TLDR: Tim Whistler Plumbing tried to scare me into a paying them $1700 for a new bath faucet, value, and shower head, because they didn't have the right parts to replace a leaky tub faucet and broke the parts that were in the faucet. Then lie to be about not being able to stop the water leaking, to make it seem extremely urgent. Scumbags.
Updated 3/26: 24 hours after leaving this review Tim Whistler has officially replied. Instead of accepting where he and his team were wrong, he has decided to deflect blame, and berate me and my property. Tim state that ...the has been neglected and shortcutted for years... Just in Jan I had listed my property for rent so readers of this review, feel free to check out my neglected property and judge for yourself. realtor.com/realestatean… In January I had spent $6500 to install high grade luxury vinyl throughout the property which really shows how neglected my property is, right Tim??? Way to go Tim, your a true professionalism shows in your reply. Also is charging $75 to replace 2 toilet seats is really fair and honest Tim? Two screws per a toilet seat takes you about 15 mins??? I will let the readers of this review know when you actually refund the amount you have suggested. Joke of an owner.
I reached out to Tim Whistler Plumbing for a leaking tub faucet in my investment property. I saw they had great reviews online and figured why not help a local business that could be suffering from COVID.
I was initially told $125 fee would be charged for a visit, but would be applied to the work if it is done, so I said great send someone out thinking it would be a diagnostic fee which can be applied to repairs. They came out the following week, and provided a quote for an additional $375. They sited a Flat Rate Fee for the installation of a cartridge in the water value. I am somewhat handy, and I had done this repair a few years back with a friend and was taken aback with the additional $375 charge on top of the $125 fee which is was ultimately NOT applied to the repairs, and rather was a fee for them to just come out. I had initially said no i don't want them to do the work because of the cost, but then decided to proceed because I didn't have the time to do it myself.
They reached out stating they have the part and they could come out 3/24 am and do the cartridge replacement. They came out on time, and I start getting calls while I was in a work meeting, and could not answer.
Once I had the chance to check my phone I see a text saying We really need to talk to you, please call as soon as possible. We are not going to be able to repair the valve at your tenant. And we cannot turn the water back on because they're is no way to stop it from leaking out. You are going to need a new tub shower valve.
So I get on the phone with them, and I am told that the cartridge they brought was not the right one, and that they don't know which one is the right one. They had also broken the cartridge that was in the value, so they say there is no way to stop the water from leaking out and I needed to make a decision on how to proceed. I have been in sales my whole adult life, so I already knew what was happening. They were trying to use a classic scare tactic to charge me a higher price because of urgency. So i asked him how much it would cost, the guy on the phone say Well we would have to replace the value and faucet, if you don't mind it would cost $1700. ummm What!?!?!? So I replied Quiet frankly I do mind paying $1700 for a replacement. I also tell him that I had done the same repair myself a few years ago and question, how is a master plumber not be able to find the right cartridge, while a laymen like myself was able to find it at a local plumbing parts store. He asked me to get off the phone so that he could tell his master plumber to stop doing the work before it was irreparable. Unbeknownst to me his master plumber had already cut a hole in the wall without my consent.
He calls me back and says he will try to locate the right cartridge and send a new quote but they were able to cap the pipe so the water can be turned back on. A few hours later I get a quote in the range of $700. So we went from $125 to $375, to $1700, back down to $700.
Ultimately, I spoke with another Plumber and he was able to install a brand new shower head, faucet, value, with a shutoff switch at shower, AND a access panel for $650 the very next day.
I get it, people need to make money but not this way. Seemed extremely dishonest.
Scumbag company.... I do not recommend