“Buy a tankless Water Heater and get a Free Water Softener! We will clean any drain for this super low price! Purchase this Item and we will give you $2000 off!”
What’s that old saying, “If it sounds too good to be true it probably is.”
I’m Vic Bachman, owner of Mike Bachman Plumbing in Ogden, Utah. If you have heard these ads and think that they are too good to be true. I would agree with you. Nothing is free and a company can’t send someone to your home for less than they are paying the person to be there. These are bait and switch tactics that are hurting the public and destroying the reputation of trades in general and making all tradesmen look bad.
Over the years I have been called out to numerous calls for a second opinion and have been shocked at what I have learned. Just recently I was called out to give a bid on a Tankless water heater. After giving the customer the price, she was amazed at the cost. She said she had another company come out and gave them a price for a tankless heater with a free water softener for a little over $15,000 dollars. My Price to install a Tankless heater in her home and for what needed to be done was $6160, and a top-of-the-line lifetime warranty water softener was $3430 for a total of $9590 a savings of $5410 and she was paying for and getting a better water softener. Another job we were called to inspect a drain line that another company came to clean for $29 and then told the customer that they couldn’t get their cable through the drain and showed them a video of a broken sewer line. They then quoted them a price of over $25,000 to reline the drain. The customer said they were very pushy salesmen and used multiple scare tactics to get her to sign. Luckily her daughter came over and called us before the other company came to do the work. We went out to the home and within an hour were able to run our cable through the drain and video the line. Our video showed no problems with the drain. There were no breaks or problems that required relining. All for only $397 yes, it is more than $29 but it was a lot cheaper than $25,000. I have had multiple calls just like this. (Each job is different and prices may very)
I feel as a licensed professional and as a responsible business owner it is my responsibility to warn you about these companies and the tactics they are using. Some of these companies are owned by the same corporations. They are buying up small local companies and keeping their names and then still claim to be locally owned and operated and that they have been in business for x number of years when they are just using the name and dates of the original company, and the old owner is longer involved. They also own multiple companies so when you think you are getting multiple bids you may be using the same company and are just getting bids from the same company with a different name who already knows the price the other gave you.
To get information on this I would suggest visiting https://uphca.net/2023/03/30/locally-owned-operated/ This is an independent site for Utah Contractors trying to protect you and the integrity of Utah owned businesses.
Please do your homework before you buy. If these companies are offering $2000 off a product, then that price was way too high to begin with and it probably still is after the discount. Companies must make money to stay in business and they can’t do that by giving away free items. Don’t let their high-pressure salesman get you to sign. If you must sign up right now or you will lose the deal, then there is something wrong with the deal. Ask to see their license and make sure they are a Licensed Master, Journeyman or Apprentice in the trade they are performing. You can also check if they are licensed on The Department of Professional licensing website. https://dopl.utah.gov/ all you need is their First and Last name. Click on Licensing and then Verify License and add their name and trade. If they have only an apprentice license, ask where their journeyman is. There are jobs that apprentices can do on their own but a tankless water heater, drain line relining or home rewiring are not one of them. They are apprentices for a reason, and they need supervision. If they claim they are a Trained Technician, then it means that the company they work for are not following the laws and they shouldn’t be installing anything in your home. If they work for an all-in-one company (Plumbing, HVAC and Electrical) then make sure they are licensed for the job they are doing. You don’t want a Plumber to rewire your home or vice versa. There are reasons you must be an apprentice for 4 years before you can be a journeyman.
Our company Vision here at Mike Bachman Plumbing is to “Improve the Lives of everyone we come in contact with.” I hope this message helps you and keeps you safe.
Vic Bachman
President and owner of Mike Bachman Plumbing Inc.
Utah Master plumber License # 155941-5518 and Contractor # 337962-5501
Locally Owned & Operated, Family owned Plumbing Company and is member of the Utah Plumbing & Heating Contractors Association (UPHCA). UPHCA Members are Qualified companies that are your neighbors, members of our community that are NOT owned by big corporate, out of state venture capitalist that sign a Code of Integrity. You can find these companies throughout the State by going to www.utahplumbing.org.