Roto Rooter Plumbing & Drain Services

On 3-9-16 we received a call from [redacted] (landlord) that he has an issue with a drain at [redacted].  We then dispatched our technician to the address.  Upon arriving our technician assessed the issue and determined that the main line to the house was backed...

up.  Our technician determined this by removing the cap to the main line and observing the pipe was holding water.  Our technician also had the tenant flush the upstairs toilet which backed up in the basement.  Our technician then cabled out the main line clearing the water in the pipe.  Upon completing the cabling of the main line our technician tested the line by running water and everything was draining.   
On 3-14-16 home owner [redacted] called again stating that he was having the same issue.  We again sent out a technician and when he arrived he checked the main line and everything was draining fine not backing up.  Our technician determined that the laundry line was clogged not the main line.  Our technician called [redacted] and informed him that it was not the same issue and it wouild not be covered under the 30 warranty.  [redacted] disagreed with this and wants us to cover this under the warranty.  The warranty that we give is for the line that we cable out and we did not cable out the laundry line.  I Informed [redacted] that it was infact the main line not the laundry line and he could see the evidence of the main line backing up if he goes down stairs and looks in the bathroom, there is still sewage on the floor and walls of the shower that he has not cleaned up.

I am rejecting this response because:The response that was sent to you was not accurate in regard to the explanation that was given to me when I called the company. I was never given any details about the charges and still want the charges broken down. I called the company more than 3 times before speaking to the manager who as I stated in my complaint was rude and refused to give me the name of the owner.  The person who signed for the work that was done at my home was not in a position to question anything. There is still is not an explanation as to why the charges on the second day were $500.00 dollars more than the first day when essentially the repair man was coming back to do the same thing. I also want to make it clear that at no time have I received a breakdown of the charges. The manager whom I spoke with was arrogant, rude and quite disrespectful. In reading other complaints about the company this seems to be a fairly widespread problem. Please note that there were no parts  ROTO ROOTER provided, the charge then should have been based upon time and the fact that a breakdown of the charges is still not provided is not acceptable. Complaint: [redacted]
Sincerely,
[redacted]

I am not sure why this customer was not on the schedule, however concerning the complaint about free estimates.  We do give free estimates as our add indicates.  Free estimates refer to any drain cleaning jobs and certain plumbing jobs.  This persons particular issue would have a...

diagnostic charge.  Due to this particular issue (sewer ordor) a plumber could be at that location for an extended time to figure it out and may have to pull toilets or do a smoke test (which would be an extra charge).  In any case a diagnostic charge will be charged  the customer is told at the time of the appointment is made and how much the service charge is.

Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because:This is their excuse.   They have never examined the pipe.   They cannot know that it was faulty.
Sincerely,
[redacted]

We are going to refund the extra reel we charged her however, I left her a message and have not heard back from her.  I will leave another message.
 
 
Chris C[redacted]

I am rejecting this response because:
The response that was sent to you was not accurate in regard to the explanation that was given to me when I called the company. I was never given any details about the charges and still want the charges broken down. I called the company more than 3 times before speaking to the manager who as I stated in my complaint was rude and refused to give me the name of the owner.  The person who signed for the work that was done at my home was not in a position to question anything. There is still is not an explanation as to why the charges on the second day were $500.00 dollars more than the first day when essentially the repair man was coming back to do the same thing. I also want to make it clear that at no time have I received a breakdown of the charges. The manager whom I spoke with was arrogant, rude and quite disrespectful. In reading other complaints about the company this seems to be a fairly widespread problem. Please note that there were no parts  ROTO ROOTER provided, the charge then should have been based upon time and the fact that a breakdown of the charges is still not provided is not acceptable. Complaint: [redacted]
Sincerely,
[redacted]

Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because:That is not an accurate statement. Nothing was provided to be signed after given a price before the work was done. 
Sincerely,
[redacted]

On December 21, 2015 we recieved a call from [redacted]  [redacted] stated her shower/tub drain was clogged and set up an appointment for 12/22/15 at 8:00 am.  Upon arrival our tech assessed the situation and gave a price to clear the line. ...

[redacted] agreed to the charges and signed our contract.  Prior to starting the job our technican was asked if we use a power machine?  Our tech explained that we do use a power snake machine with a 1/4 cable specifically made for the shower/tub drains.  Our technician was then asked if it will damage the pipes?  Our technician stated that not knowing the condition of the pipes he ( roto-rooter) is not responsible for any pipe that is damaged.  Our tech also explained everything is written on the back of the contract.  At this point our tech cabled the tub line and cleared it.  Our tech noted that he had found heavy soap sm in line.  Our tech tested the line completed paperwork, collected payment and left.  Approximately  30 minutes later we received another call from [redacted] stating that water is coming through the ceiling downstairs.  We immediately had our tech return and assess the situation.  It was apparent that the water coming through the ceiling was under the bathroom that our tech had just cabled the shower drain.  At this point our tech called and informed me of the issue.  I instructed him to let her know that we can send out a plumber and fix the issue.  Our tech stated that he relayed the message and she did not want us doing anything.  At this point our tech left.  I then followed up with a phone call.  I spoke with Mr. Siegal and offered a plumber to fix the issue and our water restoration to clean up the water and dry the walls both at no charge, but he stated he did not want us doing anything and asked me for our insurance company to pay for the damage.
I explained to [redacted] that the breakage of the pipe was not a result of Roto-Rooters negligence, but rather the integrity of the trap.  This could not have been foreseen since the pipe is under the floor.  Our tech used a 1/4 cable which is designed specifically for the tub/shower drains.  Our policy is clearly written on the back of the contract and the [redacted] were informed of our policy when the questioned our tech before the job was started.  
We offered to fix the pipe and have our water mitigation unit clean and dry the affected areas, but were told that they did not want us back.

On 4-21-16 we did reeceive a call from [redacted] stating that he dropped something in the toilet and it is now clooged.  [redacted] asked the dispatcher for a price, but they do not give pricing over the phone the technician that is dispatched with...

assecc the issue and give a free estimate.  Upon arrival our technician gave a price to snake the toilet and [redacted] agreed to the price and signed our paper work.  After attempting to snake the toilet it was unsuccessful in removing the object out of the toilet.  At this point our technician informed [redacted] that the toilet would have to be removed and and go from the bottom of the toilet to get the objewctr out.  At this point [redacted] was given a price and complained about the price and called the office and spoke to me.  I explained that the price was our book price and our technician noticed it needed to be rebuilt and did not charge him for it.  [redacted] stated it was fine and to go ahead with the job.  At this point our technician removed the toilet and removed the object, rebuilt the toilet and reset it.

Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because:
Unfortunately, [redacted] message contains errors of fact, serious miss-statements about the terms of his company's contract and unsupported and unjustifiable assertions about the circumstances of the flooding water damage caused in our home.
In the first place, I never signed the company's contract.  You might ask [redacted] to show you a copy of the agreement with my signature on it to verify this.
Second, it is not true that their 'technician explained everything that is written on the back of the contract."  The back of the contract is a legal document with 9 paragraphs of legal text that I would not have attempted to decipher.  If the technician had asked me to review it,  I would have shown it to my husband, who is an attorney and could have understood it.   I can only conclude that this claim that it was explained to me is an after-the-fact attempt by the company to escape its responsibility.
Third, the fact that the technician could not examine the portion of the drain pipe that is beneath the floor is obvious; this must be the true in 99% of the drains that have to be cleared.   However, it does not in my opinion mean that he can perform his work in a negligent or incompetent manner and as a result poke a 3/4 of an inch hole in the pipe (see attached photo) with his power equipment and cause a flood that damaged the ceiling, the walls, and the floor of the room below and caused other leaks that damaged a television, books, art work on the walls, a custom-made silk lamp shade, ceiling  insulation, and created 2 inches of water in our basement.    The technician could see and examine the portion of the pipe directly below the drain so as to see it was a PVC pipe, and take appropriate precautions to avoid damaging it in the course of his work.    Evidently, he did not.
Most significantly, the language of Roto-Rooter's contract that purports to limit their liability for negligence plainly does not apply to the events that occurred in our home.   The contract says the company is not responsible for:
"b) defective, damaged, or deteriorated lines......or other unexpected or undisclosed conditions, and the consequences of such conditions....."
But our pipe was not "defective".   We have shown it to two licensed plumbers and our general contractor and they all agree that it is standard, not defective.  It is the type of pipe typically used for such a drain.
Nor is it "damaged" except by the hole drilled by Roto-Rooter.   And, finally, it is not "deteriotated".   To the contrary, it is in good condition and only 9 years old because the shower involved was installed in 2006.   [redacted] may assert otherwise, but he has never examined the pipe, nor has anyone from his company, and so has no real basis for blaming the damage on the pre-existing condition of the pipe.  His logic is backwards -- because his company's technician caused a hole in the pipe, the pipe must have been deteriorated.  But this is his assumption not based on any facts.
Finally, Roto-Rooter is not blameless because of "unexpected or undisclosed conditions."  There was no "condition" to be disclosed.  The pipe was normal, typical for the use involved.  It was a standard PVC pipe in a typical shower drain.
It is true, but irrelevant that [redacted] offered to come back to our home and replace the damaged trap.    But this was the least of our problems.  A plumber of our choosing replaced it in 15 minutes, once the ceiling of the room below was removed and the hole in the trap located.   Replacing it is a minor job, compared to repairing all of the damage caused by the cascading water.   Also, I am sure that you can understand that, after having Roto-Rooter drill a hole in our plumbing, we were not interested in inviting them back into our home to do further work.  We also had no experience with the company's "water restoration" department and thus no way of knowing if they were capable of making the necessary repairs or could be trusted to do so.
Clearing the shower drain of soap sm should have been an easy job.  The fact that the technician involved could not push his "power snake" beyond the trap without drilling a hole in the vertical portion of the pipe suggests either that he was not very skilled, or applied too much force, or was negligent in some other manner.  In any case, Roto-Rooter should be paying for the cost of repairing the damage they caused, not blaming it on us.
Sincerely,
Mary [redacted]

Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because:
the service call made was to RESOLVE the issue...NOT to come and do nothing.  Also I mistakingly said that he quoted $4k to $5k but it was actually $10k to $20k which was quoted by Tim for cleanup.  These guys are big time rip-offs.  They don't answer calls and I made 3 attempts and an email even which was forwarded to Revdex.com.  
Sincerely,
[redacted]

Our technician did go out and attempt to clear his line.  Our technician was working on the line for 3 hrs but could not clear it.  We suggested  jet, however they did not want to do that.  Our technician charged a service fee for his time on the job.  At this point we are...

not offering a refund.

Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because:
Because I,  the person writing the check for the service, did not know that the cost would be SO high and would have said NO had I known.  If this company was reputable, they would  have made sure I knew of the cost AND would have recommended we NOT proceed with the work as it would make more sense to replace the  30 year old  toilet altogether than to put this much money in to it.
[redacted]

On December 21, 2015 we recieved a call from [redacted]  [redacted] stated her shower/tub drain was clogged and set up an appointment for 12/22/15 at 8:00 am.  Upon arrival our tech assessed the situation and gave a price to clear the...

line.  [redacted] agreed to the charges and signed our contract.  Prior to starting the job our technican was asked if we use a power machine?  Our tech explained that we do use a power snake machine with a 1/4 cable specifically made for the shower/tub drains.  Our technician was then asked if it will damage the pipes?  Our technician stated that not knowing the condition of the pipes he ( roto-rooter) is not responsible for any pipe that is damaged.  Our tech also explained everything is written on the back of the contract.  At this point our tech cabled the tub line and cleared it.  Our tech noted that he had found heavy soap sm in line.  Our tech tested the line completed paperwork, collected payment and left.  Approximately  30 minutes later we received another call from [redacted] stating that water is coming through the ceiling downstairs.  We immediately had our tech return and assess the situation.  It was apparent that the water coming through the ceiling was under the bathroom that our tech had just cabled the shower drain.  At this point our tech called and informed me of the issue.  I instructed him to let her know that we can send out a plumber and fix the issue.  Our tech stated that he relayed the message and she did not want us doing anything.  At this point our tech left.  I then followed up with a phone call.  I spoke with Mr. Siegal and offered a plumber to fix the issue and our water restoration to clean up the water and dry the walls both at no charge, but he stated he did not want us doing anything and asked me for our insurance company to pay for the damage.
I explained to [redacted] that the breakage of the pipe was not a result of Roto-Rooters negligence, but rather the integrity of the trap.  This could not have been foreseen since the pipe is under the floor.  Our tech used a 1/4 cable which is designed specifically for the tub/shower drains.  Our policy is clearly written on the back of the contract and the [redacted] were informed of our policy when the questioned our tech before the job was started.  
We offered to fix the pipe and have our water mitigation unit clean and dry the affected areas, but were told that they did not want us back.

Prior to work being done a price is given and paperwork signed giving us authoriozation to perform the work.  Our Tech first tried to auger the toilet but was unable to remove the object.  At this point he informed the customer the toilet had to be pulled and gave a price.  Now I know the price was given because  the customer called the office and complained about the cost of the job.  I then talked with the customer and explained the cost of the job and she agreed with the job.

Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because:
 
 
I have used ROTO ROOTER in the past and the charges were broken down and the amount of time spent on the job and any materials that were used determined the price. I have other receipts which indicate this - the discount of $100.00 is not a satisfactory offer. The charges should be the same as they were on August 29 minus the service charge which I was told would be waived because the work on August 31 was part of the same job. I would encourage the Revdex.com to call ROTO ROOTER for a job and ask about their pricing. This manager clearly has created an explanation that makes little sense.
Sincerely,
[redacted]
 
PS. I can provide receipts from work done in December 2015 which shows the breakdown of charges for work done.
Sincerely,
Lisa Aldridge

Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because: I don't have any missed calls or messages from you in  my home phone or my cell.  My cell is [redacted]. Home is [redacted]. Work is [redacted].
Sincerely,
[redacted]

Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because:
This is their excuse.   They have never examined the pipe.   They cannot know that it was faulty.
Sincerely,
[redacted]

On August 24, 2016 our office was called and an appointment was made for a technician to go out to [redacted] and disconnect 2 kitchen sinks, water and drainage.  Our technician arrived at the address assessed the job and gave  an estimate of $266.95 to...

complete the job.  The estimate was excepted and the invoice was signed.  Our technician completed the work collected payment and invoice was signed the it was completed and the customer was satifsfied.  At this point the customer stated they were going to have him come back after they have work done in the kitchen and hook everything back up.  Our technician stated that hooking everything back up would be more expensive, but he would come out and give them an estimate.  On August 31, 2016 our technician was again sen out to [redacted]  Upon arrival he gave an estimate to reconect the water line, garbage disposal, new p-trap.  The cuistomer agreed to the price and signed the invoice authorizing the work.  Upon completion the customer again signed the invoice indicating everything was done and they were satisfied.   
A while later this office did receive a call from [redacted] stating that she was over charged.  She indicated that she was out of town when this was done and would have never authorized this amount.  I attempted to explain our pricing, but she did not want to hear I and wanted to talk to the owner.  The ownere was given the message and he did leave a message for her.  I understand the fact she feels it was to expensive, however we give an estimate prior to any work being done.  If it is to expensive it is a free estimate.  Ms Aldridge obviously gave permission for the person at the house to authorize the work since it was her credit card that was used.  [redacted] should have had a conversation about how much to spend on these jobs.  The prices that were charged for both jobs are within our company's price guidlines.

One of the worst businesses I have ever dealt with. I was quoted $160 to have a tech come out and replace two rings. After the job was done, I was sent a $920 bill with no explanation of charges. Tech was at the house for 1.5 hours and the part cost $7. Where is the extra $760 coming from?? Tried to call them and was greeted with a very rude customer service lady who told me to ask someone else and gave me no explaination of these obscene charges. Other plumbers said this job should have costed no more than $150. Horrible business.