We unfortunately and stupidly called Jim for a plumber due to a slow flushing toilet. METROPOLITAN PLUMBING arrived instead of someone from Jim’s. Aside from the $132, we were quoted $700 to inspect the sewage pipe And then for some reason, apparently our pipes were “broken” (we took photos and the pipes were not broken prior to them doing their work — they broke them!) and they had to replace them for $16000. We were told we wouldn’t have any plumbing for the weekend without it — no toilet, no baths, no usage of the sink. Not knowing a reasonable cost for the repairs, we agreed as we were desperate and paid $8K. Issue was not resolved and the Water company had to be called to resolve the issue as the problem was within the water company’s jurisdiction and not at all on our property (something that the plumbers should have known according to the water company).
The water utility had to provide the necessary people and expertise to do the actual fixing and repair, not JIM’S PLUMBING, Not METROPOLITAN PLUMBING!

During their work, Jims Plumbing dumped 2 toilets and soiled waste from other jobs without permission on our driveway blocking access to our backyard (we did not have any toilets replaced at our property). A skip was arranged and arrived 2 days later. As no one from Jims Plumbing returned to remove the waste We had to manually place the dumped waste products into the skip. This has exposed us to foreign toxic materials and hazardous waste that has been illegally and unauthorisedly dumped into our property. JIM’S PLUMBING finally returned to close the massive hole dug up in our backyard several days after the skip arrived.

The Water utility told us that we were “stitched up”by Jim’s and that they should not have touched the pipes as the issue was not within our boundary.

Jim’s Plumbing conducted works on pipes whose responsibility belonged to the local water authority and should have know better than to give dodgey advice and start digging without consulting the Water utility. We have tried contacting Jim’s, providing them with proper documented evidence including notes from the Water utility advising that what Jim’s did was incorrect, and yet they refuse to provide us with any compensation. No documentation (no email, NO TAX INVOICE, NO COPY OF CONTRACT we have signed have been provided at all, until we hounded them for our copies. They have finally sent us an invoice, but still no signed contract and still no detailed work order or report.

We have everything duly photographed and documented as evidence of this unprofessional, fraudulent and extremely improper behaviour. We are escalating this to VCAT and VBA as this is horrible service and blatant taking advantage of people during desperate times. Consumer rights demand that reasonable care and skill must be used while working and providing service. Based on all the evidence we have collected, JIM’s PLUMBING did not use reasonable care and acceptable level of skill when they carried out this deceptive work and they have broken their contract with us. Service was not done with due care and skill, and any reasonable consumer would never have bought the service had they known beforehand about the problem, or about how this not within JIM’S PLUMBING’S jurisdiction.

This is a service that we do not advice anyone to use ever. I’d rather live with a slow flushing toilet than have to deal with JIM’s services ever again!

Approximate cost: $16000