# Seattle Scam School - The Fake Plumber Scam



## SeattlePlumber (Apr 30, 2011)

I thought you guys might find the following animation short entertaining.


Seattle Scam School - "The Fake Plumber Scam"
here it is: http://vimeo.com/64638588

I am sure it will push a few buttons...


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## Master Mark (Aug 14, 2009)

that is a good video...would like to add it to my web site. 

 that is about all we got around here is a bunch of rooter guys doing plumbing work without a liscense
Craig list flunkies with contractors cards....


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## SeattlePlumber (Apr 30, 2011)

Master Mark said:


> that is a good video...would like to add it to my web site.
> 
> that is about all we got around here is a bunch of rooter guys doing plumbing work without a liscense
> Craig list flunkies with contractors cards....


Well, go ahead and click the share button on the video and embed it on your website. It's Free!


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## rusak (Sep 20, 2008)

Nicely done :thumbsup:


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## theplumbinator (Sep 6, 2012)

Cant advertise plumbing here without a license, not on a biz card, truck, on the web, anywhere. No license and you say your a plumber or do plumbing is a crime. the Department of Consumer Affairs will set up a sting operation if they hear about anyone passing themselves off as a licenced contractor of any trade, that their not. They mainly use Craig's list to catch guys. Read about it every month in my master plumbers association news letter.


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## rjbphd (Feb 5, 2010)

theplumbinator said:


> Cant advertise plumbing here without a license, not on a biz card, truck, on the web, anywhere. No license and you say your a plumber or do plumbing is a crime. the Department of Consumer Affairs will set up a sting operation if they hear about anyone passing themselves of as a licenced contractor of any trade, that their not. They mainly use Craig's list to catch guys. Read about it every month in my master plumbers association news letter.


Well, that's good to know, here in Illinois, they cry they don't have manpower to go after un leinsced hacks but plenty of them follow liensced plumbers for not having their liensce on trucks for public to copy and use it for their own permits.


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## theplumbinator (Sep 6, 2012)

rjbphd said:


> Well, that's good to know, here in Illinois, they cry they don't have manpower to go after un leinsced hacks but plenty of them follow liensced plumbers for not having their liensce on trucks for public to copy and use it for their own permits.


We are required to have our license number on everything. Cards, invoices, checks, billboards, yellow page adds, trucks, any correspondence. My license number isn't much use to anyone wanting to use it on a permit without my seal And signature anyway. No seal stamped on permit app, no permit issued.Every licence comes with one seal. and you better not loose it.


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## rjbphd (Feb 5, 2010)

theplumbinator said:


> We are required to have our license number on everything. Cards, invoices, checks, billboards, yellow page adds, trucks, any correspondence. My license number isn't much use to anyone wanting to use it on a permit without my seal And signature anyway. No seal stamped on permit app, no permit issued.Every licence comes with one seal. and you better not loose it.


no stamp given here...


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## theplumbinator (Sep 6, 2012)

rjbphd said:


> no stamp given here...


You should suggest to your state leauge of master plumbers that they adopt one. Takes care of guys not wanting to display their license numbers proudly on their trucks.


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## rjbphd (Feb 5, 2010)

theplumbinator said:


> You should suggest to your state leauge of master plumbers that they adopt one. Takes care of guys not wanting to display their license numbers proudly on their trucks.


They have "no time" for that as they are working on of their own 2004 code book. Water heater pages are from the 60's.. they just like to keep reinventing the wheel while State of Chicago runs their own way.


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## theplumbinator (Sep 6, 2012)

rjbphd said:


> They have "no time" for that as they are working on of their own 2004 code book. Water heater pages are from the 60's.. they just like to keep reinventing the wheel while State of Chicago runs their own way.


Sounds like that state could use a new board, with members that get things done. We get a new code book adopted every 3 years here.


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## DUNBAR PLUMBING (Sep 11, 2008)

Page not found 
Sorry, the video at this URL has either been deleted or never existed in the first place.


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## plbgbiz (Aug 27, 2010)

DUNBAR PLUMBING said:


> Page not found
> Sorry, the video at this URL has either been deleted or never existed in the first place.


User error...

The link works on my iPad and desktop.


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## SeattlePlumber (Apr 30, 2011)

*It's not you - the video was down a few minutes...*



DUNBAR PLUMBING said:


> Page not found
> Sorry, the video at this URL has either been deleted or never existed in the first place.


Sorry, the video did disappear for 30 minutes in the middle of the night as I had to reload the video as I misspelled the animators name in the credits. It is good to go.


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## rjbphd (Feb 5, 2010)

SeattlePlumber said:


> Sorry, the video did disappear for 30 minutes in the middle of the night as I had to reload the video as I misspelled the animators name in the credits. It is good to go.


Who sponser the video??


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## SeattlePlumber (Apr 30, 2011)

*Public service message privately sponsored by local plumber*



rjbphd said:


> Who sponser the video??


I sponsored it myself in frustration with lack of license enforcement here. 
Legislation didn't work, the local contractor group didn't work, a letter to every licensed plumber in the state didn't work, the union didn't help so a little guerrilla marketing to the consumer is all that's left to do. 
Think what ten of us could do if we were organized.


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## rjbphd (Feb 5, 2010)

SeattlePlumber said:


> I sponsored it myself in frustration with lack of license enforcement here.
> Legislation didn't work, the local contractor group didn't work, a letter to every licensed plumber in the state didn't work, the union didn't help so a little guerrilla marketing to the consumer is all that's left to do.
> Think what ten of us could do if we were organized.


I admired of ya doing it for the other liensced plumbers in educating the public. If its was by any govermental bodies, it would have to be closed caption as per ada laws.


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## Master Mark (Aug 14, 2009)

*good job*



SeattlePlumber said:


> I sponsored it myself in frustration with lack of license enforcement here.
> Legislation didn't work, the local contractor group didn't work, a letter to every licensed plumber in the state didn't work, the union didn't help so a little guerrilla marketing to the consumer is all that's left to do.
> Think what ten of us could do if we were organized.


 

Good job doing this yourself... 
I think you ought to add a few tatoos to the hack plumber ,, some on his neck and arms would be good.....pack of smokes rolled up in his sleeve....

We got the same thing here in Indiana, anyone can get on Craigs list and claim to be a plumber,, they dont enforce anything at all and anyone can compete with me

appliance folks can buy a whole page in the yellow pages and be doing plumbing without having a liscense number in the add....

it gripes my ass too that their no back bone to the plumbing laws ....

I think if you get enough hits on your video, it ought to go viral, or at least rise up on Googles search list....


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## DUNBAR PLUMBING (Sep 11, 2008)

Looks like the unlicensed plumber also has chronic liver failure due to the yellow eyes. 

Drinkin' will do that to ya! Guess that's why he was cabling into the wall.


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## Will (Jun 6, 2010)

The guy in the video(not the hack) looks just as untrustworthy. He looks like like a scammer himself. I agree with your message, but that video sucks.


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## Master Mark (Aug 14, 2009)

Will said:


> The guy in the video(not the hack) looks just as untrustworthy. He looks like like a scammer himself. I agree with your message, but that video sucks.


 

Yes , you got a point there too.... 
I did not like the charactor of the person telling the story... way too sleazey ... and he is supposed to be a reformed or "saved" theif dude telling this story.... 

I think Seattleplumber did a good job, but perhaps a better story could be made up.... another approach..??


maybe something like a den of un-liscensed theives standing around a pool table in the plumbing office laughing about how they scammed some little old lady.... 

I think that would be a good stroy 
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on another note,
there is a story going around indianapolis right now about a company in town that went out on last thrusday night to a home that was flooding..at 2am .. They sold the customer 2 zoeller sump pumps and charged them 6 grand..... yes $ 6,000. perhaps they also pumped out the basement included with that price... I dont know

but someone brought a copy of the invoice into the local supply house to show everyone what this company charged this un-suspecting customer.. My trusted salesman told me about it, so I am pretty sure its legit.:blink:


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