Complaint letter for repair overcharge
May 4, 2010
Last month I remodeled my bathroom with a little help from some experts. A local plumbing company replaced the bathtub fixtures, which were probably at least 50 years old and couldn’t be repaired. As a result of the plumbing repair, we had to have three ceramic tiles replaced. The plumbing company recommended a construction company for the tilework. I was happy with the quality of the work but upset to discover that I was being expected to pay for “drive time” to and from my house. Here’s the letter I sent to the plumbing company today, with a copy to the construction company.
The Faucet Shop
6016 Maple Street
Omaha, NE 68104
Re: T. Hurt Construction
The tub fixtures in our bathroom were replaced by The Faucet Shop on April 1. You recommended a company called T. Hurt Construction for the tile repair work necessitated by the plumbing repair, so I called the company to set an appointment. A salesperson, Darin Anderson, came out a few days later to look at the hole in the wall. Darin told me the tile repair work would cost $55 per hour. He suggested that I purchase the ceramic tiles to save money, and he said the charge for materials would probably be “no more than $10.” Darin gave me the impression that he would be performing the repair work, and he told me that he had done about 30 jobs just like this one.
Darin wasn’t the person who actually performed the work, but I have no problem with that. I do have a problem with the amount I was charged for labor and materials: a total of $305.50. As described below, I believe the bill from T. Hurt was inflated. Since you are referring people to this company, I thought you should know about my reaction.
Ray Hurt came to my house on April 13 between 8:30 and 8:45 a.m., and he finished the tile repair work around 11:45. When I received the invoice a couple of days later, I was surprised to see that it included five hours of labor. I sent an email to Terry Hurt asking about the labor charge, and he told me that the bill included “drive time.” The distance between T. Hurt Construction (8529 Wirt Street) and my house (2038 N. 64th St.) is about two and a half miles. The trip should have taken no more than 10 minutes each way, not an hour and a half or more.
The charge for materials was $30, which was three times the amount Darin had told me to expect. I was charged for a full piece of cement board, 8 feet of 2×4, an entire tube of adhesive, a pound of grout, and a pound of screws. A tiny fraction of each of these items was used for the job, and the repairman took all of the leftovers with him. There’s no way the job required $30 worth of materials.
The tile work was done well, but my experience with T. Hurt Construction has left a bad taste in my mouth.
Sincerely,
Janet Tilden
Followup:
May 5, 2010 at 11:54 am
I like the specificity of the letter and direct explanation of the problem.
I think it’s important that people speak up when they are dissatisfied. But, unfortunately, receivers of criticism often get very defensive and don’t seem to know how to handle complaints. His response was poor and it sounds as if he was, unfortunately, clueless as to what to do. It’s hard to tell if his ineptness was genuine or if he was just blowing smoke.
Repair people in Sweden always charge for drive time. If I’m doing a project at an hourly rate and have to visit the customer, I’ve started doing it too. I don’t want to, but it seems to be standard practice. (I’d rather that drive time be factored into the hourly rate unless I live very far away.) But I charge less than my hourly rate for drive time and only the actual time it takes.
January 3, 2011 at 3:22 pm
I am investigating Terry Hurt and T-Hurt Construction for a lawsuit against them, and would be interested to hear more of your experience with this individual.
January 4, 2011 at 1:23 am
I don’t have much else to say beyond what is in my blog entry, but feel free to email me at jbtilden@cox.net with any questions.
June 2, 2015 at 3:36 am
Wow. I live in California and there are so many greedy incompetent repairmen like yours that this story is no surprise to me. Haven’t found an honest company yet in 25 years!!!! Just greedy, self-serving pigs!!