Reliable Plumbers not so reliable

Reliable Plumbers not so Reliable

On the 13 of March 2021, our geyser burst in Pretoria East. We google plumbers in Pretoria East and the first name that came up was Reliable Plumbers tel: ***. We phoned this number and the owner Charl was quick to respond and inside 15 minutes his team was at our house. The team confirmed that it was a burst geyser. They ask me and my wife to talk to the owner and organize that they can replace the geyser. We spoke to Charl and he asks us if we are insured which we confirm that we are insured through a broker with Santam. He said that he is registered as a provider with Santam and that he will send us an insurance report on Monday 15 March 2021. He also said but we need to pay him first and then we can claim back from insurance. We ask him to send an invoice which he very quickly did. Invoice indicating clearly vehicle will not move from premises before full payment was received and that work done if not completed correctly and you get another plumber to complete work all guarantees and warrantees will lapse. As it was an emergency and I was to travel to Uganda for work the next day we immediately paid and send Charl the proof of payment with his promise he will send us the insurance report on the 15th of March so that we can submit our claim at the insurance. When the work was completed we realized they did not connect it to the solar panel before payment we confirm to Charl that we got a solar panel and that they need to connect the panel as part of the geyser replacement. On Monday because I was in Uganda my wife contact Charl asking him to send the insurance report so that we can submit it with the quote to our insurance broker. And then the promises start he send it now, he already sends it, etc. My wife asks him also if his people can please return to connect the solar panel. The answer was yes they will return on Tuesday 16 March 2021 to complete that. Well, today is 29 May 2021 and we still waiting for Reliable Plumbers to return to complete their work. This continues like this with promises the insurance report will send it was sent his people will return the next day. I returned from Uganda on the 01st of April and I phoned Charl asking what is going on as he promises my wife all the time that he will send the insurance report his people will return to connect the solar panel. His answer to me was my wife must look in her junk folder as the insurance report was already sent but he will send it just now again. He also asks if we are at home on Easter Saturday 03 April and if his people can come then to connect the solar panel. My answer was yes that will be great if they can do that. Easter Saturday came and is gone and still we wait for Charl and his team of Reliable Plumbers to come and complete work we needed to pay immediately for. On Easter Monday I was asking him again telling him his people did not pitch and we still don’t have the insurance report. Late on Monday evening, he responded that he was out with his family. The week following Easter our broker asks if he can send a certificate of his registration then they can pay the claim the insurance report not necessary. After several attempts to get hold of Charl from Reliable Plumbers by our broker, he responded that we never ask for the certificate or any insurance report from him and that there will be an additional cost involve to provide such a certificate. The outcome was that our broker needed to organize with Santam that they pay the claim with only the invoice as proof. If you got a plumbing emergency and you google names for plumbers in Pretoria East and the name Reliable plumbers come up with telephone number *** I will suggest you look at the other alternatives especially if you want to claim from insurance. We gave up that the guarantees or warranties from Reliable plumbers are worth anything and will get someone else in to connect the solar panel. As also mentioned before he was unable to provide a certificate to the insurance broker which begs the question if Reliable Plumbers is a qualified plumber or a preferred provider for any insurance company. The bottom line is based on our experience with Reliable Plumbers I will suggest that if you ever need the services of a plumber Reliable Plumbers with the owner with the name Charl should not be considered as an option.

Marthin de Kock