Roto-Rooter Reviews

Got a quote of $400 to replace the disposal - that is a job I can do in 20 minutes. He also quoted $2400 to replace a 50 gal. water heater. Of course, I said NO WAY!!! When I told him that I will have a different company do the work for less, he threaten to file a complaint about the electrical wiring with the city of Austin. REALLY??? What a jerk. Did he really think that he could scare me??? That is some nerve!!!! Never calling this company again.

At the time, I had no idea I had a broken pipe. They charged me $450 to snake my line!! I thought that was a bit high but, with all the sewage downstairs, I figured, let's just get it done and go on with life. I have a clean-out for the sewer line in my front yard, as this had occurred before, about 13 years ago, before I bought the house. The first tech had tried to snake it out, but ran into a bunch of roots and other material. He said that he was having someone else come out as it might be a broken pipe and they need a camera to verify the issue. So far, so good.

The next tech comes out and, sure enough, I have a broken pipe. All the roots were from the snake just hitting the ground in front of the broken pipe. OK, now we need to excavate and replace the broken pipe. Nothing strange here, it happens. Not happy but, what can you do? So I get a price to replace 28 feet of pipe from my front walk to the public sidewalk. $9,000.00. Seriously? Do I have gold in my front yard? Well, I can't shower, brush my teeth, use the toilet, etc. OK, I guess no vacation this year. So I sign the contract and they come out the next day (Tuesday) to start excavating.

As they are digging a trench in my front yard, my next door neighbor calls me. She and her husband have been living here for about 40 years and, they had a similar problem about 5 or so years ago. They called the village and they replaced the pipe, including breaking up the sidewalk and replacing it, FOR $700. NOW I AM IRATE!! I understand that the town can do it a bit cheaper due to the resources that they have and all but, seriously 15x the price!! Are you kidding me? To top that off, the village called me about the work and tell me that the line was replaced 13 years ago for... $500!!! WTF??

Now I am really mad. I call Roto-Rooter back and talk to the Rep, Adam, and I basically tell him that this is a total ripoff and I am not having it. Unless they give me a realistic price, I am firing the guys buried in my front yard and I am paying only for what was already done. I'll have the town finish it. We go back and forth of course and finally, we settle on $7300.00. I'm still very mad but, honestly, I'd feel terrible having to try and make that happen right now. At least we are settled then. Now it's the end of the day, the pipes have been inspected and they are backfilling the trench. They are getting close to the top and I notice, there's still a LOT of dirt left here. Not to mention, this is not just dirt. My sewer had been running into the yard for at least a couple of days and the stench coming out of that hole was tremendous.

I go out to the guy running the backhoe and ask him, "What's the deal with all of this material left over?" He smiles and says, "You have to wait for the dirt to settle." Yeah, I get that but, this mound is 3 feet high and 28 feet long. It looks like someone just dumped a pile of crap on my front lawn. I get that I need a small amount of dirt but, this is ridiculous. So I tell the dude, "You can't leave this here like that. It's an environmental issue and it looks like a huge mess. I don't need that much backfill." He just looks at me and says, "That ain't gonna happen." After all of this other garbage that I've been dealing with, this is the last thing I'm willing to deal with. So, I call Roto-Rooter customer service and file a complaint.

Not 5 minutes later, the contractor I was just speaking to knocks on my door. I'm still on the phone but he says, "We don't have the right truck to remove this stuff today, is there another day that will work?" Oh, all of the sudden he wants to be nice and helpful. He says he can come back tomorrow morning at 7. That's the only time that I'll even think about because I'll be home to make sure that it gets done properly. I guess that's a lesson learned. For everyone else who this may happen to, call your town first and see if they can help you and, if they can't, DON'T CALL ROTO-ROOTER!!!

Original Review: Feb. 13, 2015

Toilet needed flapper replaced for my 70 year old mother. Not an emergency during normal hours. Man was here less than 30 mins bill 195.00. For an 8.00 part.

I went the next day to try to find the part and couldn't find it, so I called Roto-Rooter for them to come out and finish the job and told them I couldn't find the part but I paid $300 and my dishwasher is still not connected. Can they come and connect it for me? The new tech said the job was not guaranteed and it would cost more money. They came out today, 02/08/2015. I told him, "How can it not be guaranteed? You are not a fly-by-night company. You are a huge company." I told him I will put a stop payment on it and they can take me to court because any judge will be on my side, because they charged me $300 and didn't complete the job. My dishwasher is still not connected and they sent an unlicensed plumber to do the job.

After yelling for 30 min and four phone calls later the supervisor told me he would sent someone to my home to look at the dishwater and go and find the adapter I paid for to connect my dishwasher. I have never been so upset and I believe I was took advantage of. And after speaking with other plumbers they said he should of gone to home depot or ordered the part since I paid $300 for the installment, not told to go and find the part and install it myself.

I got my sink line cleared for less than half the price of the basic labor charge. Did some research and even spoke to former Roto rooter employer, they are a scam! They work off commission and would do anything to get my money. Sorry Roto rooter, you're not taking my money. I would never recommend them to anyone. I don't even know how they are still in business.

Man, was that a mistake. Once they dug into the yard, they told me they needed to dig farther in my yard and add new pipelines in my basement and add a sub pump. I don't know why, I never had one in my basement before. The pipeline they hung is off the walls and halfway around my basement walls. It looks horrible and I told them I didn't like how it looked. I was told, "Oh well that's all we can do." They charged me $8,850 with a six-month guarantee. What kind of ** is that? I asked about payment plans and I was told, "You have to pay for it all at once."

Well they took $3,800 from my account and they will be getting paid monthly for the rest, or we will be heading to court. I asked for the receipt for the material they bought and I was told they can't give me a breakdown on the job. Now that is some bull because anyone else would. They lied to me from the start saying it was a free estimate to the total amount being charged. Also after getting home, I decided to look over the written description of what was done. I cannot understand what they actually did. So I paid Roto-Rooter a $1000 an hour for work.

I would never recommend this crooked company to anyone. Monday was a holiday and these people started to work on my property with out a legal permit. That they told me they needed but someone in their office would handle it. So did they work on my property illegally. I need help and I think I was overcharged and ripped off.

I had already paid for that and they tried to make it seem as if they were doing me a favor by not charging. Okay well a week later, the sink was leaking from the bottom of the sink. I noticed it was leaking from a hose which connected from the line to the sink. So the next who was sent over appeared to have been on drugs. He was acting weird and fidgety. He took a look at it and said the handle was not tightened and that it would be an easy fix... Well that didn't work. He suggested I should buy a new faucet. I pointed out the hose and told him that it seemed mangled and I probably needed a new one. He insisted it wasn't the problem.

So the next day I bought a new faucet and I had taken the tag on the hose, so that I can buy one just like it just in case. He was supposed to return and hadn't come so I called. He sound like I had just woke him up!! He had no idea who I was, or what he was supposed to fix...where I live... The time he was supposed to stop by... He finally came by. He installed the faucet. I gave him the new hoses and told him that it could be, they needed to be replaced. He pulled the one the previous plumber worked with and said it was mangled. I knew that... I tried telling him when he last came that it appeared mangled. He said the guy caused that problem.

If I had not bought those two hoses on my own, the sink would still be leaking!! I also had bought the tub faucet which was supposed to come off by turning it. He broke it!!! He said it was too bad and said that it wasn't his fault. He wanted $400 to get it fixed!!!!!! He explained that he would have to break down a wall and change a lot of the pipes...etc. He was supposed to come by, but by then I had someone else (not Roto-Rooter) stop by. This plumber said it was an easy fix and he fixed it in no time. The part was cheap and the price was nowhere near $400. I was curious to read other reviews and a former Roto-Rooter employee stated that they were a bunch of drug addicts. That took me back to when this guy first showed up and gave me the impression he had been on something. They overcharge, have no idea what they're doing and simply don't care. DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME AND MONEY!!!!!

I have 4 kids in this house the lady heard them running around, I was still told I would have to wait a full day to get someone out to my house. When I asked how much it would cost so I would have cash in hand, I could not believe what I was told. (I am a business owner, and I understand giving a estimate over the phone could back fire in your face.) I was basically told they cannot give a price over the phone because each technician prices differently. I asked them for a ball park price and again I was shot down. I wanted to know how they set their prices, I mean there has to be a base price per hour or was it by each job they did. For example: lift the lid $20.00, pump the tank 10 minutes $100.00 and so on. I was told again each technician priced out differently. I also explained to the lady it is a couple days after a holiday was there some kind of coupon she could give me, I was told no. The technician "could" give me a discount if he/she feels like it. You read right the woman say COULD.

I called another company, in two minutes I was told it would cost me $225 dollars to pump and pour some chemicals in the tank. I have no idea how this company stays in business. Their prices are double what I am about to pay, and their "technicians" make up the prices as they go along. I also went online to find out how long a pump should last, and it seems a pump should last you 3-5 years. I do not have a garbage disposal, we are a family of 5, so I do not know how in 15 months I need another pump. If I could speak to the owner of Roto Rooter I would ask him how many complaints he has with BBB. Taking advantage of people when there is human waste involved is just un-real. Call a local company before having Roto Rooter Rooter your pockets... I hope people come to this site first and read up before calling Roto Rooter. Happy Holidays Everyone.

In September 2014, we started having a sewer gas odor in our basement. Because of Roto Rooters 5-year-guarantee, I called them back to check things out. The tech who arrived, Jeff, told me that he didn't smell anything and that maybe I had changed laundry detergent and that was the odor. He had just walked around my basement, with me pointing out the odor being strongest near the sump pump pit.

I called NICOR, just in case it was a natural gas issue. The NICOR tech smelled sewer gas as soon as she entered our home. I called our regular plumber, and he smelled the sewer gas as soon as he stepped in the door. He didn't want to do anything for fear of voiding Roto Rooters guarantee. I called Roto Rooter several times more during October and November, and they sent out the same man who told me about the laundry detergent. By the way, I have never used any other detergent but Tide in the thirty years in which we have lived here. In early November I finally insisted that he put dye down one of the toilets or at least check the line. He claimed that he couldn't do that, he is just a tech, not a plumber. He then did schedule a plumber to come out on Saturday, November 15, 2014.

Joe from Roto Rooter arrived the next day, checked several areas in our basement, and decided that there was something wrong with our sump pump pit, that that's where the smell emanated. No fooling! I asked him to put dye down the toilet so that we could see if sewage was leaking into the drainage tile, but he claimed that he couldn't do that until Monday, 11/16. He flushed out the pit and told us to get the outside line jetted to clear out any other problems; Roto Rooter could do that for another $600+. We paid Roto Rooter $307.50 for his work, which Joe claimed had solved our problem.

The following day, the basement smelled badly again. My husband called the village, who sent out two plumbers on Monday, November 17, and they put dye down the toilet, and almost immediately red dye appeared in our sump pump pit = broken sewer pipe draining into drainage tile. I called Roto Rooter again, and they sent John out on November 17 to camera the line. He found a crack in the line just past their repair of 12/27/13. He recommended that Roto Rooter line 2 of the pipe to fix the problem another $2,300.

The new company charged us $3400 to replace 21 of line outside our house, putting a cleanout in our landscaping for easier maintenance, while Roto Rooter had charged us $6,000 for 2 of line and a clean-out under our porch. We are now smell-free!

It just amazes me that Roto Rooter charged us so much for so little. I understand the higher pricing for coming out on Christmas Day, but the rest of their charges didn't solve our problems in the long run. If Joe had just put dye down the toilet in the first place, he would have found the problem without wasting his time and our time flushing out the pit. In fact, if Roto Rooter had lined that 2 section in November 2014, I feel certain that we would be calling them again because of the cracks further out along the sewer line. Talk about ensuring repeat customers!

Free estimates mean nothing if you are going to take advantage of customers who are usually desperate to have the problem fixed; you shouldn't have to bargain the price to get the job done! They should provide you with a fair price at once, this practice is highly dishonest! I called the General Manager the next day but my complain fell on deaf ears. This is what I called awful customer service. Roto-Rooter are crooks: stay away from them. I wish I had looked them up on the BBB website before calling them because their rating is horrible.

PS: one of my coworker had the same exact job performed the week prior and she only paid $90 with Lindstrom and she did not have to bargain to get that price!

So, my wife and I decided to get a 2nd opinion from another plumbing company as what any good home owners would do on a very fixed income and being senior citizens, my son, called a 2nd company to get a quote. The 2nd company came right out and installed his sewer line camera into my and stated that the line was prefect clean and that there would be no benefit to replace my sewer line at this time! He charge us a fee for the camera inspection and left. This left us very confused. So we decided to call a 3rd company to have my sewer line camera, it cost us over $500 but the technician said if our line did need to be replaced that he would waive the camera fee. So we again authorized the technician to complete our 3rd camera inspection of our sewer line. During our inspection, Jay the 3rd technician stated that there was no visible problems with our sewer line.

So after paying the 3rd company to complete the sewer line inspection that we did not need, Jay inquired who told you that your sewer line needed replacement. I stated to him, Scott ** the technician from Roto-Rooter. Jay smiled and stated that Scott ** is now the Owner of Berlin, CT Office, and stated that Roto-Rooter Corporation out of Cincinnati, Ohio has purchased sewer line replacement equipment for Scott ** Operating as an Independent Contractor to complete sewer line replacements. Roto-Rooter Corporation in Cincinnati, Ohio needs Scott ** to sell so many Excavations per week to keep his equipment!!! So Mr Scott ** will sell a Excavation to just about anybody even if you don't actually need one. That's why all main line technicians have sewer inspection cameras on their vans, or they call Scott brother, Christopher **, Excavation Manger to complete a sewer line inspection.

Scott ** has a reputation in the plumbing field for completion these sewer line replacement, preys on Senior Citizens!!! Scott ** has work for Roto-Rooter, Mr Rooter, Solvit, Rooter Express, and now Roto-Rooter again as a Independent Contractor, completing misleading excavation throughout the State of Connecticut, Just call MDC of Hartford, CT. So beware!!! Call your local plumbing before you get any work completed!! Hope this helps, from a tired of being rip off customer!!! John - PS Watch out for Mr Bela **, non license plumbing technician, Scott"s highest excavation sales technician.

Soon, he proclaimed the clog was cleared, which I promptly disabused him of by showing that the nasty water was still standing in the tub and shower, undisturbed. He continued for awhile, suggesting I might ought to purchase 2 gallons of the $50 solution, before finally proclaiming I need to spend $400 or $500 to have a movie filmed of the inside of my drain line. This, I knew to be absurd, as it's a small house with only one bathroom, and I knew approximately where the blockage was, it just required getting it cleared. I alternatively suggested he go at the problem from the other end, running a line from somewhere in the bathroom upstream of the clog. He decline, and gave me an invoice, which I signed, "Not Accepted."

He hadn't accomplished anything. It was a Friday, and I was afraid I was going to have to spend the weekend with everything clogged up, but I was lucky enough to find an actual plumber who had a cancellation that afternoon, and came right out. He started from the same end as the technician, but soon decided he would have to approach it from the other end. He then determined it would be best to run a line through the vent from the roof, and just like that, the problem was solved. His bill for solving the problem was less than Roto-Rooter's invoice for accomplishing nothing. They can sue me.

Original Review: July 24, 2014

I purchased and used the Roto Rooter clog remover and it did not work. I contacted Onecare to claim the $7.27 refund based on their guarantee. I gave them all the required information, date of purchase, UPC code, lot code, and offered them a copy of the invoice I paid to have Roto Rooter Plumbing and Drain Service come to my home two days after the failed attempt using the clog gel remover. The Plumbing and Drain Service worked fine and I was very satisfied with their service. I am very unhappy with Onecare who indicated they would have to have corporate contact me regarding the $7.27 dollar refund for the gel. No one from Onecare called or contacted me via telephone or via my e-mail address that I provided, nor did they contact me on my follow up call. I would not recommend using the Roto Rooter gel clog remover, if you planned to use it based on their money back guarantee. I used Drano, which also did not work on my clogged drain and received a refund from SC Johnson without any hassle.

After beginning digging, they pulled the waterline loose from the house, spraying water into our house. In order to repair the water line, a portion of the ceiling and wall had to be cut away. Once the leak was repaired, they completed repairing the sewer line. It took two days to complete the repairs and then they tried to replant dead flowers they dug up on the first day. Despite the manager agreeing they should have at least put down plywood, which would have taken only 3 sheets, before driving across the yard, he was not responsible for the damage.

He finally agreed to throw several bags of sand in the ruts, while charging us nearly $4000 for the sewer pipe repair. Roto-Rooter has you sign numerous papers before starting repairs and one of those papers say they are not responsible for any landscape damage, as well as a hold harmless. My experience with Roto-Rooter is they worked extremely slow, did not care about customer service and was much more expensive than other companies. Due to the emergency I agreed to pay the amount requested, but I expected a professional service in return. This was my first and last time with Roto-Rooter.

We went to breakfast, came back same problem. Call them back on the roof again, cleared it. Wanted $189.00 more, told him it was not cleared. He then voided my guarantee. Pay $45.00 service fee, TOTAL $ 380.00. Way over-priced.

I called Roto-Rooter back and threatened to sue them for my $270.00 back and more if they did not fix the problem... The next day, they sent another tech out who was very nice and as of right now the problem is fixed. I did not realize that these are not plumbers. These are guy that work on commission and are paid per job. That's why they always tell you something else is wrong so they can make more money off of you... Best advice - run from these jokers and find a real plumber who will snake your drain out and treat you with respect... James is joke and I wouldn't let him in my house ever again.... Worse company ever to work with.

Next day arrives multiple calls as update to delayed arrival of plumber. The 'plumber' finally arrives at 12:30 - he does not have the appropriate tools and supplies but will make an estimate. Can we install Saturday? I told him that was not acceptable. My husband and I would do the install over the weekend. He made some call and said the plumber would be out and have the job finished before 17:00. I needed to be out of the house by that time. This first representative collected the funds for his estimate of service which came to $449.25 (high but if the job will get done ok).

The second wave of plumbers arrived at 15:00 and said because I have lead pipe (my husband assured me we do not) they would need a brass flange and would not be able to finish til Monday. At this point I said let's cancel the whole job for the price and the timing it is not worth it. I called the office to cancel my check and the job, waited 8 minutes for a supervisor. All of this could have been avoided. They had no way of completing this job nor the expertise. For the price, it is not worth it. My husband and I will complete over the weekend. This will be my last experience with this company.

Original Review: June 5, 2014

I had a plumbing issue - plugged pipe and a shower piper needed replaced. I called Roto-Rooter out to fix these issues on May 26. The tech came out and gave me a estimate and unplugged the main pipe. Then said he would have to send out two more techs the next day to fix the shower and another pipe. I said ok (one day of work missed). On the May 27, the techs show up and suppose to have fixed the problem, even stated on the receipt that it was checked and all was good.

Then on May 28, I get up to go to work and take a shower and the problem still was not fixed. The shower would not drain. So I called back again. They tell me they are sending out another tech to fix the problem. I called at 8 am, tech arrived at 11am, tells me that he can't fix the problem and that Roto-Rooter would be sending out another tech within the hour. After several phone calls from Roto-Rooter about the tech would be delayed, he finally shows up at 9:30 pm (Day of missed work) waiting on techs. So he finally tells me that there is nothing he can do to fix it because the supply stores are close and that in order to fix the problem, a new pipe needed to be run. I said on the receipt I was given, it stated I had paid for new pipes and that all was fix. Come to find out they replaced nothing.

The tech gave me the Manager's name which was John. I called him first thing on May 29th (Third day of work missed) and explained what his tech had told me. He ask me what I wanted besides getting the problem fixed. I told him I expected to have some kind of refuse because of all the problems and work I had missed due to having to wait on, at this time, 7 different techs coming out to my house to fix a problem that took them a total of 1.5 to fix and that was even going to the parts store. John said he would look over the paperwork and get back with me on Monday June the 2nd. That of which never happen either. They did finally get the problem fixed, however, it cost me $1110.00 to replace piece of pipe that was two feet long and three days of work because the techs didn't do their jobs correct the first time. The fact that the manager never called me back like he said shows this company's commitment to their customers.

This technician laid the coils on the unprotected tile floor of the bath and on the hardwood floor in the hall outside the bath. While he was trying to find the problem, the technician was getting frustrated. I heard the coils hitting the floor as he was linking them and exchanging them. When I went to check on him, there were roots, soil, and dirty water all over the floor. The shade on the window, which is expensive, was pushed up and I could see that the technician had laid the palm of his dirty hand on the shade and soiling it, instead of using the cord to raise the shade. The tech’s work caused dirt and soil to splatter all over the bathroom. He did not wear gloves or protective shoe coverings as he was touching things or going back and forth to his truck tracking the mess from the bathroom through my hall.

When the tech was done, he helped clean the bathroom, but I still had to clean it after he left. He did not have a tool to remove the sticky substance that is used to seal the toilet to the floor that was then all over the bathroom, including the shade, and I had to give him a kitchen spatula, which I continued to use after he left. When I pointed out that there were cracks in the floor tiles where he had laid the coils, the tech’s response was that it really wasn't serious. When I mentioned the soiled shade to him, he said it could be easily cleaned. In fact, the shade could not be cleaned easily and now I have to get a professional shade cleaner who can’t guarantee the soil can be removed.

When I called the franchise office after the tech left to express my concern, the woman I spoke with took my info and said someone would return my call. I called 24 hours later and the gentleman I spoke with had no idea that I was to receive a return call. When I told him my concerns, and that my previous experience was that the tech used protective drop cloths, the man’s comment was that they don’t use them anymore. He said that he was not at my home when the tech was performing his work, and that he would arrange for a conference call at 8 a.m. the following Tuesday after the Memorial Day weekend between him, me, and the tech.

At 7:45 a.m. that Tuesday the tech called but he was unaware that there was to be a conference call. I explained to the tech that I felt he did not use precautions and disrespected my property. The tech seemed unconcerned about my own concerns and said that he did the best he could to fix my problem. He conveyed that collateral damage was a natural outcome of the nature his work and not his carelessness or disregard for my property. He said he couldn't talk because he had a job to go to and subsequently hung up. I called the franchise office and the woman I spoke said that there was no one there to take my call and that someone would call me later in the day. I called the customer service number I found on the Internet and they referred me to franchise administration in Iowa. The woman I spoke with in Iowa told me that she would direct my concerns to the franchise office and have someone call me back. At this point, I am just getting the runaround.

I believe that no one at Roto-Rooter truly cares about the customer and $550 later, all that matters is that they found the problem. Interestingly, when I had a plumbing contractor come to my house to give me an estimate on replacing the sewer line, he said the Roto-Rooter technician should have checked the sewer line through the sewer cap in the basement and not through the toilet. He said that the probably went through the toilet because the sewer cap is usually difficult to remove and most techs don’t want to be bothered with it. If that’s the case, then the tech should have used greater care in performing his job and not disregard my property or my concerns in such a casual manner. Bottom line is that I won’t be using Roto-Rooter again.

He said he can do it in 10 min. but still charge me for a full hour, plus charge for gas and $14.95 for another charge. It was company policy. But I did not have to pay for drain cleaner which was another $32.00 automatic company charge (I didn't have a drain involved anyway). I asked these questions on the phone before the visit, and they knew about charges, costs or anything? I don't blame the repair guy, it's the company he works for who lied.... Folks Beware... I've told everyone I know about this horrible experience.

My husband and brother-in-law rented a commercial snake and pulled out debris that the Roto-Rooter guys missed. The septic has functioned fine ever since. I would never use them again. They are unprofessional and if I had read the other complaints on this site, I would never have called in the first place. We stopped payment on the check and received a demand letter within 14 days threatening legal action. We are working with them to resolve this outside of court.

We never signed a work order with United, my told them she wanted to contact the insurance company first. They went ahead with the demolition on their own, told us not to worry they would work it out with the insurance company. As it turned out the water was not pollution, but wash water from the bath tub and washing machine. Workers from both Companies tried to convince us that this flood water was dangerous and needed to be cleaned up immediately or our families would get sick. It was just scare tactics to make more money and get referral money. Scamming! Insurance Company ended up dealing with them on our behalf.

I called and complained about the lack of service to their manager and anyone else who would listen. My wife and I were told we would receive a call on Monday with a remediation plan. No call Monday, no call Tuesday. Wednesday morning I sent the following email to their president Rick Arquilla & EVP Pat Swanson and finally received a call from the NY head of operations. In the end, I received a full refund which is only a satisfactory remediation at this point. It's the least they can do to allow me to walk away. I would never promote their services and I think everyone should look locally before calling this company.

This has been handled.

Original Review: Feb. 25, 2014

I had a clog in the basement. I called Roto-Rooter because they were a big name and I didn't know anyone in my area. When my washer dumped the "wash cycle water" it would overflow the drain pipe and puddle on the basement floor. Roto-Rooter would be at my home in 2 hours the girl at the office said. Then 3 hours, and then as soon as they could. There were no cameras on the 1st visit, just lots of snakes and the tech couldn't open the main so he felt that wasn't the problem. But he did put my washing machine though hell. Clicking it through cycle after cycle, dumping it, refilling it. This must have gone on 20 times. Finally the drain rain clear.

I called 2 days later because it was filling up with water and doing the same thing. He snaked everything again. He called his boss, this guy had a camera but it wouldn't fit through 90% of the lines. They fixed the problem, although I don't know what they did. I watched and all I saw was more stress on my washing machine as they ''tested'' the water flow. As they left they mentioned I should get an air vent. If that's what I need put one on!!!!! It's okay now, but next time you should consider it. The next time was the next day. My basement was flooded and my washing machine didn't sound too good. The new tech said I should put an air vent on the upstairs sink. He was also rude and nasty about the whole deal and blamed the house.

Now I have 3 different opinions from 3 of their guys. I went downstairs and my agitator was broken on the washing machine. Call the supervisor they said, "We always use the washing machine to test water flow"... what if it was a front loader and didn't use a lot of water? "Then we'd do something else." He also said never to use a garbage disposal, get a washtub for the water to drain into and install the air vent.

Where do I have it installed, 3 guys all gave different solutions but didn't fix anything. I called a master plumber a neighbor who watched this all take place. The guy told me to move the washer so it dumps into the main line. That would take care of the problem. And an air vent on the kitchen sink pipe would be a good idea, but we can do it all for what Roto-Rooter billed me for the first visit. I will get my money back, but the hell I went through, the clean-up and 1 broken washer hardly makes me "whole". I'm still waiting to hear from them. Remember, if you call them, YOUR WASHER IS ROTO-ROOTER PIECE OF TEST EQUIPMENT. I learned my lesson.

I spoke to Det. Aldrich, telephone number, **. He had brought the man in for questioning and the man refused to take a lie detector test. He would not answer questions, demanding a lawyer. Det Aldrich told me the man had a criminal record. 10 years for assault with a deadly weapon. How he passed and became bonded at Roto Rooter can not be answered. I have spoken to several people at the Roto Rooter company. I called the corp office, 513-762-6690. No one has ever bothered calling me. I gave them all the information from myself and the police dept.

To have my wedding rings stolen is a hurt indescribable. I have always put them on the same shelf in the bathroom for 10 years. I know Roto Rooter will not replace my rings but they should check to see who does background checks for them. Someone goofed big time! The man has a record! My wedding rings are gone. Roto Rooter at the very least should call me and apologize. My heart is broken. Wedding rings are very personal to a woman. Thank you.

I looked up on the web to see what a lift pump was and discovered that if installed, it has to be subject to city code. I asked the "master plumber" if he had a permit. "Oh, that's a good question. I'll go by and get one." He called me back, told me he had temporary permission and would get the permit the following Monday (four days later). He also told me the city had told him lift pumps had had to be installed throughout the city (this was a complete falsehood). The cost of the job, however, would now exceed $6000.

I made several calls to city offices and finally called our department of public utilities. They sent a foreman to my house who immediately determined that there was no issue with our sewer line, he said we had a clog under the house (ROTO ROOTER NEVER EVEN CONSIDERED CHECKING UNDER THE HOUSE). He also told me that he has 20 years experience with our city waste water department and he knew of a handful of homes that had lift pumps (certainly not "all over the city" as Roto Rooter told me). The foreman recommended calling another plumber.

I told Roto Rooter I would no longer need their services and to please replace the PVC pipe they had cut and fill back in the dirt. The serviceman called "corporate" and said that would cost me another $900. I told him to leave it. He also said we might have to pay for the lift pump because it might not be returnable (give me a break). The next day, a local plumber came, found the clog UNDER THE HOUSE, and had it repaired and all the Roto Rooter "work" repaired within 2 hours. He showed me exactly where the clog was and why we had one working toilet. This was my first and last experience with Roto Rooter. For anyone reading this review, call Roto Rooter if you feel the need to be exploited and overcharged for poor knowledge and false information.

Expecting another quote on the lining, we called a trusted local plumber, who cleaned the pipes and had us watch the camera as it went down. There was no collapse, no pending collapse- nothing. Our pipes were fine, just a bit clogged. The new plumber told us that Roto-Rooter does this to people to boost their profits to avoid having their branch closed because they're a publicly traded company and not turning a good profit can result in them losing their jobs. By claiming it's an emergency, they can use people's fear against them and cause them to hand over the money fast for a service they don't even need.

I hope our story can stand as a warning: don't call them. And if you do, always get a second opinion. I never would have imagined someone I called for help would outright lie to me like that but I now know better. As I said, we're not alone.

Roto Rooter provided the following bill: $226 for Bathroom #1, $760.00 for Bathroom #2 - Left unfinished, as the Master Tech said I was missing a channel overflow pipe. However, he could have finished the sink, we know not to overflow the sink until the channel overflow part arrives. $986.00 is severe high for 1 hour and 40 minutes.

Let's think, technology consultants or accountants do not make $986.00 per hour... How does a plumber make $986.00 for 1 hour and 40 minutes. Attorneys do not make $986.00 per hour. I have stopped payment on the check until the matter is resolved, and the right and correct price is given to me. Customer is willing to pay the correct amount for service that lasted 1 hour and 40 minutes.

I chose Roto Rooter, because I believed that company had a good reputation, this has left a nasty taste in my mouth regarding the company. I am willing to pay the correct fair price of no more than $500.00. The Master Tech Receipt was horrible, as he seemed to be making up prices. I am willing to pay a fair prices, but two half baths do not cost $986.00, especially when no new bathroom fixtures were purchased. How can a plumber make $900 per hour... Technology consultants don't even make that. Let's settle this amicably, fair and professional. Oh, and then the master tech said if he returns to finish the incomplete job, it would be another $338.

So I called GEM, they were going to charge me $60 to come see it whether I decide to repair or not. They did estimate that it would be around $100 to fix it but don't quote them, which I appreciated but I passed. I called Mr. Rooter they argued with me about giving an estimate and said this is how we do business, if you don't like it then we can't do business. I passed on them too. Finally I called Roto-Rooter. They were nice enough on phone and would not charge to come out and see toilet. So I made an appointment somewhere between 8-10 am on 10/28/13. I took day off of work. At 9:30 I received a call from the dispatcher that technician was running an hour late (yes he said technician not a plumber) At 10:00, I got a call from their customer service center that it is going to be another 1.5 hours before he is done with the other job he was working on, but I'm next. Finally at 12:30 I get a call from the dispatcher that the technician was on the way. He shows up at 1:15.

I tell him what I think the problem is and show him the loose bolt and he quotes me $250 to fix it. I was like, "that's kind of pricey. What if there are other things wrong?" He said that would be added on. So his price for a straightforward unscrew 2 bolts, lift toilet out of the way, scrape out old wax ring, put on new wax ring, put toilet back on and bolt toilet was $250? Since I would need to take another day out of work to do it myself, or call my girlfriend's handyman, which is what I should have done. I agreed to have work done. I sat there and watched him so I can learn what to do (they might as well get my money's worth) and I witnessed the most gaffed up repair of my life. He flushes the toilet but doesn't plunge the water in the bowl so when he moved the toilet he was dumping water all over the floor. This guy was a hot mess.

Every video I saw on this repair the water was Plunged/vacuumed/sponged out before unbolting the toilet. He had to trim the gasket on the wax ring because the flange was too small. So he puts on the ring and new bolts on the flange and lifts toilet into place and breaks one of the bolts holding the toilet seat to the toilet. He said he was trying to straighten the seat and it broke. Umm, Einstein you loosen bolts before straightening. If I wasn't watching him, he would have charged me $10 for that. He says he has better bolts than these plastic ones and goes to truck and comes back with a similar plastic bolt! So he finally bolts on toilet in a non-technical haphazard way. If I know I didn't need any technique to put the toilet back on the wax ring and worry about compressing it wrong, I would have done it myself. So he finally turns to me, "Well, that's $250 less the $40 online coupon "- like he is doing me a favor.

Mind you, I never brought up the coupon, I actually forgot about it. I was getting so ripped off that he felt bad and offered the coupon. I was like gee thanks. So my itemized bill was ($238 for .5 hour labor) $11.67 for parts (he didn't break it out but I probably got charged for the bolt he broke) and the ring - which goes for 6 bucks. Altogether it was $210.40. for a job GEM quoted around $100 and I am assuming my girl's handyman would have done it for less. I don't think doctor and lawyers make $238/half hour let alone a technician (not a plumber) that was so unprofessional not only in appearance but in the techniques he used doing the job.

So let me inform all of you: Roto-Rooter charges $250 for replacing a wax ring on toilet. And it seems like they try to wheel and deal by overpricing initial estimate on job and going down on price if you're persistent, which is shady and unethical. Especially if it's an emergency repair and you need it done. And based on what I witnessed, you would do a better job with more care if you watch a YouTube video yourself and do it yourself - which would cost you 10 bucks at most. Or get to know and invest in a licensed insured handyman. Either way a better quality job would have been done for MUCH cheaper. Avoid these sorts of companies - at least for a wax ring replacement unless you're willing to sit there and negotiate. It's a total rip-off.

I then asked what I was supposed to do to get access. One of the gentlemen told me he could dig out my driveway for $500, but I assured him I did not want my driveway dug up because then I would have to have it all repaved, and I did not need any more bills than I already had. They then told I could dig up my lawn, as they knew where the pipe left my house, but that they would not do that because the man could not get his equipment up my yard since I am located on a hill. I asked how someone else could find my pipes and they told me they would have to dig in spots until they found the pipes. I asked how the sewer could be found other than digging all over, and they told me they had a small camera that they could get through my trap, but I would have to pay them $185 to locate my pipes. I agreed to pay them and told them I would get someone to dig the area they informed me would be best.

I paid a neighborhood boy $150 to dig and he found the pipe. I then called Roto Rooter back to let them know I had the pipe they talked about. When the worker came, he said it was the wrong pipe and he was going to have to smash it to get into the lateral line. I told him to do what he had to do, so he smashed the pipe and left. As he was going, he told me to get my rain gutter out of the pipe I had it connected to, as it was illegal. I found out after the fact, that the rain gutter was in a water lead which ran directly into my sewer. When I called Roto Rooter and asked why they smashed my pipe and why they did not use my water lead, which I called a clean out pipe since it ran directly into the sewer, they told me, after waiting 6 weeks and calling many times, that they were not certain that the water lead pipe went directly into the sewer, and the man that smashed the pipe was on vacation but they would talk to him and he would contact me.

He did come the following week, but I was not home. The supervisor came to my house, after calling his cell phone, and he told me they would come and run a camera through my water lead pipe to see if it definitely went through to the sewer. But that never happened. Instead, the night before they were to come to my home, the man that smashed the pipe called to inform me that my water lead pipe was not a clean out, but when I asked him if it went into my sewer, he assured me it did but then stated that he could not have used it anyway as the camera they needed to use for the town council would not get through the 90 degree angles it contained before it reached the sewer.

I had several people tell me they had no reason to break the pipe I had dug up and that I should bring a civil suit against them for the destruction of my property. I did just that and I also asked for the money I already paid to find my lines as well as the money I paid to get the hole dug to find the pipe which was later smashed so Roto Rooter could get access into my lateral line. I felt I was owed all this money because they did not do what they agreed to do in their contract, which was to just walk away and mark the paper they had for my home as not having access. Had they done what they agreed to do, I would not have had to pay to find my sewer lines nor would I have had to pay to have a hole dug in my yard nor would I have had to find someone to repair my smashed pipe since they would not fix it for me, stating I was fully aware that they needed a clean out pipe and that I did not want to pay them to do it, and they smashed the pipe because I gave them permission to do so. I guess trusting the professionalism of a company man is what caused me all my troubles.

As we approached the Magistrate's Chamber, I explained what happened and they explained what they say happened, but much of what they said was untrue. When asked by a plumber that I took to help me out since I do not understand, to this day, exactly what all these pipes are, if he thought it was in the best interest of the customer to smash a pipe and leave it, he stated it was his judgement call and that was how it was. His partner stated that he would never have just busted the pipe and left it, but instead would have thoroughly explained to the customer that the exposed pipe was not the correct one and that they would have to find a place to put a clean out pipe before the lateral could be videoed.

In my estimation and obviously in the Magistrate's estimation, they owed me $500 to repair the smashed pipe, dig up the area again as the rain had already pushed a lot of dirt and grass into the hole that was already there and make the necessary repairs so I would not encounter any problems in the future with my sewer lines. After 25 days, I got a notice from their lawyer stating they were appealing the decision of the magistrate and that I had 20 days to send a complaint. I had no idea what this was all about, so I called a lawyer in Susquehanna County to explain what was going on and he decided rather than spending the money it would take for him or his colleague to write a complaint, he would contact their lawyer and make a settlement out of court since it was such a little bit of money.

I contacted him a week later to see what he had found out, if anything from Roto Rooter's lawyer, but he told me it was not good as they were going to fight this as far as they had to in the courts. My lawyer told me I could do what I wanted, but that to him, it was going to cost me much more money than I would recover, so it would be best to just drop it. I thanked him for his time and his advice and now I am left with knowing that I was wronged, but because it was so expensive to continue on in the courts, I have to just forget it and let them walk away like they did nothing wrong. I want it known that in my opinion, Esslinger's Roto Rooter Company of Clarks Summit, PA is the most unethical and unprofessional company that I have ever known and that if anyone is in need of sewer work to be done, that they look around to find a truly reputable company to do their work.

My friend and I removed the toilet in less than 10 minutes. The drain below was 100% clear when we poured in 3 buckets of water. We took the toilet out side and turned it upside down. It was packed full of scale and soggy toilet paper. We went to Home Depot where I bought a new toilet for $98. We took it home and had it installed within a half hour. Basically I am very upset that Roto-Rooter was so expensive and a bit shady. The technician wasn't even a licensed plumber. I will never call them again for anything.

They kept saying on the phone, 'So that will be $490' and you could even hear an adding machine printer in the background as he'd do it. And I asked 3 times of him recalculating, until finally I walked him through $75+75+265 is $415. Finally he said yes. But I was spooked, and told him I'd call back. I called other companies, but they were more, so I finally called and reconfirmed yet again. Describing the job to someone else, it was still $415 and I made the appt.

Guy showed up, asked to see the job, and immediately started saying the price was wrong. That the 2nd main line would not be $75, that was only for a 2nd clean out on the same line. That it would be $170 for the 2nd main line ($95 increase). He also started talking about how the toilet is always 3 inch pipe, and therefore is never $75 because it's a different machine. He also said that often the problem with toilet lines is the toilet itself, and that really the toilet should be snaked as well or instead. I explained that every time that I had a problem, it took about 6 feet of my snake to get to it, but he said that the toilet really should be snaked too, and that would be an extra $50 (in other words, the $75 to pull the toilet plus $75 (or $170) for the 'line' did not include the toilet itself).

I stood there with my snake, and in less than 60 seconds showed him that the first 6 feet were clear and that I wanted him to do the job I had requested, making sure the line was clear all the way from the toilet to the septic tank. Beware that they consider snaking the toilet as an extra charge beyond snaking the line from the toilet. Then he also said that the 2nd main line would only be snaked for 15 feet because he wouldn't do it from the upstairs washer. He'd do it from the tub, and he wouldn't do it to the '3 inch pipe.' He'd only do the 1 1/2 inch pipe before it gets near the septic tank. If I wanted him to do the 3 inch pipe, I needed to undig my septic tank, and they'd then charge another $xx (don't remember) to clean from that end and that if he couldn't see the pipe because the tank was full, he couldn't do it.

I mentioned that the only water that came out of the tub was a traps-worth, as the septic tank was just 'venting' to the tub being the closest to the septic tank, and that the clog was really higher. And that since I was paying $265 for that 'main line', couldn't he please clean out the whole line from the washer rather than just 15 feet which would not necessarily even fix it. He said he would not do that. He would only clean out the 15 feet and then if it didn't fix it, he'd try another spot but that would be extra. And that if I believed it was a venting problem, it should be done from the roof and started looking up there, but that was more too. I explained that I didn't want that. I just wanted them to snake from the washer as that was close enough to the roof, but that doing it just for 15 feet in the basement from the tub was NOT what I wanted done for $265.

Basically, it was clear that he only wanted to do what he wanted to do, have me pay more for it, and then pay more yet again to actually do what I thought they agreed to do in the first place. Thankfully, this was not a situation where they 'had me' in an emergency or I guess that technique might work with other people. So in this case, thankful that I had learned my lesson before really needing them. I told them that they should just leave because they weren't willing to do the work I thought was arranged. Someone in an emergency should be very careful.

My dad is a senior. I am disabled, so this wasn't fun having to run up to McDonald's to use the bathroom. Things went from bad to worse the next day. I couldn't get a clear answer to my questions. I see why now. The yard has caved in and the people won't work down there anymore. Still no connection. They have to go back to bosses for another plan they say. Yet they have us sign papers so they aren't responsible for any damage they cause to property from their work. That is **. In these situations, we are all in a hurry to get things fixed and they bs us while we sign where they say, "Sign here and here." So now we have to worry all night about the ground caving in more. They roped off a lot of area and said, "Don't use the sidewalk next to the dug in area." I am scared of what we will hear in the morning. These guys were clearly at a loss at what to do. I should have called Len the Plumber or someone else.

I called back Roto-Rooter and demanded a full refund. The tech told me that there would be no charge appearing on my credit card. Two days later I see that Roto-Rooter charged me anyways. Now I have been playing phone tag with the manager to get my money back. Also, I had to use my own personal extension cord, adjustable wrench and channel locks for him. I will never use Roto-Router again and I strongly suggest you don't either.

It is so sad when there are companies out there that con the elderly. I will never do business with Roto-Rooter ever again, and I will not recommend them to anyone.

Early in the morning (6:30am), I called Roto-Rooter and told them about the clogged line. I asked the person on the phone for a price and was told, "The technician will estimate the job when he arrives and can see what needs to be done". About 10:00 am, the technician arrived and when he got to the door, he said to me, "You have a clogged sewer line; I am here to fix it. It will be $395." I would not print what I wanted to say and my wife wanted the line unclogged. He went to the truck, brought out a large electric snake, small manual snake and a camera. He was concerned about how much backup (pressure) was in the line and I told him I drained it and there should not be much, if any.

He proceeded to remove the caps in the line, one by one, to find the clogged point. It was at the first cap in the the line. He used the small manual snake and released the clogging. He then removed the cap that leads to the line from the road to the house, took the camera attached to a cable and pushed it about 40 feet, brought it back and ran the electric snake with blade at the end. He ran it out about 40 ft. down. He placed the cap back on, cleaned a small bit of water and finished. He replaced the cap when he finished. He was done in 30 to 45 minutes and out of the house.

$395 an hour, you have got to be kidding! Top lawyers barely get that much, doctors either. Sure we complain about the cost of Justice and Health care. This company should be investigated under the Federal RICO ACT. Never again, ripper Rooter! Caution: Stay away from this company.

I agreed to forgo the warranty and paid $250 for the service. He said the problem should not happen again anytime soon. A pen was in the line and the toilet paper had wrapped around it. So far so good, even though it was expensive. But, 4 days later, again late in the evening, the tenants called with the same issue. I put in a call to Roto-Rooter and she said that if the problem was in the same line, I would not need to pay since it happened so soon, even if I declined the warranty.

A different guy showed up at the tenants' at midnight. He got me on the phone and said it was the toilet clogged and it would cost $190. When I asked him if it was the same issue as earlier in the week, he said no (even though he did not even look at the trap). After I asked him what if it's not the toilet, he ran down the checks he would do and the pricing for each one and ended up with a final figure of over $500. I asked him to leave and told the tenants I would go by in the morning.

The next morning I went by, I opened the trap door and saw some water around the line just like the 1st time. I opened up the trap line and with my gloved hand, removed some rusted pieces that were left in the pipe from the 1st guy when he ran the snake through the pipe. The rust was enough where it was holding back the water from the U. All in all, it took me 5 minutes to clear it up - the Roto-Rooter guy would have charged over $500 - my recommendation is have a different phone # handy for late night calls - don't be taken for a ride.

Then the very next day, it was clogged again! They had to come out a second time! What a load of ahhh! I recently went out to Lowe's and happened in the plumbing area and the big 1 1/2 inch snake was about $400. They said the service fee was waived and we were just paying for the snaking! I would have just bought the one at Lowe's and then never deal with those Roto Rooter thieves again! Shame on you, Roto Rooter. Oh and Inside Edition caught them on camera cheating a homeowner out of money as well. So there is proof now that Roto Rooter is a bunch of cheats!

I called Roto-Rooter at 1:00PM and they said that someone would call me back. I waited for 1 hour and called them back. Again she said that someone would get back to me. Again, no call back to me so I called a total of 4 times. I finally got a call back at 6:30PM and a supervisor named Jim said that he could meet me at 8:00 Monday morning. Jim showed up Monday and put his camera in the pipe and found no breaks or leaks. We took the cleaned out plug off and his camera scope was right there. He said that he was sorry and he extended my warranty for 6 months. Being that I live 2,500 miles away, the plumber thought he could pull a fast one on me. I will be filing a formal complaint to the BBB and pursuing this further. Notice to all landlords: Don't call Roto-Rooter!

When I told him that I didn't have that kind of money, he told me to go to the bank and borrow against my house. He then told me that he would take his $380 and apply it towards to the repairs. To make a long story short, the bank doesn't give loans in one day, yet he returned the next day and wanted to know if I had the money yet. He then told me that he would cap the price at $7,000 for the repair (how could he even have the authority to do that since he wasn't the one doing the work?). I told him I would call when I got the money; if I got it. A friend told me that something didn't seem right and he gave me the number of a plumber. I called the plumber who told me, "If I can't rod your drain, I will not charge you. If I do, it will cost what I always charge, $100. I agreed to let him come because I had nothing to lose at this point. He came, saw the broken cable from the Roto-Rooter guy's work, and when he pulled it out of the ground, saw immediately that the cable snapped only because it wrapped around itself.

In addition, it was too small of a snake for a sewer line. My plumber rodded the drain in about 20 minutes, came inside and checked to make sure everything was working well, and left with $100. He called ** from Roto-Rooter and told him to come pick up his snake cable from my yard and to return the money he stole from me. ** did come out the next day for his cable and admitted that he was trying to make money off of me since he had been out of work for 3 years prior to coming to work at Roto-Rooter. He explained that he would come by and give me my money back a little at a time until he had paid it all back. He apologized for taking care of someone who had just had surgery and really was vulnerable and left. That was 4 months ago, and I have yet to see one penny of that money. No more Roto-Rooter for me, and I hope no one else makes the same mistake I did. Find a reputable local plumber and stick with him. You can develop a closer relationship and he knows he needs you to stay in business. Roto-Rooter is so big, they don't care if they lost customers. For every one they lose, there are three more who will call them for that first time emergency.

The Roto-Rooter tech (Northern Chicago suburb) showed up to clean the lines. Sue explained the line did not run as it appeared and that the kitchen drain was in need of cleaning also because it was backing up. Their tech chose to only clean from the stack out, plus the clean out under the sink. Roto-Rooter charged over $600 with a small discount for being a returning customer. The tech suggested there was some additional problem and advised that he would use a camera at a cost of $150 to identify issues we should be aware of in an old sewer system. We declined. When I got home I noticed things were not done correctly. The sink was still making noise and backing up, so I looked at the bill. It stated cleaning from stack and under sink, so I wrote corporate asking them the length of the rodder. I know to ask this because our original plumber who retired stated it had to be done not only from the stack, but from the clean-out in the front lawn. No snake for that size pipe would be long enough to go only from the stack.

We set up a return visit. The same tech showed up. I explained I wanted him to rod from the garage clean-out. He didn't. He took time to explain our main sewer line needed to be replaced or at the very least inspected and sections repaired. The problem with the kitchen sink is it was installed incorrectly (even though it was inspected with a permit when installed). I asked for a price to be faxed to us on what the repairs would cost. After some period of time during his visit, he suggested it could cost $25,000 or more to replace the main, several semi truckloads of fill, plus a new concrete drive, sidewalk, patio and lawn. Mind you, he never bothered to try and rod the clean-out in the front lawn or garage.

The local office called to follow up. I explained my dissatisfaction. Not to worry: his supervisor would be out. After several missed or delayed meetings, his supervisor showed up. Just like before, I asked that the main be cleaned from the lawn and also from the garage clean-out. That never happened. I did question a new sewer system and route. He inspected the location, telling me what was wrong with all our plumbing. Out of frustration, I asked for 2 proposals, one to correct what they felt was wrong with the kitchen sink and also one for the new sewer line overhead directly out the front of the house. I told him to please fax the proposals because I will be acquiring other bids. Three days later, I received a call stating a price of $1250 to repair the kitchen sink venting. There was no fax - just a call. When I questioned the price for just a few PVC fittings, the person that called stated they would also rod the sewer again at that time. "We can start tonight.” My reply was not now.

I consider myself handy, so I wanted to see what was happening. I agree some of the piping the contractor installed for the kitchen sink was not perfect, still why was the sink backing up and gurgling afterward? Was it just venting? I filled the sink with water and soap several times till it backed up. I then went to the garage to check the clean-out and small bubbles were showing around the threads. I made a mistake and removed the threaded plug. Wow - what a gusher! The pipe was full and not draining. I notified the contact I had at Roto-Rooter and told the story. He asked what I was going to do. I had it snaked and it turns out that was my only problem: a blockage that was not removed. We could have spent thousands, only to have them rod the sewer after their work to prove they fixed it. I called their rep to explain the situation. His comment was, “What can we do?” I think not much now.

Word of mouth is the best advertisement for a good business. It can be the demise of a company whose only goal is incomplete work to boost larger payouts. Some may call this deceptive practice. I hope to never deal with Roto-Rooter again. I wonder how many other unsuspecting homeowners were taken by their fast talking? My message to Roto-Rooter is this: good honest service and word of mouth would have had customers beating a path to your door and returning. Your company and workers seem to have chosen a different path.

I went to Lowe's and bought a new toilet, and installed it myself and it worked like a charm. I wouldn't have had to replace the toilet but half the bottom of the drain cover was broken off by the Roto Rooter plumber. So Roto Rooter charged me over a hundred dollars to break my toilet, when a wax ring could have fixed the problem in one visit. They broke my toilet and didn't pay for it. The good news is I learned how to fix a toilet leak, and replace a toilet myself after this.

Roto Rooter is a plain scam. They don't hire real plumbers and when they break something, they charge you anyway. Their discount when they break what they were supposed to fix is what a real plumber would charge to fix the problem in one shot. Bill after Roto Rooter, new toilet and half charge from Roto Rooter is about $400. What it would have cost me if I had found a real plumber is about $125-$200.

I spent half of the day watching one of the two stand and look at the work to be done rather than working on it. The other half, I spent handing them tools, materials, changing saw blades for them and doing most of the leg work. They didn't even have the tools and materials needed to complete the job. I let them borrow my WD40, Sharpie, Zip Ties, chop saw, hammer drill, 2x4, and rebar. When one of the plumbers nicked himself with his angle grinder, I had to administer first aid. It is OSHA's requirement that he has a first aid kit in his van. I could have called OSHA and had the whole project shut down. OSHA is very serious about safety. Since they were too late for the inspector to check the work, he had to return the next day which caused me to miss work again and wait until 5:30 pm for them to back fill the dirt.

According to the inspector and common sense, they were supposed to cover the pipe with gravel, remove the debris which included the old sewage pipe full of bacteria and you know what goes in there, 2x4's and old bricks, then leave a two foot crown so the dirt can settle naturally and not leave a dip in my yard in two weeks. When I told them what the inspector had said, the excavator argued with me, back talked me like I was his misbehaved child. This is not the level of respect I assume when paying six thousand dollars for work. Then he proceeded to not cover the pipe with gravel, not remove the debris including the nasty sewage pipe now in my yard, and not leave a crown of dirt on top.

Now, if I tell the county inspector this, he'll make them redo the work. A general manager for Roto-Rooter is coming out to inspect the work, but is considering this a job well done with minor performance flaws. This is unacceptable. The work was not done to code and therefore unsatisfactory. The following day will determine the resolution of the issue and if I need to have the work redone. The county inspector has the final say, but I know he won't be happy either. It's a shame to pay premium cost for half grade work that isn't to code because of laziness and cutting corners. I will never work with or through Roto-Rooters again.

Now, as for unscrupulous technicians, they are in all aspects of the trades. I am sure no one wants their employees to mistreat or mislead their customers in any way. I had the experience with a tree company, a roofing company, and a general contractor, who by the way suggested I use my local Roto-Rooter. The Roto-Rooter here in Lexington, KY by far was the most honest company on the job site. What the GC said I needed, Roto-Rooter showed me a better and much cheaper way to get the job done to the tune of $4,000.00 cheaper. I also came to find out that the gentleman who took over the franchise also came in and cleaned house after he discovered improprieties between techs and customers.

To sit here and bad mouth a company without the knowledge of what these companies and their techs are asked to do is just unfair. Now, you can go hire an unlicensed and or uninsured contractor and you will get the job done cheaper. However, you will pay more later when you find out the job was done wrong and or caused more damage than what was originally there. Remember the old saying: you get what you pay for.

As to cleaning your walls, any carpet and other things, you have to expect that when major work is to be done, there is a certain inherent risk that things will get messy, especially in this business. These guys are plumbers, not cleaning contractors. It is your responsibility to remove things that can be damaged, misplaced, or any other unexpected mishap. I had a toilet that when once removed, shot filth 5 feet in the air from pressure in the line. This is not the technician or the companies fault! How were they to now such a thing would happen? It destroyed my bathroom and my insurance paid for it. That is what you have homeowner’s insurance for. People, get real, get educated, and stop blaming others because you did not do preventive maintenance in the first place.

I called customer service to try to receive a partial refund and they had a supervisor call me. The supervisor informed me his technician did an amazing job and that I was being ridiculous in asking for a partial refund. The supervisor said that what I paid for was the "excellent professional advice of his technician". Last time I checked, you don’t pay an auto mechanic for his "expert professional advice" on changing your brakes. You pay him to actually change the brakes. The supervisor actually argued with me on the phone for 15 minutes about how wrong I am. I cleared the drain myself by the way with a hand auger and a shop vac after he left. Worst service experience ever.

Side note: Just realized today that "someone" called my local building department and reported remodeling work being done with no permits pulled. Roto-Rooter has been the only entity besides my family inside of that house. I can’t prove the supervisor did that, but you do the math.

I wanted to take a moment to tell you of my displeasure with your repairman David ** and the cost of his service. The invoice is ** accomplished in Schererville, Indiana.

On Friday, January 13, I discovered a blockage in my 1.5-inch sump pump discharge line. As a result, my sump pump couldn't effectively discharge the perimeter water around the house to the city storm line. My pump pits were overfull to the point of puddling around the pits. I needed to correct the problem fast, lest I have more water extending into more of my basement.

I called Roto-Rooter, believing somehow that your company was a fair, reputable, and honest company. Sadly, I know better now. When repairman David came to my house, he could see that I was in an emergency spot. I explained to David that I live next to an underground spring and I believed (and correctly so) the iron sediment had clogged a small portion of the discharge to the point of failure. I needed about 2 linear feet of the line cleared.

I was shocked when he quoted me a price of $380.00 to do the work which I knew would take about 20 minutes or less. I told him immediately I would not be willing to use his service considering the high price and the simple repair. He then dropped his price to $280.00! By his very offer to reduce the price, it told me the guy lacked credibility, and as such, he was dishonest. I should have told him to leave. Even so, the price was still astronomical, considering the small amount of work involved. I relented and agreed, knowing fully well he was screwing me; but I needed to correct the water problem.

He brought a simple electric rodding machine down to my basement and asked if I had an extension cord! Then I watched as he cleared the line. I could tell by the amount of iron oxide on his rodder line that indeed about 2 -3 feet of the line was clogged no more. He was done with the work in about 15 minutes. The total time at my house was no more than 30 minutes! For $280.00?

Again, I called your company as I've said, because of my feeling that you were an honest company. A $280.00 charge is a light year away from being honest and fair. I object to your man taking advantage of me because of my predicament... Shame on him. Overcapitalizing on someone's misfortune just can't be your corporate objective or mantra.

Perhaps, what he may not understand is that I knew I was getting screwed then, and I know now and from now on, I was screwed. I know you understand. In order to right this wrong, I'm asking that you refund a portion of my repair charge. Please feel free to call me at my cell number. In the event I don't answer, please leave a message with a number at which I can call you.

It's hard to sleep when the toilet in the bathroom next to the bedroom runs all night. My rate for the service call is $125 to start and $100 per hour for each hour or part thereof. This $250 will still leave Roto Rooter a profit of $218.

So they started the job. My sewer pipe is only about 3 or 4 feet down starting from the house. They said they would lower it down to about 6 feet so it would be below the frost line. I said go ahead and do what you think is right. So they started digging and laying the pipe down, it looked like a good job so far. Then things went bad. He said he had talked to the city engineer and the sewer pipe in the street was only down about 4 to 5 feet and that would incur more costs like about $900.00. They would have to raise the pipes they already had done and maybe cut the water main so they could get the pipe connected to the sewer main, also they would have to replace more black top in the street. It turned out that the sewer main was 6 or more feet down.

I didn't have to raise the line they already had in. they didn't have to cut into the water main. They didn't have to run a second pressure test on the line, So when it came to paying the bill when they were through. They wanted a check for the balance of the main bill which I had given them $4300.00 to start the job, and a separate check for the $900.00 thats when the ** hit the fan. That I wasn't paying the $900.00 because he didn't have to cut the water main or raise his pipe. But he said he had to but in 2 extra clean outs I told him he didn't put in two extra clean outs. He said there is two clean outs in the lawn and was going to take a look. I said I know there are two clean outs but only one is extra.

There was one clean out there to begin with. That was in the deal. Then he said there is the extra black top I said $900.00 for a 4 by 4 foot piece was a little high. I wrote him out a check $4200.00 and told him I would see him in court if he didn't agree with me, then I gave him back his gallon pail of sewer cleaner he gave me when I agreed to let him do the job because I thought he was a scam artist and I did not what anything to do with Roto-Rooter again. He supposedly got a permit from the city and should have asked for the depth of the sewer line then. They call themselves sewer solution specialists. I think scam artist should be in there someplace.

Roto-Rooter proposed to replace our 50-foot long water service pipe (between a big hole dug by city workers at city sidewalk and the basement floor of our 21-unit apartment building). A job that Roto-Rooter's estimator said would be "no problem" to finish in one or two days.

Day 1: Thursday 11/3/2011 -- (a) first workers on site arrived without necessary equipment and [it turned out] did not understand what the job would require; (b) next, the wrong kind of underground boring equipment arrived - Roto-Rooter blamed that equipment's failure on site conditions that were known before work started; (c) late morning, some [but not all] proper equipment arrived [underground boring "gopher"]; (d) workers successfully used the "gopher" but opted not to attach a steel cable to it [bad choice]; (e) city inspector pointed out that the "gopher" did not go not deep enough below ground; (f) workers tried to pull in a cable using the "gopher's" rubber air hose but cable/hose got stuck in sandy soil; (f) water to building had been turned off since early morning, and pipes remained disconnected all day - city inspector ordered that pipes be reconnected so that renters in 21 apartments had water at night.

Day 2: Friday 11/4 -- (a) mid-morning a small backhoe [excavation equipment] arrived; (b) tried to pull rubber hose with attached cable through the sandy soil; (c) hose only stretched and the stuck cable failed to move; (d) a few hours later, Roto-Rooter gave up and said they'd return Monday.

Day 3: Monday 11/7 -- (a) same small backhoe returned; (b) workers successfully used a second "gopher" and this time attached a steel cable; (c) they attached the cable to new 1.5-inch copper pipe and pulled on the cable with the backhoe; (d) cable moved forward, the pipe started into the sandy soil and...got stuck; (e) the little backhoe was not strong enough to overcome the soil-to-pipe friction; (f) around 3:00 pm, Roto-Rooter gave up [again]; (g) Roto-Rooter blamed bad soil conditions and proposed [for an additional $2,400] to dig up my yard, sidewalk, and a brick retaining wall [they would re-fill the holes but would not replace the sidewalk or wall].

Finally: Monday 11/14 -- (a) I hired a Different Contractor who said they could finish in one day; (b) the new crew arrived by 8:00 am with a bigger backhoe and a third "gopher"; (c) they did NOT dig up the yard, sidewalk or wall; (d) by 2:00 pm, less than six hours after starting, they were 100% finished with the job that Roto-Rooter failed to complete in three work days plus a week of wasted wait-time. Bottom line- Roto-Rooter did not have the proper equipment and did not have the experience required for this job.

He told me again that that indicated we would need excavating in the near future. He mentioned that they would be glad to arrange the excavating for us. I chose to ignore his pressuring, but I must say, it has left me very concerned about what terrible shape our line must be in. I mentioned this to my husband that I felt really pressured by this service man and didn't know if I should believe him or not. Roto-Rooter has never treated us this way in the past.

My problem was the set price for the service man’s coming out, which was not an emergency, as the damage was already done in the basement. He told me the price was $400 for the first hour. As he was working, he told me that the water could come back, if power connection was not restored. Fortunately, the power connection was restored ten minutes after he started working. He did not do an hour worth of work, and basically he just used his generator pump with no degree of difficulty. I was stuck with a $428 bill. I feel that I was taken advantaged of financially, in a vulnerable time.

So Thursday at 4:45 PM, I called them to find out the tech never scheduled it. So we rescheduled for Friday at 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM.

On Friday at 5:10 PM, I received a call that they can’t come out and if I had our village come out and video the pipes, "it’s free through them".

On Thursday, I left work early for them only to find out they never had me booked. Loss of dollars and time. On top of receiving the call on Friday, it is the aggravation they put me through.

In talking to them, they did not care at all about my time or aggravation. They did offer $100 refund, in which I told them I think it was worth a little more than that. They got adamant that they went "above and beyond" for me and did get someone out in the scheduled time. I told them that was well after I had to call two managers to complain again!

I believed what he said. So he removed the sink and capped the water line, which was against the wall and rerouted the washing machine hose out to an out going pipe. A few hours later, and every day thereafter, I always noticed a small puddle on the cement floor. I thought maybe it's a foundation crack. Finally, today, 8/2/2011, I noticed water dripping out of the valve just above the puddle. Obviously, this was the problem and it was not addressed the day they came. The water started going around the perimeter of the room as it did two weeks ago when the room was flooded and it prompted me to call.

I called back this morning and explained it and they told me there would be no charge. I took time off from work to wait here, and he came promptly. He said this was not happening the day they came and there will be a charge! I told him to leave. I called the manager, who was not available to speak so he would call back. Never heard back so I called again. Got the general manager and he insisted that the sink was cracked and that's what caused the flood! He wasn't even here, so how could he say that? He would have someone come again today and tighten the nut but not replace it!

If they replaced it the day they came, my slop sink, which did not leak, would have still been there, and I would not be writing this complaint. I told the manager that I now have to take more time off from work to wait again for a repair man to come to tighten something that at least could have been tightened the first time, or certainly tightened this morning. I paid $515.97 for a service that did absolutely nothing to stop the leak, which was the reason why I called on 7/19!

I want this problem resolved and a portion of my money back for a service, which did nothing for the situation!

He couldn't fix the problem and charged us $144 for 30 minutes of work. How is that fair? When they were supposed to come back out the next night to try to jet flush the pipes, they cancelled on us an hour before they were to show up and were very rude about it. I called the manager Mike, and he was just as rude, telling me that it was too bad.

The consequences to the consumer could be dire. These unsupervised persons could possibly poison your portable water supply or fill your home with gas as they have not had the proper supervision and apprenticeship time necessary to work on these systems. The Licensed Plumber suffers as the work he is trained to do is given to other persons.

Then, he proceeded to give me a bill for $150 for doing nothing but destroying my bathroom! Once he left, I checked the bathroom and to my horror, it was in complete shambles. There was sludge sprayed all over my walls, toilet and vanity. There were also some deep scratches in my tub. He shattered our toothbrush holder and tracked mud throughout the house--very unprofessional!

I called to complain and the older lady on the phone (either Karen or Ellen, as she kept changing her name during our conversation) was extremely rude and very sarcastic during our conversation. She had to be the most unprofessional person I ever came in contact with. She rudely questioned my level of education when I asked her a legitimate question. She ended our conversation admitting that they ripped me off but since they are an independent-owned company that had the Roto Rooter name licensed to them, there is nothing I or the Roto Rooter corporate office can do to get any resolution.

After all this frustration, I called my local plumber and they were able to fix it in 15 minutes (using the same process of snaking the drain that the licensed Roto Rooter plumber, Pete, said can't be done) leaving my bathroom the exact condition they found it in and charged half the price of this Roto Rooter branch.

The walls were destroyed by the snake digging into the wall as it spun deeper into the hole. It cost me over $600 dollars. I thought the problem was fixed and the snake cleared the line. But boy was I wrong. Two days later, the drain backed up again. I called Roto Rooter again. This time, the tech actually put plastic down, but again, used no "tent" device to protect the walls (I found out about the tent device later on). He proceeded to snake the line again. The problem seemed to be fixed for the moment, but had to wait a day for a line camera to be used to fully diagnose the issue. The next day, a tech came on site with a camera snake. Hoping the issue was resolved, the camera told another story. According to the tech, there was an issue with the pipe and needed to be replaced at the tune of $4500. Apparently, there was a dip in the pipe causing water to collect in the pipe preventing a proper line drain. This was causing the backup in my basement as it was explained. It seemed to be logical, so I opted for the work.

About a week later, the work began to replace the pipe. It took two days to complete the job because a hot water heater was needed to be moved in the process. Again, Roto Rooter took no precautions to quarantine off the area to prevent the caustic dust from circulating in my home. Also, their definition of cleaning up only included broom sweeping. I had to hire a professional cleaning company to clean both my bathroom and basement after their work. I thought the nightmare was finally over. But it wasn't.

About a month later, a contractor who was providing me with an estimate for rebuilding my bath and basement noticed I had drain work done and inquired about it. I explained the extent of the work and he asked if they installed a "back flow" system because it's code in MD. I didn't have a clue so I reviewed the paperwork and found no such reference. I contacted my local water works (WSSC) and found out that in fact, there was code established in 2009 that requires a "back flow" system to be installed. I contacted Roto Rooter about this and was advised that they would have to investigate the matter. A day later, I got a call at 7:00AM stating they wanted to come by and install the system. I guess this means they acknowledge the fact that they completed the work incorrectly.

Unfortunately, I could not accommodate their time frame as I wasn't given any notice. Then they made me wait. Finally, they scheduled the work after I began to complain. This time, I advised that plastic needed to be hung and the mess completely cleaned up. I was given assurance this would be done, however, knowing their work in the past I began to hang the plastic myself. This time, the work took about half a day. The tech who installed the system asked me if I wanted them to disable the system, which would prevent the back flow from working? Huh? Why in the ** would I go through having the system installed, just to have it disabled? No sense at all.

After all was said and done, I began to file complaints about the whole ordeal. Although my insurance company took care of the clean up and rebuilding the bathroom, I felt as though Roto Rooter owed my family some form of restitution for all the trouble and unprofessional work and treatment from start to finish. Unfortunately, the manager did not see any problems with the way things were done nor support my idea or restitution outside of covering wages lost. They do work without permit nor complete the work to code. Are you kidding me? If my insurance hadn't covered the bills, I would be out more thousands of dollars. Poor work, no permits, not completing work to code = stay away from Roto Rooter. My complaints are being filed with corporate as we speak.

He quoted me a price of $3,700.00 to replace 20 feet of pipe. I said come back tomorrow and do the work. Once they left, I crawled under my house and inspected the pipes. To my surprise, the pipe was perfectly straight, no “V” or belly. I called the main office and was told you only had a 10-day guarantee and you are out of luck, we can come back for a new charge. You could imagine I told her where to go. I called a local plumber. He got the auger all the way through, and voila, plumbing is fine. Do not use Roto-Rooter ever.

We submitted a claim to Roto Rooter for the damage and they responded with a boilerplate letter concluding that they were not liable. They provided no reasoning for their claim of non liability, unsurprisingly, since there was no other rational explanation for the damage. In addition, their charges for the work done were between about 2-10 times more than second party plumbers. For example, the Roto Rooter's work to snake the pipe was $360 and we had another estimate for $160. Roto Rooter also estimated $1600 to find and repair the source of the leak and the second party plumber estimated $175. All in all, it has been a nightmare dealing with Roto Rooter and in my opinion their denial of the claim is fraudulent and in completely bad faith. Avoid Roto Rooter at all costs.

To these inflated prices, they applied a "senior discount" of $132. The total before taxes was $388 for the two procedures. Thrn the serviceman sold my mother a container of a Draino type solution for $52. I felt that the charges were excessive for two simple procedures. Ironically, there was a need for a plumber at their house today for an unrelated issue. (I did not call Roto Rooter.) He saw the bill from Roto Rooter and confirmed for me that the two procedures should not have cost more than $200. He also said not to use the solution. They were sold because it would cause more problems to the old pipe system. I called Roto Rooter, but did not receive any satisfaction. I could stop the check but decided against that. I truly feel that two older people were taken advantage of by this company.

He began to also tell my wife and children how they would not be able to use the water, which was also a lie. This is my first time ever complaining about a service, but I have never been so **. I was an aircraft mechanic for 20 years and he assumed I did not know anything. Also, when running a camera through a pipe, only he understands what he is seeing. And he then tells you to look at all those problems, like a civilian reading an X-ray. Of course you can’t see what an outdated camera in a pipe is showing you. Please use all resources available before using this company. The plumber gets a large cut the more he ** you. I spent $436 not to correct the problem, but was told he fixed a clog that would require thousands of dollars to fully fix.

The next day, I waited, waited, and waited and no visit. I called at 12 pm to ask where my new garburator was. There was lots of excuses and "hms and haws" even when I explained my situation of waiting with two little toddler boys for 4 hours inside on a beautiful day. I was told that I would have someone very soon and they would call. It is now 2:40 and when I called back, I was passed from customer service representative to customer service representative with more excuses. It is now their nap time and I told the representative that I needed this fixed right away where I was given the, "Well, what do you want me to do about it?"

I asked for a manager who just made more excuses and when I asked her if she had called the worker, she had not. I had given them the head's up as to the name and the number of their worker at 12 pm. There were no follow up calls, no apologizes, no offer of any assistance whatsoever. I will not suggest this company to anyone!

A service technician named George ** showed up and augered both toilets (as I had done) and told me the warranty would be seven days, instead of the six months promised by Duke. All Mr. ** could say is that Duke should not have given me a quote over the phone. I told him that if I had known that was all he was going to do, I would not have scheduled the appointment. Also, when George had completed augering, he simply removed the auger from the toilet, allowing it to drip liquid on my flooring and carpet. He told me that the one toilet needed to be replaced and that he could come back to do that at additional charge. When he was leaving, he reached out to shake my hand with his, yet he had not washed his hands after handling the wet auger.

Total charge from Roto-Rooter: $178.44. Repair status: incomplete. Since the downstairs toilet still did not function, I contacted another plumber from Bob Frank Plumbing, Inc. The technician, Randy, noted that the water line in the tank was low, augered the trap and proceeded to ream out the mineral deposits that had clogged the rinse ring on the bowl. Within minutes the toilet was flushing like new. He did this to the other toilet as well. Randy also had a large bucket into which he placed the wet auger. And he was wearing disposable rubber gloves to do all the work. Total charge from Bob Frank Plumbing: $96.50. Repair status: complete and still working.

We are saying if you cleared it, then why can’t these items? This means that you did not clear the drain main line as the problem still exists. He is busy trying to sell us camera views and additional services instead of performing the services that he is being paid for. Roto Rooter is a very poor plumbing organization, and if you are in need of plumbing services do not use them, as they are only trying to take your money and perform no work. I believe the gentleman who was our service provider was lazy and in a rush to get home. More interested in passing out hold us harmless forms instead of performing the service requested. Buyer beware: do not use this organization for plumbing or you are going to spend double the money that you have to by having someone else come out to rectify the problem. I had to go and get a rodder myself and rod the drain out where I informed him to get the problem resolved myself.

Later, I found in Google by keying "Roto-Rooter ripoff" that it has been accused as rip off for years by using BBB as a shield. I didn't need the plumber actually. I changed the flapper kit not too long ago myself but didn't tighten screw well, so around the toilet, it was slightly wet. I was going to tighten it but forgot. One day, I didn't feel well and noticed that around toilet it was wet and I was panicked, forgot I didn't tighten the screw yet, since I was ill.

There was nothing wrong with toilet system. After I paid $449.50 for the 15-minute work and when I recovered from illness and found I was ripped off, I emailed Roto-Rooter and protested. A man called me to offer me $50 but I rejected it. Later, they mailed me a $50 check. Roto-Rooter was in CBS reality show in April, which infuriated me. CBS and BBB are promoting a company known for ripoff and fraud, especially targeting elderly and foreign born like me. Roto-Rooter itself advertised on the web that it charged $99 for 15 min, so he should not charge me more than $105.68, not $449.50. I talked to a local plumber and was told it shouldn't cost more than $94. I would pay what I was supposed to pay, and I would like to recover whatever they overcharged.

The assistant did very little, turned the water on and off a couple of times, retrieved a knife from their truck and helped drag the electric snake on wheels back to the truck. For that, I was charged $80 for the second man and $279 for the guy operating the electric snake. He didn't use the blades the first time he put the snake into the pipe so he had to do it a second time using the blades. I saw the tree roots that were removed. This job was a one man job. I was charged for two men. It is twice the amount that I was quoted on the phone. It was a one-hour job that they managed to stretch into a two-hour job. I was charged over twice as much as I was quoted for a very easy job.

The inspector, Diane, seemed irate that no permit was obtained. We had to pay $100 and wait two weeks. Then she decided the ground held too much water, and she also said the system had to have a pump, so these "plumbers" then dug a sixty-foot trench, then upped the price of the job to $7400 and dug the entire yard up in order to put in three more lines, a pump, and an alarm system. All of this drag on for over a month from the initial start date, partly due to rain and partly due to the relaxed work ethic of the company plumbers.

Results, the entire yard is mud-trenched and uneven and will now require a landscaper, every single tree and shrub was dug up or dug beside with root damage to all trees and loss of shrubs and grass. (One of the rose bushes he uprooted was just left laying beside the porch like a corpse.) We feel the plumbers were negligent, unconcerned about our home and property, and extremely unprofessional.

We were also shocked to discover the price they gave us did not include that the system would be a working system. They 'forgot' to tell us that we would need additional service of an electrician. This was told to us two weeks into the job.

All of this for a slow-draining washing machine field line that the health department would not okay for the permit that Roto-Rooter should have acquired in the first place. I would never recommend the Huntsville Alabama franchise Roto-Rooter to anyone who values their property. The manager we contacted came out and leaned on the fence and seemed more concerned about getting paid than the work to be completed in a way that was satisfactory to us.

The whole experience has left us bewildered that anyone could be so negligent in doing a professional service. How this plumber can be proud of his work is a mystery to us, and we hope as his journey in life continues, he will do better work for those that put their trust in his ability to perform his job. We are left to repair our yard, spend additional funds to complete what he promised but neglected to do. There are deep uneven ruts and mounds, and the entire yard now has to be graded and replanted. We certainly do regret ever hiring this well-known company. We thought since it was a nationally known business, they must be trust-worthy; we were very mistaken.

She called Roto-Rooter again, and while he was en route, she took a look in the crawl space. There was a clean out for the grey water lines with a cap that was laying on the ground. She screwed it back on, not thinking much of it. Mr Roto-Rooter arrived and proceeded to snake the main drain line again. After finishing, he handed her an $89 bill, saying her problem was fixed. It seems to me that a screwed on cap doesn't magically become unscrewed by itself. Either the first "expert" unscrewed it to investigate and didn't put it back on, or the snake unscrewed it. It didn't happen by itself.

Needless to say, all the grey water from the system was draining into the crawl space for 90 days. I removed the nasty, existing vapor barrier, applied 100 lbs. of garden lime to the affected area, and am running two fans to exhaust the moisture from the crawl space now. Mr. Roto-Rooter claims no responsibility and has no idea how the cap could have come unscrewed. He said himself that sometimes there is a lot of build-up pressure in the lines, but didn't consider that maybe it could unscrew or blow a cap off. Hmm, it seems to me that in the future, especially when older homes are concerned, that maybe the company should check and make sure that they haven't damaged anything before they hand you a bill and leave.

Later that evening, my parents discovered that the toilet was still leaking and called Roto-Rooter again. The same service tech came and supposedly performed work that involved removing and resetting of the toilet (including new wax ring). The charge for this effort was an additional $182.40. Over a two day period, for a toilet water leak, Roto-Rooter charged my parents a total of $479.08.

My parents called me because the toilet was still leaking. Upon examination (I've installed many a toilet and repaired as a homeowner) I learned that basically Roto-Rooter charged $52.68 for tank repair kit that I can buy at Lowes/Home Depot for $15, Roto-Rooter, as they have claimed, did not stop the leak from the tank and didn't understand the problem.

I subsequently removed the old toilet, installed a new one including new water line for under $100 and about 1 hour worth of work. I remain puzzled at how and why Roto-Rooter can do all of what is described above, at significant expense over two days and not fix the problem. My conclusion is that they/the tech saw an opportunity to take advantage of an older couple.

I have contacted, on several occasions, the General Manager of the Cincinnati Roto-Rooter Office, only receiving an initial response that they would look at it. That was 4 days ago and they have not returned any of my calls to see how the situation would be addressed.

As a result, I have decided that I would lodge a complaint with Roto-Rooter Corporate Offices in Chicago, The Ohio Attorney General's Office and with the Better Business Bureau.

Looking at this whole situation, I determined and I have talked to the above referenced people in the past that when we pay $72/mo. fee for 17 years and find that those trees are not our personal property, they should take care of it. Please contact my Management and resolve this problem. I have called Fairfax County Insp. also twice, they get rid by telling that their side of the line is clear. It is either the County or the Management who should take care of this problem when it is way past my home and the trees are on the common ground not inside my home limits. I'm looking forward to the resolution asap, please call if there are any questions. Even though I have given you this background, this has been filed separately also but:

This complaint is basically about the Roto Rooter. The guy, Carlos (as shown on the invoice, I am not sure), started to get my signature on the blank invoice writing the prices on the back of his invoice and original is with him telling me that he would snake 100 ft. for $425 and then an extra $160 some if additional length is required and would give 30 days warranty. Then when he started working, he removed the toilet seat from the downstairs bathroom of my 2-level home, snaked 100 ft. which was showing on his machine, spent a couple of hours going back to the yard and then coming inside the bath.

He asked me to pay a total of $663 with no warranty, leaving the toilet seat outside the bath telling me that he could not put it back as it was broken at the bottom. I told him that he should have told me that before and I could buy another one and he could have put it back. So, now he left the work like that and was not willing to write any warranty for any no. of days at all. He showed me the video that the tree outside my TH has roots growing underground and interfering with the sewer line 61 feet away from my home which he does not care whose responsibility but this was a waste of the whole $663 for me.

As I have described, twice I have spent about $100/ea. then, $300 to one company, $663 to Roto Rooter who was a jerk, agreed to 30 days warranty and in the end left the toilet seat w/o installing it because he said it was broken and should be replaced and when told in the end, he would not give us time after 2 hours that we could go buy and he should replace and all that (please see a separate complaint on him). I need this to be paid as well as problem taken care of by our Management or FF County whoever is responsible for it. Please investigate and help. Thank you.

I contacted Customer Service about the leaking water tank and they sent out the same service man. I showed him the water tank that is now leaking. He did agree the tank didn't leak before. He took a look at it and thought it was odd that the tank leaks from the front of the leg, not the bottom; the tank was dry inside as well. I showed him the pipe and he said that was normal. He explained that when the gas gets turned back on, it should stop leaking, metal reacts to hot and cold and sometimes they leak. The gas guy said the same thing when they turned the gas back on, but the tank has been leaking to date since 8/28/09. The gas was turned back on 8/31/09.

The pipe was parallel before services were done and my tank did not leak. The tank is not new, but it has been very reliable and with no signs of malfunctioning due to rust at the bottom as most do with age. It leaks from in front of a leg, not the bottom. Something happened during servicing on 8/28/09, the tank worked flawlessly before and now it must be replaced. I feel very strongly that any company that damages your property should be held liable, as anyone would. My husband and I have attempted a resolution with them with no success. All they will offer is to come back and fix the pipe properly. That doesn't fix my initial problem of a now leaky water tank. We have experienced enough financial damage and are not interested in their services. We will find a reliable company to fix it properly. We would, however, be interested in a partial refund to cover some of our cost. We paid them $600 for this mess and would be happy to recoup half back.

I came into this with a fully functional water tank. Something happened during service because now it leaks. You can be the best in the business and can have a bad day or something may go terribly wrong. Accidents happen. I called Roto-Rooter because I felt I could trust a reputable company to do the work. At this point, I'm not comfortable that I made the right choice and truly wish I could have had my husband do it. The parts cost was under $40, I was charged $600 for a now warped-looking pipe and a leaky water tank. Based on my experience, at this point, I wouldn't call Roto-Rooter again, nor recommend them to anyone. I feel as if I wasted $600 and now I must dig deep in my pockets to fix the damages.

Roto-Rooter does not care about customer satisfaction or the quality of their work. They will take your money and run, leaving you to fix the mess. Beware of Roto-Rooter is an understatement!

Within weeks, it became apparent that the whole job is a disaster. The pipe exits into a small hole in the ground that they dug. It is now constantly filled with stagnant water that has no place to drain. They should have extended the pipe all the way, past the spot next to this hole (the ditch along the road is completely blocked and the pipe should have run under that). I have complained to the BBB. I have repeatedly spoken to and emailed the main Roto-Rooter office, and have received only a letter from ** filled with untruthful descriptions of the job. I am shocked that the main office has washed their hands of this. It is entirely up to me to get the franchise to make good.

Beware of doing business with Roto-Rooter. The national name means nothing, and they have proven they don't care at all about customer satisfaction, quality, or apparently honest work. I now have a stagnant breeding ground for mosquitoes, thanks to this outfit. Beware of Roto-Rooter.

On 8/2/08 the same problem happens again. Roto Rooter comes back and says cesspool needs to be cleaned (without checking again). They located cesspool but never opened cesspool entirely up to see if it was full, instead they punched a hole in the lid and put a hose in to clean out cesspool. Then they put a pvc pipe in hole with a rock and some dirt over it. They charged us for full service at a cost of $1,031.94. We were told that we should not have any more problems for a long time.

However 4 weeks later water in tub starts to drain out slower and slower each day. Until the same problem starts to happen again, toilet starts to back into tub. Called Roto Rooter they said all work is guaranteed. They came back and snaked the main line again and this time put a camera down pipe, to see why it keeps getting clogged. According to Roto Rooter our pipes have two crimps in them. He then proceeds to tell me that our pipes need to be dug up and replaced at a cost of $1,500.

If this was the problem from the start why didn't they check with a camera the first time they snaked our line. We called and spoke to a Michelle who then relayed the message to field manager named Sal. At this point we called another plumbing company for a second opinion. They told us they would charge us only $650 to replace pipes. We told them what Roto-Rooter had done already and they told us we were ripped off. The first guy from Roto-Rooter should have checked to see what the real problem was after he snaked the line.

Also, the company that we called said Roto-Rooter should have taken the lid off to see if cesspool was truly full. (which they never did). Perhaps it wasn't and the crimp in the pipes was the problem the whole time. Also, they told us the only way to give a full service cleaning Roto Rooter must take off entire lid, not just put a hose down a 4-6 pipe. So more then likely our cesspool probably isn't totally cleaned out.

We already spent $1,500 to solve problem, now Roto Rooter wants $1,500 more to solve the same problem. Would like to get some kind of compensation back so we can have it done properly by another company.

With the economy the way it is today and struggling to keep head above water it's a sin a large company like roto-rooter is taking advantage of a situation that should have cost at the most maybe $1,500 and now trying to squeeze another $1,500 for a total of $3,000 to fix a clogged pipe.

I was told after the work was done I had to have a gas pressure test and if it didn't withstand 5 pounds of pressure I had a leak and he would have to look for it at $150.00per hour. The next thing I know he haas my stove moved and is checking those pipes. He spent the whole day here . When he was done we were talking and he told me the parts only cost a$160.00. He said they have to bring in $1700. a day acording to roto rooter in order for them to be doing their job. When he first said it it didn't register with me. I just wanted him to go. I waisted the entire day.

The bill came to $1,788.41. I gave him a check. When I actoally looked at the bill I couldn't believe it. I was charged $166.41 for parts, $120.00 to go get the parts and $1,480. in labor. Apparently he made his quota for the day. I can not believe they can take advantage of someone like this. I am at a loss. I can not do the job myself and so I am at the mercy of these people and they know it.

This is a mortgage payment for me so now I am going to be behind on my home. This is truly a hardship