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A woman is blaming me.

3K views 27 replies 14 participants last post by  sparky 
#1 ·
I unclogged a kitchen drain in January and the woman just called me now, 7 months after and blaming me about a leak in the wall in the basement. She contacted an adjuster or something and they said it might be a foundation issue! She said she got bids for foundation repairs, membrane, sump pumps etc. She never called me until today! No one ever cut a hole in the wall to check!

I read my invoice and she had used sulfuric acid in there, I suspect the base of the stack is old, corroded or split or something. She asked if i was going to fix it for free or half price because it's my fault. Mam snaking doesn't break pipe and I'm charging to go fix the pipe break.

I asked her to send me pics, I received some where the damaged wall is and I can't even see the pipe. I told her to rip it out a little more to send decent pics.
 
#5 ·
So you guys wouldn't even go and fix the stack for a fee?

I'm waiting for clearer pictures and my intent is to let her know if she want a repair it'll cost my hourly rate. Maybe she'll realize by then it's not my fault when I speak to her again, If she accepts the repair there shouldn't be any other issues, right?
 
#8 ·
Same here, I'm with you.

I work for people who like {enjoy, look forward to, see the value in, etc.} paying for a licensed professional to get a resolution to their problem.



Tango, you need to weed those bottom-feeders out. I feel badly for you that you keep stepping into dog poop over and over. Maybe you need to work in a different part of town? I don't know.

I have worked for a French Canadian who owned a 2nd house down here in Ocala, FL. He never flinched about paying the bill. I repaired a slab leak for him, repaired other stuff and he wasn't a cheap man. I guess owning a 2nd house means that he had the financial means to afford to maintain his home.
 
#17 ·
Mam snaking doesn't break pipe and I'm charging to go fix the pipe break.
I do feel that snaking does lessen the life of a bad pipe. I've found some trap arms that were pretty thin that leaked after I snaked.

But this is still not your fault. She should be lucky you aren't charging her for showing her additional problems in the drains :D
 
#18 ·
I would make a few copies of that invoice you have.. and put the original in a safe

.... so if she actually threw sulfuric acid down her stopped up drain before you ever got there then
you never know what that stuff might have done to melt the joints or warp the pipe in some way inside the wall...

I have seen some liquid drain cleaner called Clobber actually melt and bend a pvc pipe and make it look like a noodle

this went down back in janruary and you are not responsible for anything.....

piss on her


I got a few drain cleaning companies that warn the customer that they are not responsible for
poking a hole through galvanized pipe or old rotten copper pipe.... so you probably ought to put that
in fine print on your work order
 
#27 ·
Listen to this sheet

I pull up on a servi call and the neighbor runs out the front door “ when the power turning back on ? “ I say, Ma’am I have no idea I’m a plumber and I’m here working for your neighbor. She Says “ The power turned off when you pulled up so I want to know when you’re leaving because I need the power back on “. WTF bish ! You on drugs ? I’m the plumber !!! She ran inside.
 
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