Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/24/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I have called am leak detection ** to **me to my house and check if there is a leak on my property and inside my house and I was told by the lady that answered the phone and her name is ***** that they would **me and check all pipes on the property from the water meter all the way to the house using helium gas and sonar system to detect where the leak is and they would stay working for 2 hours checking all over the house and pipes under the ground and even under **ncrete . That is what I was told that they would do for a price of 399 dollars but their technician came and did NOTHING except check the bathrooms in the house and stopped and asked for the 399 dollars .he barely spent ***************************************************************************************************************************************************************** one bathroom and the leak is not **nstant . The technician did NOTHING of what he was supposed to do as it was explained to me by their employee ***** who said they will spend 2 hours checking all pipes under the ground and **ncrete using gas and sonar technique to find exactly where the leak is . They SCAMMED me with 399 dollars for doing nothing of all that was mentioned by ***** . And the technician only spent ***************************************** paying the 399 dollars . This **mpany is a fraud and a scammer and I want a FULL REFUND OF ALL MY MONEY since they did not do their job as described by ***** their manager and no gas or sonar was used on all the pipes on the property like explained to me . I called to **mplain to the **mpany but ***** was a very rude and unprofessional and unfriendly and hostile lady . Of **urse why not since they already have my money . I want higher management to **ntact me and refund me the 399 dollars and I will also **mplain to the **rporate office abut this fraud and scam . The job outlined and steps that should have been done were NEVER DONE and I still have an issue of a very high waterbill

  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/04/2024

  On October 16th 2024 **** ******* contacted the office and stated high water usage for the past 3 months. The office staff does not state the entire process for leak detection to customers over the phone. Furthermore the office quotes the leak detection service at a standard rate up to 2 hours. Meaning the rate applies for any amount of time up to 2 hours. According to the *** tracker in the van, the technician was onsite for approximately 40 minutes. According to the technicians notes Meter was monitored upon arrival which indicated leak was present. Technician checked all valves inside home. A leak was detected on downstairs toilet. Technician valved off toilet and rechecked meter. Meter was not showing any signs of a leak. A pressure test was performed on water service to ensure there was no leak. Line held pressure of 50 PSI for approximately 10 minutes. Attached are photos of the pressure test and pressure test location that indicated no leaks were present. As far as the **** customer service when the customer called the office upset, I see where he was very abrupt with the *** which is probably why it seemed as though she was being rude. Yelling at someone who has no control over the situation is never warranted. 
  
  
  As far as the service provided, the assigned technician performed a leak detection service. A leak was detected due to a running toilet. In 20+ years of experience we can confidently state a running toilet can cause a very high water bill. After valving the toilet off the meter indicated no leaks present. Water meters do not always register small leaks so the technician performed a pressure test on the lines. The lines held pressure for 10 minutes indicating no leaks were present in the water lines. Water consumption is based on a 28 day cycle. Enough time has not passed for there to be a noticeable change in the water bill. What would be recommended is to perform a meter test. Notate the current reading on the meter. Be sure for 30 minutes no water is being in the home. After the 30 minute cycle, re-check the meter. If the numbers are the same then there has been no water loss. If the numbers have changed then please contact American Leak Detection and ask for a member of management to assist you. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/04/2024

   
  Complaint: 22466805
  
  I am rejecting this response because: I have replaced the toilet seat that the tech said its leaking but still the meter is running almost one cubic ft per day so there is a leak on the property and this company did NOT spend enough time to check everything as they stated they would . The tech was NOT going to do the test pressure but I kept insisting that he does and he only did it in one line for a few seconds and that is NOT enough to check the water leak on all lines . This company did NOT do the job as specified and did not give me the fair amount of time to check the whole property inside the house and outside and they cannot charge me 400 dollars for an incomplete job 

  I will be going to small claims court to file a law suit against this company
  
  Sincerely,
  
  **** *******

  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/11/2024

  In response to **** Matalkas claim. We spoke with the inspecting technician. He stated he was not forced to perform a pressure test, he did so as part of his detection process. The only leak we located at that time was at the toilet. As for the time spent of the job, this is about the average time frame. The quote is for UP to (2) hours, as some jobs require much more time (such as excessively long service lines). If the meter is still spinning, please feel free to call the office and we can discuss the next course to get this resolved. Thank You

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/13/2024

   
  Complaint: 22466805
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  This is NOT true I told the technician to perform the pressure test which he was. OR going to until I insist thats employees and company are a bunch of liars and fraud and scammers . They scammed me with 400 dollars and the meter kept spinning after they left with all water valves shut off inside the house so the leak was still there and I also asked the Birmingham water to replace the meter and I am bringing another plumber to recheck for leaks . This time it will be a real professional certified legitimate plumber and NOT a shady company like this company that runs after money and scam people 

  I will also leave negative reviews on every website that I know of to let people know about this fraud company 
  Sincerely,
  
  **** *******

  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/20/2024

  This is not a forum for an argument. I have asked that you contact the office so we can discuss the matter better. I have spoke with the technician and who adamantly states he was not asked to pressure test the lines, he did so on his own accord. Furthermore, the lines held pressure meaning the only leak present at the time of inspection was the running toilet. If a leak still persist, the only way we can resolve this matter is if you contact the office. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/04/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I had a water leak at my residence. Called American leak detection to come and help locate the source of the leak. Employee came out to residence to perform a leak detection service. Employee was rude and acted as if coming to the residence was a inconvenience and also had his son who he had picked up from school with him. when showing him where the meter box was I noticed water coming from the ground. I personally dug up the leak on my own without any services being performed by the company employee. He then proceeded to charge me the price for services he did not perform and lied to his own company saying he performed a leak detection and dug it up for me (both false statements) I reached out to the company about the matter and they have since ignored all of my complaints. I do not feel that I should have been charged since services were not performed.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 09/17/2024

  The customer called the office on 08/09/2024 and stated he had a water leak and stated there was no visible water showing up. The job was scheduled on 08/12/2024. A Work Authorization form was emailed to the customer outlining company policies as well as the cost of service on 08/09/2024. The customer signed and emailed the signed work authorization form back to the office on 08/09/2024. The technician arrived on 08/12/2024 to perform a leak detection. According to the technicians notes the water meter was monitored upon arrival indicating a leak present. The technician observed the meter box was full of water. The technician utilized sonar equipment to locate a leak approximately 1ft from the water meter box. The technician stated he dug up the leak. The customer called the office on 08/14/2024 to complain about services stating he feels like he should not have been charged for services and he was forced to dig up the water leak. The office proceeded to question the technician who performed the work and the technician stated the customer was mad when he learned the location of the water leak and proceeded to try to take the shovel from him. The matter was then discussed with the customer who insisted we did not perform our job. It is the opinion of American Leak Detection that the customer is only angry because of the location of his water leak. It is in our experience that when we locate an obvious water leak the customer is not angry about services rendered, theyre upset because they didnt properly check theyre property before calling American Leak Detection. The technicians are coached on a bi-monthly routine on customer service. The technicians work vans are monitored with *** tracking devices. According to the *** tracker the technician at no time deviated off his route to pick up a kid from school. 
  
  
  In conclusion, much of the statement has been verified to be false. The customer was sent a Work Authorization Form prior to work being performed detailing the nature of leak detection and the costs. The customer signed the agreement and emailed the signed form back to American Leak Detection stating he has read the above and understand the conditions applicable to the work to be performed and hereby authorize American Leak Detection to complete the above-described work, and agree to the charges and terms as described.
  
  
  Attached is a copy of the signed Work Authorization Form and a PDF copy of the statement provided. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/17/2024

   
  Complaint: 22239364
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  There are numerous issues with the response. Firstly I never stated anywhere that I was forced to dig up the leak myself, I simply stated that I was the one that dug it up which I did so willingly. Also, to evidence lying you will see the technicians story changes, as originally on the invoice, he claims he himself dug up the leak, then when confronted with the matter he decides to claim that I took the shovel away from him, when the fact of the matter is upon discovering the water filling the meter box I said I was going to get a shovel and he offered to let me use his, which I assumed was just him being nice and offering to let me use the one on hand instead of walking back to the house, little did I know he would try to claim something like that. Secondly in reference to picking up a child from school, perhaps that is my error but that is what one would assume when a child with a backpack is accompanying a worker an hour after school lets out. I am not angry at the location of the leak, I am unsatisfied due to the fact that I do not feel that I should be charged for borrowing a shovel. If the company still decides that charges need to stay due to the work order that is fine, but I want to clear that up. Im not slinging false claims the companys way because I am angry, I am simply stating my side of the story and dont appreciate the negative and accusations and comments from the representative directed towards me. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************

  

  Business Response

  Date: 09/18/2024

  We are not continuing this argument of he said this and he said that. Bottom line to this complaint is, a work authorization form was emailed to the customer detailing important information and the cost of us coming to the property. Regardless of what and where the leak is, the service charge will apply. The cost of the service was outlined on the work authorization form that the customer signed agreeing to. These charges are also quoted to the customer prior to scheduling. In regards to who dug up the leak, we can only respond with what the technician stated and we choose to stand behind what the technician stated. In regards to the technicians customer service, we continually discuss with the technicians to be courteous and respectful to all customers at all times. ********************** Leak ********************** has no evidence of a child being present with the technician, no deviations were made that would suggest a child was picked up from school. If a child was present with the technician this is a matter for American Leak Detection to discuss with the technician and the matter will be handled as American Leak Detection sees fit.
  
  
  In conclusion, we choose to stand behind our technicians ability to perform leak detection services, these services do not have a set protocol as every situation is different. In the case of this leak a pressure test would not have been necessary and given the length of the service line would only have resulted in additional charges for trace gas. The technician made the correct decision to not perform a pressure test. Point checking the rest of the line with sonar equipment would not have changed the outcome due to the nature of leak detection (as outlined in the work authorization form). 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/18/2024

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Thank you, I wanted was a respectful response from the business on the decision from this matter no matter the outcome, I did not want to go to such lengths to get a response but it seemed necessary due to the fact that the business made no efforts to reach back out. Thank you for your time. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/13/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  At our request, American Leak Detection sent an employee to our home to detect the correct location of a leak in our home. We signed a contract with the company for said services to be paid out of insurance funds. An employee left our home after informing us the location of our leak at which time we contacted a company to come and repair said leak based on your detection expertise and our paying your company the amount of $475.00 out of our insurance funds for your services. The company we contacted then came and proceeded to tear up our foundation and flooring based on your companies recommendation and found your recommendation to be incorrect and charged us $2,500.00. Now not only do we have an unrepaired leak, we have further damage to our home based on your faulty workmanship. We contacted your company and reported the faulty workmanship by your employee and asked for a refund or for your company to to return and correctly determine the water leak location. Your office employee said they would not issue a refund but would send someone out to determine the correct location of the leak. Your company returned to our home on todays date and told us they could not determine the leak, as they didnt have the correct parts to determine the leak location. My husband then called your office and requested a refund or the job to be completed correctly or your liability insurance company information. He was told no to all three requests. They told us that the first employee that came out went through our sink line, because he said that was the only fittings he had to use at the time, to determine the leak and that was not the correct place to determine the leak, that they now wanted us to repair the pipe lines in order for them to do there job correctly at this time, when the lines were deconstructed based on services provided. We again called and was informed that they did not have to do the work and would not perform the services paid for. We are due a refund.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 09/25/2023

  August 8th ************************* called in and made an appointment for a leak detection. Stating he believed it was a possible slab leak. The job was then scheduled for August 11th. The technician went to the house and using his many years of experience in leak detection he located and marked the area where he could hear the leak. At the time of the appointment the Home Owner (*************************) signed a work authorization form with American Leak Detection which states American Leak Detection (ALD) is the leading leak detection company in the nation and we will, at all times, make every effort to accurately locate your leak(s) and ensure your complete satisfaction.  However, leak detection is not an exact science and consequently, due to the numerous factors, known and unknown, involved in locating leaks, there will be times when the location of a leak is incorrectly identified. Most leaks will be located within several inches of their exact location but this can vary to within several feet, depending on soil conditions, construction methods, and other factors, known and unknown.  ALD will not be responsible, financial or otherwise, for the possible inaccurate location of leaks due to the aforementioned known and unknown factors. On September 6th the homeowner called and stated the leak was not where we marked it. The office offered to return the same day to relocate the leak. The homeowner stated he was not home and would not be available until September 8th. On September 8th the returning technician spoke with the homeowner stated ******** stated leak is under cabinets on other side of wall from laundry. Stated he is going to reroute line and not disturb cabinets. Stated he did not want tech to come today. Also stated he wanted to talk to office. On September 11th the homeowner called back stating he would like for us to return to locate the leak under the kitchen cabinets. September 12th: Upon arrival the technician observed a portion of the slab that was cut away and concrete poured back prior to arrival. Technician also observed new plumbing present inside the wall behind the water heater location. Technician attempted to locate the leak, however the hot water service line had been cut away and there was no way to induce pressure into the line to locate the leak. The homeowner then began to refuse to have the water line capped in order for American Leak Detection to locate the water leak. The homeowner then called the office and demanded a refund. The office explained no refund would be granted because we were unable to complete the job and no cooperation we would not be able to locate the water leak. The office then offered to have another technician return the following day and the homeowner refused this service as well. At this point, the customer will not cooperate with ********************** Leak Detection in order to locate the water leak.