Complaints

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:02/12/2024

  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.

  Proline was called to service an emergency repair after the ice storm state of emergency. They agreed to come on a saturday between ****pm. At 8 pm, they finally show up and begin working. We tell them we're stepping out to freshen up as we had waited 8 hours for them in a house without water, but we will return. A little later, he ***** the bill is now almost 8k. And since he was so late, banks are closed, so no getting cash out, meaning an extra 3.5 percent to use our CC. The new contract was missing several pieces of information and wasn't even fully filled out. *************** ************, and several facilities managers are telling us this bill is astronomically high. They all have given me nore or less the same price, and proline was thousands of dollars higher. Insurance and everyone else were also VERY concerned about the lack of explanation or price breakdowns for parts/services. A quick ****** search was able to find one part is marked up ****% percent for apparently no reason. I've asked for a more detailed breakdown several times and it has not been provided. They told me the fact that it was late at night contributed to the price, but on another call told me it didn't contribute. Insurance even asked if there were multiple workers in their attempt to understand the high pricing, but it was only one employee for 4 hrs. Insurance agent stated its the worst case of price gouging he had seen in his career. We are not seeking free services, we just wanted to get a better explanation of this bill and work together to establish a more accurate price. I've called 3 times, and they've failed to provide the requested info, let alone any solutions. I informed them that insurance had advised us to take them to court, and that we would pursue the matter via the BBB, the plumbers union, and the media but they still refused to do anything.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/13/2024

  We were called for same day emergency service due to a pipe break with no water to the home. ******** had just had a terrible storm with extended freezing temperatures and loss of power to many homes.  This caused a big issue with frozen pipes.  We did run behind schedule because many of the homes we serviced had multiple breaks and it took much more time than anticipated to repair.
  ************** arrived on site and was told that they were leaving, but her brother would be there and he was our point of contact.  ************** found a break and quoted repair and was given authorization to proceed.  Once fixed, he turned on the water and found several more breaks.  This did cause the repair estimate to increase.  *** (our site contact) each time got on the phone and called the homeowners (mom and dad) for approval.  He knew it was them because the conversation was in a different language, (they did not speak English).  We bill by flat rates, not time and material, as many companies do.
  
  When all repairs were finished, we gave the option of payment by cash, check or card.  Yes, we do pass on the transaction fee that we are charged by our card processor, as many companies do.  The bill was paid and we were thanked for restoring the water to the home.
  
  ************** was on site until after midnight to do what it took to get the water restored. I am glad we had all necessary material on our van to make this possible and availability for same day service, even if we did run late.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/13/2024

   
  Complaint: 21284221
  
  I am rejecting this response because: first off, you listed *********** as the on site contact, however all correspondance had been through ******, whom was even the one named in the contract as your point of contact.  We were never told we had to stay on site for the duration of the repairs and had stated we would return shortly. We had waited 8 hrs in a home without water by the time your technician arrived, and wanted to freshen up and rehydrate. 
  

  Secondly,  you say you bill by flat rates.  I've asked you now four times to provide those rates so you can explain your billing, since even the insurance company says your numbers don't add up.  You have refused to do so.  If there is in fact a flat rate, that should have been easy to provide. The insurance company believes youre price gouging, and your refusal to explain your pricing  in detail certainly seems to back up that belief. This seems to be a clear example of an out of state company entering a state that is experiencing an emergency, and marking up their services to take advantage of that emergency. Again, I have welcomed you to explain your bill numerous times to give your side of the story, but you have not done so. 

  Next, let's talk about that credit card fee.  Do you guys really think it was fair to show up 5 hrs late, LONG after any bank has closed, increase your asking price by thousands of dollars, and expect us to take the fall for the fees to ensure you got paid? Had you shown up on time, we could've gone to a bank to get you cash. You claim you gave us options to pay by cash or check, but by showing up long after any bank was closed, you didnt truly give us options. Giving us options would have been allowing us until banks reopened to get you cash or a check. I think that would've been fair given your extreme tardiness. 

  Also, you called this a same day service. You were contacted the day prior to come work on the home.  I'm not sure where you're getting same day. 

  Again, we are not looking for a free repair.  We are asking for a detailed explanation of an invoice that has concerned our insurance, multiple competitors, multiple faciltiies professionals, and ourselves. I would like to see this invoice re-evaluated and priced at a rate that is viewed as the correct market value, as opposed to being priced thousands of dollars over anyone else on the market. You charged us nearly $2,000 PER HOUR when everyone else said the entire job should have been around 2k-3k.  Like I said, every professional has advised us to take you to court.  I'm trying very hard to give you guys the opportunity to be am actuve participant in finding a solution without being forced to do so by a judge. 

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

  Business Response

  Date: 02/22/2024

  As stated prior, *** (our on-site contact) called the property owners, (his parents) to get authorization for the work before any repair was made. 

  We bill on a flat rate pricing structure, as many service companies do.  We have provided an invoice that you attached.  We have not had any issues with any other insurance company disputing the way we write our invoices.  We have serviced hundreds of properties over the years that had repairs covered by homeowners insurance and have not had any issues.

  As explained, we do pass on credit card fees to the customer if they choose to pay that way, as many companies do.  Paying by check or cash would prevent this fee from being charged.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/22/2024

   
  Complaint: 21284221
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  

  You  CONTINUE to state *** was your on site contact.  You never spoke to *** until you asked him to sign. You spoke to ******. Hence why you put Winnies name on your contract.

  I have found COUNTLESS reviews online that prove you DO have a history of improper billing tactics, so you can claim all you want that nobody else has had a problem, but the public has stated otherwise. 

   

  We will see you in court. 

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

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/07/2024

  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.

  On January 31 I became aware of having a water main leak. After checking for leaks in and under the house.I called Proline plumbing looking for someone who could detect an underground water leak. The person I talked to said that they can do that and made me an appointment for Tuesday February 6. The person that they sent out was not equipped for underground leak detection. He could only give me an estimate for their leak detection person to come out. Then charged me $129.60 for the service call that I paid on my credit card.I made it perfectly clear what I needed.I called the company after the service person left to ask for a refund. She said that she would look into it and return my call. I have not heard anything.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/08/2024

  ************** arrived on site to assess the situation of high water usage. The water line was CPVC with no trace wire.  There were no visible areas of water pooling.  The distance from the meter to the home along with the fact there was no trace wire made for difficult conditions.  ************** quoted to have another technician with specialized equipment come out, but the homeowner declined.  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/08/2024

  Proline's response just repeats my message but leaves out the fact that I called them looking for someone who could "detect" my underground water leak.

  I was very clear about what I needed. Underground leak detection.

  I believe that Proline has that call recorded. Ask them to share that recording.

  
  

   

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/18/2023

  Type:Sales and Advertising 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.

  Proline plumbing owes me damages that their plumber did to my property when their tech was in my home. They are refusing to pay for the damages until I get the damage fixed. They scratched my brand new floors and broke my toilet. I've sent a bid for the work and the cost of new flooring and the price to replace my brand new flooring. I've paid them and now that I provided the information they tried to tell me I had to have the work completed before they paid me. That is absolutely not true. If you damage someone's home and they provide the cost of repairing the home, they need to pay the homeowner so that the repairs can be made.

  Business Response

  Date: 05/18/2023

  ***,

  A check was dropped in the mail yesterday.  We never said we would not pay until you floor was fixed.  We did require you to provide us with a repair estimate which you provided to ** on 05.15.23.  A check was dropped in the mail the very next day.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/18/2023

   
  Better Business Bureau:

  The business did state the work had to be done prior to payment. I reserve the right to further complain if check is not received in 10 days.
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ********************************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/06/2023

  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 called the business as well as other local plumbing companies to receive a quote on a main water pipe that had broken on my private road leading to my home. They stated they would send someone out to take a look at it. A rep came out and spent about ***** minutes simply looking at the water meter and peaked under the house to make sure nothing was leaking inside. Then he told me that I owe him $150 for coming out. He said that he could not provide a quote but someone would get back to me via email later that day. I paid the $150.00 by protest and emailed the company stating that a simple estimate should not cost me anything. I offered to have them refund 2/3 of the cost because I know they have to pay gas and employee time. I also did not receive an actual estimate until 2 days after I told them that I would file a complaint with you. The estimate was over 2x what other companies had quoted me and they never responded to my concern.

  Business Response

  Date: 01/17/2023

  ***** called the morning of January 3rd telling us the city informed him that his meter was running and he may have a leak.  ***** asked us to come out and take a look because he was not able to find a leak himself.  ************** arrived on ***** and diagnosed a leak in his main water service.  He informed ***** that our project manager would get an estimate to him.  He collected for the pre-quoted rate of $69 to get a tech on site and $75 for a full diagnositc + WA tax.  ***** signed our invoice and agreed to the billing and terms of service (see attached).  We sent ***** the estimate on 01.06.23.

  I have also attached the recording from his initial phone call when he scheduled his appointment with our prices quoted and pricing agreed to.  

  We do not feel any refund is warranted.  We charged, as agreed, and provided a repair estimate.

   

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/17/2023

   
  Complaint: 18699716
  
  I am rejecting this response because they did not include the original phone call. There was no diagnosis needed. I knew what the issue was. I simply wanted a quote. They didnt supply a quote until AFTER I reached out to them again. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *********************

  Business Response

  Date: 01/24/2023

  *****,
  The BBB site did not accept the voice file.  I have sent this to your email.  We disclosed $69 to get a technician on site and $75 for a diagnosis of your issue and you agreed prior to setting up the appointment.
  
  You called stating you received notification from the city stating your meter was running and you may have a plumbing leak.  You informaed our dispatcher that you checked inside you home and could not find a leak and you did not notice any pressure issues.
  
  We sent a technician to your home who went inside your crawl space, took numersous photos, marked locate boundries and informed you that there was a leak between the city meter and your home.  We did provide an estimate two days later by email.
  
  We understand that you decided to go with another company for repair, and thats okay.  But we did diagnose your issue and provide an estimate as promised.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/27/2023

   
  Complaint: 18699716
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  I informed you that there was no need to look in my home on the call as you even state. I told you that there was an issue with my line going up to my residence. The person that came made no diagnostic decisions that I had not already made myself. He was here for less than 20 minutes and charged me $150.00 for 3 camera phone pictures. He couldnt even upload them to your home server without using my wifi. His visit was useless and pointless. This is an absolute scam to charge someone that kind of money for a home visit when all I wanted was an estimate. This is a very bad business practice that preys on people in my opinion. As stated earlier, the other 2 companies came out at no cost and spent more time and quoted me on the spot. I literally had to beg you to get a quote 2 days later. You obviously didnt want the business because you simply quoted me DOUBLE of the others. A $150 charge for nothing is absurd. You obviously use these visits to supplement your profits when you dont want to do any actual work at a fair and reasonable/ competitive price. 
  Sincerely,
  
  *********************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/06/2022

  Type:Sales and Advertising 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.

  Proline was recommended by a remediation company working with us due to a water damage. After opening our bathroom wall they found a plumbing leak. They arranged for proline to inspect and repair they came yesterday and fixed a leak. Immediately the leak continued and we had them back today they charged us $499 yesterday and additional $299 today for the same work.

  Business Response

  Date: 10/07/2022

  *****,
  I am sorry you are not pleased with the service you received.  Yes, your restoration company referred us to repair a leaking cpvc water supply line located inside your shower wall in the master bathroom.  We replaced a leaking fitting and re-piped the area with pex pipe and shark bite fittings.  Your restoration company had already opened the wall and located the leak. For the initial service call of $499 we also replaced items in the toilet in your upstairs hall bathroom, which you neglected to mention.
  
  The next day you called stating the leak was back.  We explained that if the repair we made was leaking, we would repair for no additional cost.  However, if it was a different issue, you would be responsible for our regular charges.  Our technician checked our repair and there was no leak.  He removed he face plate to the shower valve and found that it was leaking from the body and let you know that it needed to be replaced.  Your wife was in the room with our technician and he showed her exactly what was happening and she agreed with his diagnosis.  I have included a photo of our repair.
  
  We spoke with the restoration company later and they had told us they were reimbursing you for our second visit.
  
  We understand that the restoration process can be very stressful.    We are sorry your home has sustained damage. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/17/2022

  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.

  On 9-1-2022 my deep sink stopped draining. I called Proline Plumbing and Sewer and was quoted $155 to unclog my drain. When the plumber arrived about 4:45 P.M. he went across the street and used the porta potty and then came back and looked at my deep sink and told me it would cost $480 to unclog it. I told him no thanks and he was gone before 5:00 P.M. without touching or doing anything.Today I received a text message from phone number ************ stating:"Good afternoon, this is Proline Plumbing. Looks like we had a technician out to your home on 9.1.22. There is an unpaid balance due of $230. We do need you to pay this to avoid late fees, and sending to collections. This amount was due at time of service. Please call our office with any questions. Thank you!"They did lower their price but I don't think I should have to pay anything since their quote was so far off the $480 they told me when arriving. They did lower their price in their text but it is still a scam and I don't believe I should pay them anything based on them running a scam. I do not have anything in writing from Proline except their text. I have not made any payment to Proline and I do not plan on paying a scammer.Thank you,*********************

  Business Response

  Date: 09/19/2022

  **************, You called for same day service stating you had a laundry sink backed up.  You were quoted $155 for same day service fee, $75 for diagnostic and once the tech determined how to clear the stoppage, he would provide a repair estimate. ************** arrived, determined he could clear the clog with a snake which is a $250 fee.  When you were told the repair price you asked our tech to leave and refused to pay.

  You are still responsible for the $155 fee to get a technician on site same day and the $75 diagnostic fee.

  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/20/2022

   
  Complaint: 18039097
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  I was told that it would be $155 to clear the problem.  When Proline arrived they told me that they wanted $480 to fix the problem.  ************ is running a scam.  I cleared the problem myself by removing the p-trap under the sink in about 15 minutes.  Proline did not do anything except scam me.  If I have to I will find a lawyer to help me with this case.  It is a scam to quote you one price over the phone and then triple the price when they get here.  Something needs to be done about businesses that operate in this manner  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *********************