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

  12034 Exit 5 Pkwy Fishers, IN 46037

  
• 

  Roto Rooter

  220 Demeter St East Palo Alto, CA 94303

• 

  RR Plumbing Roto-Rooter

  280 Meredith Ave Staten Island, NY 10314

• 

  Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup

  1130 140th Ave NE Suite 305 Bellevue, WA 98005

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:04/04/2024

  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.

  On April 2, 2024 I called Roto-Rooter. Previously the basement started to smell like sewage so I took off the pipe in basement and noticed the water going out to the street was still sitting in the pipe. There shouldn’t be any water in the pipe so I could understand I needed to get the pipe cleaned. There was never any back-up of water in the house.
  When Roto-Rooter came the cost to clean the line was $706 minus a $75 coupon which would be $631. I sign the paper for them to do the work. After about 10 minutes he said there was something blocking the pipe and he couldn’t clean the pipe and called another man to come look into the pipe with a camara. While waiting for the other man to come, he said he would give me a 25% discount, I am 76 years old and I listened to the man and I paid with my credit card $529.50. Later that day, April 2nd, I spoke to a friend and he said you agreed to pay them $631 for doing the job, but they didn’t do the job, so why should you have to pay $529.50. He said that they did come out and tried to fix it so you should pay something, but not $529.50. He said you shouldn’t have to pay more than $200 for them to come out and not solve the problem.
  The other man finally came and looked with his camara but couldn’t see anything because of the water. He told me they had to break the concrete, dig down to the pipe and remove it and replace it. It would cost $4,800, so I took the paper but didn’t agree to that. The next morning, April 3rd, I called the company on the advice of my friend and explained the situation and the lady didn’t understand me, so I told her to talk to the man who came to clean the pipe, and she said she would call me back. She didn't call back, so today, April 4, 2024 I call again and she said they wouldn’t refund anything.
  I would like a refund of $329.50, that way I would be paying $200.00 for them to come out and try to solve the problem.

  Business Response

  Date: 04/04/2024

  Customer was told today and we explained that flow was given. We would not be able to put a camera in the main line if it was still holding. upon doing a courtesy  line inspection our sewer  specialist found that customer has additional issues with his line that  could cost him to back up in the future. When customer called we offered to go back out and camera the line. Customer declined and stated we only wanted to pay 199.99. we was explain the price and he signed off on the invoice. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/11/2024

  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.

  Roto Rooter said: “Customer was told today and we
  explained that flow was given.”

  
  That is not true, we never
  got flow, it was blocked and he said something was in the way and they would
  have to break the cement and dig down to the pipe to repair it. Which would
  cost an additional $4,800.

  
  “We would not be able to put a camera in the main
  line if it was still holding.”

  
  They put a camera in the line and said
  they couldn’t see anything because in was in the water, that means it was
  (still holding, or blocked).

  
  “customer has additional issues with his line
  that could cost him to back up in the future.”

  
  It was backed up then, not
  in the future. They never got the snake thru the line because something was
  blocking it.

  
  “When customer called we offered to go back out and
  camera the line. Customer declined”

  
  I called the day after they
  came out. They had already put the camera in the line the day they came
  out, and they couldn’t see anything because of the water.

  
  “and stated we only wanted to pay 199.99. we was
  explain the price and he signed off on the invoice.”

  
  I signed off to pay them
  $631 for cleaning the drain and getting the flow working again, not to pay them
  that much to tell me they can’t do the job. I am fine with paying them $200 for
  coming out and letting me know they can’t do the job, not the $529.50 they had
  me pay. I would like a refund of $329.50. Thank you very much.
  
  
  Regards,
  
  
  
  ***** *****
  
  

  Business Response

  Date: 04/12/2024

  We did provide flow to customer. which is how we were able to camera inspect the main sewer line. If customer was still holding we would not be able to see anything. Upon inspecting the main sewer line. Our sewer specialist found corroded  cast iron to house trap and broken pipe. Customer was told that he would back up again if these issues don't get fixed. we cannot determine how long it will take for customer to back up. It can be a couple of days, months or even years. Customer also has a 30 day guarantee that expires on 5-2-2024. We do not provide the camera footage but customer could set up a time to  come down to our branch office to look at the video we have. 

  No refund to be given. 

   

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/13/2024

  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 pipe was broken as they said,
  but the line was never cleared. The flow they are talking about was the same as
  before they came, it did not improve at all. I explained that we never had backup
  coming into the house, but the basement smelled of sewage and the drain pipe was
  blocked and the water stayed in the pipe up to a certain level. He used the
  snake and could only go a few feet and something was blocking the snake from
  going any further and the water was in the pipe at that point.
  Since then, I hired another
  contractor and he solved the problem. The pipe was broken right where it curved
  to go to the street and the snake hit the sand (East Hartford is built on sand)
  and did not continue going in the pipe, which did absolutely nothing to solve
  the flow problem. Further down the pipe was blocked by sand and the water
  seemed to flow, but actually it was just going into the sand under the house,
  which is why the basement started to smell like sewage. They did not ever temporarily
  solve the problem. Therefore, they should refund my $329.   
  Also there was no “house trap” in
  the pipe as they claimed. 
  
  
  Regards,
  
  
  
  ***** *****
  
  

  Business Response

  Date: 04/18/2024

  We did provide flow to customer. which is how we were able to camera inspect the main sewer line. If customer was still holding we would not be able to see anything. Upon inspecting the main sewer line. Our sewer specialist found corroded  cast iron to house trap and broken pipe. Customer was told that he would back up again if these issues don't get fixed. we cannot determine how long it will take for customer to back up. It can be a couple of days, months or even years. Customer also has a 30 day guarantee that expires on 5-2-2024. We do not provide the camera footage but customer could set up a time to  come down to our branch office to look at the video we have. 
  No refund to be given. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/07/2024

  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.

  They keep saying "we got flow" and I keep saying "we didn't". Why don't they ask the service man who came out to do the work. He knows there wasn't any improvement, he knows we did not get "flow", and the person who came out with the camera, he could not go more that a couple of feet before he hit water, and that was after the service man finished his work. Nothing improved, nothing got any better after they came out, everything was exactly the same as before they came. These people are not honest, they keep repeating the same false statement "We got flow". 

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

  Business Response

  Date: 05/17/2024

  Customer was told  and we explained that flow was given. We would not be able to put a camera in the main line if it was still holding. upon doing a courtesy  line inspection our sewer  specialist found that customer has additional issues with his line that  could cause him to back up in the future. When customer called we offered to go back out and camera the line. Customer declined and stated we only wanted to pay 199.99. we was explain the price and he signed off on the invoice. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/02/2024

  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 February 22, I woke up to a small puddle in my bathroom. I called Roto Rooter for a plumbing service, and a plumber arrived with a water mitigation representative in tow. The plumber fixed my toilet efficiently, but the water mitigation person told me I had extensive water damage in my kitchen (my bathroom is above) and that they needed to tear out my walls to dry it out. I was reluctant but they pressed me and told me the longer I wait, the more mold would grow. They verbally assured me that my insurance would cover it and that they do this all of the time. I mentioned I was a new homeowner and I think that was my first mistake - they were eager to take advantage of my naivety. They even commented that my insurance policy is good. I told them I could not afford this service but agreed to it based on the insurance coverage. They initially said it would be $4,000, but after installing the dehumidifying equipment, it had popped up to $6500, though I had already signed the papers and had no way of knowing that. In fact, I was signing papers before the plumbing job was even done due to their unrelenting pressure and assurance. They tore out my walls shoddily and even destroyed my cabinets beyond repair, which I did not agree to. During the drying process, they nicked my gas line without knowing and also used broken equipment that it took them days to replace. As it turns out, my insurance doesn’t cover leaks - well I knew this, but Roto Rooter did not say this was a leak. So now I owe $6500, and I suspect that I didn’t even need any of this work to begin with, and they were inflating the price thinking my insurance would cover it. I truly think they are predatory crooks - after my incident, I’ve heard this happen to several others. They don’t even allow a payment plan for their bill, which is devastating in these unforeseen circumstances. I know I signed these contracts (under duress) but what they are doing as a company repeatedly is unjust and wrong.

  Business Response

  Date: 04/04/2024

  Roto Rooter has explained the claims process to the customer and advised that we are working for the customer and not the insurance carrier. Roto Rooter is willing to submit any and all necessary information in attempt to have the claim decision overturned as it was wrongfully denied. Photos taken before, during and after mitigation showing the sudden damage that had occurred. All affected areas were exposed, disinfected, sanitized and dried to ensure the health and safety of the home. All work provided was necessary, justified and supported through photo documentation. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/02/2024

  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.

  Roto Rooter recently replaced 55' of sewer lines on our property. I repeatedly asked them what the $4427.82 for “other” was on the invoice they provided, but they refused to tell me. I finally went to customer service at the corporate office, and they were able to get an itemization from the ***** Franchise for the $4427.82. When I got the breakdown, I was shocked to see the permit cost listed as $851.25 when the actual permit I obtained at the ** ********** city office showed the permit cost was a total of $52.75. I was also charged $1620.36 for parts in addition to $1163.49 for materials on the itemization provided by the ***** Roto Rooter office. A day prior to the actual work being done, a plumber came out with a camera to inspect the condition of the line. He quoted “around $800.00” for the inspection. I paid with a personal credit card. The charge was $811.16. The total invoice for the job was $11, 812.00. I believe I double paid the plumbers inspection visit. Needless to say, I, my friends, nor anyone in my family will ever be using ***** *** Roto Rooter Company in the future.

  Business Response

  Date: 04/02/2024

  This issue was resolved with the customer.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/02/2024

  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,
  
  
  
  **** *****

  Roto Rooter recently replaced sewer lines on our property. I repeatedly asked them what the $4427.82 for “other” was on the invoice they provided, but they refused to tell me. I finally went to customer service at the corporate office, and they were able to get an itemization from the ***** Franchise for the $4427.82. When I got the breakdown, I was shocked to see the permit cost listed as $851.25 when the actual permit I obtained (that Roto Rooter applied for) at the ** ********** city office showed the permit cost was a total of $52.75. 
  I was also charged $1620.36 for parts in addition to $1163.49 for materials on the itemization provided by the ***** Roto Rooter office.
  A day prior to the actual work being done, a plumber came out with a camera to inspect the condition of the line. He quoted around $800.00 to do that so I agreed.  I paid with a personal credit card. The charge was $811.16.  The total invoice for the job was $11, 812.00. I believe I double paid the plumbers inspection visit. 
  
  
  
  

  Business Response

  Date: 04/17/2024

  Spoke with **** and provided large job break down and sent to her email.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/11/2024

  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,
  
  
  
  **** *****

  On the original invoice and after many requests, Roto Rooter refused to itemize 'other' for $4427.82.  I contacted Roto Rooter home office and they advised Roto Rooter in ***** to provide details. Some of the numbers finally provided were fraudulent. (eg: permit for $851.25 when permit actually cost $52.75). The original invoice listed parts for $1620.36. The itemization added added another $1163.49 for material. No explanation was given for 'rental'; co. equip; and consumables. It appears as though Roto Rooter in ***** just provided fictitious numbers that would add up to the original $4427.82. Additionally I paid $811.16 for a plumber to come in with a snake and I paid him with my credit card while he was there.  $812.00 was added to the original invoice even though I had already paid the plumber.

  Documentation for the above is already on file with BBB.

   

   

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/22/2024

  
  
   
  
  Attached is the City of ** ********** permit I just picked up for sewer work done on our property in January..
  
  As you can see in the sum****, the total is $52.75.  For this I was charged $851.25 by Roto Rooter.
  
   
  
  I am now hoping we can get further breakdowns on "Co. Equipment; Rental; Consumables and
  
  Material," all of which were included in *** ******* detailed breakdown of the $4427.82 for "Other". 
  
  It seems as though "Material" would be the same as "Parts" which was already included in his original invoice.
  
   
  
  Am also wondering if I was not double charged for the original plumber the same day I was quoted a
  
  total charge for the entire job. ($11,812.00). The plumber was paid with my personal credit card.(Info below)

   

  I appreciate your help with this matter.
  
   
  
  Respectfully
  
  **** *****

  business sent email response back to the consumer

  
   
  ****,
  
   
  
  I have attached the breakdown of your invoice. Sorry but I can’t escalate this any further, as this is the only breakdown we can provide to you…Thanks!

  Business Response

  Date: 05/23/2024

  Roto-Rooter has supplied a breakdown to **** *****. We have responded to her every request. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/03/2024

  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: 06/06/2024

  
  
  
  Can you please provide a detailed explanation with description of the services the consumer signed and paid the business for? Please read carefully the following issues at hand that the consumer is seeking a resolution:  The invoice provided to the customer has the itemization/categories billed for but will not have every tape, hose, screws etc. listed as this is not best practice when invoicing. 
  The consumer questioned the total charge of $4427.82 for parts and labor(Can the business provide a detailed explanation of what 'OTHER" means for the consumer)?  Other could mean any miscellaneous equipment/tools/material not in the normal use of repair that is required.
  Can the business provide what are the rental charges the consumer was responsible for? Equipment used outside the normal scope of what use.
  The business charged the consumer for equipment, is this for the camera? If so, the consumer expressed that the camera was paid separately and then charged again with the invoice. Can you give an explanation of the equipment charges?  Equipment used does not include the camera, but may include jetting machine to picote machines.
  Can the business provide a detailed explanation of what consumables charge means?  See point number one.
  Can the business provide a description of the parts used versus the materials used to perform the consumer's job?  See point number one.
  Can the business further research if the consumer was charged twice for the amount of $811.16 to purchase a camera, due to the invoice that the business sent to BBB reflects a charge amount of the same price on a separate invoice the consumer sent to BBB? Can you clarify if the consumer was overcharged for the camera?  Customer was not overcharged for camera service.
  Can the business review the receipt price for the permit which the consumer purchased but the business added a charge of $850.00 for a permit? Can they provide a detailed explanation of the correct permit amount?  There are administrative cost in expediting permits for work to be initiated and completed timely.
  Can the business please provide if the consumer has a warranty with the services that were performed?  Customer has a 5 year warranty notated on the invoice.
   
  
   
  
  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/06/2024

  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.

  When asked to explain "itemized charges under other" answers provided by Roto Rooter were as  deceptive and fraudulent as the original invoice which just stated:

  Labor $5763.82

  Parts $1620.36

  Other $4427.82

  
  
  Regards,
  
  
  
  **** *****
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/29/2024

  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.

  I called ********** Roto-Rooter to clean out the main sewer line. They were prompt in responding, and spent almost 2 hours on the job, but failed to clean the blockage in the mainline due to 'sludge'. In attempting to clear the line, they actually caused sewage to backup into the house, which flooded a basement hallway, utility room and laundry room. The onsite tech apologized for his failures and said the only remedy was hydro-jetting of the line, and he quoted me $1600-1800. At first I agreed, then I investigated the cost and in my area it is far less, averaging $475. I then called Roto to cancel and could not at that time, but would be called back. I waited 4 hours, and called them and was able to cancel the hydro-jetting. After failing to clear the mainline, leaving my family without adequate sanitation, and offering such lack luster customer service, in addition to flooding my basement, I do not know what to think of this business?

  Business Response

  Date: 03/30/2024

  A RRSC manager spoke to customer and clarified that he was never charged by RRSC for anything, and so there was nothing to refund.

  He appreciated the call from a manager and was satisfied with our response.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/12/2024

  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.   However, I would like to add the customer service rep told me it is company policy to not charge for a service call unless successful results were obtained.  The tech did not inform me of this policy at the time, and after searching for such a policy or guarantee on the company website, I could not find either.  Other issues, as to timeliness of customer service call-backs were out of the rep's purview.  The issue of attempting to sell a second, more costly service, 'hydo-jetting', after the initial failure to resolve the clogged mainline, was not addressed, as I felt it was pointless to go into with a junior level customer service rep.
  
  
  
  Regards,
  
  
  
  ***** *******
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/29/2024

  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.

  Our basement/ 1st floor flooded on 3/23/24 from a back up of water from a drain in our utility room. The water went under the stairs, through the closet, and into my office on decorative concrete. Roto Rooter (RR) came out that day to assess the situation after my husband shop vac’d the water up to stop water damage. The first technician spent 5 hrs trying to find the clog and said they would need to send a camera guy out. They spent the next day moving things out of the spaces. On the 3rd Day the Camera guy came out looked into the drain, said yah it’s crappy in there, we need to jet water. He quoted my husband 1500. Had my husband sign a few areas on his iPad and we NEVER received a copy that actually said 6200. And then we received an invoice for 6200. We tried to called the PM because we’re stunned. The next day they charged us half as we were trying to talk to them. It turns out the first jetting did not clear the pipe and the team then had to search again, found a Y daylighted that without a camera. And charged us the rest. They finished the job and left the job 3/28 afternoon. I ran my washer that night and the utility room and 1st floor flooded as if they had done no work. I called 3/29 and asked for a full refund. They put me on speaker. They said their work was warranteed. Why would I want THAT level of competency done again? They didn’t even test it with the washer? They reflooded my house. They told me they couldn’t refund me because their GM was out of office. That blows my mind. My husband opened the cap to the drain today 3/29 and there were rags shoved in there. Why were there rags shoved in there? I am horrified that they wasted 6 days of my time and charged me for no resolution. And yes it floods after you remove the rags. All they want is your money. They do not care about the customer. I just want a refund so it can be fixed correctly.

  Business Response

  Date: 04/02/2024

  The customer had work performed at their home that matched the signed proposal (scope of work). The customer then claims that the work we did was incompetent and not correct. The customer has not allowed us back to the property to inspect on their claims. The customer has not provided any evidence to us that the work was not done according to the proposal. We would be happy to refund some or all of this customers invoice if we could be allowed to inspect the work or if given evidence from another licensed plumbing company. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/02/2024

  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. They were already provided evidence that it flooded again through pics submitted through BBB. In a phone discussion, they told me all of that work 6 days, $6200 was Step 1 of getting to the problem. I am not willing to pay thousands more to get to the root cause with RR. We have since had a second plumber come out who found the problem in one day and the charge is $2300. 
  
  
  Regards,
  
  
  
  ******* *********
  

  Business Response

  Date: 04/04/2024

  This customer was provided a full refund on 4/2/2024. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/10/2024

  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:03/27/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore 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.

  3/26/24 Roto Rooter installed a garbage disposal and removed my old one. When I called to say I cannot even fit my hand down it to retrieve anything that might fall in the drain the guy dismissed me and said "that has been the size for decades" even though my old one was larger and my hand fit just fine. I told him I wanted the disposal removed and he said we don't do that! I paid $565.00 I just want this piece of junk removed.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/25/2024

  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.

  Roto-Rooter provided water restoration services in my home starting on 01/21/2024. At the time of service, I provided a check for $1000, which was the amount of my insurance deductible. The total bill for the services was $4,521.88. This was paid IN FULL by my insurance company. My insurance company requested that Roto Rooter reimburse my deductible amount ($1000). On 03/01/2024, the Claims Coordinator at Roto Rooter (**********) said that Roto Rooter HQ was processing my check and that I should receive it within 10 business days. Roto Rooter also told my insurance claims adjuster that the check had been processed on 2/28/2024, but this is different information than I received. When I spoke w/ Roto Rooter (Mamaroneck) today, they claimed that the check was still being processed and that they didn't have any update or additional information.
  
  I would just like to receive my reimbursement ($1000) back, since Roto Rooter has already been paid in full.
  
  The Roto Rooter ticket number is: #********

  Business Response

  Date: 03/26/2024

  customer is receiving refund, please allow 10-14 days to process 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/29/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ** ********* and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. The business responded and sent a refund.
  
  
  
  Regards,
  
  
  
  ******* ***
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/24/2024

  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 hired Roto Rooter to snake my sewer line. There was sewer water in my basement, so after cleaning the line they sent a rep to my home to discuss mitigation services. That rep informed me that Roto Rooter works with the insurance company and that my homeowners insurance would cover the cost. He assured me that “they do this all the time” and that my home owners insurance would cover all the costs associated with cleaning up the water and that they possibly could get more to cover my deductible and repairs. After completing the job, Roto-Rooter sent a $22000 claim to my insurance company which my insurance company determine to be exactly half of what they would pay. My complaint is that Roto-Rooter knowingly and intentionally deceived me and thus convinced me to sign a contract, on an ipad, with no explanation of the terms and without giving me a chance to read the contract. Because the rep told me that they “do this all the time”, they should have known my insurance company would not pay their inflated invoice. They took advantage of the urgency of the situation and my lack of experience with filing a home owners claim. They also went against Roto-Rooter’s policy as stated on their website that before they begin work, Roto Rooter will contact the insurance company. At the time the crew showed up at my home to do the extraction, the rep had not yet looked at my policy. I immediately called him and sent a copy of my policy for him to review. It took him less than a minute to determine and tell me at that point, “your covered”. He did not contact my insurance carrier until after the work was done.

  Business Response

  Date: 04/01/2024

  To whom it may concern,

  Roto-Rooter did the project at this location by the IICRC standards to make the house as clean and safe as it was before the loss happen. Roto-Rooter submitted the scope of work to the insurance company on their ********* program. Roto-Rooter does not say what the insurance company will pay but does help the customer to negotiate to get as close to what the project costs. As of now Roto-Rooter is working to settle with the customer to make the out-of-pocket cost as minimum as possible.   

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/10/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that while Roto-Rooter lowered my bill, they did so only after I went through their report and found over-charges for time and materials in a manner that amount to insurance fraud. For example on my bill was a charge for 150 dehumidifiers when there were only 28. They also billed me for equipment that was not used at all. They charged me for an impossible amount of hours given the time they were actually on site. Additionally they removed items from my basement under the guise of throwing away contaminated material, however they did not provide me with a list of said items and the items removed happen to be of value to Roto Rooter such as two wet vacuums and an extension cord. While they agreed to reimburse me for these items, I think other consumers need to be alerted. This company will get away with these practices with consumers who don't closely review their bill and report provided by Roto Rooter. My complaint is to warn other customers about this business' practices of deception and overcharging when it comes to an insurance claim.  They did not work with my insurance company to lower the bill. I found the overcharges on the bill myself.
  Regards,
  
  
  
  ********* **********
  

  Business Response

  Date: 04/12/2024

  To whom it may concern,

  As mentioned before, Roto-Rooter tried to help this customer to the best of our ability in her time of need. We were able to clean up the issue her property was having. After all was done, we have settled the amount the customer owed due to the insurance company not covering everything that should have been covered. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/21/2024

  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.

  The work was done on 9-27-23 they installed a new drain trap in the laundry room and cut out a section of cast iron main sewer pipe that was rusty and replaced it with PVC. They were to descale the sewer pipes and jett out the outside downspout drain pipe. They also routed the discharge for an existing sump pump to the outside and connected it to the downspout drain pipe that discharges into the curb on the street. There is always water sitting in the curb. We were told by other companies that this is not permitted by the city. I would think that Roto-Rooter should have known this. They also cut through the bathroom wall to route the sump pump outside, it was an awful job. The sump pump made a knocking sound every time it would kick on. The pipe was also sagging and looked like an unprofessional job all the way around. I really think this was their first time doing this kind of work. We did contact them about not being happy with the work they did and they came out and cut another hole in our wall to move the pipes. It did look a little bit better but still had a knocking sound. They also had to redo the concrete around the drain trap which was holding water around the edge because it wasn’t sloped correctly.
  When we found out that the sump pump discharge should not be going to the street curb we did not contact Roto-Rooter at this point I do not want them to touch anything on my property.
  We had to pay another company to install a dry well for the sump pump discharge.
  We paid Roto-Rooter $14,345.00 to do the work listed above. I feel that we were overcharged for the subpar work they did. We have contacted them numerous times to send pictures of the descaling which I’m not sure they even did. My husband spoke to someone there and they were going to come out and scope the drain pipe to see if the descaling was done but they did not show up.
  There are 2 invoice numbers on the receipt they are *********** (handwritten) and ********* (imprinted).

  Business Response

  Date: 03/22/2024

  Offered to come back out and address his concerns with the sump pump line on the interior of the home and was declined for us to return. The proposal was completed as stated, also notate the site was inspected showing a picture in the attachment on file. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/22/2024

  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.

  We did not decline for them to come out and fix the interior sump pump issue.  They did come out and redo the inside the pictures are showing after they came out and fixed it.  That is not the complaint.  The complaint is the sump pump discharge was not routed correctly.  We found out that the discharge was not correct after they redid the interior sump pump lines.  It should not be going to the street curb as shown in the picture.  Also, the inspection sticker was for the floor drain only!
  
  
  Regards,
  
  
  
  ***** ******
  
  

  Business Response

  Date: 03/23/2024

  Offered to come back out and address his concerns with the sump pump line on the interior of the home and was declined for us to return. The proposal was completed as stated, also notate the site was inspected showing a picture in the attachment on file.  The inspection showed that the work was done to local plumbing code. We will not be doing any billing adjustment to this work. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/27/2024

  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 rejection are included below.

  It is obvious that you don’t know what you are talking about.  The only part of the work that the city of ******** inspected was the floor drain.  They did not inspect the sump pump discharge.  That is the issue.   The city of ******** told me that the discharge is not permitted to go out to the curb.  I think your company should have been aware of this.   See attached picture of the water flowing out into the street.  We have already paid another company to fix the problem.  It is obvious you are not going to come out and talk about us being overcharged for subpar work.
  ALSO, WE NEVER DECLINED YOU TO COME OUT!!  

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

  Business Response

  Date: 03/29/2024

  We are in contact with the customer, and are working on a resolution to solve the customers concerns. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/04/2024

  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:03/20/2024

  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 black water flood in one of our houses on December 31, 2023 and this vendor was supposed to do the water mitigation. They didn't do half of the work they were billing for. I had loads of documentation (photos, notarized statement from my contractor) to prove this. My insurance company's mitigation specialist looked into the case and agreed with me and also found further problems with their billing (overcharging and clerical errors) so only paid a portion of the charge. Now RR is coming after me, reporting me to credit agencies and putting a lien on my house for the balance.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/20/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID 21459724, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, reasons for rejection are included below.
  
  
  Regards,
  
  
  
  Andrea Schwertley
  

  Business Response

  Date: 03/22/2024

  I am here to respond to **** ****** ********* complaint. On or around 12/31/2023 Roto- Rooter was called to responded to a major sewage back-up that had flooded the home. Immediately the Roto-Rooter Restoration team responded to the call. Once on site we saw the massive amount of damages to the home including raw sewage on the customers flooring. The Team immediately begin servicing the home. There where no complaints made to us during the servicing of the home.

  After servicing the home an ********* billing was written for the customer was completed and sent to customer's adjuster. This process was completed after she signed the Certificate Of Satisfaction after walking the final project with the Team Lead and approving the work.

  We started communicating with her adjuster. The adjuster made some request to remove some billing items and we agreed to the sum $18K. After which we agreed on a $30K bill. The insurance company still sent less then the agreed upon amount. After multiple emails asking why the agreed amount was not paid and submitting over 100 photos showing the completion of work and showing true transparency the customer and the insurance adjuster failed to respond.