All three reviews are strongly negative and paint a consistent picture of serious problems across every dimension. Professionalism is rated near zero due to explicit reports of rudeness, aggression, cursing, hanging up on customers, and general hostility across all three reviews. Pricing concerns are significant, with one reviewer alleging a fraudulent $1,000 repair recommendation and another repo...
Read more Score Narrative
All three reviews are strongly negative and paint a consistent picture of serious problems across every dimension. Professionalism is rated near zero due to explicit reports of rudeness, aggression, cursing, hanging up on customers, and general hostility across all three reviews. Pricing concerns are significant, with one reviewer alleging a fraudulent $1,000 repair recommendation and another reporting payment for a repair that never resolved the issue. Project completion is critically low, as at least one job was left unresolved after payment and callbacks were met with hostility rather than follow-through. Experience is severely undermined by one reviewer's claim that Allen Grooms is not a licensed plumber, falsely represents himself as one, and refuses to pull required permits — corroborated by another reviewer who noted they were asked by the contractor to assist with basic valve work.
Flags & Warnings
• SERIOUS LEGAL FLAG: One reviewer states Allen Grooms is not a licensed plumber and falsely identifies himself as one. A small claims court judgment was reportedly won against him in Will County in March 2011.
• PERMIT VIOLATION ALLEGED: Reviewer explicitly states the contractor refuses to pull permits with the city for his work, which may constitute a legal violation.
• FRAUD ALLEGATION: One reviewer alleges they were falsely told they needed $1,000 in repairs that were not necessary.
• CALLBACK FAILURE: At least one reviewer reports paying for a repair that did not work and receiving no resolution when following up.
• RECENCY WARNING: Two of the three reviews are from 2020 and one is from 2011. The 2011 review is over a decade old and should be weighted less heavily, though the pattern of behavior it describes is consistent with the more recent reviews.
• REVIEW VOLUME WARNING: Only 3 reviews are available. While the WW Score has been calculated, it should be treated with caution due to the small sample size. The consistent severity across all reviews does increase reliability of the negative signal.
Reliability Statement
Despite the small review count, the WW Score carries moderate reliability because all three reviews are independently detailed, describe specific incidents, name the contractor directly, and align consistently in their negative assessments across multiple dimensions — including a verifiable legal claim.
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