date: 10/26/2022

      We have reviewed our notes and contacted the technician who performed the service work on 6/28/2022. We've confirmed with him that no power tools or other electrical equipment was used. There would not have been any reason to unplug the sump pump. 

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