We're a small collective that shares stories from freelance and contract workers who've been…read moretreated unfairly. This is one of those stories. A contractor was hired by this company to build a fully functional website on a rushed timeline. They were told they were the only person working on the project, and that the urgency was due to the company's former developer being in a legal dispute and planning to take down the live site by June 1st, 2025. The contractor dropped everything to help and finished the site two weeks before the deadline. Over the course of several weeks, the contractor even went to their office multiple times for meetings with the owner's son and other team members, working in good faith to move the project forward.After the work was done, it came to light that two or three other people were also working on the same site, despite the company claiming otherwise from the start. When the contractor followed up for payment, the owner's son who was the main point of contact allegedly said "My boy could do it for less than $1,000, so our initial agreement on price is gonna be a lot less now." He also added he was going on vacation in 15 days and "didn't have time to deal with it." All this while wearing an expensive Rolex. The contractor was told, "Send me the invoice I'll pay you for your time." The invoice was sent immediately, and the son followed up once more saying, "I'll get back to you." After that, he went completely silent no reply, no payment. The contractor was left dismissed and disrespected. The stress and anxiety from this on top of an existing heart condition led to serious mental and physical strain. Legal steps have since been taken. This post is meant to warn others if you're a freelancer, contractor, or subcontractor, be cautious. Get everything in writing, and don't ignore red flags. No one should be pressured, misled, ghosted, or lowballed after showing up, putting in the time, and delivering their end of the deal.

JGriffin is by far the best HVAC we have had!! They are thorough - pleasant and explain exactly…read morewhat needs to be fixed or what they are doing! No pressure!! Thank you for all the help!!! A job well done and Office customer service is great to work with!!

I am a new customer and found them to be an amazing company. Excellent customer service with great…read morecommunication skills. I was dealing with "Thermoil in Belmont, MA" and got zero answers from them with back and forth nonsense about an electric water heater that I needed replaced. So after a few months of nothing from "Thermoil", I texted 128 Plumbing in Wakefield on a Sunday, got a response and had an appointment for the beginning of the week. They had a person come over to look at the work I needed done and the next day they had "Tony and Santos" come over for the installation of a new electric water heater. They have great service plans for their customers, giving you the top products offered in the field for your piece of mind on longevity and durability. You know who you are dealing with when someone comes over to work in your house with company vehicles. Not someone in a beat up personal vehicle that looks like they are having issues. If there were more star ratings I could give for 128 Plumbing it would be a 100% star rating. Charlie Boyd Chelsea, MA

Quick service and the technician was prompt. Price was on par with other competitors but I feel the…read moreservice was above and beyond.

I had what I consider a small job: replace two non-working shut-off valves from my kitchen water…read moreline, and one for the toilet water line. I must have called eight different plumbers or companies. Three would not provide free quotes or estimates, and they would have charged outrageous service call fees that one has to pay regardless of whether one accepts their quotes. Three companies offered free estimates and quotes. One quote was so ridiculously high, and when I questioned the price they described that the price included "Isolating water supply to unit by means of water main; relieving the pressure...." and the list went on and on, including a ridiculous list of normal steps for any plumbing job, including checking for proper functioning and leaks, as if these were the reason for the high costs listed on their estimates. It was a bit insulting. Petros was the last person I called, and he was refreshing. He asked for pictures of the valves in question, and before he gave me any quotes over the phone, he explained the options for repair and recommendations. He described the cost of the different types of valves (spoiler alert---they are not that expensive)--and explained his fee. No, he was not cheap, but I so appreciated the no-nonsense explanations and upfront pricing. I knew what the job was going to cost me, and exactly how much of the cost was going to materials vs. labor. Old fashion-business model and transparency that I appreciate. When he came to the house, he was friendly, efficient and professional; he explained and showed me what he did and what was wrong with the valves that were broken; and left the premises clean when he was done. He is a two-man company/team, so I cannot attest to how it would work calling him for larger jobs or emergency jobs, but I will definitely use his services again in the future.

I had my 75-gallon gas water heater replaced and had a very positive experience with this company…read more From the initial quote through installation, everything was handled professionally. Communication was clear, scheduling was straightforward, and the team arrived on time. It is most helpful that Mr. Floros uses text messaging to communicate. It makes the process so much easier. He explained the work in detail, including the equipment being installed and what to expect during and after the process. The installation itself was efficient and clean. They took care to protect the surrounding area, removed the old unit without issue, and ensured everything was properly connected and functioning before leaving. It was evident that they were experienced and followed proper installation practices. Overall, this was a well-managed, professional job. I would use them again and would recommend them to others looking for reliable plumbing work.

Renato to the rescue! We got new appliances delivered and asked Renato to come look at the job and…read moregive us a quote. We were not expecting to pay what he quoted us so we sent him away to look for someone to do it for less. Come to find out that his quote was reasonable and we called him back thinking he'll probably tell us to eff off at this point. But he didn't! He graciously accepted our apology and fit us into his schedule very quickly. He and his crew did a great job installing everything, and went above and beyond to make sure it was done right. Thanks again Renato!

i usually like to call for 2-3 quotes but only did 1 with with Renato and he seem like a fair…read morestraight shooter with reasonable prices so i just went with him. got my water heater replaced, he prompted me that my pipes have not been in compliant since i bought my condo, also recommended to install automatic shut off valve. all the recommendations makes sense so i went with him. he was out the next day and finished job same day. no issues so far so would recommend him if you are looking for a good plumber who knows what he's doing. i got my property inspected as a new unit and the house inspector did not make any comment on the proper pipe that should be installed on a water heater.

Disasters come in threes. Oh Lord NO! But yea it did. First my grandma passed away. Then my dad…read morecame home after two months to a flooded basement and a broken heater in January. And now, our water heater is broken as well. It was full on panic on Thursday and Brian saved the day by Friday. He came and installed a new heater and made sure to follow up with us that it was working well. He gave us his expert advice and you can tell that he cares about his customers. This is a trustworthy, reliable business that we were very happy to have found. Thank you Brian!

I had a frozen pipe to my outside faucet. I called Damaso and Brian came by on a Saturday!!, and…read moredefrosted the pipe. He just left and I am incredibly grateful that I don't have to worry about a burst pipe!! THANK YOU!

I have no idea how these guys have any good reviews. They don't return phone calls. We have called…read morethem at multiple instances. But this will be the last.

Dan replaced broken sewer line in the basement. A nice job done at a reasonable price. highly…read morerecommended.

Immediate reply to my call and was scheduled promptly for the next morning. They arrived on time…read moreand fixed the problem quickly. Courteous and very professional. Will absolutely use them again for any future plumbing problems.

Total hack, and very rude. I just bought a home in Reading and during home inspection a leak was…read moreidentified as coming from upstairs bathtub. Seller had Mark come out and "investigate" the leak just to have him determine it was "non-existent". When I called Mark to discuss my concerns he was very rude; unnecessarily defensive and insulting towards the inspector, as well as having plenty of excuses as to why he couldn't talk with me or revisit my home to meet. End of the day we closed on the home with no resolve, and now I'm stuck with a leaking bathtub dripping through the ceiling as can be seen in the pictures I've shared. Mark may have 20+ years in the business, but for your sanity and wallets sake, I'd hire an actual expert.

Dave is the actual person who comes to your house to fix things, not his underlings. He's nice,…read morehe's knowledgeable, and he charges a fair price. He's been helping me for many years, with almost every plumbing issue possible.

Superb!  I've called on Tanning Plumber for many years, from emergency situations to ordinary…read morerequests.  Dave has always been quick to respond and come to my rescue.  He's also been there for quick advice - someone I can honestly trust, plus he's affordable!  Many thanks Dave - I highly recommend Tanner Plumbing!! Michelle