ComplaintsforRoto Rooter

• Initial Complaint

  07/18/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Roto Rooter website states, “We'll assess your issue in-person and quote you a free and upfront cost estimate without any surprises or extra charges. Roto-Rooter provides good value with every service call…” RR staff members came out to our property supposedly to make that estimate yesterday, July 18, 2024. But he proceeded to do the work without ever giving me the free estimate. When I asked him how much it would cost since he was already doing the job, he sounded jokingly saying, it would be a couple hundred dollars. I had to go to work so my wife ended up talking to staff when he finished. My wife told me that we were charged 325.45$ inclusive of tax. The receipt did not have any itemization for the cost. It was a 20 minute job, with which I even provided the parts! I called their main office to speak to the manager that evening as my wife and I felt blindsided by the cost and were never given the free estimate but the RR staff instead just proceeded to do the job without specifying the cost. The customer service rep said that I’d get a call from the manager in the morning as he’s no longer available that evening. In the morning, the manager returned my call and said that there’s actually a 225$ standard cost, which was never mentioned in their website, on the phone when I first called them, or in-person when the staff came! He then said he’d investigate and talk to the staff first and that he’d call me back. By 4pm I still did not get a call so I called the office again. The manager said he spoke to his staff and said that he did specify 300-400$ for the job, which he absolutely didn’t ?? He then said I’d be refunded 50$ for the trouble. I would never had them work on the issue if I knew were going to be charged that amount! And especially with a surprise standard cost! They did not deliver on their guarantee stated on their website, but instead blindsided us with exorbitant charges!

  

  Business response

  07/19/2024

  I had another opportunity to speak with my employee and the manager that was initially dealing with this complaint. We has proposed a price to the customer upfront of 300-400 dollars to perform the repair. The customer agreed and we proceeded to install the supplied part in addition with parts we supplied. The customer paid the bill. Then contacted our office to complain that the parts that we supplied were more than what he could purchase them for and stated the tech didn't give him an upfront estimate. To appease the customer even though we did everything as we were supposed to we gave a $50.00 refund. That is all we are willing to do!  

• Initial Complaint

  11/10/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  In early July 2023 we called this company to install a new bath tub drain. Once installed it only took a few days before the drain started to leak. A second technician came out and seemed to have fixed the leak on the new drain. Now in October 2023 this new drain started to leak in several places and caused water damage to the celling in the room below. I called the company the moment I saw the leak and they came two days later and removed most of the drain installed in July and replaced it again. The leak seems to be gone, but there is damage to my celling in the room below. Two employees from the water remediation team visited my house and were unwilling to resolve the issue internally citing that I need to take it up with my homeowners insurance. The second water remediation employee even admitted that the original drain install back in July does not represent the quality of work that the company normally provides. I attempted to contact management at the company and all I get is busy lines or their voicemail. The company needs to make it right and make arrangements to have my celling fixed.

  

  Business response

  11/20/2023

  We were 1st sent out to the home for a leak through the ceiling on 7/5/23 for a leak through the ceiling on a bathtub. We repaired the tub waste and overflow. Tested at the time and no leaks found. We were called out the following day for a leak and found we had missed a leak on the tub spout and performed that repair at no charge. On 10/13/23 we were called back out to the home and found the waste and overflow that was previously repaired was leaking. We at that time we replaced the waste and overflow only charging the customer for the parts used. The original water leak through the ceiling was never mitigated by the customer and we told the customer that any water damage/mitigation would be chargeable and told him to contact his insurance company. The original leak caused water damage that the customer never mitigated so we wouldn't have been responsible for any other mitigation.

  Customer response

  11/21/2023

  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.  The company was not called out on 7/5/2023 for a drain leak, but rather a new drain install. There were no leaks prior to the service because there was no drain there before the service was performed on 7/5/2023. It appears that the business does not have clear information on the services that were performed.  Regards,  ******* ********  

  

  Business response

  01/08/2024

  As as sent in November:  We were 1st sent out to the home for a leak through the ceiling on 7/5/23 for a leak through the ceiling on a bathtub. We repaired the tub waste and overflow. Tested at the time and no leaks found. We were called out the following day for a leak and found we had missed a leak on the tub spout and performed that repair at no charge. On 10/13/23 we were called back out to the home and found the waste and overflow that was previously repaired was leaking. We at that time we replaced the waste and overflow only charging the customer for the parts used. The original water leak through the ceiling was never mitigated by the customer and we told the customer that any water damage/mitigation would be chargeable and told him to contact his insurance company. The original leak caused water damage that the customer never mitigated so we wouldn't have been responsible for any other mitigation.

  Attached is our invoice for the first work. It states we replaced the tub waste and overflow. Which means there was an existing tub waste and overflow. Nothing about installing new drain, The call did come in as P trap needed for bathtub from our answering service the prior evening. 

• Initial Complaint

  02/02/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  they did done on march. 2022. and i got another problem again on june 2022. why i have to pay double two time on cleaning. jobs. they did clean and repair job. on march. but in june again its problem again. they not good job. i not going pay again cleaning cost. ***** * ******* *** *** **** if u have question.

  

  Business response

  03/20/2023

  ***** ******* called Roto-Rooter for water in his basement on 3/6/22. We went out and cleared the blockage on 3/6/22 and gave an estimate to replace the storm crock trap. He went with the estimate, and we replaced the trap on 3/16/22. The two plumbing invoices were paid by ******* in full by credit card in the amount of $642.19. He also went with the water mitigation work on 3/7/22. He signed a contract prior to the cleaning/drying. The mitigation work went through his insurance and he signed a customer satisfaction form on 3/10/22 stating the work was completed and he was satisfied with the work. The mitigation invoice was sent to the insurance, and they paid in full ($2,517.51) on 5/6/22. All invoices and contracts for the March work are in the ************* attachment.On 7/2/22, ******* called for a flooded basement again. We attempted to cable the same line to no avail on 7/2/22. The job was referred to the excavation team. On 7/27/22 ******* had an excavation to repair a compromised cleanout for the storm line. He paid for this invoice with a credit card and check in the amount of $3,680. He signed a contract for the water mitigation again and to go through his insurance. The water mitigation was started on 7/3/22 and he signed another certificate of satisfaction form when the work was completed on 7/7/22. The invoice was sent to the insurance however this time the insurance advised they were paying the insured directly because we needed to collect his deductible from him this time.  We collected the deductible on a credit card on 7/5/22. We sent ***** ******* the invoice via mail a couple times (he may have not received them) but when we sent it the last time (in January 2023) he called stating he was upset about the invoice. I spoke with him and explained everything I have written above. He called back the next day to say he still wasn't happy, but he was sending the check in the mail. It was received on 2/10/23 (total invoice paid $3,637.19). All invoices and contracts for the July work are in the *******_July attachment.The manager paid a house call to ******* to bring him all copies of the invoices we have for his property and to explain them in more detail. We were under the impression that he understood the work and the payments at that time. He was not double charged for any work and all payments that were his responsibility he was aware of and signed for before any work was started.

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