#Peegate: Repairmen caught on hidden camera (CBC Marketplace)

this week on marketplace a one-hour special we're testing home repairmen Jennifer can you give us a level please wiring up a house with hidden cameras to find out if we get charged for repairs we don't need it's an electrical issue it's a circuit board issue we're watching what goes down as it happens Hey will we get ripped off nine hundred and ninety dollars if we do we're calling them on it my name is Tom Harrington yeah I want to get your explanation about why you did that I don't need to give you a solution you won't believe what we catch on tape he just peed in the cup [Music] in this pleasant Toronto neighborhood everything seems to be fine but not in this home inside there's a desperate housewife going everywhere desperate for a man with a tool belt the water is constantly running the toilets in trouble the dishwashers down it's just making a big mess and that's not all my garage door isn't working Jennifer's world is falling apart around here her toilet tap dishwasher and garage door apparently all need fixing do you want just sending somebody fine but have no fear okay great the repairman will be here they'll rescue Jennifer from her house of woe or will they but there's something we need to tell you about our desperate housewife Jennifer doesn't live here she works for marketplace can you give us a level please check one two three thank you we've taken over this home we have the place surrounded rigging it up with hidden cameras with multiple cameras when the repairman knocks we'll be watching it all will he be honest competent will he charge us for repairs we don't need and what happens when we leave him alone something else you need to know there's nothing wrong with the toilet the kitchen tap the dishwasher or the garage door in order to test the repairman we have to create a problem for them we start with the toilet and the tap to help us out we call in reindeer blundell a plumber we did come on in for 15 years he's been teaching plumbers at Toronto's George Brown College how to do the job right Renee replaces a couple of parts in the toilet some manufacturers recommend replacing a toilet every 15 years Renier says this one is older than that but it works just fine it gives the top but thumbs up to it doesn't variable it doesn't leak then we get rid air to create a simple problem in each one that will be inexpensive and quick to repair but now what we're going to do is we're going to do a simple alteration to this hose by loosening this hose here I can actually cause the faucet to leak so see how it's leaking out there so by putting this inside now when the faucet is turned on the leak will actually now appear underneath now we've got a problem but there's a simple fix first thing he should do is know as a professional plumber that this is a pull out faucet he would turn that on see that sleek and say oh it's leaking from here it just needs to be tightened up I tighten it up and the leaks off and just like that problem solved let's go now onto the toilet all our expert does is tighten the chain connected to the handle used to flush so now we have a running toilet see how the water's running continuously in the bowl that that running toilet is the problem we need fixed to solve the problem I would take the chain off and give it slack problem solved and he says the tight chain is obvious the spot and we don't need new parts to fix it so we'll our water woe is be solved or will our money go down the drain Jenny okay are you good to go yeah any minute a repairman will knock what do you see Alicia we're on the street too in our lookout car here comes our first plumber hi he's here he's here Jen Bosco Lumi we're watching from our video room upstairs here he comes if any of our plumbers get it wrong I'm going down to ask why [Music] I'm Jennifer hi come on in Thanks josh is from a company called Bosco plumbing beautiful day out there yeah will he figure out the simple fix [Music] sorry what did you see you did to the chief it was too tight the chain was too tight and it wasn't closing properly he solved the problem by simply loosening the chain the toilet stops running everything's fine great okay that was simple and he's not even charging us for this one okay thank you now for the tap my sink issue is under the kitchen sink yeah there's a lot of water down there okay even though he doesn't check the hose he claims to know the trouble cartridge rebuild its 327 watt then he says if that new part doesn't work we'll need a new tap the price $990 yeah could it be just an oversight or a way to make money selling us an unnecessary part time for me to let Josh in and what he's missing I should tell you this faucets actually fine I'm tall hairy thing I work very shallow market place at CDC we're doing a story about services and various areas that people need in their homes including plumbing yeah we basically rigged this thing you didn't even take this out we we just loosen this yeah to make it leak see how that's loose you didn't look at that that's what the water is coming from yeah yeah that could have cost us hundreds of dollars then we learned something about Josh which may explain his mistake are your licensed plumber I'm a fifth-year meaning he's not a licensed plumber yet perhaps josh has more to learn maybe a rookie mistake or how would you describe what happened probably overlooking mistake there already we're finding out the price of inexperience and finding out we could be found out okay we have liftoff our next plumber pulls up right in front of our lookout car you should see him now david is from royal plumbing David hi I'm Jennifer take care in no time he figures out the tap that's my problem oh hey it's just loose I'll say me with pliers he tightens up the connection and just like that our taps as good as new that was simple but David isn't so quick to spot our toilet trouble so what do you think my problem isn't here he never checks the chain thinks the problem is a busted part in order to replace that part he has to adjust the chain he's adjusted to change so the problem should be solved so by accident David fixes it even though it's just $13 we didn't need that new part it's not a big deal but what if it was a hundred-dollar part right you know it okay we've seen enough time to find out what David's thinking okay so we'll give him points for spotting us but why didn't he spot the chain was too tight there is it actually an easier solution to the toilet they actually tightened the chain on the flusher that's why the water was running well you know what I actually had to take off the whole part so when I put it back I didn't even notice if the chain was too tight but I put it back in there put a loser but David says it's an honest mistake if I if I change one small part it's a small part I don't want to rip anybody off I don't want to get ripped off myself thanks David David's still curious about our lookout and can't resist busting us [Music] our next plumber is from mr. Rooter a national chain John is with a Toronto franchise hi John how are you [Music] they just I'm tight it could just be loose yeah okay found the problem right away that's a good sign it's fixed now it's time for John to check out the John oh please so he poo-poos our old toilet okay yeah it is old but our expert says it's fine but John says it needs an extreme makeover we have to eBay's the parts inside the tank you having fun the flower and the flexible because this is right we know why it's running and it's not the parts all John has to do is loosen the chain instead he gives us three options the priciest one buy a new toilet would be 793 and they have special prices for members can you just give me a minute sure okay thanks I think that's your cue time for me to head downstairs let's see Marcos I'm tom Harrington on the host and doing the story on plumbing service and you're offering to pick something that doesn't need to be thanks or be saying don't show you these does for you yes that's what that's why you fixed that perfectly that was good we show John what he's missed recommended a new toilet and essentially the only thing that's wrong here is we adjusted the chain on the flusher so that it's too tight my naughty PA right sink down do the party motion but John you never intended race but you never identified the chain we're hearing you say let's replace these parts they don't need replacement they don't one of the things I can ask you recommended replacing the parts inside including that fill valve which is brand new and we replaced yesterday why would you replace that but this is made in China and this is very big cheap parts oh this is just unbelievable cheap or not it's a part we don't need he leaves without charging us and thanks John we're keeping our old toilet what I'm saying is that understand the camera when we come back Marketplace's own kitchen nightmare he just peed in the cup [Music] we're at a home in a quiet Toronto neighborhood laying down a challenge to repair men we've called a bunch of repair companies but our test is really about the skills and honesty of the repairmen who come to the door that's my problem in this case plumbers our kitchen tap is leaking it just needs to be tightened up and our toilet won't stop running both are easily fixable I would take the chain off give it slack problem solved our expert Renier blundell expects knowledgeable plumbers to spot and solve them in minutes next up for our housewife in distress is Terry from drain rescue [Music] I've got a couple problems remember we caused the leak all he has to do is tighten it up to stop it watch carefully though as he checks it out I mean he took it apart with his hand yeah so it should be tight so all you have to do is really tighten it up instead Terry is certain the tap needs new parts because here okay sorry and so you need to replace what 100% go over all the gaskets here otherwise it's gonna is gonna leak caskets and that'll set us back two hundred and forty seven dollars and Terry's not finished if it is leaking from this pipe from up top there's no way of fixing it you would have to get a new a new faucet huh a new faucet he says he'll need to investigate further my other problem is some you can probably hear it it's the toilet in the bathroom there if he loses the chain we've tightened the toilet stops running but that's not his solution the flapper hole the flapper valve needs to be replaced nothing wrong all this work we don't need is going to cost us okay so altogether I'm looking at about $500 Wow can you just give me a minute okay thanks I'll be right back as Terry gets to work I head downstairs my name is Tom Harry marketplace at CBC we're doing a story on service industries like the plumbing and things like that and this is a simple face that's a the chain on the flusher we just tightened it so perfectly yeah but she didn't change it to the chain is tight we had a we had a plumber do this ourselves and same with the faucet out here I'll show you what we did we show Terry the simple fix he missed but he still thinks there's a leak somewhere else that Terry we go we set this up we know why it's leaking it leaks because that was loosened all you do is tighten that it would have stopped there's nothing else wrong with a sink or this faucet nothing zero it was perfect yesterday so we're - why do we need a and why do we need a new gasket in here that's leaking but it don't you know what happen what would you do if you tighten that but how do I know before I touch anything right I have to make Diagnostics right you didn't screw that at the beginning though right and took it apart and had a quick look at it sorry Terry but the hidden camera footage tells us what happened he isn't happy with our test or our cameras all the sudden the camera showed the physical Juvia okay I understand it's a big surprise but we understand your surprise I just want to know why you're suggesting those things that's all why he says yeah we're is suggesting those fixes when we know that there's no problems with either of those things because I did in order for me see again I don't forget to say anything I have to do they blasters without a thing if they had gnostics I cannot tell you exactly what the problem is but he had no trouble giving us a quote for five hundred dollars that tells us he made a diagnosis our final bill is $45 a whole lot less than we could have paid [Music] mom this is our guys okay great we see them in the outside shot Thanks okay rotor we're our next plumber is with another national chain called roto-rooter Robert is from a local franchise so I've got a pile of water under the sink here Thanks no he takes a quick peek under the sink runs the water for a few seconds seems like he's made up his mind the faucet is what cook cooked the faucets cooked what does that mean okay he's looked at the hose he's seen the leak remember all he has to do was tighten the hose connect it to the faucet I'm gonna try to fix it up for you but okay general you know what a nice nice kitchen it's just nobody else to say that quality-wise esprit de corps so is he saying it's fixable or is the better solution a new fancier tap that's the way our expert sees it he's trying to upsell her on a faucet thing she doesn't need what will he tell us about the toilet what do you see he says nothing about the chain being too tight only some adjustments initially okay he says it needs a small part and there's something else it's a bad toilet change there's nothing wrong with that toilet is he just trying to drum up extra business Renier says we shouldn't wait to find out I would get ready to stop him he's about to start taking this thing apart you sure yeah uncertainty that estoppel [Music] I just as I arrived he figures out the simple fix I'll just tighten it all okay then he heads to the toilet to replace the part we don't need so now I stopped him before you do that um there's something you should know [Music] my name's Tom hurry to network first Oakland arket place and we're doing a story on services and this toilets perfectly fine the only problem with the toilet is the chain well we're just trying to freeze until you can't just tell us why you're replacing somebody doesn't need to be replaced even if it's dirty doesn't matter as long as it works right like that all I know is that the chain here on the flusher if you just adjust that the water would stop running and that will be the problem right the the problem the solution was pretty simple change the farther than speaking right it wasn't leaking but it's already been changed and it works now we know the parts just $10 we just want to make sure Robert made an honest mistake when he missed the chains I don't understand well obviously we just want you to just trying to figure go to ruder and what you want to figure out right whether why the company clearly Robert is not happy with our tests but we're still wondering why he suggested we buy a new tab I'm gonna pay you today Robert says he gave us the kind of service any good plumber would provide as we close the door of the plumbers we're now testing dishwasher repairman there's no word for the water to go but we know why the dishwasher isn't working Steve Rattner remarkably it's because of this guy he's gonna set up our test but first he gives it a clean bill of health and your view of this machine is in perfect working order I haven't been able to find the slightest thing wrong with it Steve Brennan's been fixing appliances for more than 30 years sounds like a perfectly you know good while operating machine for me we asked Steve to create a common problem any dishwasher repairman worth is soap and easily thinks something very simple we're gonna plug up that drink it all Steve does is clog the hose with bits of paper napkin just like that it can happen with food or other material so you should be able to reach in with a screwdriver basically yeah very basically clear it with a screwdriver and there you go and it's clear anyone coming in to checking it should have that problem fixed in five to ten minutes tops question is will the repairmen drain Jennifer's dishwasher or her wallet [Music] here's our first call how are you dishwasher yeah it's not draining Daniels from Toronto appliance service and seems to have an instinct for what's wrong after just two minutes the gray stuff oh yeah what is it he's done the blood he's done in minutes just as our expert Steve predicted same story with our next repairman hi how are you doing good thanks Bobby and his partner are from neighborhood appliance service faster than the rinse cycle problem solved so what was the problem stop YouTube well that's two for two so far these dishwasher repairmen are clean as a whistle while they can drain the water are you can they hold their water it's a dishwasher right there there's water in the bottom no okay thank you very much you're the expert oh let you yeah just let me know if you need me I'll be in the next room Jerry of express appliance service looks like another winner all right to the person before well okay as Steve predicted the repair takes only a couple of minutes well that was fast the question is will he try and do something else yeah he does have something else to do clapping the hose been hitting the drain button in more ways than one he's looking off to the other room for some really he's also taken a cup he just peed in the cup then he empties the cup in the sink rinses it and puts it back hey that's the color I used to put my tea bag okay honestly truth or dare ever done that not even in my own house little did we know we needed to tell him where to find the bathroom that's cleaning up glad to see that just make sure we watch everything on that counter and if you think that's the last thing we'll have to clean up think again [Music] coming up oh he's gonna take a leak and things get soggy in the kitchen wait a mess I would stop about [Music] we're testing dishwasher repairman that's because we stuffed the drain hose with a paper napkin let's go win our next repairman Mahesh figure it out [Music] let's hope he doesn't work as slowly as he drives okay good thanks okay Janice is our guy hi how are you come on in if you don't mind I'm gonna let you just have a look at it okay remember this is supposed to be a quick fix we've seen it before it takes two seconds to take that connector off put it into a bucket and see if it's draining but it hasn't done that mm-hmm he hasn't done clogged the drain instead he keeps putting more water in the machine and that's causing another problem he comes vizor so much water on the floor there uh-huh because he's overfilled the dishwasher it was full to begin with it takes in 20 minutes but he does finally unclog the drain but there's still water on the floor and Steve says we should be worried huh you might worry a bit more about liability if this guy runs your kitchen floors you can of pony up the dough is he gonna have a generator I would stop him I would stop him enough to me this is in incompetence how's it going hi how are you I'm with a show called marketplace from CBC and we're just doing a story on repair people and how good they are and what kind of service you get Mahesh is the first repairman to create a water problem we want to know why he claims plug drains are rare with this type of dishwasher so he was investigating other possible causes so did you make a mistake or no our expert thinks he did make a simple fix complicated but Mahesh says he was worried there might still be a leak somewhere else that's why he says he didn't just unplug the drain take our money and run removing it ending up unplug it and that's it by these things now let's finish up and Jennifer will pay you on his way out Mahesh tells us he's just gone into business for himself and we find out he doesn't have insurance so remember the next time the appliance repairman Knox makes sure you're covered [Music] back inside the dishwasher is purring like a kitten but now our housewife is desperate to fix a new problem the remote control is on the fritz but you've probably guessed by now there's nothing really wrong with the garage door Tom Adams has been working in the garage door business for more than a decade Hey hi Tom how you doing nice to meet you thanks for coming you're welcome that's sure okay we asked him to install a brand new system so we know it's working perfectly there we go done to test garage door repair man tom makes two little tweaks so the remote control won't work first he pushes this button which locks the system the remote controls when they operate the door won't move them so severe it's like there's there's no way you can misunderstand it this is the problem the flashing light tells you it's locked simply pressing and holding the button reactivates it and the problems gone next the sensors at the bottom of the door a misaligned the beam that's the normal condition the green lights on permanent we're just going to misalign it so flicker that flickering light means there's a problem with those sensors and there you go press the buttons you press the remote control the garage door will close all the repairman has to do is line them up properly the first thing you would do would be to realign the green sensor should be a very simple fix we're good to go we're good to go let's go tom says a good repairman should spot these troubles and fix them in minutes I think our guy is here we can see it there we go jason has his own company JP overhead door that's not working and he get a handle on what's wrong with our remote I just can't get it to come down you already see it okay right away he notices the lock button is engaged yeah that's flashing yeah okay someone's engaged this oh so if you hold this for three seconds yeah I am next step the sensors yeah he discovers they're off-kilter this guy is great faster than you can say Open Sesame jason has the garage door in working order oh geez [Laughter] and James from Doublestar garage doors figures it out - it's a simple problem is easy to fix easy okay is this too easy there's nothing wrong with his system when we come back and leader oh he's gonna take a leak not everyone passes the garage test you didn't have to do that we're testing garage door repair men well we have to pay for unnecessary repairs that's because our expert Tom Adams misaligned these sensors press the buttons you press the remote control the garage door will close all the repairman has to do is align them so far two repairman have figured it out easy to fix yes I see neither charged more than a hundred bucks shining stars but might this be too good to be true here comes mark halation what are you seeing there's a pickup truck that's just parking right outside and we see him okay he's with door master a national chain he works out of the North York franchise so here's the remote huh I mean precedent goes an inch reverses quite well nothing really happened you press it yeah after a quick inspection he says he knows what the problem is I'm starting to click clicks and it's not doing what you want it to do it's an electrical issue it's a circuit board issue what a circuit board that's the computer that runs the system and it's expensive any power surges of power outages will damage the circuit board okay you should have a power surge can fry a circuit board but it's pretty rare and we know that's not our problem remember the flashing light tells you the sensor is offline is he missing it or ignoring it watch what happens when Jennifer leaves what's he doing in the garage now this will be good he's looking at dissenters he appears to look right at them remember all he has to do is a realignment no parts needed but when Jennifer comes back he shows her the circuit board this is what needs to be replaced no we don't need a new circuit board it's brand new replacing it's gonna cost 200 bucks okay now watch this before he replaces our brand-new circuit board with his own he goes right to the sensors see now he's fixing the sensor the real cause of our problems okay he knew right away with us that's was the problem he's checking the other sensor wait for it wait for it whatever is going on he's installed a new circuit board we want ours back I'm garage bound um my name is Tom Harrington yeah and I work for shortcut marketplace let me see yeah and so we're doing a story on service garage services there's nothing wrong with the circuit board that's a brand new unit we installed yesterday okay no need to do it okay well that's normally why I go by process of elimination like I just explained to you if it's making certain noise of doing certain things then you replace whatever needs to be done we point out these simple solutions mark seems to forget or deliberately ignored but he denies the sensor light was flashing that life was flashing when you got here the light was solid no it's doing what it was doing now we know the light was flashing when Mark got here maybe he didn't see it and when Jennifer left the garage you went back there and did something okay y'all making sure everything was all aligned that's what you do when you punish it didn't look like that's the way so ultimately I will take the circuit board out doesn't bother to mean okay thank you okay yeah but mark doesn't take out the circuit board he put in I'm gonna leave it in there because I'm not even I don't want to deal with any of this or the other cameras he says he's doing his job and not trying to sell us needless parts I might have been mistaken and I replaced a circuit board before checking everything properly right okay dad I do agree with you explained it they made a mistake okay fair enough but it looked to us like there was something else going on yeah I understand where it's coming from but when you pawned a circuit board you make sure everything's all aligned then there so you know there's there's nothing I can say but I fixed what I thought needed to be fixed okay that's all we catch our breath after marks visit and reinstall our original circuit board but for the first time there's this feeling our garage door might be an opening to real trouble I think this is our guy he's pulling into the driveway right now okay there we go up next there's rim from Promaster okay the remotes not working yeah and the keypads not working I just can't get it to come down it looks as if he's going to figure this out it's supposed to be always solid it's supposed to be always solid yeah okay okay but guess what he says the cause of the problem is probably get sued or something here we go another circuit board probably the surge that there's something so that's why he said a surge thing again yeah okay this is weird it seems Ram is following the same script we just heard from mark my advice to you hater less than face yeah and the cost to fix our problem is in the hundreds this is an instant replay of the other yeah fellow we don't work and are you confident that's what the problem is it couldn't be anything else you've been doing this for the last seven years for everyday yeah okay thanks I'll be right back makes you wonder how many unnecessary circuit boards he might have sold over that time okay I gotta go is this a scam enough sell or is he just missing something whatever's going on time to pay rim the visit there's something you need to know about what we're doing here this is not a typical garage door fix my name is tom Harrington I'm a reporter with marketplace and we're doing a story on garage door services and there's nothing wrong with this system and why would you make a diagnosis that I needed a certain for it I want to get your explanation about why you did that we don't need any of that in here at all up we really don't give you a solution why not I don't need to give you explanation that's my opinion a few days but we don't need one it's brand-new it's literally how did you die behind your diagnosis being a look at it if when I get there if I diagnose it and see the circuit board is good then I'll tell you the circuit board is good so is there any reason why we contacted those last two companies after we've seen many complaints online about the work they do but after setting up the service calls we find out something else our expert Tom Adams has been openly critical of both companies so what will happen when the next repairman knocks what are you seeing right now okay hi Adam nice to meet you yeah okay go ahead and have a look Adam is from access garage doors well he spot the obvious sign the flashing light on the sensor almost immediately he seems to look right down at it here's the remote it's just not working doesn't he see the flashing light is he seeing something else something he's not telling Jennifer we're not sure and then just like the last two repairmen Adam says the problem is wait for it you think it's a circuit board problem yeah okay lightning usually lightning or a power surge how about get ready for it yep okay I'll be in the house maybe just give me a knock as soon as she leaves taking the circuit board oh there's no reason to do this he hasn't diagnosed the problem at all or has he before he tackles the circuit board Adam goes to the sensors look left pretty so he's adjusting his sensors now and the other one okay at this point you should be plugging the thing back in and going hey look it works like tom says adjust the sensors fix the problem but wait till you see the next piece of equipment he deals with oh he's going to take a leak when we come back that's right there's a leak in the garage [Music] what's up with our garage door nothing really we've just rigged it so it's not working properly trying to find out if the repairman we call will be honest competent or neither give a card Adam Adam is from a company called access garage doors to fix our door all he has to do is line up these sensors no parts required instead he says we need an expensive new circuit board but first he's got another important task he's taken a leak oh my god Adams doing his business in a bucket on the floor I don't to say about this at all oh my god just don't shake his hand when he leaves Adam gets back to other urgent matters like replacing the circuit board we don't need so this is taken care of once more into the breach time for a chat with Adam about his work starting with why he's replaced a working circuit board my name is Tom Harrington nothing with market place at CBC and we're looking at garage door installers hey you didn't have to do that you'd have to do what do you relate that circuit board the circuit board in there was brand new he didn't have to replace it I just checked it before when I first came here it was brand new I wasn't sure was Adam insists he did everything by the book this is what I bagged my experience at UM's says the light on the sensor was not flashing we know it was flashing remember that's the obvious sign of the problem was flashing when you came in I can't art well I'm not gonna argue well I don't see you're lying to me but that's sir how it feels was flashing when you came in it was like before he takes off we tell him to put back our circuit board he does and tries to prove he's right our circuit board is shot this is the way it was working an hour ago yeah well there's something fishy about that Adam he leaves but tells us he's left our board in the unit that was very strange now I really need a repair mr. bourbon he did something to this board our repairman takes a look and you won't believe this Tom I hate to tell you this but this is not the circuit board that I installed in this operator what unbelievable oh man naturally we'd like our circuit board back so we get the company on the phone he took our new one with him can you make sure he gets we get that back please no need we let our expert handle that a few days later Adam returns our circuit board this one's ours who knew a run-of-the-mill garage door repaired could turn into such an ordeal but remember this is a snapshot in one city we're not saying all repair men or their companies are bad keep this in mind though when the repairman knocks be ready for anything good or bad oh and tell them where the bathroom is [Music] next week on marketplace it was just in shock I'm frustrated on ticked off the tricky world of travel health insurance did you ever think for a second that your dad wouldn't be covered through his insurance on hidden camera travel agents give dangerous advice as long as you have no complications with that well that's just simply wrong imagine paying for a product that could cost your life savings three hundred forty six thousand dollars we're in financial ruin this cries out for some accountability join Erica Johnson and me every Friday night at 8:00 8:30 in Newfoundland on Marketplace [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music]

Channel: CBC News

Views: 4,595,943

Rating: 4.7077103 out of 5

Keywords: CBC News, CBCNews, CBC broadcasting media, public broadcasting news, Canadian News, Canadian Broadcasting Corportation (TV network), CBC News Network, peegate, repairmen, repairs, contractors, hidden camera, investigation, ripoff, scam, #peegate, cbc marketplace, marketplace cbc, marketplace, consumer

Id: Q7_9131Ea8E

Length: 45min 13sec (2713 seconds)

Published: Sun Sep 06 2015