Complaints

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

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• 

  Roto-Rooter

  2125 Montana Ave Cincinnati, OH 45211-2741

• 

  Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup

  87 Carando Dr Springfield, MA 01104

  
• 

  Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup

  6356A Corley Rd Norcross, GA 30071

  
• 

  Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup

  1750 S Finley Rd Lombard, IL 60148

• 

  Roto-Rooter

  1691 Town Center St Aurora, IL 60504

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:04/17/2024

  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.

  I had a flood in my basement over the weekend I called them they sent one plumber out he unclogged one drain line and couldn’t do the other and asked me if I had the tools to do it I told him no he charged me 563.00 to unclog one drain . Then the water restoration crew came out said the cost would be 5 to 10,000 they pressure washed the basement only from flood line down which was 6 inches cleaned up the boxes and then told me their pressure washer blew up that they would have to come back the next day they also used my water to fill up their tanks they tracked sewer threw my home and did not clean it up they are also charging for things they did not do my bill is 11,459.00 which exceeds the estimate. While trying to discuss the bill with their manager he was very rude and it escalated to an argument . I don’t have a problem paying for job but I do not want to be charged for things they did not do

  Business Response

  Date: 04/17/2024

  Roto Rooter provided the services we were contracted to complete.  The scope of work was completed, and a certificate of satisfaction was signed when the job was completed.  Roto Rooter does not have control over the pricing for the scope of work we completed, we simply enter the jobs performed at the site into the Xactimate program, and the price is determined by that system.  This is industry standard and approved by the insurance companies.  Much like what happens with an auto repair.  Every job duty we performed is documented with photographs.  We actually performed more work than we billed for, because it was required in this type of loss (and its the proper way to complete this job), documented that work and did not charge for it.  The completed file, and all of the documentation photos are uploaded and sent to the insurance provider as a packet so we can be paid for that work.  Our file is accurate, and complete.  No billing adjustments will be made.  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/23/2024

  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,
  
  
  
  ******* *****

  They are charging for work they did not do such as water extraction, they did not unclog the drain so while they was pressure washing I had to continue to pump water out and call a second plumber . After speaking with my insurance agent she stated the pricing was overinflated and this should not have cost 11,459.00 . My basement is unfinished .They charged for removing furniture and cleaning they did not move any furniture. They stated they took a truck load of trash they did not have a truck load there was 3 bags I cleaned out most of the trash myself and disposed of it myself They also tracked sewer through the house and did not bother to clean it up . The paper work for customer satisfaction was apparently signed before they even started when their rep was here before they showed up she had me sign a bunch of documents to get the job started after reviewing the invoice my signature was already there before the job was performed. I will agree to pay for what was actually done and at a reasonable rate but I refuse to pay for things they did not do or at over inflated prices .

  Business Response

  Date: 05/17/2024

  As previously stated, our position pertaining to this file will not change.  We have photo documentation to support our position.  This bill is final and accurate, and will not change.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/16/2024

  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.

  I have called the company on several occasions, always I have put my needs aside to meet their scheduling needs. More than once their technician was not able to come at the scheduled appointment, causing me to miss medical appointments with the VA. Each and every time I had to self-diagnose the problem, and in the end after "Jessica" promised the manger would contact me with yet another failure, I finally fixed the needed repair on my own. I contacted Mr. Pat S****** on more than one occasion, each and every time a received a computer generated response someone from the contractor department would mediate my concern. Not one time was I contacted. I am just asking for the money I have paid to date for poor quality repairs in the first visit which caused further repairs to be needed be reimbursed to me.

  Business Response

  Date: 07/03/2025

  We completed work at the consumer’s property on November 10, 2023, which included replacing the pressure reducing valve and repairing the CPVC piping around the valve in the yard. During that visit, we also inspected the dishwasher and secured it with stabilizing screws. No further issues were identified during that visit. Additionally, we show a service ticket dated March 18, 2024, for the installation of a fill valve supplied by the customer. This service was completed at no charge as a courtesy. This is the first complaint we have received from *** ******** regarding these visits. At no time prior to this BBB filing did the customer express to us that she was dissatisfied with the work performed or that any issues remained unresolved. We regret that she did not reach out to us directly for assistance, as we are committed to customer satisfaction and would have welcomed the opportunity to address any concerns promptly. Based on our records, the services rendered were completed as agreed and in a professional manner.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/16/2024

  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.

  RotoRooter serviced our home in February of 2023 for a sewer back-up. They came on an emergency call and found that the clay pipe under the street (going from our house to the main line) had collapsed. They proposed to spot fix the issue, however, we decided to have them replace the entire length of the street so we would not have to dig under the street again the in the future. The job was done poorly and they had to come out several times to fix the cleanout they installed in our front yard. During one of these visits, they said they would mill and jet the roots that were still present in the last part of the clay line to the main. They said that if we did this every couple of years, that part of the line would be ok. We were assured that we had taken all steps to remedy the situation and not cause another backup.
  
  Thirteen months later, the sewer line backed up again. We had a different plumber out to our house as we had lost all confidence in RotoRooter. This plumber diagnosed the problem as two part. The PVC pipe installed by RotoRooter does not line up with the existing clay pipe, significantly slowing the flow down and the roots were not milled as promised. We now have new plumbing, clean up and repair bills from this sewer back up.
  
  RotoRooter has refused to take responsibility, tossed our inquiries from person to person, given us different dates on warranties and when they provided services. We are at a complete loss with them and don't know what to do. This will most likely end up costing us an additional $20,000 in damages. And the other plumber said that the original RotoRooter cost was extremely inflated -- while RotoRooter charged us $35,000, they would have charged $12,000.
  
  RotoRooter is an awful company that overcharges and doesn't stand by their work. We need some help knowing what our next steps could be. Thank you.

  Business Response

  Date: 04/18/2024

   

  While the situation is unfortunate, we found the issue to be tree roots beyond our original
  repair. We have video of the work performed and clearly shows our repair is intact and did not cause the back up. The original repair on 2/08/23 was a no flow which we were unable
  to pass due to break in the street. We fixed that point and replaced the line
  from the house to the street. The reason we did not repair the line beyond that
  point was due a large tree in a heavily wooded area near the city main. We
  suggested the line be cleaned each year and just over 1-year later the line
  backed up again. There is no evidence that the line backed up due to our repair
  or negligence.  While it’s unfortunate the customer was not home at the
  time when it backed again, it did stay open for over a year. Which was after
  our guarantee period. Customer has documentation of the contract with pricing as well as signatures of repairs being completed for price quoted. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/15/2024

  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.

  Roto-Rooter came out because my main sewer line had a backup. They cleared the clog and told me I needed to raise my already existing clean out by 1 foot. They charged me 4200.00 for 3 hours of work and said I shouldn’t have the issue anymore. Following the next few days I continuously had back up after back up. I continued to call yet no one knew what was wrong. The technician kept coming out to unclog my mainline. The camera showed an issue but they never told me about it. 4200 to raise an already existing clean out that fixed absolutely nothing is absurd. I trusted what they said as I did not want sewage coming back up my shower drain but it continued. Eventually I hired a local plumbing company that found an issue with my pipe. They excavated my kitchen and repaired the problem for LESS then the cost of raising my already existing clean out by 1 foot. I feel completely taken advantage of. I’ve called Roto Rooter in ******* ***** multiple times. They bounced me to multiple managers. No one even knew what was going on because both the camera supervisor, employee who raised the clean out, and excavation manager no longer worked there! I have continuously called in. No solution. I would like Roto Rooter to explain why I was charged an absurd amount of money for essentially nothing. I had a clean out. Yes it was level with the earth but it was already there. I fear others will be taken advantage of due to the fact we do not know plumbing. We call the experts yet we get sold lies. No one answers for their mistakes. I needed a true solution to my issue which I was fine paying for. What I got was nothing near the main issue. I expected world class service as they advertise and walked away with an unresolved issue and debt. On top of it an issue that continued to happen. Roto Rooter boasts about the guarantee they provide and providing world class service. Unfortunately they under delivered on all of their promises.

  Business Response

  Date: 04/16/2024

  Today, I discussed with *** ***** the services provided in 2022, focusing on the detailed work addressing the pitch issue in her kitchen line. Upon examining the invoice she signed, it was clear that replacing the pipe and rectifying the pitch, despite requiring floor disruption, was the necessary solution, as explicitly stated. The completed work effectively resolved her immediate concern, accompanied by a one-year warranty. Importantly, the subsequent backup issue was unrelated to our work but rather stemmed from the kitchen line's inherent pitch problem since the home's construction. While *** ******* request for a refund was declined, she inquired about the possibility of receiving a complimentary water softener as compensation. I've thoroughly explained the situation, and I recommend closing out the complaint at this time

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/19/2024

  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.
  

  The papers that I signed said that the work was completed and I would never have another problem and the problem was resolved by raising my clean out  Al, the general manager agrees, multiple times in our phone conversation, that raising the clean out would not fix or resolve my issue. The work in question that was completely unnecessary and would solve no issues, was the raising of the clean out. At this point, I want a full refund on work done that I was told and also states in the paperwork would “resolve” my issue as long as I also flushed my main line with lots of water. I paid over $4200.00 for a raised clean out that did absolutely nothing to fix my pipe issues; work that I absolutely did not need. Also, there was no guarantee on the work. Al is incorrect in his information. He stated on the phone there were roots in my pipes and I had to correct him. Jim, the camera guy and jetter, Bryan the person that did the work to raise clean out; Angel the manager; and Brett the excavation manager no longer work for the company  Al was not with the company at that time. I have called for a year getting no where. That is why I finally made a BBB complaint.
  

   

  Regards,
  
  
  
  ****** *****
  
  

  Business Response

  Date: 05/17/2024

  Here is a copy of our first reply and our Position still stands.
  

  
    I just had a discussion with *** *****, during which I outlined our services rendered and reviewed her original agreement. She distinctly recalls that our invoice clearly stated the 100% cost implication if we opted to replace the line, which she declined due to its expense. She's now requesting a complimentary water softener as a resolution. She's looking for something for free, but I said we can't accommodate such a request. I will attach the invoice that I reviewed with her

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/15/2024

  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.

  This plumbing company told us in what we thought was an urgent situation that we needed to replace our whole sewer line from the house to the street because they said that the cast iron pipes were rusted out on the bottom. They did send a camera down. Roto-rooter was pushing me to sign a contract to do the project that day on 4/12/24. I did sign a contract , which would have been $10,400, but Come to find out I have a protection plan with American water . So we haulted the excavation and American water sent out a different company (ace mechanical) to do their own investigation and it was found that the pipes are not rusted out and we do not need to dig up our whole front yard to replace any pipes.

  Business Response

  Date: 04/17/2024

  Spoke with ******.  Went over what I saw on the video footage with her.  There are issues with her pipe.  I am mailing her a copy of the video for her to review.  Also issuing a refund for not fulling clearing her mainline.

  She has my email for any further concerns she may have.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/15/2024

  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 March 3, 2024 I called Roto Rooter to unclog my sewer drain.
  During the process their drain cleaning auger became stuck in my sewer pipe.
  It would not come out so they cut their metal auger off above my sewer cleanout access hole.
  Approximately 90 feet of their sewer auger is stuck in my sewer pipe.
  Several weeks ago they offered to extract their auger by digging up the pipe at the location where they think it is trapped, at no charge.
  They said they were waiting for paperwork from their main office's legal department.
  As of today, it has been 48 days since the auger was lodged in my sewer line and they have not contacted me for several weeks.

  Business Response

  Date: 04/16/2024

  We have tried to reach to the customer. There has been some language barriers as well as multiple parties involve. Allegedly the driveway we have to dig up is a shared driveway. The other property owner isn't as comfortable with us just digging a hole in the driveway. So far no agreement has been made between all parties involved.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/10/2024

  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 January 29, 2024 I called the Roto Rooter branch ** in ****** ******* for a water leak.
  At first I was not thinking of putting a claim to my insurance because I thought it was only a water leak. They made me open a synchrony credit card to pay them for their service. They send someone with a contract before starting any work.
  
  I was told that the following day January 30, 2024 they were sending a plumber at 9:00 am.
  It was 10:00 am already and nobody had showed up. I called the person who was supposed to be at my house at 9:00 am, but he said he was going to be there around 11:00 am. I couldn’t wait because I had asked for a half day at my work. I called the office to cancel the service, but the manager, Maria A***, convinced me to give them another chance and offered to send the best plumber they had, so I went ahead and accepted the offer. Because of the waiting I had to ask for the whole day off at my work.
  That was the first problem I had with this Roto Rooter branch that showed some irresponsibility.
  
  When the clean up team arrived and they started to put everything away and dismantling the leaving room for the water mitigation service, they were careless with my furniture. They dropped an antique piece of furniture, it fell, it cracked, and it got scratched too (please see pictures attached). A friend that was in my house saw when they dropped it and I saw it on the floor when I heard the noise and went to see what had happened.
  I asked the manager and the person responsible for the clean up team (Francisco) who was going to fix it or be responsible for the damages, but they never responded (See messages sent).
  I also saw that after that incident, they covered a sensor that as of now I don’t understand the reason of covering that ( see picture).
  
  On top of the already negative experience I had with Roto Rooter I decided to do the water mitigation service with them. I was very nervous and worried about what was unfolding in my house. The manager at Roto Rooter knew because I told her how worried and nervous I was and also Gabriel, the guy sent with the contract for me to sign. They don’t start any job until you sign the contract with an amount that ranges $4,000 to $6, 000 or from $8,000 to $10,000.
  
  After they contained the area for the water mitigation service, I was told by Roto Rooter manager, María A*** that I had to do a mold test because her 19 years of experience tells her that most likely I had mold in my house since mold grows in 24 hours.
  I called a company for the mold test and came out positive.
  I was very nervous and worried about having mold in my house because I am very allergic to mold and I told the manager at Roto Rooter about it.
  I talked to the person in charge of my insurance claim at Citizens and she explained that the insurance provides the mold repair service at no cost.
  
  I called Maria A***, the manager of Roto Rooter branch ** and tell her that I’m not going to do the mold repair with them because I rather do it with my insurance. She told me that insurance companies work for themselves and never to benefit the insured. That the service the insurance provide was not like the one they provide because they employ people that work for them and the mold repair they do was not as deep as the one Roto Rooter did. That Roto Rooter will work for my benefit and my health, unlike the insurance company.
  She was very good at selling Roto Rooter services. She went on to tell me that since my insurance covered $10,000 for mold and $3,000 for the water mitigation, she could do the paperwork splitting the expenses between the water mitigation and mold service so I won’t have to pay anything because the insurance will cover for it. Once again she convinced me because I thought about my health first and I did the mold repair with them.
  
  Another problem I had with Roto Rooter is that I asked several times for the invoice of the service provided and they never sent it to me.
  
  Still another problem I had with Roto Rooter was the irresponsibility of not sending the paperwork and proofs to my insurance on time. I called several times to let them know the insurance gave me a deadline to submit all the paperwork for the claim and that they had not received anything from them.
  The insurance finally got the paperwork and proofs to processed my claim, but they tell me there’s not enough proofs for them to approve the mold job because only one picture was included and that picture didn’t show there were 10 sq ft of mold.
  
  I called the ***** branch of Roto Rooter again and again to ask how is that possible if the manager Maria A***, assured me with her experience, I had the 10 sq ft of mold. I even went to their office at **** ** **** **
  ****** ** ***** looking for answers and they only took a message.
  
  For days I tried to get a hold of someone that can answer all my questions and concerns, but it was in vain. Nobody was returning my calls or messages.
  I felt like after they got my business, they didn’t care about anything else. I felt used and misled. I felt they took advantage of my feelings and how anxious and worry I was because of my mold allergy to get my business and charge me more than $14,000 for both water mitigation and mold repair services. Every body in this field would agree I was overcharged.
  It has been a very negative experience dealing with the people of Roto Rooter’s ***** branch #**

  Business Response

  Date: 04/18/2024

  I have  reviewed *** ****** file  for the Water Restoration and Mold work  that was performed  by Roto-Rooter.  All work was completed to IICRC (Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration) Standards.  In reviewing ** ****** complaints her issue is the cost of work that was done at her home.  *** ****** sign off on all the paperwork before  the work was stated and she sign off on completion of work paperwork once the work was done. There is no issue was the work the was performed by Roto-Rooter.  So in spirit of customer service Roto-Rooter will be issue a credit to *** ****** for amount that her insurance didn't reimburse her for.  Our Water Restoration department will be reaching out to ** ****** about the credit.

   

  Best regards,

   

  Frank M******

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/10/2024

  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.

  Transaction date: 13 march 2024
  Amount: $825.00
  The company roto-rooter was called on the evening of 13 march 2024 for a water leak coming from the smoke detector in 1st floor bedroom from a second floor bathroom. It appeared the water was coming from the crease between the bathtub and wall of the bathroom. The plumber asserted it came from a sealant ring from the toilet. The plumber proceeded to pull out the toilet and replace the sealant. The company also charged $2,000.00 to install 3 fans, a dehumidifier for 3 days and cut out approximately 3 to 4 square yards of drywall. on April 9th 2024, my daughter moved back in her bathroom and the leak happened again while running the shower. Roto-rooter was called again to ascertain the source of the issue. The Root-rooter plumber then determined it was indeed the crease between the tub and wall of the bathroom and had nothing to do with the toilet sealant. He also noted a spread and larger water damage that had now spread to the shared wall between the bathroom and office. Mr. Tim C*******, supervisor at Roto-rooter reimbursed $825.00 and stated "it is more than fair". When I brought up the issue of the additional water damage and repair of the original and true source of the water leak, I was again told that the reimbursement of the $825.00 "was more than fair". So, we are currently stuck with a larger and more serious water/humidity damage situation and the original problem not addressed at all.

  Business Response

  Date: 04/11/2024

  We have visited with our customer in the home and are performing additional work at no additional charge to complete this job to customers satisfaction. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/10/2024

  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.

  My mom's house had a sewer back up on January 26, 2024. I called Roto-Rooter. They came out and tried to clean out drain. They could not do this so they dug a hole outside. Then they cleaned up the water in the basement . They were going to clean out the drain further later. When they left they unplugged the sump pump. I told them it was going to rain all weekend. They said they did not want sewer water back up in bathroom. On Sunday morning there was about 3 inches of water in basement again. They had to pump it out again. ***** **** insurance paid 16310.00 for the clean up. They will not pay the additional 4480.00. They said they will not pay for water removal twice. My mom has already paid over 7000.00 for the digging outside. She does not have the extra 4480.00. Since Roto-Rooter unplugged the sump pump I feel they are responsible for the second water removal. I do not know what to do.

  Business Response

  Date: 04/16/2024

  While it is unfortunate that our customer is unhappy, it is not due to anything that Roto Rooter Services did.  We completed a standard category 3 water mitigation job, which included initial extraction, cleaning and equipment set up.  It also included a secondary extraction after steam cleaning/pressure washing to remove the sewage and microbials contained in the waste.  The area was then treated with a second application of anti-microbial  to sanitize the affected area and remove all hazards.  This is standard practice for a cat 3 loss.  The bill was sent to ***** **** insurance, and they short paid the invoice (attached) which left the customer responsible for the remaining balance.

  None of this had anything to do with a sump pump.  This was a mainline sewer backup due to a clog in the customers mainline that caused the water loss.  All work is outlined and documented in phots on the attachment.   Roto Rooter maintains this position and it will not change.  We repaired the cause of the loss, cleaned, dried, and sanitized the affected areas as we were contracted to do, to the standards of the industry.  We expect to be paid for those services as contractually obligated.  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/23/2024

  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,
  
  
  
  ********* ******
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/23/2024

  I disagree with Roto-Rooter's claim that the sump pump had nothing to do with the second water in the basement.  On Sunday night Joe Miller came to my mom's house.  He plugged in the sump pump and opened the cap outside and pumped the water out of the basement.  I continued doing that the next day.  As long as the sump pump worked we had no water.

  Business Response

  Date: 04/24/2024

  While it is unfortunate that you disagree, it does not our response.  We have stated our position, we have contracts, pictures and documentation that back those up and we will proceed with the collections process to be paid for those services.  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/05/2024

  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.

  Roto-Rooter in *********, MO. has unknowledgeable and inexperience service workers and the worse customer service and management. The Headquarters Customer Service Manager, Pat S******, where you’re supposed to make a complaint, has failed as well.
  
  We called Roto Rooter on January 17, 2024, and the next day **** from Roto Rooter arrived ran a camera down the outside clean out, convinced my husband that we should have Jetting to see if there were any problems, of course for more money. He said there was a collapse line at the foundation wall at the transition site. He pointed out on the wall downstairs the spot where he said where it was at but we would need to remove everything from the wall as he called it an “emergency repair”. He called his co-worker ******* to come and mark and locate the broken pipe. He told ******* the details of his inspection. ******* arrived and ran the line down the pipe outside and then came downstairs to try and locate the pipe downstairs. He used his pipe locator but was unable to locate it but said that we had to remove everything away from the wall for him to locate. He kept telling us that we needed to get this done so he could come back to locate the pipe that day for service the next day. He called within a couple hours and asked if it was done, and I told him we were working on it, but it was a lot to move he just kept after us to get it done. On that wall was an 8ft L X 4ft W workbench, that it was so well built you could not dismantle without destruction, we tried. It was full of various items with drawers and a cabinet underneath. It was built by my husband’s deceased father, who was a carpenter, and it was over 60 years old and made of all wood that you cannot replace. This was priceless. They just kept telling us this was an emergency repair and we couldn’t get it moved and we were left with no choice but to destroy the bench in order to move it away from the wall because they gave us no time to figure something else out because again this was an supposed “EMERGENCY”. When ******* returned, he was still unable to get a definitive location of the pipe where **** said it was or elsewhere, but marked it where he thought it was and then told us that we also had to remove a wall (drywall and framing) as well, which we did. He relied on the location and information that he received from **** and didn’t come up with his own findings.
  
  On January 19, 2024, workers from Roto Rooter showed up to start work. They made a hole approximately 2 feet deep and a few feet wide, and never located a pipe. They stopped and called the field manager, **** and waited for him to come. He determined that the break was on the outside not inside and that ****’s findings were wrong and it turns out all assessments of what was broke from everyone were wrong. Tim said this fell under our City’s Sewer Lateral Program and to call the City because they have their own approved contractor’s and Roto Rooter is not one of them. Tim also was not able to locate the pipe as well. Tim kept telling us that we would not be charged the $550.00 we paid. A week later it was cashed.
  
  The City’s contractor did not perform work on the repair until a week later (so we guess it wasn’t an “emergency after all). The pipe break was located multiple feet away from where ******* marked downstairs and it actually was in a different room. As a result, we destroyed a 60+ year old workbench because we had to rush for nothing because of their pressure saying it was an “emergency collapse” and we needed it done ASAP.
  
  On February 8, 2024, I finally received a call back from Kevin T****** stating that they were sending out a check for the initial $550.00 that we paid plus we would discuss compensation for the BAD LOCATE . The City’s contractor filled in the hole that Roto Rooter created which we paid for that.
  
  On February 13, 2024, received the check and was marked “CUST SAT” and we were not satisfied, and now they’re refusing to compensate us for the destruction of the workbench, wall and the incorrect digging, as we were told they would by Kevin T******, and others, but he kept saying we would discuss compensation when we received the check back. All we wanted was some fair compensation for their wrongdoing. Nothing happened!!!!!
  
  I have made at least 16 calls to the branch office, Kevin T******, with no results. They refuse to take our calls or to call back. Multiple emails to branch office and to HQ, Pat S******, still NO RESPONSE. ***** stated, along with other staff, that they will make us whole again and still NO RESPONSE. I see why they have had multiple lawsuits and complaints. ZERO confidence in this company and will never call them again!!!! I guess we should feel lucky that the City’s contractor performed the needed repair or we might have lost alot more.

  Business Response

  Date: 04/16/2024

  Roto Rooter has provided a full refund for all work that has been performed for this customer. We don't have any further options to offer. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/22/2024

  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.
  
  
  Regards,
  
  
  
  ******* *** ****** ****
  

  Business Response

  Date: 04/22/2024

  We have refunded all money related to the customer. There is nothing more we can do at this time.