Business Profile

Plumber

Roto-Rooter

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Pattern of Complaints

Complaints

This profile includes complaints for Roto-Rooter's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see

Customer Complaints Summary

790 total complaints in the last 3 years.
258 complaints closed in the last 12 months.

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The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

Initial Complaint
Date:01/17/2025
Type:Service or Repair Issues
Status:
AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
I scheduled a technician at Roto Rooter to fix a sticky shower lever on 1/12/25. Jonathan F***** came out and said he could replace the shower cartridge for around $500. I said I didn't have that kind of money so he offered to perform an adjustment and spray some WD40 on it to make the handle turn easier to turn for $150. Ignorant to all things plumbing, I agreed. I was watching him and helping to turn the main water on and off while he worked. He pulled out the cartridge and said oh there's nothing wrong with the cartridge, the cover was on too tight. So he proceeded to loosen the cover, checked to make sure there was no leaks, received payment, and left. Later on, my daughter goes to take a shower and realizes we don't have any hot water in there. Roto Rooter sent Jonathan back to my house the same night and he attempted to adjust the lever slide control several times until he gave up and said we drained all the hot water, and to try it in the morning and give us a call back if you still have issues. The next morning on 1/13/25, I still only had warm water at best so Roto Rooter sent out Aaron who took out the cartridge and informed me it is broken. I explained that Jon told me it wasn't so if he says that it is then that means Jonathan broke it. Aaron called someone at Roto Rooter and eventually said the best he could do is $475 to replace the cartridge.

I called Roto Rooter because my shower lever was hard to turn. Jonathan F***** broke my shower cartridge and now I do not have hot water in that shower. Roto Rooter wants me to pay nearly $500 to repair their own damages. I just want my $160.50 refunded to me because I don't trust them to perform any repairs at this point.
Business Response
Date: 01/21/2025
Please accept our apologies. Per our conversation, the service that was preformed and the actions following were not up to our standard way of doing business and we are happy to have issued a credit back to your card. If you have need in the future please feel free to call, I hope that you give us the opportunity in the future to help and I'm sure the experience will be much better. Thank you for your time and understanding.
Initial Complaint
Date:01/16/2025
Type:Service or Repair Issues
Status:
ResolvedMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
I called roto Rooter on, think it was June 7th, to come and check my drain from my washing machine, because the water was backing up into my kitchen sink.
T*******, I think his name was, came out. T******* snaked out the back side of my houses, I was asked to fill the machine with water and let it out, while he sat on my front porch,HIS JOB!
The water ran out with no problem. He explained the warranty of 6 months and left.
I know before T******* could get to where he was going, it backed up again. I called T******* and explained the situation over the phone. I then requested that they take a camera and see if they could find the problem. I finally convinced him to send someone out with a camera,
because that was suppose to be part of the package.
The person came out, checked, and then proceeded to tell me that I had a broken/ cracked pipe. I asked him for a copy of the image and he refused. He then quoted me this huge price. I told him, NEVER!
I called roto Rooter back and repeated what the guy had said. I asked for a manager. They said that one would be calling me back. NO CALL,! Called back, asked for manager and copy of image. Same response about manager, but I was told that I could get a copy of the image and that it would be mailed to me ASAP. NO CALL, NO IMAGE! Was told this several times. NOTHING!! The 2 people that promised me the image and call back from a manager were,Laura and Jasmine. All this time, I'm requesting that someone come back out, remember, WARRANTY. No one came, NEVER!
The last time I called, I spoke with A****. Got no where. I asked for a manager. I was told by someone whom said he was a manager, that it would cost me $500.00 to get a copy of the image. We went back and forth, started arguing. Asked him to send someone back out...WARRANTY!
Got tired of arguing with him, told him, to have a blessed day and bye. Never heard anything else nor seen anyone else.
Found out pipe wasn't broke nor cracked.
Business Response
Date: 01/21/2025
Our apologies for your negative experience. Our camera tech that was called by the drain tech T******* does not normally have the equipment to run the camera into a small sink or laundry line. I would assume that he may have run a camera into your main line and felt he saw something broken. We do not have a record of an estimate given for repair in our system. Although this service was done over six months ago, you did have a six month guarantee against the line clogging and we would have been happy to send a tech out to do the work, you had stated that you called T******* directly but the correct procedure would be to call us here at ************** and we are always happy to honor the guarantee. We it should have been explained to you when you called that we do not keep the recording of your line on file so we would not have been able to provide that to you. I am sorry for what seems to be poor communication on someone's part and hope that you have gotten your issue taken care of. If you are in need of further service please feel free to reach us at ************** and we will get someone out to you. Thank you for your time.
Customer Answer
Date: 01/21/2025
Better Business Bureau:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

Regards,

****** *****
Initial Complaint
Date:01/16/2025
Type:Service or Repair Issues
Status:
AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
On 8/18/2024, Roto Rooter initiated a water mitigation job on my property on:

*** ****** *** ********** ** *****

They estimated the total price they will charge will be between $10,000 to $15,000 (PDF attached). They notified me the deductible will be $2620 and my insurance will take care of the rest. I paid my deductible on 9/12/2024 (receipt attached).

On 12/23/2024, my insurance claim handler from ***** **** notified me that Roto Rooter is charging them $24,000. The insurance agent found multiple line items that are irrelevant, not warranted or completed. Insurance agent send a detailed notes to appeal the total amount. On 1/13/2024, I requested Roto Rooter to email me and explain why the irrelevant items noted by my insurance was charged. I never received such email.

Till this date (1/16/2025), I have yet received an updated invoice with the new amount and Roto Rooter is threatening to put me in collections.
Business Response
Date: 01/21/2025
Water Restoration manager has already reached out to, worked with and come to agreement with customer. Customer has paid balance and all parties are satisfied.
Initial Complaint
Date:01/11/2025
Type:Service or Repair Issues
Status:
AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
Complaint Details:
My name is ***** ******, and I am filing a complaint against Roto Rooter for improper assessment and incomplete resolution of sewage line issues at my residence, located at **** ********* *** ********** ******** ** *****.
Timeline of Events:
1. Initial Issue and Service:
In late 2023, I contacted Roto Rooter regarding backups in our main sewage line, which caused water damage in our basement.
An initial assessment was completed on January 2, 2024, and work began on January 10, 2024, concluding on January 12, 2024.
The work involved excavating the garage floor, replacing approximately 4 feet of sewer line, and installing a cleanout at a cost of $7,479.
2. Subsequent Backups:
The sewage line backed up again in October 2024. Roto Rooter cleared the line twice in October and conducted a new assessment.
Following this assessment, additional work was performed on November 6, 2024, at a cost of $14,757. During this work, it was discovered that the repairs completed in January 2024 had failed. Roto Rooter issued a $2,000 rebate for this failure.
3. Ongoing Problems:
Despite the November repairs, our drain backed up again on November 23, 2024, and in the days that followed.
Further assessments were conducted on December 17, 2024, and January 2, 2025, identifying yet another blockage in the sewer line.
Roto Rooter has now proposed additional work at an estimated cost of $12,000, bringing the total cost of services to nearly $20,000, without resolving the root issue.
Nature of the Complaint:
Failure to Properly Diagnose: Roto Rooter did not adequately identify or resolve the underlying issue during their January 2024 assessment and repair.
Ineffective Repairs: Subsequent work has also failed to address the problem, resulting in ongoing backups.
Unnecessary Costs: Roto Rooter’s repeated failure to resolve the issue has resulted in accumulating expenses, while the main problem persists.
Business Response
Date: 01/25/2025
Spoke with the customer and explained we will see what we can do to work with him on the price for the latest issue. Explained to him that I will get with my Field Supervisor and come up with a game plain to get this issue resolved.
Customer Answer
Date: 02/06/2025
Better Business Bureau:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. For your reference, reasons for rejection are included below.

The business offered to fix the issue at a reduced cost of ~$4K. I had another contractor look at the issue and they identified the same problem but stated the problem could be an obstruction or a disconnection of the pipe section. This obstruction or disconnection did not occur until after the work that Roto Rooter completed on November 6th. Roto Rooter already confirmed the work that was completed in Jan 2024 wasn't done correctly, understanding what was stated by the other contractor leads me to think that the work completed in Nov 2025 also caused some additional issues. Roto Rooter, never confirmed that the overall system was working properly after Nov 6th, without several requests from me. At this point, I request that Roto Rooter complete the current work for no additional cost, due to the fact that we have already paid ~$20K and the work may have caused the problem that we're having now.

Regards,

***** ******

Customer Answer
Date: 02/11/2025
I've attached the estimate from *** *** *******, along with the latest proposal from Roto Rooter, which includes a discount. When I spoke with the technician from *** *** ******* they stated that a blockage of this type can come from the piper separating or breaking. The pipe was working before the work that Roto Rooter performed in Nov 2024.

Thank you
Business Response
Date: 06/03/2025
Spoke with ***** and they are satisfied with our solution. They will be moving forward with the $4500.00 repair in two weeks. I have a call set for Monday June 16th to set an excavation date.
Initial Complaint
Date:01/09/2025
Type:Service or Repair Issues
Status:
ResolvedMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
Avoid Roto Rooter: Fraud, Deception, and Bullying

If you’re considering Roto Rooter for plumbing or mitigation, think twice. My experience with their ******* ** branch involved deceptive practices, inflated charges, and bullying.

On 12/4/24, I contacted Roto Rooter for a clogged basement pipe. What followed was a nightmare of inflated charges and unresolved issues. The technician quoted $30,000, which I questioned. I was assured this was “just a range” and told:
“Don’t worry about the price; we can always go down, never up. You’re covered by insurance.”

This was a lie. They claimed they needed to remove water and clean walls to prevent mold, but by 12/5/24, the basement was worse. The pipe was still clogged, and the flooding had escalated.

They charged $27,000 for cleanup that solved nothing. Then, another plumber claimed the issue was a broken pipe under the sidewalk, requiring $13,000 in repairs. When I requested photographic evidence, he had none and asked me to “trust him.”

Instead, I hired a trusted plumber who completed everything for $1,000. No broken pipe, no further flooding, and no justification for the $13,000 charge.

Emails to Roto Rooter went unanswered until their representative dismissed my concerns, saying:
“You have no invoice for $13k. It wasn’t charged.”

This gaslighting doesn’t erase the fraud attempt—or the $27,000 charged for work that didn’t resolve the issue.

Now, Roto Rooter is threatening collections and credit damage unless I pay the full amount. One representative wrote:
“With the signed contract, I am liable to collect the payment due.”

This harassment is unacceptable. My experience shows how they exploit homeowners with inflated charges, false claims, and intimidation.

I’m pursuing legal action and spreading awareness through reviews and media. To anyone considering Roto Rooter: avoid them. Their practices are unethical, their services subpar, and their customer treatment disgraceful.
Business Response
Date: 01/21/2025
We are no longer seeking any compensation from *** ******* and will not be reporting any transactions to any credit bureau.
Customer Answer
Date: 02/06/2025
Better Business Bureau:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. I would like for the company to formally send me a letter stating this is their stance so that in the event there is a change of heart I will protected.

Regards,

**** *******
Initial Complaint
Date:01/07/2025
Type:Service or Repair Issues
Status:
AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
******* ****** writing for my elderly father who is 75 years old with vision & health issues that’s has been taken advantage of by this company taking 1,750$ illegally from him and is refusing to give funds back for a job they did not do

On Friday January 3 2025 an employee from Rooto Rooter came to my home 1 day before they stated they would come to assess a job . I was told I had to put a credit card on file . The company told me I had 3 days to determine if I wanted the job done . I contacted them and told them I didn’t want the job done the company charged my credit card $1,750 and told me I wasn’t getting the funds back. They didn’t do any work they damaged my security door broke the glass and still haven’t repaired it yet . Because I’m elderly I feel unsafe with my door open because the company has broken my door without repairing now they’ve illegally taken 1,750$ from my credit card.
Business Response
Date: 01/08/2025
BBB:
The refund for the deposit was processed. The customer contacted us within the three-day cancellation window. A copy of the refund receipt was emailed to the customer and customer's daughter. I am unsure who they contacted originally, but this was a simple fix. In regard to the broken glass pane, the tech on site and customer discussed remedy and the company is waiting for a copy of the receipt so we can reimburse.
Initial Complaint
Date:01/06/2025
Type:Service or Repair Issues
Status:
AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
date of service 12/12/24.
Paid 3500.00
We had a leak in the main pipe outside our house. The salesman came and said that the area would have to be excavated, and two plumbers would have to do the work. When we questioned the cost, he stated that in order to stop the flow of water when they were doing the repair would require that the pipe be capped. This was not the case as the water was just turned off at the main stop valve. The next day, only one plumber came, stayed for a max of three hours to complete the job. No special equipment was used, just a spade and shovel, the area was easy to access, he dug about a foot down or less, and replaced just a small section of pipe. We feel that the job was misrepresented in complexity and we were overcharged beyond fair market price for the service and work that was done. See attached photos showing the area of leak, depth and tools used for the job.
Business Response
Date: 01/07/2025
Customer was given a price upfront for the MWL repair and Excavation work to make repair. Roto Rooters prices are set on a corporate level across the board for any services. This project was assessed, priced and agreed upon by both homeowners and the Field Supervisor with RR. Our Excavation department has bottom dollar/minimum prices for in ground excavation repairs.
Initial Complaint
Date:01/04/2025
Type:Service or Repair Issues
Status:
AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
Please see attached complaint for details.
We scheduled the next day service on 11/22. Roto-Rooter sent people on 11/23 and completed on 11/30. The service was fine but final bill amount was not communicated until they sent the invoice to our insurance company on 12/5.
1. Invoice is overcharged. Since Roto Rooter knows our insurance company will cover up to $10,000, they tried to maximize the charge and invoiced us $14,500 which is not fair to customer. The quantities of equipment used for water damage mitigation on the invoices are not reasonable. The photos included in the invoice can’t support the quantities of equipment they charged on the invoice. We tried many times to connect with Roto-Rooter field supervisor and claim coordinator to get more explanations, but no one wants to have a call with us. The only response we got was a few emails which didn’t provide any reasonable explanations about why the invoice was overcharged. They just kept saying that the invoice is due soon and we need to pay. We do want to pay but only to the extent of invoice has reasonable charge.
2. As mentioned above, we tried to text and call Roto-Rooter field supervisor, Peter and claim coordinator, Patti but did not get responsive answer. Only email back and forth with Patti and she asked Louis B**** and Doug H***** to review it on 12/17 and also copied Customer Satisfaction Manager Pat S****** but didn’t get any response. Followed up with Patti on 12/18 and she said she will let them reviewed EOBD 12/19. Until now we didn’t get any response.
3. The contract stated the estimation is $5000 to $1000 so we signed the contract but when we tried to dispute with Roto-Rooter on the overcharged invoice, they stated there was a typo in the singed contract. This misled us to agree with the contract at the beginning of the job. The total amount was not communicated with customer and not transparency until we got final bill. Making customer feels ripped off and uncomfortable.
Business Response
Date: 01/06/2025
Hello. Customer signed attached agreements. Roto-Rooter uses the industry standard program for pricing, *********, that all water clean-up and insurance companies use. ** ** was emailed in detail about what he signed and shown the areas of the agreement that he's choosing to disregard. We did the work we billed for, and the customer has been paid by his insurance company and now does not want to pay his invoice here for work completed. Per the signed agreements, payment is due by the 40th day of completed services. Attached is the initial email to the insurance company and ** **, that went unaddressed by him until 12/17, yet the info was emailed to him on 12/5.
Customer Answer
Date: 01/06/2025
Better Business Bureau:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. For your reference, reasons for rejection are included below.

* Has the company addressed the issues of this dispute?
No, the company just kept saying I signed the agreement and insisted I need to pay for the full bill.
Again, I have no problem to pay but only to the extent of invoice has reasonable
charge.
They never brought the resolution but just pushing for payment.

Address my issues below again:
1. They put estimation $5000 to $1000 which misled us to agree the job with them
2. The service they provided didn't match the breakdown. Here are examples:
a. They put around 10-15 air movers as
proposed but they charged 20
b. Charged anti-microbial agent application
for over 1000 square feet but our basement area is around 700-800 square feet
c. They charged you over $800 to install
220v power box without communicating with customer in advance
d. Trip numbers and hours were overcharged.
Why you spent over two hours per trip?
They charged you even on holiday which they didn’t send anyone here.
e. The Equipment Log needs to be signed by customer but they didn’t ask
for my signatures and didn’t go through the total quantities with us.
f.
Emergency after hour over charge. Worked here only two Saturdays but they
charged more than that. In addition, agreed completion date was not achieved
3. All the service should be provided within the estimation and no transparency for the final bill until they sent the invoice to my insurance company.
4. One
of my signature on log was forged (not my signature). Now we believed they copied and paste my signature to wherever we didn’t agree.

Regards,

******* **

Business Response
Date: 01/20/2025
Hello. Addressing the complaint in order of the line items. #1 - estimate was $5,000 - $10,000. There is nowhere in the world that someone would give a low-end price and go lower. The customer is well aware that the "range" was $5k- $10K and is attempting to use the "typo" as a tool to not pay for his services. #2 - the breakdown is per the industry standard web application (*********) that ALL water mitigation and insurance companies use to determine the cost of work being done. #2A see pg. 70 line #21, we billed for 15, not 20. #2B, according to ******, the measurement of the basement is 864sq ft, we're over by 136sq ft, that would be a monetary difference of $50.32, more than happy to refund $50.32. #2C, attached is the invoice from the electrician; how could the customer not realize that there was someone there to install this. This is also necessary, as your typical home does not support the equipment running, without tripping the homes electrical system. #2D - 2-man crew to do the work and a monitoring tech for days signed for by customer on pages 14-20. Dates are: 11/23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 29 & 30. #2E, the equipment log is so our equipment doesn't go "missing", there is no requirement for you to sign. You had already signed for that on the Customer Equipment Responsibility Form pg. 3. #2F- the emergency service call, per the ********* program states: "an emergency service charge is representative of costs resulting from the immediate reassigning of employees from a job in progress or the activation of employees from on-call status for emergency response". Has nothing to do with Saturdays. #3, the contract clearly states, the range that the work will be billed per *********. Once the info gets inputted to the ********* program, it tells the cost. #4, citing one of the signatures was fraud but the other six were good? Doesn't make sense.
Customer Answer
Date: 01/23/2025
Better Business Bureau:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. For your reference, reasons for rejection are included below.

1. Even the estimate is $5,000-$10,000, why your final bill is 50% over it?
It’s the scam if you used lower estimate to
lure customers doing business with you.
You keep saying the estimate is the
industry standard but you didn’t follow it.
You didn’t do any extra service than what
you estimated. Where is the over charge coming from?
Estimate $5,000-$10,000 but charged $14,500?
2. You don’t know how to read your breakdown.
Line 21, you said you set up 3
Line 33, another 2
Line 51, you said 20
Total you charged 25 instead of 10-15 as
estimated.

3. You never quote electrician service. Your guy just said someone will install it.
Besides, in line 22, if we pay it, why you
charge 5 days “rental” or “set up”?
It said removed on 11/30 but it’s still on
my wall in basement.

4. No one was at my home on 11/24. All cost related to that day should be removed.
Signature forgery is the crime. It doesn’t matter make sense or not since it’s fact.

5. We already paid the invoice in full on 1/6/2025 and would like to get refund whatever over estimate which is $4,500.

Regards,

******* **

Business Response
Date: 02/06/2025
Roto-Rooter has thoroughly reviewed and responded to your concerns multiple times. The work performed was in accordance with the industry-standard pricing program, *********, which is used by all water mitigation and insurance companies. You signed multiple agreements acknowledging the scope of work and pricing, and your insurance company has already reimbursed you for the services.
Key points of clarification:
* The estimated range provided was $5,000–$10,000, not a fixed price.
* All charges were calculated based on *********, with transparent breakdowns.
* Any minor discrepancies, such as a $50.32 overage, have been acknowledged and offered as a refund.
* Equipment usage, emergency service fees, and labor were clearly detailed in the signed agreement.
* Multiple signatures were provided throughout the process, verifying authorization of the work.
Given these facts and our previous communications, this serves as our final response.
Customer Answer
Date: 02/06/2025
Better Business Bureau:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. For your reference, reasons for rejection are included below.

We don't accept the explanation.
Why the final bill is 50% more than estimation?
It's not 5% or 10% but 50%!!!
And your manager said it won't over our cap and estimate and we decided to use your service because of this!
There's no protection for customers.
The estimation also came from the same system.
If you estimated wrongly, we shouldn't bear with that and it's scam!
I don't see you change the service / job scope.
Insurance company paid doesn't mean it's reasonable since they paid the cap and nothing they need to care.
Again, we shouldn't pay anything over our cap and request you refund $4,500 to us.

Regards,

******* **
Initial Complaint
Date:01/02/2025
Type:Service or Repair Issues
Status:
AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
I had a plumber come out on the 14th of December 2024 to look at slow drains and a leaking toilet. They quoted me at $4,100 to do the work to fix things. They ended up charging me $5,100 and had a manager come out and tried to upsell me for a $9,000 project that didn't need to be done according to another plumber who came out to look at the work they did. Not only that I was charged for work that was not done. The work receipt says that angle stops were replaced. They were not. The other plumber also looked at the work that was done and said the wrong fittings were put in. The fittings put in will cause sediment to collect at the bottom of the pipe. Pipes that were worked on are now.lekaing more and the drain is still slow. Also was charged for commercial property instead of residential property. I had been trying to get a hold of the company for near 2 weeks and it was only given the run around. Not only that, the plumber left a mess in my bathroom and the pipes that were removed were left in my back alley instead of removed by the plumber as should be. Also a access cap had been broken, not replaced. The other plumber who came and looked at it said it was at most a $1,500 job. I was charged 5100 and to be able to pay for it. They said they can work with a bank. It turns out it was a credit card application
Business Response
Date: 01/03/2025
Roto-Rooter has spoken to the customer numerous times and advised of the services. He signed the invoice for work and paid via ********* bank. Customer was aware of charges. Customer also had other parties sign and pay for services. ***** * ******* signed for the ********* Bank sales slip (attached) and **** ***** signed for services. I believe this to be a tenant/landlord situation. His tenants signed for services.
Customer Answer
Date: 01/03/2025
Better Business Bureau:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. For your reference, reasons for rejection are included below.

I live there, they are my roommates. This was not a commercial property. Manager tried to upsell work. I have spoken to people who only pushed the issue somewhere else.

Regards,

***** ********

Customer Answer
Date: 01/08/2025
This was not a tenant land lord situation. I was not made aware the bank was a credit card. I talked to numerous people each telling me they'd move it up the chain. It took this to get anywhere and then they said they stand by everything they did. They did not say or try to fix the fact that I was charged as a commercial property and defended their stance on an unnecessary large cost project. They also did not explain or make regards for the mess left or the old pipes left. My sink still doesn't drain, it was on of the sinks rodded, an access cap was broken and not replaced, the pipes worked on leak, none of the angle stops I was charged for changing were changed.
Business Response
Date: 01/23/2025
Thank you again for bringing your concerns to our attention. We have thoroughly reviewed this matter again and would like to reiterate the details of the transaction for clarity. Roto-Rooter has communicated with you on several occasions to address your concerns and explain the valuable services performed. Our records confirm that the work was authorized and signed for, with full acknowledgment of the associated charges. Payment in full for the services was processed through ********* Bank, and the sales slip, signed by ***** ** *******, is attached for your reference. Additionally, **** ***** signed off on the service agreement. Based on the documentation and signatures provided, it appears this may be a tenant/landlord situation, as your tenants authorized and paid for the services rendered. Given that all services were properly authorized, completed, and paid for, we must respectfully inform you that this will serve as our final response on the matter.
Initial Complaint
Date:01/02/2025
Type:Service or Repair Issues
Status:
ResolvedMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
On 11/8/2024, a plumbing issue occurred at our rental condo located at *** ******* ***** *********** *** *****. A minor water leak was discovered under the kitchen sink. A plumber provided an estimate for the repairs, completed the work, and charged $956.31 to our credit card. However, despite repeated requests, they have not provided an invoice or the promised warranty for their work.

It seems the plumber may have overstated the severity of the issue to justify unnecessary repairs or replacements, This resulted in inflated service costs based on their estimate, which we felt pressured to accept. A detailed breakdown of the material and labor costs is required to determine the reasonableness of the charges, and a refund of any excess charges should be issued as soon as possible.
Business Response
Date: 01/03/2025
Part and labor include to re-pipe kitchen sink drainage system, price also includes a 3 month warranty on labor. Invoice/itemized breakdown is being sent directly to homeowner
Customer Answer
Date: 01/03/2025
Better Business Bureau:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. For your reference, reasons for rejection are included below.

We have not yet received any invoice directly from the business despite multiple follow-ups. Issuing an invoice after such a long delay of about 2 months, is unacceptable, as it would not accurately reflect the true value of the work performed. Additionally, no warranty undertaking has been provided. Although we have contacted them twice before, their responses have been unsatisfactory, and they have not addressed the reasonableness of the charges.

Regards,

****** ****

Business Response
Date: 01/07/2025
The charge was for 2 hours of labor, parts and taxes. The customer does not reside at the property, therefore, a commercial hourly rate was applied as opposed to residential.
Customer Answer
Date: 01/08/2025
Better Business Bureau:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. For your reference, reasons for rejection are included below.

This is the first time that we are receiving the invoice despite of repeated requests in the past. How can the business charge a commercial rate in a residential condo unit that has a homeowners association!

We were never made aware of this that they would be charging a commercial labor rate for this. Why would the business be concerned with who resides at the property? The factor that should determine a residential vs commercial rate should be the type of the property and not if the person procuring the service resides there or not. They at least have the responsibility to let the customer know that this would be subject to a commercial rate but they didn’t do that either.

I find it extremely hard to understand how can plumbing repair services run up to $425/hr for 2 hours with a total of $850 for labor when the parts cost only $50. This is also the first we are being made aware of the breakdown of parts and labor. It is clear that the business is just finding false pretenses to cover up the massive overcharge for this work.

Attached is the ********** county tax records details with my name on it and confirming this as a residential property.

I urge a prompt resolution to this matter by updating labor rate to residential and issuing a refund for the remainder amount.

Regards,

****** ****

Business Response
Date: 01/21/2025
Commercial rates apply to all properties operating as a business along, and pricing along with warranties differentiate from residential to commercial
Customer Answer
Date: 01/22/2025
Better Business Bureau:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. For your reference, reasons for rejection are included below.

This response makes no sense. There is no reason to charge commercial rate for a residential property. This is not an office or a business. It is a place of residence that people call home. Also, we were never made aware that this would be charged at a commercial rate, otherwise we would have declined service.

Please apply residential rate and refund the difference. Thank you.

Regards,

****** ****

Business Response
Date: 01/29/2025
The difference in the commercial hourly rate vs. residential hourly rate is about $32 an hour, our technician was there for about 2 hours. I will re-imburse $100 back to the CC in efforts to settle the complaint
Customer Answer
Date: 02/12/2025
Better Business Bureau:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. For your reference, reasons for rejection are included below.

They are claiming that the difference in their commercial rate and residential rate is only $32 per hour. Based on this, they claim that their hourly labor rate for residential plumbing is $393/hr. This is outrageous. Maximum hourly rate for a plumber in ** will not exceed $150/hr (that is an outer limit used for emergencies like weekends/ after hours and this wasn't the case here) especially for a repair job like this one with $50 in materials. This is based on research from multiple sites. Also these kind of smaller jobs are quoted as flat like and not an hourly rate like the one that I was charged. Like below to one such site- homeguide.

In order to not drag this further and end the dispute, I am willing to accept a rate of $150/hour. They say the plumber worked for 2 hrs. So that is $300+$50 in parts. So that is $350+6.625% tax= $373.19. Based on this, they should refund me $956.31-$373.19= $583.12. However, I will accept a refund of $550.

****************.

Regards,

****** ****

Business Response
Date: 02/17/2025
Under company policy, if there is a tenant in place, the residence is considered commercial although it may be a residential property. Commercial rates are higher than residential rates. We are willing to re-imburse the difference in rates to satisfy our customer.
Customer Answer
Date: 02/19/2025
Better Business Bureau:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. For your reference, reasons for rejection are included below.

As I have mentioned before, we weren't made aware that we will be charged a commercial rate otherwise we would have re-considered. Also this is not a response to what we had asked about being overcharged. Re-pasting our concern below that was expressed in the last communication because that seems to have been overlooked/not addressed. As pointed out below, happy to accept a refund of $550 to put an end to this.

They are claiming that the difference in their commercial rate and residential rate is only $32 per hour. Based on this, they claim that their hourly labor rate for residential plumbing is $393. This is outrageous. Maximum hourly rate for a plumber in ** will not exceed $150/hr (that is an outer limit used for emergencies like weekends/ after hours and this wasn't the case here) especially for a repair job like this one with $50 in materials. This is based on research from multiple sites. Also these kind of smaller jobs are quoted as flat rate and not an hourly rate like the one that I was charged. Link below to one such site- homeguide.

In order to not drag this further and end the dispute, I am willing to accept a rate of $150/hour. They say the plumber worked for 2 hrs. So that is $300+$50 in parts. So that is $350+6.625% tax= $373.19. Based on this, they should refund me $956.31-$373.19= $583.12. However, I will accept a refund of $550.

****************.

Regards,

****** ****

Business Response
Date: 02/24/2025
We will settle the dispute and process re-imbursment
Customer Answer
Date: 03/14/2025
Better Business Bureau:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. For your reference, reasons for rejection are included below.

Thank you. I will accept the refund amount of $550, but I still do not see that credited back to my card. I am happy to accept and close out the case once I see a credit of $550 on my credit card. Please advise once that has been refunded. Thanks for your understanding.

Regards,

****** ****

Business Response
Date: 03/26/2025
A refund was sent up to our home office to have a check issued as we were not able to credit the card. The refund is in process in order to satisfy our customer
Customer Answer
Date: 04/09/2025
Better Business Bureau:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. For your reference, reasons for rejection are included below.

Thank you. I appreciate that the refund is in process but I still haven't received a check yet. I would like for this to remain open until I have the refund check. Not sure why this could not just be refunded to the credit card but that is fine. Looking forward to receiving the check soon.

Regards,

****** ****

Business Response
Date: 04/17/2025
Spoke with customer and agreed on refund amount
Customer Answer
Date: 04/25/2025
Better Business Bureau:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. For your reference, reasons for rejection are included below.

They keep talking and saying they would issue a refund but I am yet to receive anything. I would like for the case to remain open until I have received the check so the complaint has not been resolved yet.

Regards,

****** ****

Business Response
Date: 05/30/2025
The refund was issued on 04/25/2025 via check and will have been sent to the address where service occurred.
Customer Answer
Date: 06/10/2025
Better Business Bureau:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

Regards,

****** ****

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