Top Plumbing Scams You Must Know About!

Posted by FORD’S Plumbing & Heating on November 19th, 2019

There are a lot of plumbing contractors out there in the southland –both the good and bad ones. So, when you go out looking for a plumber you should know which one to hire because if you end up choosing the wrong one, he may rip you off your money.

Trust me; I have seen many such cases in my neighborhood in Los Angeles. People here often keep facing a lot of plumbing issues so obviously, plumbers are so much in demand and many are not even available at the time of requirement, thanks to their busy schedule.

I will not generalize it, but some of the plumbing contractors take advantage of the high demands of plumber and grab this opportunity to rip you off your money.

This article is thus helpful to you if you are unaware of the famous plumbing scams!

The old “Bait and switch” technique

The oldest and the most common scams of plumbers in Los Angeles are bait and switch, which means paying a high price for cheap products. In this scenario, a terribly-unethical plumbing contractor will suggest a high-end list of plumbing pipes and fixtures, charge you for them, but then use cheaper materials to make a profit.

For instance, they may sell you on cross-linked polyethylene piping or copper tubing, which are high-quality and high-priced materials, but then when it comes time to install everything, they end up using cheap materials and the people of Los Angeles are no the wiser.

To avoid this scam, you can take the list of requirements made by the plumber and crosscheck its price with the local hardware store. It will help you determine whether the plumbing is charging you correctly ore trying to rip you off. If you find a vast difference in price, it is time to look for another plumbing contractor in Los Angeles.

Great home means great Bill

Now you will agree with me that there a lot of beautiful homes with luxury cars in Los Angeles as people here like to live the life king size, but do you know that this lavish lifestyle may become the reason for you becoming a victim of plumber’s scam?

Well yes, you heard it right. In such a situation, if the plumber sees you have a high-end car in your garage, a big comfortable home they may overcharge assuming that you are rich. They may charge you double or triple for a small job.

So, to avoid getting ripped off, compare the quotes of 2 or 3 plumbers for the same job, to ensure that you are not overcharged.

Changing estimates!

It seems like this a favorite scam of plumbing contractors in Los Angeles. This changing estimate scam also happened with my friend living in a high-end locality in Los-Angeles. The plumber did not offer any quote when he came for inspection and later on gave a very good and unbelievable quote over the phone, however nothing in writing.

By the time he completed the job, the bill has hiked double, triple of the quote he had given over the phone. So, you must know that Over-the-phone estimates are just that: estimates. Only an inspection can tell the real price. Verbal contracts mean nothing. If the plumber is not giving you the quote in writing, it’s time to look for another plumber.