Plumber
Roto-RooterThis business is NOT BBB Accredited.
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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.
- 257 complaints closed in the last 12 months.
If you've experienced an issue
Submit a ComplaintThe 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:12/19/2024
Type:Service or Repair IssuesStatus: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.
Today, 12/19, I woke up to find that both of my toilets wouldn’t flush. I called Roto Rooter and explained that I required someone to come in the morning because I have a funeral this afternoon. I was given a window of 8:30-10:30.
Close to 10, they called and said they weren’t sure when the technician would arrive, but he would be late. I explained the whole reason I went with Roto Rooter is the aforementioned funeral and they had morning availability. They called me back a few minutes later and said someone was on his way and would arrive by 10:30.
For the next two hours I waited and kept calling, being told he was on his way. Finally he arrived at 12:40. He said the pipes needed to be snaked, which costs $700, but they would discount to $500 because of the “trouble caused.”
I had this type of service done once before and it was $250. They knew I was in a bind, and I think they were unfair to me on pricing. I also think it’s unacceptable to be this late past the promised window.Business Response
Date: 12/20/2024
*****,
We appreciate you bringing your concern to us. We looked into your ticket and the work that was done. With two toilets backing up, the clog is generally in your mainline. It would appear our technician removed your toilet and rodded into your mainline to get your system working again. Our standard pricing for this is $946. The technician gave you a discount of $446 and charged $500 for the work. While I understand this price may seem high, please understand that part of that cost is for the expertise of your technician as well as the equipment they utilize. There is also a 6 month guarantee on your work.
Thank you,
Roto Rooter
Initial Complaint
Date:12/19/2024
Type:Sales and Advertising IssuesStatus: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.
The company up sold my elderly mother we are asking the difference between the $329Business Response
Date: 12/21/2024
We understand the concern and did connect with customer to discuss the situation. The technician used his best judgement when working through the issue and decided the best solution was to perform Hydro jetting. The technician offered the service at a discounted price to help accommodate the customer. We do not believe providing a full refund for the service is appropriate under the circumstances.Initial Complaint
Date:12/18/2024
Type:Service or Repair IssuesStatus: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.
This complaint is against Roto-Rooter. I called them because an apartment i the 4 flat that i own had standing water in the bathtub. They sent someone out and he rooding out the toilet and said that he restored the flow but he said that the problem was tree limbs in the pipe and he called his supervisor who came and said I needed scaling at a charge of $3400. I agreed to the service not knowing that this class action suit was filed against them for doing services t
That were unnecessary. Mind you i had ready paid the 1st guy almost a thousand dollars. I believe this company scared me also because the second guy that came out was only here 30 minutes, the 1st guy was here 6 hours. I got a email receipt for the $3400. But it didn't offer any details about what was done in that 30 minutes. I truly believe I was scared into getting a unnecessary service that I don't believe was done by the second guy. After reading the reviews and the class action sculpture I realized roto rooter was up to the old tricks of scamming people. I want my entire $3400. Refunded. They can keep the $961. I paid to the first guy.Business Response
Date: 12/19/2024
Thank you for reaching out and sharing your concerns regarding the services performed at your Dolton, Illinois property. At Roto-Rooter, we are committed to providing transparent and professional service, and we appreciate the opportunity to address your concerns.
After reviewing your case, including the work completed and associated charges, we would like to clarify the following:
* Work Performed: During the initial visit, tree roots were identified as the cause of the blockage in your sewer line. This issue required immediate attention to prevent further damage and recurring blockages. As part of our solution, we cleared the roots and lined the sewer pipe to seal the penetrations, ensuring the long-term integrity of your system.
* Reasonable Pricing: The $3,400 charge for pipe scaling and lining reflects the industry standard for such services. Our technicians worked efficiently and effectively to address the issue, and while the second visit may have been shorter, this is due to the nature of the work rather than any lack of thoroughness.
* Customer Assurance: We understand your concerns regarding the receipt details and perceived urgency. We will provide a breakdown of the work performed and additional documentation to help you understand the service provided.While we recognize your dissatisfaction, we firmly believe the services performed were necessary to address the issue and were completed at a fair and reasonable price. As such, we are unable to accommodate your request for a refund of $3,400. However, we value your feedback and are committed to improving the transparency of our communication and documentation processes.
Customer Answer
Date: 12/20/2024
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 still believe this service was unnecessary and I was not explained to me an they never explained what would happen if I refused this service. The guy named Dave was very pushy and fast talked. He made it sound urgent and necessary that I make a decision. In addition I spoke to someone who called later that day because I had called and complained, I was advised that I would get a call the following morning and I did not hear from anyone.
Regards,
******** *********
Business Response
Date: 12/30/2024
After further review of the Pre and post videos and listening to the audio on both I concur with the previous Managers statements.
* Work Performed: During the initial visit, tree roots
were identified as the cause of the blockage in your sewer line. This issue
required immediate attention to prevent further damage and recurring blockages.
As part of our solution, we cleared the roots and lined the sewer pipe to seal
the penetrations, ensuring the long-term integrity of your system.* Reasonable Pricing: The $3,400 charge for pipe scaling reflects the industry standard for such services. Our technicians worked
efficiently and effectively to address the issue, and while the second visit
may have been shorter, this is due to the nature of the work rather than any
lack of thoroughness.
* Customer Assurance: We understand your concerns regarding the receipt details
and perceived urgency. We will provide a breakdown of the work performed and
additional documentation to help you understand the service provided.
While we recognize your dissatisfaction, we firmly believe
the services performed were necessary to address the issue and were completed
at a fair and reasonable price. As such, we are unable to accommodate your
request for a refund of $3,400. However, we value your feedback and are
committed to improving the transparency of our communication and documentation
processes.Link to videos of before and after ****************
Initial Complaint
Date:12/14/2024
Type:Billing IssuesStatus: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.
Ticket number ********, claim number-************* prepare on November 16, 2024. Total price of work done is 16,500.00 that is financed by a company/bank that work with Roto Rooter. This particular company stated that the payment coming from my insurance company would come to them to pay for the work completed. This work was not started until I was approved for the loan to complete the work. A paper copy, nor a copy of contract was given to me. Received a text from T***** S******, claim coordinator for Roto rooter , who initiated a text informing me about my insurance company paying them asking for a copy of the contract. Tried calling individuals that was a part of the process and work done, no call back, or assistance. I know that no company or business would not do any work totaling to amount paid with out payment. I asking for help to resolve this matter and it copy of my contact.Business Response
Date: 12/20/2024
We have made several attempts to reach the customer by email and phone. The customer had several services and the email is hard to understand which one she is referencing. We are happy to assists with more clarity/information. Thank you.Initial Complaint
Date:12/11/2024
Type:Service or Repair IssuesStatus: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.
Complaint to Better
Business Bureau
We reside in ******* **. On
9/30/24, I called Roto-Rooter ***** ******** because water from the shower on
the second floor was leaking through our living room ceiling to the first
floor. I was given an appointment time between 11:00am-3:000pm, but then received
an email confirmation for 9:38am-11:48am. I received a call saying my
appointment had to be changed to 11:00am-3:00pm, and I told them that had been
the originally-scheduled time.
B**** E********* from
Roto-Rooter came to our home, looked at everything and asked what our insurance
deductible was and for the name of the condo association. I gave him a copy of
our ******** policy, which showed we have a $2500 deductible, and I gave him
the name of our condo association along with the name of the property manager.
He wanted me to pay the entire $2500 upfront and said people usually pay it
all. I gave him half ($1250) and agreed to pay the other $1250 thirty days
later. Once I received the actual documents from Roto-Rooter, it said that the
adjuster will determine how the deductible will be applied to the claim. When ********’s
adjuster came to our home, I was told we weren’t required to pay Roto-Rooter
anything upfront, which included our insurance deductible. Roto-Rooter’s papers
also said that they would file the claim with ********. After calling B****
at least three times and leaving messages (9/28, 10/1 and 10/4) to find out
whether he was going to get a contractor to do the work or whether we were
supposed to, I got a call on October 4th, from an individual named
J*****, who said that B****, the project manager, would try to reach B**** and
call me. I had been checking my ******** online account almost daily and
even called ******** on October 4th, yet there was no record of the
claim having been filed. B**** still hadn’t filed a claim. After this call from
J*****, I suddenly got a call from B**** giving me the ******** claim number
and saying I should check my ******** online account. I told him I just did,
but there was no claim filed. He said to check now. When I checked after
speaking with B****, it was there. He had finally filed a claim with ********
on October 4th. If I wouldn’t have kept calling and getting the
project manager involved, I don’t know when, if ever, this claim would have
been filed.
Going back to the day
B**** first came to our home, I asked how long this would all take, B**** said
it would be done that same day. While he was at our home, two plumbers arrived,
but they were told it was too early for them to do any work they were supposed
to do. When I asked them about calling later, they said it might not be them
coming back, but they work until 12. B**** had me sign some papers without
explaining what they even were and said I would be getting copies. I decided to
make copies while he was still at our home. After B**** left, two men came, who
opened up our living room ceiling (mitigation) and did whatever they needed to
do and left our living room full of equipment. It seems a pipe had burst. I was
told it would take 2-3 days to dry and the plumber would pick up all the
equipment. I understood that it would take 2-3 days to dry, but was never told
that all the equipment had to be left connected. They filled up our entire
living room.
Since B**** E********* had
said the work would be done the same day, my husband and I waited until 8pm, but
nobody showed up, and we didn’t even receive a call from anyone so I called
Roto-Rooter and spoke with a supervisor, B******, who said they work until 6. I
told him we had all this equipment sitting in our living room and wanted to
know when it would get picked up. I complained about the electric bill we would
get if we had to leave the equipment plugged in for three days. He said the
equipment could be unplugged and just plug it in again before it gets picked
up. He said that B****, the project
manager, would call me about having the equipment picked up. B**** did call,
but I was in the shower, and my son, who is an attorney, spoke with him.
On 10/1, I got a call from
an individual named Ad****, who asked if I wanted the equipment picked
up now or later in the afternoon, and I said now, and he told me he was in
Short Hills, an hour and a half away. He was here punctually and picked up the
equipment.
That same day, 10/1, a
plumber from Roto-Rooter, M*******, came and replaced our shower head and
the face plate with a handle to control the shower. Before finishing the
work, he asked if I wanted a little larger shower head, which would be $45, and
I said fine. He also showed me the bill and said it would be $975, which
included parts and labor. When he gave me the bill, it suddenly showed $975
only for labor, and the total bill was $1278.95. When I asked him why the bill
was suddenly $1278.95, he said to call C****. The plumber said if I didn’t
hear from C**** in the next two days, I should call him. I never did
hear from him. My son paid the $1278.95. When my son checked his credit card
charges, he told me that the $1278.95 charge had been reversed on October 15,
2024.
On 11/1, I was advised by
******** that they had reviewed the mitigation invoice from Roto-Rooter, which
was $4484.27, and they were paying them $2903.27. Roto-Rooter must have
submitted another invoice to ********, because when I checked my ******** online
account, I saw that Roto-Rooter had been paid $3,681.83.
On 11/4, I sent an email
to S**** P******* at Roto-Rooter’s Mitigation Department, asking for a
breakdown of the plumbing bill to see why it suddenly went from $975 to
$1278.95. I wasn’t aware of the fact that the $1278.95 had been returned to my
son.
On 11/15, I received a reminder
letter from Roto-Rooter that the amount of $3234.17 is “now 30 days past due”.
******** had advised Roto-Rooter “Review has been completed on the mitigation
invoice, $2903.27 and will be direct issued and mailed to your office per the
attached authorization direction to pay. You should receive a check in 7-10
business days. The email went on to say “…this is the maximum amount due for
the services and our insured should not be responsible for a higher rate of
amount”. I sent an email to S****, who said this was automatically
generated and to disregard it. I had made three requests to S**** asking for a
breakdown of the plumbing bill.
Since ******** paid
Roto-Rooter for all the mitigation work, and they accepted the check as payment
in full, I began communicating, through numerous emails, with S**** asking that
the $1250 (half of the deductible), which, according to ********’s adjuster, we
were never required to pay to Roto-Rooter, be returned to us.
On 11/15, there was a
voicemail on my phone from S****, which I have kept, in which she said that
Adam, the plumbing manager, told her that he was taking $200 off of the
plumbing bill, so it would only be $25 more and an even $1000. She said
Debbie wasn’t in that day, but she would be on Monday, and I would get a credit
by Friday. She also said to disregard the letter I received from Debbie, which
I mentioned above.
On 11/19, I sent an email
to S**** in which I said that Roto-Rooter agreed to accept the amount being
paid to them for the mitigation, and ******** had advised them that “this
amount is the maximum amount due for the services, and our insured should not
be responsible for a higher rate of amount”.
Since my son was
reimbursed for the entire $1278.95 for the plumbing work was our responsibility
and was not covered by ********, I said Roto-Rooter should use that $1250
towards payment for the plumbing work, but since the plumbing bill had been
reduced by $200 by Adam, the plumbing manager, and she had called and left a
message on my phone, which I kept on my phone, I was entitled to get a refund.
I also said Roto-Rooter could refund the $1250 and send me a new plumbing bill
which the corrected amount of $1000.
On the same day, 11/19,
I received an email from Debbie Warner at Roto-Rooter in which she said “As far
as your deductible it is your responsibility to pay us for this. We require
payment up front when doing the water restoration work, and if by chance your
insurance company pays us we then would refund you back. As it is your deductible
was 2500.00 and we are agreeing to accept the 1250.00 along with the insurance
check to settle your account At this time we will not be refunding you any more
money.”
I received a second
email from Debbie Warner on 11/19 saying “I am not sure what more you are
looking for from Roto Rooter. It seems that your plumbing invoice was fully
refunded to you 10.15.24.” I no longer received emails from S**** P*******.
On 11/22, ********’s
adjuster, J**** S****, advised Roto-Rooter, …”please refund the insured any
money you have received from them as we have already paid you for the services.
The check for $3,691.83 has been cleared. The deductible is being taken out of
the rebuild and no money should be collected from Roto-Rooter the mitigation
was paid directly from ********.” The adjuster further says “Please contact
K**** ASAP to process her refund….”
On 11/24, ********’s
adjuster, J**** S****, sent Roto-Rooter and me another email saying “Please
expedite the response to K**** on this situation. As you can see, she is now
incurring credit card fees for money she needs to be reimbursed for. Please
also reimburse her for the ongoing fees. Tondalaya should also be able to
assist with everything K****, please keep us up to date….” Since
the only income my husband (81) and I (78) have is our monthly social security,
I had to do a 12-month payout for the $1250, and an paying a monthly fee of
$4.94 ($59.28 for 12 months), so the $1250 becomes $1309.28.
On 11/25, I sent an
email to Debbie Warner at Roto-Rooter asking her to contact Tondalaya Henderson
at ******** as she was advised to do by J**** S****, the claims adjuster.
On 11/25, I received an
email from Debbie Warner saying “This email can provide you with the
notification that your account has been paid in full…”
On 11/25, I sent an email
to Debbie Warner at Roto-Rooter and asked her to contact Tondalaya Henderson,
who is handling the claim at ********, with regard to this situation.
Roto-Rooter claims they are entitled to this money even though ******** has
advised them that they are not entitled to this money since the deductible is
going towards the construction work, and Roto-Rooter is not entitled to it.
On 11/25, I received
the following email from Debbie Warner saying “I am not sure where the fall off
is here, this has been supplied to you multiple times. You were charged 1278.95
for the plumber work 10.1.24 and then fully refunded 1278.95, 10.15.24 We can
not give you back more than you even paid???? The fact is that Adam, the
plumbing manager, reduced the plumbing bill by $200, and I was told by S****
P******* that Debbie would be giving me a credit. This woman believes that
because Roto-Rooter returned the $1278.95 to me, Roto-Rooter is entitled to
keep the $1250 deductible which ******** has advised her Roto-Rooter is not
entitled to. I have even told her to use the $1250 towards the plumbing bill,
which was reduced to $1000 by Adam, the plumbing manager, but refund to me the
balance and ******** has further advised her that Roto-Rooter needs to
reimburse me for my credit card fees as well. I even suggested to Debbie that she refund the $1250
plus credit card fees and send me a new plumbing bill for $1000. As of 11/25, I
haven’t gotten any emails from anyone at Roro-Rooter.
On 11/27, I sent an email
to Tondalaya Henderson, who is handling my claim at ******** and explained to
her the problem I am having getting back the $1250 from Roto-Rooter, which they
refuse to do. I advised her that I told Roto-Rooter to just use that $1250
towards the plumbing bill and refund to me the overpayment since the plumbing
bill had been reduced $200 after I asked for an explanation as to why it went
from $975 to $1278.95. As per Adam, the plumbing manager, the bill was
reduced to an even $1000. This message was relayed to me by S**** P*******, and
I have kept the voicemail message.
On 11/27, Tondalaya
Henderson at ******** sent me an email asking if Roto-Rooter gave me an expected
date for the refund. She also asked me to provide her with Roto-Rooter’s phone
number. I responded her by email 11/27 saying “I have actually just been
communicating with them by email and not the phone. I do have some phone
number, however. One is for S**** P******* (732) 448-0130, Ext. 21400 and one
is for Adam, the plumbing manager (732) 448-0130, Ext. 21409.” Adam is the one,
who reduced my plumbing bill down to $1,000. I am entitled to a refund of $250
plus $59.28 for my credit card fees.
******** has informed Roto-Rooter
that they are not entitled to the $1250 insurance deductible since
this deductible is going to go towards the construction repair work that needs
to be done. ******** has advised Roto-Rooter that we do not owe Roto-Rooter
anything beyond what they were paid by ******** since ******** paid them for
the mitigation and told them that they are not to ask for any money from me. However,
Roto-Rooter returned the $1278.95 my son had paid for the plumbing work. Since
we are responsible for the plumbing bill, but the bill was reduced to $1000
pursuant to Adam, the plumbing manager, I would like $1000 of the $1250 used to
pay the plumbing bill instead, which is our responsibility. That leaves $250
that I have asked Roto-Roto to refund to me plus $59.28 for credit card fees I
am paying since I have a 12-month payout for the $1250. ******** has advised
Roto-Rooter that they should reimburse me for the credit card fees in addition
to giving me a refund of the $1250 they aren’t entitled to. I even suggested to Roto-Rooter that they
refund the $1250, which ******** has told them to do plus reimburse me for the
credit card fees I am paying and just send me a new plumbing bill for $1000.
Roto-Rooter just ignores me.Business Response
Date: 12/12/2024
Spoke with customer. I was able to identify customers concerns. Customer is now satisfied.Business Response
Date: 12/23/2024
We have agreed on the customers desired refund and processed it on 12/19/2024 please see the attached file for confirmation.Customer Answer
Date: 12/30/2024
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,
K**** *******I would like to inform you that I would like this complaint closed. Roto-Rooter finally gave me the refund I was entitled to. It is a shame that it that it took
my having to file a complaint against them with you in order for them to finally give me the money I was entitled to. I appreciate the help. Have a nice holiday and a Happy New Year.
Mrs. K**** *******
Initial Complaint
Date:12/10/2024
Type:Service or Repair IssuesStatus: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.
11/29/2024
Paid $428
I contacted the company about a drain/sewer issue blockage. I advised that the water was backing up in my kitchen when I did laundry. Also the tub and toliet was running slow. Advised that the line was snaked out. They came and snaked the same line and told me that everything was clear. He said as a complimentary service they would send camera guy for line. After an hour or so I tried to wash and it backed up on the kitchen floor again. The problem. Back up was not resolved. I contacted company and they said the camera guy was coming out. He came and ran the camera in the line and advised me that it was 2 breaks in the pipe and gave me a quote. I asked about the backup in my kitchen and he said that line needed to be snaked. But I was not told that by the first guy. After the $6000 quote I told him that I needed to think about it. He said that there was nothing that they could do for me. So I paid for them to snake a drain that was already snaked and they didn't fix the problem I called for. They offered no help and told me there was nothing they could do. So I paid $428 for snaking a line that was already done. My original inquiry was not resolved.Business Response
Date: 12/11/2024
After our tech cleared the drain and the Field supervisor was able to inspect the line he discovered a larger issue with the pipe that was leading to backups. The drain cleaning service was necessary to discover the cause of the back up. Once a drain is inspected and there is a larger issue with the pipe the guarantee is no longer valid. If a customer is under contract with us to have the repair made we work with them to make sure the line is flowing until we can get out to fix the bigger issue. If there is no plan to make the repair to stop the back ups from occurring then we cannot continue to do the service for free.Customer Answer
Date: 12/27/2024
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 rejectionThe business has not contacted me more have they offered any resolution. I feel as tho my complaint is valid and warrants a refund. They have not tried to resolve this concern at all. I have even called the company and left voicemail .messages
Regards,
***** *******
Business Response
Date: 12/31/2024
Please see the attached proof of refund i hope you enjoy the rest of the holiday season. You should receive the credit in 3-5 Business daysInitial Complaint
Date:12/09/2024
Type:Service or Repair IssuesStatus: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.
In January of 2022 Roto Rooter replaced part of my sewage pipe.
They used the wrong size pipe. They used 5" instead of 4".
The pipe has had issues where the water has backed up. I called other companies this year and had one camera the line. The company that inspected with the camera said the incorrect pipe size was a problem.
I have a 5 year warranty and am asking them to just put the correct pipe size in.
They also added an access point in the driveway which was not a good idea because of the weight of cars in a driveway.
I have called and emailed multiple times since June 2024 to get this resolved but I have not received any response.Business Response
Date: 12/11/2024
Spoke to customer and we are going to have a camera technician go to home and re inspect the line for any concernsCustomer Answer
Date: 12/12/2024
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 person that came to camera the sewage pipe stated that they did not use a different size pipe. That is not true.
I have written communication from when the work was done in 2022 where Roto Rooter acknowledges the pipe installed is a different size. In addition I had another contractor confirm that the pipe added by Roto Rooter is the wrong size.I also explained that aside from the incorrect pipe size, that the exit port (or register) in the driveway was likely another issue since cars drive over it.
There was not one there before, so not sure why they added it. When looking at the video, it was evident to me that the length of pipe installed has collapsed.
Lastly, the Roto Rooter rep said they were going to ensure to camera correctly to defend Roto Rooter and had a negative tone.It seems that instead of looking for facts, this individual was looking for excuses to show how Roto Rooter is not responsible for the shoddy work.The person that is managing the case is not the same person that came to camera the line. I am hopeful that the person overseeing this issue will do the right thing when they see the video and my feedback regarding the experience I had today.
Regards,
******* ******
Business Response
Date: 01/02/2025
Sending new camera tech tomorrow morning to re camera the line to see what needs to be repaired/replaced for the customers sewer line. Will schedule crew to go out and make repairs based upon video inspection.Customer Answer
Date: 01/10/2025
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.Roto Rooter has not followed up to schedule the repair. They came a second time to camera the sewer line on January 3rd, but it has been a week and have not heard back from them.
Regards,
******* ******
Business Response
Date: 01/20/2025
Upon our video inspection We did not find any issues with the repair we made. Photos we have on file from the job shows we used correct pipe size and connections. We spoke with customer on phone after video reinspection and she seemed to have agreed and understood. Called customer and left a voicemail to call back to see what we need to do to rectify situation.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.The sewage pipe is the wrong size. Paperwork shows that 4" was installed in 5" pipe. More importantly, the pipe settled to the point that it is no longer in line with the rest of the pipe.I had requested for roto rooter to share the video highlighting where their section of work had been done. I have not received the video.There should not have been a cleanout below a garage.I ask that the pipe be reinstalled correctly but roto rooter insists on not doing so.Communication is poor. I had been emailing and calling for months but only received a response when I communicated my issues via the Better Business Bureau.Even then, they have dragged this out and sent employee to camera on two occasions.Where are both of those videos?In addition, they asked me to close out the case since the camera inspector was going to come and solve the issue.It feels like they are trying to gaslight me and convince me there is no issue.
I have a 5 year warrantee on this job and am only asking that it be corrected.
Regards,
******* ******
Business Response
Date: 02/05/2025
Contacted customer to send a technician to camera the line to be able to supply customer with video of the repairs that were completed.Customer Answer
Date: 02/07/2025
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 response is misleading. No repairs have been made.Roto Rooter has come twice already to camera my line with no resolution.I requested a copy of the video and they claim the videos have been lost.
They have been trying to sway me not to repair the line.
It has been over two months and they have not agreed to setup a date to fix the sewage pipe.I am getting the run around.
Regards,
******* ******
Business Response
Date: 02/12/2025
I called the customer twice and left voicemails with no response back. I emailed her to resolve issue. I explained to her that the thumb drive we had is no longer available unfortunately. I sent a camera tech out to re camera the line so i can identify any possible issues. She refused him of being able to camera inspect the line. I emailed he to ask if we can come out and when to get a recording that I can review and share with her. If we identify any issues within our work we made we will make whatever necessary repairs that are needed.Customer Answer
Date: 02/23/2025
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.The tech came to camera for the third time on February 14th.I would like written response regarding repair that I requested.To restate, replace the sewage pipe in the correct size and with proper support so that it does not sink again.In addition, the register is a likely culprit to the extreme settling.
Regards,
******* ******
Business Response
Date: 02/24/2025
Going to schedule a day to excavate and replace section of sewer line. Will be contacting the customer within the next day or two of when we will be out.Initial Complaint
Date:12/09/2024
Type:Service or Repair IssuesStatus: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.
My repair has still not been completed.
I would like for them to refund my money or to get the pipe fixed without any additional charge.Business Response
Date: 12/10/2024
Spoke to customer, explained that we don't give pricing over the phone because we don't know exactly what the price is until we diagnose the problem. I tried to explain that we have to unclog the drain first before we can fix it and with our company that is two different employees, a drain technician to unclog and then a licensed plumber to fix the broken pipe. I explained that she has a six month warranty and offered to send out a plumber at no charge to give her an estiamte for her broken pipe, I also offered her $150 off her bill for her troubles. She proceeded to tell me that she was recording our phone call, she wanted all of my information, I complied and told her my information, along with the offer. I am refunding her $150 for her trouble, sending out a plumber at no charge to give her an estimate for her repairs and offered a 10-15%discount on those repairs.Initial Complaint
Date:12/05/2024
Type:Service or Repair IssuesStatus: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 the Roto-Rooter business number last night (12/4/24) due to an apparent main sewer line backup in my master bathroom. They sent out a technician the following morning (12/5/24) to diagnose and clear the blockage.
I was not at home at the time of the service (8:30 am) but had designated my tenant to handle the transaction and to update me with any information that was provided to her during the appointment. Upon the technician's arrival, she was given the first estimate (image attached with pen on top of the paper) that did not have any details as to what type of services were being performed to fix the backup and only stated the issue I had reported over the phone along with an arbitrary price of $860. My tenant assumed this was merely an estimate for potential costs and was not properly informed that this would end up being the final charge by the plumber.
After the plumber was finished with his work, my tenant was handed another piece of paper with several added and unapproved services (second attached image of estimate carbon copy) but without itemized list of what each service's final cost was. Additionally she, along with a third party witness, can confirm that the plumber claimed he was being generous and not charging her for the camera inspection of the sewer line to find the blockage. Despite this, it appears he included the camera inspection in the description of final charges and if his word is to be believed, that contributed $600 to the final bill.
My tenant was then pressured by the plumber to pay the amount she had agreed to because she had "signed the estimate" and he had completed his work. Furthermore, after my personal inspection of the job site, it appears he did not replace the wax ring under the toilet as is customary when having to remove it for inspection to prevent leaks.
Overall, this situation indicates fraud took place as well as overpricing and the course of action I would like is a full refund for services provided.Business Response
Date: 12/06/2024
Customer contacted RRSC at 12:31am on 12/05/2024 stating 2
toilets backing up. Tech dispatched at
8:02am 12/05/2024. Received complaint 12/6/2024 7:54 AM. Tech stated he
arrived onsite and was advised by the tenant that the tenant was going to pay
for services rendered. Tech stated he
determined there was a drain line stoppage.
Tech stated he quoted the job to the tenant and received “start work
authorization” signature from the tenant to begin work. Tech stated he ran sewer cable to clear
stoppage as best as possible and ran complimentary camera in drain (a $600.00
value) to determine drain line had a “belly” in the line. Tech stated he reset the toilet with a new
wax ring. RRSC pricing was transparent
and upfront. Additional charges quoted were
for the correction of the “belly”. Tech
did perform the initially quoted services as agreed prior to work commencement. The customer is not entitled to receive any
refund. However, in the interest of
customer service RRSC will be willing to provide a refund of 50% off services
rendered. The customer can be provided with
a $430.00 refund. The customer was
contacted by phone. The customer agreed
to accept the partial refund. The
customer should receive a refund for $430.00 in 5-7 business days. RRSC strives to provide great service to our
customers and satisfy their Plumbing needs.
We apologize for the disagreeable experience the customer had and look
forward to having the opportunity to do better for the customer in the future. Thank you.Customer Answer
Date: 12/06/2024
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:12/03/2024
Type:Service or Repair IssuesStatus: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.
This business was called due to water in my basement. I was originally charged for unclogging for approximately $600. In the mist of that, another member of the team showed up to my address. The person doing the unclogging was trying to share with with myself further information and the field representative basically directed him to stay quiet. The field rep then told me that I should not worry, that he would assure that ***** **** would pay for the problem "soft toilet clog" is what I believe he said. I was told that I would not have to pay anything out-of-pocket. Yet, more water came up that very night. Roto-Rooter had a couple of their employees bring fans to dry the floor. They said they could not remove anything electrical that was damaged, so I had to hire another company to remove washer, dryer, elliptical, treadmill, television, and a lot more items. They also removed 2-3 ft of my walls in certain areas. Another employee showed up to my home within a few days and told me that the real problem could cost me up to $30,000 if "they" hit the wrong pipe, so he recommended that I apply for a loan. Lucky the loan did not get approved. This seemed incredibly suspect to me. They never gave me the details of what I was being charged for, but I felt that they were scamming ***** ****, because they asked about my insurance and my policy and told me everything would be covered-yet when ***** **** estimated the cause and damage, they felt that what was being charged was overpriced at a total of over $16,000. They never fixed the problem. They basically dried my floors and removes several parts of my walls which does not amount to $16,000. I asked them to give me a detail of the work that they did and they said that they had emailed it to me. I did not receive that email until I requested it. Roto Rooter also placed a lien on my property. They tried to scam ***** **** and because ***** **** did not approve the amount not the damage, they are charging me.Business Response
Date: 06/19/2025
Hello. We did work for this customer and have attached the signed contracts by her to initiate our services. Page 2 states our estimate of work to be between $7500-$12500 and then the place where she signed for a "change order" as the cost increased over the high-end estimate at $15,949.13. Pages 4 & 5 are the water mitigation agreement and paragraphs 4, 5 & 8 all pertain to payment and our stance of when it's due. Page 6 is a direct payment authorization by the customer and page 11 is a signed certificate of satisfaction. Customer was paid per ********* Ins $9553.00 and did not remit payment to Roto-Rooter. Customer was sent notices via email, certified letter and voice messages, all went unanswered. Account was placed with our third-party collections agency and a mechanics lien filed on the home. I believe that 10 months later she may be attempting to refinance or sell her home and will not be able to, until she pays RR for the outstanding invoice for completed services that she initiated and stated she was "satisfied". I believe that the customer is attempting to defraud the BBB as she did her insurance co. for filing a claim and then not paying her vendors. Please let us know if you need anything additional.
Thank you,
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