Disappointed with Plumber, Francis

[lulabel]

On Sunday night my hot water pump stopped working so i looked on EDF for a plumber recommendation.

I contacted Francis after reading his rave reviews but unfortunately he really let me down. He said he would come by at 8am on Monday morning, then he texted to say he'd be with me by 8:15. He kept delaying until eventually I called him at 8:35 as I couldn't delay going to work any longer. He said he had been held up but was very unapologetic. We agreed he'd come at 5:30 after I finished work. I raced back early from work. I sent a text saying I was 5 minutes late and he said he'd had to leave already. In the end I turned up earlier than expected and there was definitely nobody standing on my doorstep.

When your hot water breaks down in winter and you have a toddler you need to know the plumber you've called will stick to his word and not let you down repeatedly at short notice. All in all very disappointing.

[cella]

This is very similiar to what happened to me as posted previously. I booked him due to the rave reviews but he let me down twice and I was left with no heating. It's very odd how some people receive such good reviews and then don't deliver when you actually book them and don't bother to answer texts and phone calls or apologise.

[Mustard]

Why not post on the other thread instead of starting a new one?

[Administrator]

The other thread has been removed whilst we validate some of the messages on it.

[mav_vam]

I have had a similar experience - read rave reviews. called and spoke with him to arrange. have text numerous times with no replies.

this has been going on for a week now... have given up on him.

[Salsaboy]

Noticed that there is another *ahem* rave review by a first time poster today.

[Sue]

Salsaboy Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Noticed that there is another *ahem* rave review

> by a first time poster today.

Didn't see the latest one before the thread was removed, but the "rave reviews" which were there up to then were remarkably similar, despite supposedly being by different people - and yes, all "coincidentally" were first time posters.

Oh dear oh dear.

[EastDulwich'er]

Thats plumbers for sure. We struggle to find a decent one and keep changing ours. There is so much demand for one they don't need to actually offer a decent service!

[MrBen]

Bring back forum celebrity cum small job by volume specialist Niko the plumber

[Mustard]

What happened with the other thread validation?

[BeeCorbett]

Yes indeed.

I can only add to the very poor recommendations of Francis. I am surprised by some of other positive ones he gets and can only imagine he does a few good jobs, and then some very very bad ones. He accepted money for the work, and then did not complete it, and repeatedly avoided my calls. He would answer if I used a different number however, but never come to finish the work. He coopted someone else to work with him, a v nice man but he too was left in the lurch by Francis who stopped answering his calls as well. In the end I had to get in touch with a local plumber who said he has had this experience many times over with Francis and has stopped working with him altogether. He also knew that Francis asks people to post reviews about him, and he reckoned some of them are from friends/family members. Who knows. All I can say that Francis did a really poor job in the flat and that I really hope noone else uses him - I think he is a v bad plumber.