Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Drain Services

Complaint: [redacted] I am rejecting this response because: There was no communication of discount during any of the multiple phone callsThere was no indication of a discount on the invoiceWe will not accept a response unless there is further discount on the price that was given at the time of service Sincerely, [redacted]

Our company was called to the service address on Sunday May Our plumber was asked by the customer to replace the kitchen sink faucetHe asked her various questions regarding the desired features and look of a faucet she would like to have installedOur plumber went to a supplier and purchased a [redacted] FaucetThe customer didn’t like the styleAt that point after some discussion it was agreed upon that it might be best for the customer to purchase the faucet herself, and then we would return and install the faucet she purchasedIt was explained that our warranty would just be on the faucet installation only, not the faucet itselfThe terms were agreed uponWe did not charge for the service call and we returned the faucet we purchasedThe customer called our office the same day and complained about her service experienceOur manager decided that in an effort to satisfy the customer we would install the customer purchased faucet at a discounted rateThe customer later called us when the faucet was purchasedWe installed it at the discounted price, as we had agreedA few days later we received a call from the customer because she stated that when she used the sprayer, the faucet would make a thumping noiseShe was encouraged to call the [redacted] customer service line and talk to them about the noise, which she didWe agreed to install the free replacement parts at no charge even though our warranty was only on the installation workmanship, not the faucet the customer purchasedThe parts were installed, and the faucet worked properly when we left A few days later we received another call from the customer who then stated the faucet was making a noiseAt that point I called the customer and left a voice mail message suggesting that she call [redacted] Faucet Rep backAnd if they decided to replace the faucet or send more parts we would have to charge $plus tax for the laborOnce again clarifying that only the installation workmanship was under warranty, not the customer purchased faucetThe customer called me back and berated our employees as well as stating that I had the audacity to want to charge her moreI apologized that we were unable to meet her expectationsSo at that point I suggested that at this point, it might be better for her to call another company to take care of the faucet problem Every customer is differentSome don’t care what the faucet looks like as long as it is functional and of good qualitySome give us their desired features and we purchaseSome shop around and give us a model number they would like and we buy and install itSome customers buy their own faucet and we installOur warranty was made clear to the customerThere has never been a problem with the workmanship regarding the installation of the faucetThat is all that is under warrantyWe did additional work at no chargeIt is unfortunate that the faucet is giving the customer problemsWe are not offering a refund as was requested because none is due Sincerely, [redacted] Manager, Roto-Rooter Services Company

The person who answer the phone was courteous; the service was done timely and the tech, ***, did a great job

Revdex.com: I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted] , and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.The company has done nothing to resolve thisThe manager that called and talked to me is not the same person that claimed to call meRoto-rooter is and remains a rip-offThey offereded to come and charge me me $for the same rip off they pulled beforeI want a refund and they have offered none!Thank you, [redacted] ***

Initial Business Response / [redacted] (1000, 5, 2015/08/17) */ We apologize that you never received the emailed breakdown of the chargesA paper copy was mailed to [redacted] on 8-11- In regards to the sink and the toilet, you signed an authorization for us to properly mitigate the propertyWe following all of the OSHA and IICRC guidelines to ensure there would not be any issues with mold or a residual odor We are more than happy to put the items back at no chargeHowever; as we stated before, putting them back in now would not be advantageous to your reconstruction as they would have to be again removed to properly install the flooring In regards to your vanity, it was contaminated by "Category 3" waterIt had to be discarded and your claims adjuster should be coordinating its replacement with youThey should (if they have not yet) pay for its replacement for a "like kind and quality" replacement The paperwork is in the mail If you have not received it please call me directly and I will be more than happy to hand deliver it all to you Give me a call about the shower as well and I will be happy to care of it for you Please call me directly XXX-XXX-XXXX [redacted] ***

Roto Rooter arrived on site on May 25th We informed the customer that to determine an accurate price prior to an emergency service is impossibleNot knowing what is under flooring, behind walls, or an exact drying time hinders our ability to give an accurate assessment on pricingWe did however give the customer a "ballpark" of to which you can see we did fall inWe use the insurance industry pricing model that has to be downloaded prior to associating costs(Signed off and agreed to on the contract) We bill for line itemsFor example; we would type in clean square feet of flooring and the software would come up with the current market pricing for that labor This claim was accepted and paid by [redacted] insurance claim number [redacted] All of the industry standards were followed and all relevant documentation sent to the customer and the carrier The customer is responsible for the claim and understood everything when he signed all contracts and paperwork(Available upon request) We do not negotiate pricing after the Insurance carrier has agreed to the total.The check was sent to the customer made payable for mitigation services renderedWe have been tying to collect the check and have been met with refusalsEverything was approved and the money sent to the insured The customer also signed a certificate of satisfaction upon completion of the job Please let Roto Rooter know if you have any questions

Initial Business Response / [redacted] (1000, 5, 2014/12/23) */ Contact Name and Title: [redacted] Contact Phone: XXX-XXX-XXXX xXXXXX Contact Email: [redacted] @rrsc.com I have personally talked with Mrs [redacted] to discuss this situation [redacted] will not be charged for work that was not completedThere was a clear miss communication on our technicians end and it will be addressedMrs [redacted] should not have been charged for any services unless they were solved to satisfactionMrs [redacted] account has been credited and will not be pursued for any monies owedAs a company we are always looking for feedback to help improve and I am very thankful that I was able to discuss this with *** [redacted] General Manager Roto-Rooter Services Company Kansas City Divsion Initial Consumer Rebuttal / [redacted] (3000, 8, 2014/12/24) */ Thank you so much this was resolved today [redacted]

I am writing this letter as a follresponse Our plumber went to a supplier and not our warehouse and purchased a [redacted] Faucet At that point after some discussion it was agreed upon that it might be best for the customer to purchase the faucet herself, and then we would return and install the faucet she purchasedThis was done after the customer talked to our General Manager at a discounted rate It was explained that our warranty would just be on the faucet installation only, not the faucet itself There were never any problems with the faucet installation, but the customers purchased faucet itself We agreed to install the free replacement parts at no charge even though our warranty was only on the installation workmanship, not the faucet the customer purchasedThe parts were installed, and the faucet worked properly when we left The customer has a warranty from Roto-Rooter on the installation of the faucetIf another plumber installs any additional parts from the manufacturer, the warranty on our installation will still be in forceIf the manufacturer sends her a replacement faucet, which at this point I recommend she ask for, the company that installs that faucet would be responsible for their workmanship on the installation and our warranty would no longer be in effect It is unfortunate that the faucet is giving the customer problemsWe are not offering a refund as was requested because none is due Sincerely, [redacted] Manager, Roto-Rooter Services Company

I.D# [redacted] Revdex.com of Upstate New York Dear [redacted] I am writing this letter to recap our position regarding the Sewer cleaning work done at [redacted] Our company was called to the service address on October 28, for a backed up sanitary sewerOur plumber opened the line using a sewer cleaning machine and root infiltration was found to be the cause of the problemThe work was warrantied for a period of days? On February 17, the customer called to state that the line was backing up againThis is an extremely busy time and apparently we were able to service the customer sooner than the original estimated response timeThe warranty has expired by several months but we chose to honor itThe work was done at no chargeThe original service invoice which was signed by the customer clearly is marked as a day warranty? There is a lot of accumulated snow on the groundThe customer has two cleanouts on the lawn of the houseThe sewer runs out the back of the house and then wraps around to the frontOur plumber worked with the customer’s son to shovel the snow so that we could get the equipment to the cleanouts in the lawn? The second plumber was equipped with sewer video camera equipment and he inspected the line at no chargeThe customer had stated that in the past they would clean the line themselves, but they stopped doing itThe customer also mentioned that two other plumbing companies stopped servicing the addressWe advised the customer that many joints had root infiltration from the trap to the city mainOur plumber gave two quote options to the customerThe first was to try a high pressure water jetting to attempt to remove the rootsThere are some broken sewer tiles but we don’t know for sure how extensive the damage because of the roots covering the jointsThe second option was for a replacement of the sewerOur plumber mentioned that in the future we would not send another sewer cable into the line because of the risk of getting our equipment caught in the pipe? In regard to any repair or replacement, we would not do any work without the written authorization of the ownerThe payment responsibility of such a repair if they decide to have it done, is between the owner and the tenant? Apparently there has been some misunderstanding regarding the serviceBut the invoice warranty is clearWe honored an expired warrantyWe were able to give service faster than the callback estimated response timeAdditional work is required because the damaged pipingAnd the customer was given two estimatesSincerely, [redacted] Manager, Roto-Rooter Services Company

My complaint is the surprising cost to have a service call from Roto-Rooter We had a kitchen drain clogged My wife called and they came out The drain was snaked and she asked that since they were there, could they snake the bathroom drain as well She estimated they were there less than an hour The invoice is for $550.00, with a discount of $ The total invoice is then $ I was shocked by the amount I believe I could have had the pipes removed and new ones installed for that amount Lesson Learned - Never use them

Complaint: [redacted] I am rejecting this response because: First I disagree with the flat rate, if they quoted a minimum price of $, I would have called someone elseIn addition the main line remained clogged and I had to call another service to clear my lineRoto-rooter was not successful in the remedy of my problem Sincerely, [redacted]

Our General Manager along with the head technician for this work went out to the customer's home to explain pricing after General Manager spoke with Mrs [redacted] on the phone to review pricing again and work that was completedWe reviewed with the customer that any and all pricing and scope of work was reviewed with the customer explaining beforehand and we received approval for both steps of work and invoice was signed to show approvalAfter speaking with the customer, our company offered a $discount along with the tax with that amount totaling $which we have already refunded to the customer

RotoRooter were the only ones available immediately for a home service callThe dispatch operator indicated that there was a service person in the neighborhood and would be there very soonAn hour later he appeared The work was to cable to the main line since it was clogged and raw sewage was flooding the basementWhen presented with our situation he said it would cost $plus $for each additional minutesI indicated that that was twice the price of their competitorsI had on hand the invoices from the service I generally use (***)That did not matter They don't provide superior service to warrant their inflated priceThe dispatch refuses to provide estimates over the phone since its up to the service person to charge you what they think you are willing to pay If it weren't for an emergency and others unable to come in because of a flood of calls, I would never have used RotoRooterStay away from this outfitCall your local plumber instead

I will never let Roto Rooter come near any repairs or service I had a technician come and give me an estimate on a hot water heater repair He quoted my just over $for the repair (approximately $for the part and $labor) Or he said I could just replace the unit I told him no thank you I tracked down the part, $from Sears I replaced the part myself, and I am not a handy person The repair took me about minutes to complete When purchasing the part I took a look at a new unit, a unit the same size was $ I called the service center to let them know I did not appreciate the price quote and that I felt they were trying to gouge me on the price in order to force me in to buying a new unit from them After transfers and a call back, I talked to a Master Plumber who then spent min attempting to justify the cost in their quote and even hinted that it could have cost more than the original quote once they started the work

We were out to the customer's home on two occasions3/24/and 3/26/The sanitary sewer was mechanically cleaned with a cable machine firstIt was then video inspected and found that there were still roots in the line entering from multiple jointsAt that point a high pressure water jetting was sold to clean out more of the rootsThe customer's pipe is 6" clay tileThere are joints every feetRoots have grown into the joints in multiple areasThe largest cleanout is 4" in diameter for a 6' diameter pipeCabling a 6" line with 4" blade doesn't remove all the rootsJetting removed more of the roots, but depending on the diameter of the roots, you can't get all the roots out eitherThe customer's expectation was higher than reality in regard to how clean we can clear a pipeThe line is open and flowingA [redacted] foaming root treatment was applied to the sewerThe treatment doesn't dissolve the roots but it kills the roots in the pipeWe offered to return with our water jet to try to clean out more of the rootsWe explained that one of our jets was in for repair and couldn't get back that dayIn an effort to resolve this issue, the customer was initially offered a refund half of what he paid for jetting, $on 3/27/Then the remainder was agreed to be refunding on 4/11/This amount would be the total refund requested by the homeowner$The customer should already have received the first check and should receive the second within business days Sincerely, [redacted] Manager, Rotc-Rooter Services Company

Hello, I understand you are in need of a phone number and address for Roto Rooter.Phone number: [redacted] ***Roto-rooterDott AveAlbany, NY 12205Please let me know if I can assist with any additional information.Thank you, [redacted] ***

I have talked with this customer prior to him filing a Revdex.com complaintI was actually quite surprised that this became complaint because he had stated to me that he wasn’t looking for a refundHe said he wanted to let me know about his service experienceWe were called to this address because sewage and water was backing up into the houseOur plumber diagnosed the plumbing problem and gave free estimate to mechanically clean the sanitary sewer lateral from a 4” floor drain in the basement floorThe floor drain ties into the sewer and he attempted to open the line from this pointThe customer was unaware of any exterior cleanouts and there was not a cleanout at the base of the soil stackOur plumber did spend hours in an attempt to open the sewer from the 4” drainHe was pulling out rootsAnother one of our plumbers was called in with a camera and locatorThe customer was advised on location that we would have to pull the toilet to access the sewer and that there would be an additional charge to do thisWe were able to send a camera through the toilet flange and use a transmitter and receiver to locate a buried vent (fresh air inlet) in the front lawnOur plumbers hand dug in the front lawn and exposed the vent that was to inches below grade between the sidewalk and curbWe were able to now properly clean the sewer from the ventWe then reset the toilet with a new wax gasket and water supplyThe additional price charged was $ This was for the additional labor and parts of pulling and resetting a toiletThe labor and equipment to locate and expose the buried vent in the front lawnThe original quote was to clean the sewer from the available access pointThe final job involved more work, additional equipment and parts to be completedThe customer was advisedI am sorry that the customer feels that the price of the additional work and parts is “ridiculous”We will not be refunding the additional price of $ Sincerely, [redacted]

Per contract our mediation clause says Lake County courthouseMy attorney suggests we follow the contractIt seems we are to far off to agree on anythingYou are very nice but you just don't understand we have to make a livingSpending hours on the phone to talk about saving cents per tile at [redacted] costs moneyWe call it consulting timeTo get three estimates may take 10-hours and travel expensesThere is a charge for thatOnce you want to cancel I can't make my staff to reimburse there pay or not pay sub-contractor's or material suppliers because you made a bad investmentSorry for your lossIf you don't accept my refund offer we are forced to go to mediationHave a nice daySorry things didn't work out betterNext time get a house inspection so they can explain to you in full detail what is wrong with the house they are only about $

Complaint: [redacted] I am rejecting this response because: From: Devayani [redacted] < [redacted] @gmail.com> Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 7:PM To: Customer Relations Subject: Re: ID # [redacted] - Chicagoland Builders IncThis response is for the businessPlease send to the businessWe are seeking proof of work done or materials providedThis is the very least that I am requestingAt least you should provide receipts, invoices, proof of delivery, work change orders, and any documents to justify chargesI’m not saying you didn't do any demoWe will pay a fair amount for what you didYou didn’t do all of itThere was plenty of demo that still needed to be doneDid you order and deliver materials? Please provide receipts and proof of delivery If you are going to charge consultation fees, please send the price sheet that should have been provided to us before beginning workWhere is your cancellation policy? If you are going to charge us $20,for just the work you did so far, please show how you were going to complete everything else in the contract with just the remaining $I don’t know what your point is about free estimates and project managementWe’re simply asking you to show us where you are coming up with the charges you put on your invoiceAlso, I did send you notice to stop working and you replied to thatI have the emailThank you Sincerely, Devayani [redacted]

Initial Business Response / [redacted] (1000, 5, 2015/12/21) */ Contact Name and Title: [redacted] Contact Phone: XXX-XXX-XXXX Contact Email: [redacted] @rrsc.com We have made contact to customer and it was determined that the issue was due to an internal error on Roto Rooter's behalfMr [redacted] was accidently invoiced and the invoice should have gone to another locationWe called Mr [redacted] and apologized and at this time all is well Initial Consumer Rebuttal / [redacted] (2000, 7, 2015/12/22) */ (The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.)