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Fran, Gouveia • dumbing Contractor
May 11, 2004
Mr. & Mrs. Ed Czajkowski
24 Layden Street
No. Andover, MA 01845
Dear Mr. & Mrs. Czajkowski:
I am in receipt of your letter dated March 23, 2004 and would first like to apologize for
the length of time it has taken me to respond. Due to circumstances beyond my control, I
have been out of the office for several weeks.
The invoice that you make reference to has been voided as well any other charges
associated with this unfortunate incident. I am extremely sorry for the error made when
you were charged for this as well as the inconvenience and aggravation that you have had
to endure.
I would like to assure you that this was an isolated incident and certainly not the manner
in which I conduct my business.
FG/sr
Sincerely,
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Frank Gouveia
195 (rinceton Street • 9Vorth Che(msforcf 9Vass 01863
Phone (978) 251-1800 • (978) 453-1546 • Tax (978) 251-1801
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03/23/2004 13:18 9784520606 DOUBLETREE HOTEL PAGE 02
24 Leyden Street
North Andover, MA 01845
March 23, 2004
Mr. Frank Gouveia, Owner
Frank Gouveia Plumbing Contractors
195 Princeton Street
North Chelmsford, MA 01863
Dear Mr. Gouveia
We are writing in response to the invoice you recently sent us (copy attached), and to notify you that we are refusing to
pay this bill for the following reason:
We called your company on the recommendation of our condo association office on the morning of Monday, February 17
for service in unblocking a clogged bathroom sink. Your office informed us that Drain Masters would be out late morning
to service our sink. Frank from Drain Masters arrived at 11 am and spent approx. 5 hours in our unit snaking pipes and
vents and was unsuccessful in unblocking the sink. He left stating that he "could not do it", and that someone would be
back the next day.
The next day Frank from Drain Masters returned along with workers from your company. They continued to work for
another 4-5 hours in both our unit and our neighbors' unit and still were unsuccessful in clearing the blockage. At the end
of the second day, Kevin from your company stated that "the blockage could not be cleared", and that the next step would
involve breaking into the kitchen walls in both our unit and our neighbors' unit. He said that he would contact our condo
association office and then would call us in a few days with information. He left, with the sinks in both units still blocked
and non-functioning. This was the last we heard from anyone at your office.
After four days, on Sunday, February 22 we decided to call another drain company chosen out of the yellow pages, and
after discussing the problem with the owner/operator, he agreed to come out the following afternoon. Using just a snaking
system, he had the blockage cleared in less than 10 minutes. We paid him for his services.
Mr. Gouveia, at no time were we ever given an estimate, written or verbal, as to what your services would cost. Secondly,
neither your company nor the subcontracted Drain Masters finished the job which they started. You then left us hanging
with no word about returning to complete the work. And lastly, you send us a non -itemized bill with just a lump sum
listed for labor, and which includes a charge for materials used in replacing good piping that was removed by Drain
Masters and by your company in the course of attempting to clear our clogged sink! We believe all this adds up to bad
business practice.
We hope to resolve this issue without further incidence, and look forward to your response. However, should you
continue to pursue payment, we will proceed to file a formal complaint with the State Plumbing Board, the Better
Business Bureau, and the Attorney General's office.
Sincerely,
Ed and Roberta Czajkowski
C: Mr. James Diozzi, Plumbing and Gas Inspector
Town of North Andover
27 Charles Street
North Andover, MA 01845
Ed & Roberta. Czajkowski 978-946-9498 March 22, 2004
We live at the Village Green Condominium on Chickering Road in North Andover. On Monday,
February 16, we noticed that our bathroom sink was draining slowly, so that evening we treated
it with Liquid Plumber as we had been doing occasionally throughout our five years of living at the
complex.
On Tuesday morning, February 17 our bathroom sink was not draining at all, and so we called our condo
association office to report a clogged bathroom sink. I asked them who we should call, and they gave me
the number of Frank Gouveia Plumbing, the plumbing contractor who regularly works in our complex. I
called the plumber who said that a drain company would come out to take care of our bathroom sink. One
man from Drain Masters arrived at 11 am on Tuesday, and spent approx. 5 hours at our unit, snaking drain
and vent pipes with no success at clearing the blockage. No work order was presented, nor was any
estimate of total cost given. During the course of the work, he cut off our bathroom sink trap (metal -
galvanized?) and soldered it back on at the end of the day. He stated that he would be back to finish the
job in the morning. My husband ended up taking the entire day out of work to stay at home with the
workman.
The next day, February 18, my husband stayed home from work again, and both Drain Masters and
Gouveia Plumbing arrived at our home. They proceeded to work on both our unit and our neighbors' unit
since they were also experiencing a slow draining sink (our units are back to back). Still, after 4-5 hours,
neither company could clear the blockage. The bathroom sink pipes were entirely cut off in our unit and
this time in our neighbors' unit as well (their piping was just two years old). Wayne, an "expert" from
Drain Masters was called in, and at one point there were four workmen working on the problem.
It was at the end of the second day that Kevin from Gouveia Plumbing spoke with my husband and our
neighbors and stated that "the blockage could not be cleared", and that they were looking at having to
break into the wall in both of our kitchens to get at the problem. My husband stated that in no way was any
work going to start before there was a written estimate, and our condo association office was notified of
the situation. Kevin stated he would call our condo association office and would be in touch in "a few
days" with details.
We heard nothing from Gouveia Plumbing for the rest of the week, and so with bathroom sinks that still
did not drain, on Sunday, February 22 I called Rapid Rooter, picking them out from the yellow pages, and
after describing the situation, the owner/operator agreed to come out the following afternoon. Within ten
minutes he had the blockage cleared. We paid him $105.00 for his services (copy of receipt attached), and
our neighbor split the cost with us.
On March 11 we received a bill from Gouveia Plumbing for more than $700 (copy attached). We do not
feel we owe them this money, because they did not fix the problem, and in their attempt to clear our drain,
they removed our pipes which were never the issue. Additionally, we did not ask them to stay for so long
the first day, nor to come back a second day, but rather we felt that had we asked them to leave, they
would have said that they could have cleared the blockage had they been allowed to stay. We feel that any
labor and materials which were expended in the attempt to correct the problem are not our responsibility.
Finally, our neighbors did not receive a bill even though they had work done in their unit as well. We were
invoiced for all charges, and the bill was not itemized.
O
BILL TO
Erank Gouveia • plumbing Contractor
Mr. Ed Czajkowski
24 Leyden Street
No. Andover, MA 01845
JOB NAME
Unit # 24
24 Leyden Street
No. Andover, MA
Invoice
DATE
INVOICE #
3/10/2004
14233
Service charge on all past due accounts is calculated
at 2% per month from date of invoice.
195 l inceton Street • North Chelmsford,, Mass 01863
Phone (978) 251-1800 9 (978) 453-1546 • Ear, (978) 251-1801
TERMS
MECHANIC
START DATE FINISH DATE
Net 10 Days
KPE
17/2004 02/18/04
ITEM
DESCRIPTION
SUBTOTAL
Labor
Cut out the traps and snaked the lavatory lines.
680.00
Cut the vent lines and snaked them out.
Snaked out the roof vent.
Replaced the traps with new PVC traps and fittings.
Had DrainMasters come in and snake out the drains that
were clogged.
Material
52.97
Total $732.97
Service charge on all past due accounts is calculated
at 2% per month from date of invoice.
195 l inceton Street • North Chelmsford,, Mass 01863
Phone (978) 251-1800 9 (978) 453-1546 • Ear, (978) 251-1801
.. , .20 Years Experience
Customer
ADDRESS
Rapid Rooter
24 H. R. EMERGENCY SERVIC
Toll Free (866) 302-2900 • (781) 932-0366
ALL TYPES OF DRAINS
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PHONF
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Locally Owned & Operated
INVOICE
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JOB PIAME
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MAP.
AuDREaa OF DIFFERENT TNAN CUSTOMER ADDRESS I STATE ZIP CONTACT PERSON JW NAME
DRAIN LINES CLEANED & GUARANTEES
`RAIN LINE: FT.
❑ TUB: FT.
SINK: , FT.
❑ TOILET FT.
FLOOR DRAIN: FT.
❑ WASHER LINE . FT.
El OTHER LINE:
❑ STORM FT
hereby authorize you to perform the above described services
and I agree to pay the amounts indicated to the righi. I hereby
certify that I am duly authorized to order and approve the work
requested. Interest @ 1.5 per month 18% per annum on past
due balances.
SIGNATURE TITLE
---r—�--
PARTS
PARTS
LABOR
OTHER
TAX
TOTAL
TOTAL DUE
TERMS: CASH _ CHECK� CHARGE P.O.#
C.C. TYPE .`UTH #
CARD NO. —_ EXP. DATE:. —
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;signature:_ Title: Date:
This is to acknowledge completion of the above described work which has been done to my complete satisfaction
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