# Ever wonder why plumbers charge so much???



## TAB (Feb 7, 2009)

Long story short I had to replace a gas water heater with a electric one today.

The house had already been red tagged( stop work order, home one was doing things they were not supose too), Anyways, I pulled the permit this morning, installed the water heater, then called for inspection.


This women showed up, ask to see the permit... then we went into the basement. After about 30 mins( this should have taken less then 2) She says, this does not pass, your vent is non existant ](*,) 

"Its a electric unit, I don't need a vent pipe"

" all water heaters need a vent so the spent combustion gases can be removed" ](*,) 

At this point I'm really, really trying not to rip the water heater from the wall and beat her over her head with it.

So she hands me back the permit slip and the fix work order, she leaves. I head strait to the building department, " I want to talk to the head building inspector" " he is not here" " what floor is the mayor on?" " hang on let me see if I can find him" Sure enough, he was in his office. I had a very good conversation with him( you know the kind where you talk and they shut up and do what ever you say)

So next time you see a bill from a contractor, and you wonder why it was so high... its not the work, its dealing with all the BS that costs.


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## alan j t (Oct 22, 2008)

sounds right


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## Bert H (Mar 2, 2004)

I think most of us can sympathize with you.  Well at least you got someone to listen to you and bypass the bs.


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## marrow (Mar 4, 2007)

I had no idea that plumbers charged so much for that reason, I thought it was for the scenic views of their hairy backs and butt cracks. Actually my father in law was a plumber and he worked hard for every penny. He used to say that the only parties he managed to get to were the ones where the pipes were clogged.


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## TAB (Feb 7, 2009)

Bert H said:


> I think most of us can sympathize with you.  Well at least you got someone to listen to you and bypass the bs.


Its not the 1st time I've been in the head building inspectors office... last time it was with my lawyer, home owners, thier lawyer, the architect and his lawyer. One of those things were every thing went thru plan approval, was stamped by 5+ people, but the inspector would not give the final sign off. In that case the inspector was correct, we were in violation of the local code, but they had approved it and it was built as drawn. I'm pretty he was not happy to see me... 

Don't get me started on the historic socity.

:yield:

/rant off.


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## TAB (Feb 7, 2009)

more fun from today....

No BS. American river bank is a ****ing joke. https://www.americanriverbank.com/

I get a huge check... you know all of $300.  ( I mean its a $300 check, who gives a rats ass)

I go into the branch to cash the check. They have a policy, all non members are charged $5 to cash a check. That was the 1st wtf...

"ok I want to open a account" " you will have to see this lady over there"

So I tell her up front, I want to open a account to avoid the fee. I get about half way thru the process and I tell her, I'm going to close this account as soon as it opens to get my money.  " you can't do that"

"its my account I can close it when ever I like"

" we won't open the account then, why don't you put the check in your bank"

" I need the money, right now, besides, your litterly 300 ft away from where I picked up the check."

So of corse I ask for the person in charge... guess what its this bitch.

So I ask for her boss contact info... she gives it too me... wouldn't you know her office is about 4 miles away. Guess who is getting a vist :rotflmao:
Now every one in the croprate office was very nice( I will give them that), even the SVP was nice( I'm sure I was really red by then as I was pissed. so I don't think she wanted to make me any madder) 
After telling her the story, I asked her "why am I here?" "how much has your company spent on me today alone?"

All of this BS could have been avoided if they had just waved the damn fee in the 1st place.

In all my days of working, I have never been once charged to cash a check, made to wait forever, or take part cash part cashiers check, but never charged. Its like I told them, not only will I be telling every one I know about how crappy this bank is, I will also no longer take checks from them as payment.

in the end, my check got cashed and no fee.


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## RestlessCrow (Nov 5, 2009)

GOOD for you!!!! One of the banks here in my area wanted me to put my thumbprint on the back of a check I was cashing. I told the lady as politely as possible where she could stick her thumbprint.

I have one of those new "enhanced" ID's where I had to provide a birth Certificate, former photo ID, Bank statement, Utility bill Etc... Etc... Etc....

I provided the ID to the bank teller and then they had the nerve to ask me for a thumbprint! So I did something similar and spent about a week wasting their time and money via email until I got as high in the company as the execs in NYC who basically aplologized and told me I was SOL. Oh well... You can rest assured I will NEVER use that bank.


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