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.
262 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:06/23/2024
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.
We had a water leak - overflown from basement shower. We called Roto Rooter on June 16, 2024 at about 4:00pm. Roto Rooter technician arrived at about 7:00pm and assessed the problem. Then he said that he can fix the issue and it will cost $750. I agreed. Then he asked me whether he should contact water management specialist to assess the water damage to the floor. I said let us take of care of leak first then I can think about water damage specialist. This technician fixed the leak issue and stopped the leak - just within one hour. He was efficient and he did an excellent job.
In the mean time water management specialist arrived and asked about water damage. I responded by saying we may have water damage in the laundry and boiler areas and we do not have any issue in the other parts of the basement. He suggested that he can contact our insurance company and file a claim. He called the insurance and filed a claim on our behalf.

Then he sent some one after two days - on Wednesday June 19th - But I was not home and my wife as there. My wife had knee surgery and she can't go down the stairs. I informed over phone to those repair guys that we need repairs in the laundry and boiler area only. But those guys removed the entire basement carpet and wooden panels. When I returned home I was shocked to see these things. I asked them - why you removed carpet from entire basement. Then water management specialist called me and said that those people removed because there was water leak. I said to him that they should repair only laundry and boiler area - and I reminded him what I said on June 16th - when he visited our home. The he said it is done and he will take care of it.

Now my request is we need to be compensated for this additional unnecessary work. Unknown why they removed carpet and wood panels - from entire basement. We need compensation.
Business Response
Date: 06/27/2024
We spoke to **** and explained the entire process. He was under the impression that he was responsible to pay Roto Rooter for all the work that was done but we explained and assisted him processing a claim through his home owners insurance policy so all the restoration work that was completed can be covered. Once again we have reexplained the process to the customer and he is fully aware on what needs to be done and is happy. All set on our end.
Initial Complaint
Date:06/21/2024
Type:Billing 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.
We, *** and **** **** ******, are writing to formally lodge a complaint against Roto Rooter for their deceptive and misleading practices regarding a recent service they performed at our home.

We are senior citizens in our 70s, currently raising our three grandchildren, as awarded by the courts to keep them out of the foster care system. Given our limited financial resources, we rely heavily on our insurance company to assist with unexpected home repairs.

Recently, Roto Rooter was contracted to address a mold issue in our home. The insurance company assessed the work and determined that the charges for the services rendered by Roto Rooter were exorbitant. Specifically, Roto Rooter charged us $10,000, while our insurance company agreed to pay only $4,000 directly to Roto Rooter and an additional $2,000 to us for wall repairs that were not completed by Roto Rooter after they had torn them out.

Despite this arrangement, Roto Rooter is now threatening to place a lien on our home, take us to court, and report negatively to all three major credit bureaus. These actions are causing us significant distress and financial strain. We have already reported this situation to the **** Attorney General's office and are awaiting their assistance.

As senior citizens with limited financial means, we cannot afford to hire an attorney to fight this unjust and predatory behavior. We kindly seek your advice and intervention to prevent Roto Rooter from continuing their unethical practices and to protect us from further financial harm.

Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter. We look forward to your prompt assistance.

Sincerely,

*** * **** **** ******
Business Response
Date: 06/24/2024
On February 22, 2024, Roto-Rooter’s water restoration specialist Gabe C******* was sent to examine the property at ** ****** **** ******* ** *****. It was identified that there was water and mold damage to the home. Mr. C******* provided the customer an estimate that it would cost $5,000 - $10,000 (before tax) for restoration work. (pg. 11 of the attached PDF). *** ****** signed off on this estimate and work began. Roto-Rooter does not do reconstruction work (see pg. 11), and *** ****** understood this as well. The file contains all documented work and procedures.

After the work was finished, *** ****** signed a Certificate of Satisfaction on 3/12/2024 agreeing that our work had been completed to his satisfaction (pg. 19 of the attached PDF). Apparently, the customer’s insurance did not cover a portion of the work. The customer is nonetheless obligated to pay for the services pursuant to his agreement with Roto-Rooter. There is simply nothing illegal or unethical about a company pursuing payment for services rendered. To date, despite receiving funds from his insurance, the customer has not paid Roto-Rooter anything.

Roto-Rooter requests that this complaint be dismissed..
Customer Answer
Date: 06/24/2024
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.

That is a false statement. Mr. G******* never came back after the supposed work was completed. They left their equipment in my home for 12 days. According to my insurance company.. the equipment should have only been left in our home gor 3 days. I only spoke to this gentleman when he ask me to sign in order for him to bill .my insurance company. I was never given a definitely price for this job. He did state that if my insurance company refuses to pay.. then I should go to the board of insurance. He said that the insurance companies do not like that. They are very deceptive and i am only willing to pay the amount that the insurance gave me for them. $4000. They didn't even put my walls back together. I had to pay to have them put back. There are many complaints very similarly to our complaint against rotor rooter. As I said. , they are very misleading and deceptive.

Regards,

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

Business Response
Date: 07/10/2024
Roto rooter proposed a scope of work to the ******** with a price to complete that work. The ******** agreed and signed a work order authorization to approve us to move forward with the project. Roto Rooter completed the scope of work, within the agreed upon price we were contractually obligated. The ******** signed a certificate of satisfaction when the job was completed. We now expect to be paid for the work we completed in full.
The contract clearly states that we do not perform the reconstruction portion of the project, so I am not sure why that is being brought up in the discussions. I have attached the signed contracts, pictures, and documents to verify our position. We will not be modifying our bill, and expect to be paid in full
Customer Answer
Date: 07/23/2024

To Whom it may concern:
I am writing to formally again address our complaint regarding the deceptive practices employed by your company workers. in the handling of the work supposedly performed in our basement.
Your representative claimed that we the ******** signed a contract agreeing to pay $10,000 for the services rendered this is a blatant lie and representation the only document I signed was an authorization for your representative to bill my insurance company. When I inquired about the implication if the insurance company did not cover the expenses, your representative (Gabe) assured me that any issues could be resolved by threatening to report the matter to the board of insurance, he said that they don't like that , so they will then pay.

Your team was physically present in our basement for approximately 5 hours, although their equipment remained there for 12 days claiming they were there for drying purposes. . There was no contract signed during removal of the equipment. My wife was only asked to sign a document acknowledging the removal of all equipment from our basement. You stated that you removed 2 wooden floors in which we do not have in our basement. You tried to justify this by saying that you didn't have a code for wooden walls so you had to used the code for wooden floors. This is fraudulent on your part, we were not aware of this.

Upon review, our insurance company concluded that the work performed could not justify a $10,000 expenses and agreed to cover only $6,000 , allocating $4,000 to your company Roto Rooter and $2, 000 of this would go to us the ******** for the replacement of the walls in the basement. Despite this assessment, your company has refused to negotiate a reduced price, insisting on full amount, which we find unacceptable.

Giving these circumstances, we request reconsideration of charges and an adjustment to the agreed amount $4,000 that the insurance company assessment. We are prepare to escalate this matter further if necessary but hope to resolve it amicable. **** **** and I are both senior citizens and we do not have $10,000 laying around home to spend. We never requested this work from you guys, your representative brought this to us, saying that it should be doine and he could do it. We feel you guys are very deceptive and unfair to us.

We expect a prompt and fair response to this matter,
Sincerely,
*** * **** ****** **
Customer Answer
Date: 07/23/2024
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.

Regards,

*** ******

To Whom it may concern:
I am writing to formally again address our complaint regarding the deceptive practices employed by your company workers. in the handling of the work supposedly performed in our basement.
Your representative claimed that we the ******** signed a contract agreeing to pay $10,000 for the services rendered this is a blatant lie and representation the only document I signed was an authorization for your representative to bill my insurance company. When I inquired about the implication if the insurance company did not cover the expenses, your representative (Gabe) assured me that any issues could be resolved by threatening to report the matter to the board of insurance, he said that they don't like that , so they will then pay.

Your team was physically present in our basement for approximately 5 hours, although their equipment remained there for 12 days claiming they were there for drying purposes. . There was no contract signed during removal of the equipment. My wife was only asked to sign a document acknowledging the removal of all equipment from our basement. You stated that you removed 2 wooden floors in which we do not have in our basement. You tried to justify this by saying that you didn't have a code for wooden walls so you had to used the code for wooden floors. This is fraudulent on your part, we were not aware of this.

Upon review, our insurance company concluded that the work performed could not justify a $10,000 expenses and agreed to cover only $6,000 , allocating $4,000 to your company Roto Rooter and $2, 000 of this would go to us the ******** for the replacement of the walls in the basement. Despite this assessment, your company has refused to negotiate a reduced price, insisting on full amount, which we find unacceptable.

Giving these circumstances,we request reconsideration of charges and an adjustment to the agreed amount $4,000 that the insurance company assessment. We are prepare to escalate this matter further if necessary but hope to resolve it amicable. **** **** and I are both senior citizens and we do not have $10,000 laying around home to spend. We never requested this work from you guys, your representative brought this to us, saying that it should be doine and he could do it. We feel you guys are very deceptive and unfair to us.

We expect a prompt and fair response to this matter,
Sincerely,
*** * **** ****** **

Business Response
Date: 07/23/2024
There will be no negotiation. Our position is firm, and final as we have stated many times throughout this process. The signed contracts and documents have all been provided, so I am not sure why the ******* are claiming they did not sign them? The opinion of the ******** pertaining to what they "feel" the bill should be, has zero bearing on the actual amount charged (per industry standards) for the work performed, and backed up with photo evidence. We intend to pursue this until paid in full. Our position will not change.
Initial Complaint
Date:06/18/2024
Type:Billing 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.
Tuesday, June 18
$1450
Replace faucet in tub
Would not disclose price but originally stated that a two projects would be above $1000. I informed him only do one. We were concerned because there was a lot of time spent waiting for him to do the work. His work time didn’t account for 8hrs yet we paid the price of an install of a water heater yet it was a faucet sink.

The lack of integrity in pricing, communication and service approach is the problem. We did not get a $1500 service. And the parts online cost 50% less then the listed cost.

Is this what we’ve come to to make a profit?
Business Response
Date: 06/22/2024
I spoke with the Daughter and resolved the complaint by issuing a $500.00 dollar refund to customer. She was happy with that offer and we are done with this customer
Customer Answer
Date: 06/22/2024
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.

Given the issue, we will wait until the credit on the credit card has been received to say that has been resolved. I am not happy with ROTO-ROOTER, and I do not think that the true issue will be resolved, which is a practice of doing work without providing a quote in the beginning, so that people can make a decision on whether or not they want the work to be done at the price. Requesting someone to sign a contractual document with no price should not be within the policy for a plumber; communication on the contract cause shit happened prior to signing any documentation. I’ll be happy to resolve this issue when the credit is received.

Sincerely,

****
Business Response
Date: 06/28/2024
I spoke with the Daughter and resolved the complaint by issuing a $500.00 dollar refund to customer. She was happy with that offer and we are done with this customer. I dont know why this is rejected, the customer agreed to this amount on the phone and the credit has been issued to the customers credit card.
Initial Complaint
Date:06/17/2024
Type:Billing 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.
Company is charging $4500 for 40 feet of plumbing hydro jetting and descale rehab but only completed 17 feet and are refusing to finish the job.
Business Response
Date: 06/18/2024
We fullfilled the job as a courtesy we will do rest of the line and we already discounted the job
Initial Complaint
Date:06/17/2024
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.
We called to get a leaking garbage disposal fixed. There was also a clog so they worked on that too, they had told us that they would have to put a hole in our bathroom wall in order to fix the clog which we did not give authorization for. The thing is though one of the plumbers mentioned that he does dry wall on the side hmm... so the job was not finished and we sent them home so we could decide what to do. that same evening about 2 hours after they left out hot water heater started leaking and flooded our utility room. We called them back and they said that we would receive an update within 2 hours, we did not. We called back and they said someone was on their way to then find out nobody was coming and someone would be out in the morning. When they came back they said that the water heater needs to be replaced and that it couldn't possibly be anything they did. Even though it was fine before they came over. and that to replace it they would NEED TO KNOCK DOWN THE WALL. again they have a guy on staff who does dry wall on the side. and it's going to cost $3,000 upon the $1600 they quoted us for the clog. I also would like to add that they pushed me to do financing for the original quote of $1600 and they are aware that we were approved for $6,000 which is about the price that everything will cost with thew hot water heater. That's a bit suspicious. and then if we chose to get those things done now we are going to need dry wall work which is another expense that they don't cover.
What I'm looking for is to get the hot water heater replaced for no charge, not get charged for anything they did "fix", since they didn't solve anything, and to find out if any of these things can be done without having to knock down walls.
Business Response
Date: 06/17/2024
We appreciate your
feedback and are very sorry our service did not satisfy your expectations.
Please email me your full-service address, including the zip code, so that I
can look into this issue as soon as possible.

Thank you,
Pat S******
Customer Satisfaction
Manager
Initial Complaint
Date:06/15/2024
Type:Billing 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 May 1, 2024 Roto Rooter was contacted regarding a clogged sink at my son's residence, ** ****** **** ***** ********* **. He was given a quote over the phone of $541. Based upon this quote we instructed the technician to proceed. Upon completion of the job, I provided him with my credit card information over the phone, completing the transaction. Upon reviewing my credit card statement, I noticed that I was charged $654 which was not the amount agreed upon prior to initiating the job. At no time was this upcharge discussed or agreed upon. It was not even mentioned, the technician just took it upon himself to charge his own amount. My card was charged this additional sum without my knowledge or approval. I consider this action to be a fraudulent and dishonest action and I would like reimbursement in the amount of $103 which was the agreed upon amount for services rendered.

My sons first attempt at contacting this establishment resulted in him speaking with a manager, who informed him it would take two to three days to process the transaction and I would notice the adjustment on my credit card within 3-5 business day. After this time period elapsed, my son contacted them a second time. The woman that answered stated that she could see in the computer that a credit was to be issued and she would mark it as a priority. After patiently waiting to no avail a third phone call was placed, this particular manager said that it would be taken care of immediately.

As of this writing three attempts have been made to rectify this situation and no action, although promised, has been taken.
Business Response
Date: 06/17/2024
We apologize for the delay. I am not sure who you spoke with at the branch. All of the management is male. We are sorry you feel the behavior was fraudulent or dishonest. The original quote was for $549, plus parts and tax. That is the reason for the $654.68 charge to your account. As a courtesy, we have refunded the $103 you requested.
Customer Answer
Date: 06/19/2024
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:06/14/2024
Type:Billing 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.
Dishonest Plumbing Company . Dishonest Unethical Plumbers are Hired here. Stay away because they will lie about the issue to swindle you to make thousands of dollars worth of REPAIRS you may never need.

When my Sump Pump was working perfectly fine I was NOT informed that everything is Ok and good but instead scared to believe the fact that the entire Sump pump was damaged and needed replacement. I was handed a huge recommendation Charge for having it done that would cost me over four thousand dollars. Has been a year now and Not needed any of such repairs and Sump Pump is not had any issues till this day, knock on the Wood.

But you may think why did I call Roto Rooter in the first Place to begin with ? It was because of a Gullible Family member that though sump pump was making a sound when spitting out water needed to be checked. So instead of ROTO ROOTER Plumber saying the Truth that it is fine lied and left a huge Dollars amount worth of expense to repair it instead.
Business Response
Date: 06/17/2024
Roto-Rooter Corporate has been in continued contact with this
customer regarding this concern. Email chain included in this response.

Customer contacted Roto-Rooter due to concerns with their
sump pump. During this scheduling call it was advised there is a $99 trip/service
fee for a plumber. If services are accepted the $99 trip fee is waived in lieu
of the repair costs. If services are not accepted the only charge would be the
$99 trip/service fee. The customer accepted these terms and service was
scheduled.

Upon arrival the plumber found the sump pump operating
improperly, i.e. continually running despite no source of water present to activate
the pump/require pumping. Without water flowing to be pumped out, the motor of the
appliance will burn out. This is a clear indication of pump failure so a proposal
was given to replace the sump pump and check valve. It’s worth noting here, disassembly
of the sump pump is not required when the pump motor is operating continually
without a water source present.

The customer declined the recommendation to replace the sump
pump and was billed the $99 trip/service charge as agreed upon at scheduling.

Roto-Rooter has reviewed the refund request and determined
the customer is not eligible for a refund. Customer was only billed the trip charge
which was agreed upon at scheduling. Recommendation to replace the sump pump is
valid due to improper operation evidencing pump failure. Customer feels because
Roto-Rooter did not disassemble the sump pump to locate exact mechanical
failure, the trip charge should be refunded. In cases where pumps, ejector or
sump, are running without a source present (water or sewage) the pump should be
replaced vs repaired. Disassembly of a failing appliance is unwarranted.

For these reasons, Roto-Rooter considered this
complaint addressed.
Customer Answer
Date: 06/19/2024
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.
Sump Pump has continued to operate optimally. Recommendations were made by a Dishonest Plumber which Roto Rooter stands for in favor of. Recommendations showed a huge bill of thousands of dollars to be spent by navie householder who are immigrants in this country. I am against fraudulent methods to trap gullible customers here is my main purpose to bring it to BBB Attention. Again the same exact sump pump is still functioning today!!! No one touched it and no repairs have been made to it. Then What was the huge expense Report for???

Regards,

**** *****

Business Response
Date: 06/28/2024
RE: ACTION REQUIRED: You have received a customer comment from BBB serving Cincinnati regarding complaint #********
External
Inbox

Our position stands and there will be no consideration for a refund for this customer. Please close this out…Thanks!
Initial Complaint
Date:06/14/2024
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 1/16/24 I had a frozen/busted water pipe repaired by roto rooter. The cause of the frozen pipe was a hole in the exterior wall outside of my home. Immediately after the pipe was fixed, I had the hole fixed and I insulated the pipe very well. I paid a total of $613 to get this done. The plumber installed a new copper pipe and added on a water shut-off valve. The shut-off valve has been off since January. I turned the valve on 2 weeks ago now that the weather is starting to get warm and the pipe began spraying water behind my wall.

I called Roto Rooter 6/7/24. Plumber opened the wall, investigated, and claimed that the first technician, M***, did not properly clamp the pipe and it was the company's fault that the pipe was spraying water out. His manager also confirmed it was their fault, and they stated they would be responsible for fixing my drywall and my carpet, but they were behind so it might be a couple of weeks. I emailed roto-rooter to make sure I had all of this information done in writing

J** A****, the company's safety coordinator replied to my email saying it was not the company's fault, he said the pipe re-froze, that I did not cover the hole, the work was not under a warranty/service guarantee, and that the 2nd technician was lying to me about the first technician's error. The company sent me pictures of a pipe that they claim to be mine, and it shows the pipe slipped off of the original clamp mark that the first technician did. They claim that the slip was caused by the pipe refreezing, but the technician and his manager who came out to my house are stating it did not freeze and that the first technician didn't install it properly.

I now have dry wall ripped out, satured carpet, and possible mold that they are refusing to take blame for when a technician came out and told me they caused it. They are now making up their own story on how the pipe happened to get out of being liable for my home's damage they caused.
Business Response
Date: 06/17/2024
Roto Rooter replies to the customer statements are numbered below. A statement from Roto Rooter follows below.
Customer’s Statement of the Problem:
On 1/16/24 I had a frozen/busted water pipe
repaired by roto rooter. The cause of the frozen pipe was a hole in the
exterior wall outside of my home. Immediately after the pipe was fixed, I had
the hole fixed and I insulated the pipe very well. I paid a total of $613 to
get this done. (1. The customer paid Roto Rooter $619.47 for the pipe
repair. Roto Rooter suggested to the customer how to better protect the pipe
from refreezing.) The
plumber installed a new copper pipe and added on a water shut-off valve. The
shut-off valve has been off since January. I turned the valve on 2 weeks ago
now that the weather is starting to get warm and the pipe began spraying water
behind my wall. I called Roto Rooter 6/7/24. Plumber opened the wall,
investigated, and claimed that the first technician, M***, did not properly
clamp the pipe and it was the company's fault that the pipe was spraying water
out. (2. The cause of the leak was clearly misdiagnosed by the second
Roto Rooter tech. Upon further inspection by the Plumbing Manager and the
General Manager (combined 38 years of plumbing experience) it was determined
that freezing temperatures caused the crimped (Pro Press) fitting to slip 3/8”
to cause the leak.) His manager also confirmed it was their fault,
and they stated they would be responsible for fixing my drywall and my carpet,
but they were behind so it might be a couple of weeks. (3. This was
not the Plumbing Manager but the Water Restoration Manager who was the acting manager
on duty.) I emailed roto-rooter to make sure I had all of this
information done in writing Joe Arent, the company's safety coordinator replied
to my email saying it was not the company's fault, he said the pipe re-froze, (4. Evidence
shows that the pipe refroze) that I did not cover the hole (5. Nobody
told the customer that the hole wasn't covered.) the work was not under
a warranty/service guarantee, (6. The customer was told this by the first tech on Jan
16, 2024.) and that the 2nd
technician was lying, (7. Nobody from Roto Rooter ever told the customer that
the second tech was lying to her. She was told that he misdiagnosed the real
cause, and that he was mistaken) to me about the first technician's error. (8. The
first tech made no error. He advised the customer that freezing could reoccur
and was given authorization to complete the work.) The
company sent me pictures of a pipe that they claim to be mine, (9. The pictures sent are of the very pipe that includes the slipped fitting.) and it shows the pipe
slipped off of the original clamp mark that the first technician did. They
claim that the slip was caused by the pipe refreezing, but the technician and
his manager who came out to my house are stating it did not freeze and that the
first technician didn't install it properly. (10. No Roto Rooter manager went
to the customer’s home. The second tech did not recognize the evidence of the
pipe slipping 3/8” out of the fitting.) I now have dry wall ripped out, satured carpet,
and possible mold that they are refusing to take blame for when a technician
came out and told me they caused it. They are now making up their own story on
how the pipe happened to get out of being liable for my home's damage they
caused.

From Roto Rooter: The customer was advised that
a refreeze could occur before the initial work on Jan 16th was done.
Once authorized by the customer the work was completed. After the repair the system was tested
for leaks. There was a male occupant of the home present when the system was
tested for leaks. There were no leaks when tested. The outside overnight temperature
on the morning of Jan 16th was -10 degrees and the high that day was
+11 degrees. The wind was 10-15 mph causing a wind chill range of -32 degrees
to -5 degrees depending on the actual air temp and the time of day. This is
according to the Weather Underground website and a wind chill chart. The
first tech addressed the no warranty situation because of the frigid weather
and the hole in the exterior siding adjacent to the original frozen pipe. There
was no warranty indicated on the paper invoice for this reason. A systematic
warranty appears in a text message to the customer. However, the reason for the
second leak is not due to the workmanship or the replacement parts failing but
due to an act of nature. The pipe & fitting were replaced and the wall
where new water damage occurred was removed to prevent moisture from spreading.
It was then determined that this event was not caused by the Roto Rooter
employee. The customer asked about, and we have offered to pay for the drywall
the second tech removed to prevent additional water damage to the customer’s
home. We have received no reply to this offer.
Customer Answer
Date: 06/17/2024
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.

My exterior wall was repaird on Jan 16th 2024, 5 minutes after the pipe was installed. Insulation (heavy insul***ion was use to cover the pipe. The pipe did not refreeze and I would like proof that it did. If the pipe froze, the technician would have seen that when they came out. He even commented on how well I insulated the pipe, and assured me that it did not refreeze. The picture of my pipe that they have, does not proove the pipe froze.

Regards,

***** *********
Initial Complaint
Date:06/14/2024
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.
Roto Rooter provide water mitigation for a pile that burst- my insurance company paid less than Roto Rooter is billing me and they refuse to correct their invoice- they are overcharging for a level 3 water mitigation( which is sewage) when it was only a level 1 (clean water) They refuse to adjust any further even though they are out of line with what the state of ******* allows for this work.
They are now threatening to put a lien on my home for non payment.
I get to answers to emails or calls to the person responsible to adjust the bill, Logan S****** at ###-###-#### email is [email protected]
Business Response
Date: 06/20/2024
We have made multiple phone calls to the customer to respond to the complaint and sent follow up emails. We have not charged any CAT 3 charges on her invoice and we have communicated that as well. We are more than happy to review any additional line items to come to a resolution with our customer.
Customer Answer
Date: 06/21/2024
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 have returned calls and forwarded emails directly to ***** ****. The insurance company is saying your company is not communicating with them directly, as requested many times . I would suggest you contact ***** **** directly. The adjusters number is 678-935-1743 as this is the only way to resolve this situation. I cannot force ***** **** to pay more than the allowable amount based on industry rules and standards. If you would accept the funds they are paying this matter would be resolved but alas you will not and just continue to threaten this homeowner with legal action.

Regards,

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

Business Response
Date: 06/30/2024
Final balance total has been agreed upon and customer has made payment.
Customer Answer
Date: 07/03/2024
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. I will not recommend them in the future.

Regards,

***** *******
Initial Complaint
Date:06/13/2024
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 6/8/2024 a technician attempted to repair a leaking pipe and 5 shut off valves, after 7 hours and 2 trips to get supplies, the technician had only replaced 4 of the shut off valves (one of which does not fully open due to being installed to closely to another pipe). The technician then informed me that he had to call another technician to repair the leaking pipe and the remaining shut off value because his hands were too big to access the pipes. He then billed me for the entire job even though it was not completed. The second technician arrived an hour later, saw that the pipes were still leaking (now worse than when I had originally called for service) took pictures of the work done by the previous technician, stepped outside and made a phone call. The second technician then told me he would not be able to fix the pipes because there was no place to get supplies in the area (which is not true) and a senior technician would have to be sent out the following day. On 6/9/2024 the third technician arrived and determined that the attempt to repair the leaking pipe and the remaining valve had been done incorrectly and had to be re-done. The third technician was able to make the repairs needed. I have call and left several messages for the General Manager requesting a call to discuss my dissatisfaction with the service. I have yet to receive a response.
Business Response
Date: 06/14/2024
Reached out to the customer and apologized for the service provided and offered to discount the price of the work.
Customer Answer
Date: 06/14/2024
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,

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

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Roto-Rooter is NOT a BBB Accredited Business.