If you reside in Brisbane, you may have seen these plumbing magnets
When you call the number, it will direct you to a call centre owned by Plumbing Detectives Pty Ltd. This name may (or may not) ring a bell to you if you have watched or read the news. Plumbing Detectives Pty Ltd have had their share of dramas with their operations in NSW and have received media attention for their dealings with customers down south. The QBCC also issued a warning on 27th July to be cautious of any dealings with this company in QLD as they weren’t licensed to operate here.
This week I received the same plumbing magnets in my letterbox and my Facebook was pinged with notifications and emails to share about them as a post had gone viral about this company.
Instead of resharing what has gone like wildfire online, I did my own investigation and made a few calls.
Firstly, I called the number on the magnet and I had a genuine conversation with the company who sent the magnets. They told me their license number for QLD which is 15103654 under the name of Serving You and they also gave me their electrical license, which was not printed on the light bulb magnet, but should have been advertised.
Essentially, when you call the number on the magnet, your details are taken and are given to the licensed plumber in the right state to attend to your plumbing need.
The plumbing license number for Serving You, which is an entity of Plumbing Detectives Pty Ltd but a different director, was issued by the Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC) who issues licenses to plumbers so they can conduct plumbing within QLD.
After my call to The Plumbing Detectives, I called the QBCC as their media release back in July states “The QBCC warns all persons in Queensland dealing with Belal Dassouki or Plumbing Detectives Pty Ltd to exercise extreme caution. The QBCC urges consumers who have contracted with or had any dealings with Belal Dassouki or Plumbing Detectives Pty Ltd to contact the QBCC on 139 333.”
The QBCC consultant I spoke to advised since that media release, Plumbing Detectives and/or the director of Serving You has met the requirements to operate in QLD and has therefore received their QLD license to operate.
Which means the magnets you have received are legit and you will have a licensed plumber attend to your plumbing call. The real issue is they have advertised with the incorrect license number on the magnets in QLD.
My concerns in relation to licensing have been sent to the Master Plumbers Association of QLD, who are aware and will follow up these concerns with the QBCC.
If you no longer have the plumbing magnets and are looking for a licensed plumber in QLD, please use the directory offered by the Master Plumbers Association of QLD. You are more than welcome to contact me directly and I can give you names and numbers of plumbers in Brisbane to various suburbs that I know will assist with your needs.
For all other areas of Australia, contact your local Reece or Tradelink store for recommendations or check the Master Plumbers website within your state.
