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.
261 complaints closed in the last 12 months.

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

Initial Complaint
Date:01/29/2024
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.
I was quoted one price, and for that I didn’t seek other options. After the work was done, I was told that the job was actually double the quoted price. They were trying to charge me the total cost to make my basement whole, when they only did a portion of the work.
Business Response
Date: 01/30/2024
Roto-Rooter ******* has a signed contract with *** ***** that clearly states the job cost would be between $6500-$8500 before we began. The estimate was written using the Xactimate program, which is a standard system used by the industry. The scope of work was completed as described. The final total cost actually exceeded that amount, but we could not increase the cost without her consent. She received approximately $12,000 in services for $8500.
Customer Answer
Date: 01/30/2024
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’m having a hard time uploading photos. However I actually received about $3,000 worth of work. I’m happy to allow someone to come and do an inspection. I was quoted 6,500 in front of my plumber who was here to exchange my sum-pump. He had some who was going to charge me $5700 to do the work. I allowed them to do it for $6500 which was not a fair quote as I believe Mike heard my agent state how much I was getting. As far as the price range I couldn’t see that on a phone that he was using so that’s bad business. I am being taken advantage of and I’m going to the news next.
Regards,

***** *****
Initial Complaint
Date:01/29/2024
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.
I recently had water damage occur in my home, and I had hired Roto Rooters to do the water mitigation work that was to be covered by my insurance.

My insurance adjuster recieved the bill from Roto Rooters, and he had emailed Joyce asking for some clarification on the bill. He specifically wanted to know why the bill was showing charges for what appeared to him to be an excessive amount of days. He then forwarded me an email from Roto Rooters that stated that the reason there were many days of charges was because the property owner (me) did not provide access.

On January 11th, I called and left a voicemail as well as sent an email to Roto Rooters asking them to clarify these accusations, and I said I would be willing to provide documentation proving that these were false accusations, as I was home on those days and willing to give access to my property. Joyce told me she would follow up with me soon.

On January 23rd, Julia with Roto Rooters called me requesting to process my payment over the phone. I stated that I was still waiting for the email follow up from Joyce, and she recommended I send a follow up email. That evening I looked over the bill my insurance adjuster had sent me, and realized many questionable charges. I sent Roto Rooters a follow up email that evening asking them to address my previous email as well as my new concerns regarding charges on the bill.

The next morning (Jan 24), Pat, the CSM emailed me stating that she filed a formal complaint and that a manager would be reaching out to me shortly.

It is now January 29th, and I am still waiting for Roto Rooters to clarify their accusations, as well as clarify many of the charges on the bill. In my initial email, I had also asked them how I can file a complaint with the BBB, and my question was never clarified, so I decided to submit my complaint to this location, not knowing if it's the correct HQ.

All email threads are attached to provide documentation of my above statements.
Business Response
Date: 02/16/2024
*** ***** had some concerns with her bill for a water
restoration job Roto Rooter had provided for her. Her insurance company had
only issued her a certain amount for the service we provided. *** ***** wanted
a discount stating we overcharged her. I explained to her that our pricing is a
state government pricing, and that she would be responsible for what her
insurance company will not pay. *** ***** stated that we were taking advantage
of her and that she will not pay the overcharges after a few revisions and
working with *** ***** we left the bill at the price that the insurance company
paid her. We Also, explain to her that we wouldn't be able to give her any cash
back due to that can be considered insurance fraud. She understood we came to
agreement.
Customer Answer
Date: 02/19/2024
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.
After agreeing to pay the amount my insurance paid for the mitigation work, I asked the manager Manny if he could at least honor their online $75 coupon they have for plumbing services, since I had to pay out of pocket for this part of their services. He stated he would refund me that coupon amount, and I have not yet received the refund. I have, however, paid for the updated water mitigation bill, and have uploaded email attachments showing that I was promised a $75 refund.

Regards,

***** *****
Initial Complaint
Date:01/29/2024
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.
The most recent service I received was for the exact same issue the previous two times I had a tech out. I specifically said this was a warrantied issue (per the second tech) and was told no problem they'd get it scheduled and figured out. I received a completely different tech for some reason between what I told the scheduler and what she told dispatch and he said this was a different issue and was going to cost me $200. I attempted to call the company again to figure out what was going on and he proceeded to shout over me while I was on the phone demanding I tell the person this and that and was completely unprofessional and rude. He then proceeded to be very sexist and talk down to me like I was a stupid little girl and even asked if I knew what a right angle was and that he's been doing this for a long time. The very first tech I had out right before Thanksgiving who requested I pay him only under the table and took off with $50 and didn't do the service I asked for. I am requesting my $200 back for the service I have under warranty for six months per Angel the second tech and $50 from the first tech Nathanial who didn't do the services I had him scheduled out for.
Business Response
Date: 01/30/2024
the first tech that was out discovered it was not a nain line so he augered the the toilet and only charged our 99.00 service fee. He did no side work she just sent him a tip.
6 days later the toilet that was aughered was acting up again the sceond tech went out and reclaeaned the build up in her toilet which is connected to her neighbors toilet at no charge We paid him to do at no charge to her as a courtes. We do not give 6 month guarantees on free work. The third tech out over a month later just did a toilet augher and still gave her a discount. We went above and beyond and do not feel a refund is warranted.

Customer Answer
Date: 01/30/2024
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 was not a tip sent to Nathanial who only charged a visit fee because he wanted payment under the table and proof was sent to the store manager, Jay. All issues of the toilet clogging were for the same issue and I have a couple witnesses to each account you guys came out. In regards to what was promised and I was specifically told the second time by Angel his work has a 6mo warranty to what was done. As far as Zackariah’s professionalism, it was sexist behavior as I highly doubt he makes right angles and puts his hands in the face of men or shouts over them while they’re on the phone. The fact that there is also a discrepancy between your call center and dispatch plus the lack of notes is incredible for your size of company. I am still requesting $250 be refunded back.
Regards,

**** ****

Business Response
Date: 01/31/2024
Angel did not charge you any money. We do not give 6 month guarantees on work we do not charge for. Our main lines that we charge for do have a 6 month guarantee. As for Zach h has not had 1 complaint in 20 years. The issue he was out on was a clogged toilet besides it being a low flow toilet it may need to be replaced. We decline to give a 250.00 discount we paid Angel what we normaly charge for a pulled toilet main line not you.
Customer Answer
Date: 02/01/2024
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 understand that Angel did not charge me. He was out for warranty work because Nathanial did not do the job. Angel was also confused on to why he was coming out for a visit charge which is what Nathanial charged because he wanted his payment under the table. Angel did state the work done was 6mo warrantied with multiple witnesses to this account without any mention of main line work vs the fact that it was the same clog I had you guys out three different times for. By specifically stating that because Zachariah has not had a complaint in 20yrs you will do nothing, as a company you are announcing and accepting of misogynistic and sexist behavior in your company policy similar to how ****** ********* and many other people are allowed to behave the way they did because no one wants to believe it’s possible for someone ‘they’ve known for 20+ yrs’ to be behaving wrong and they don’t feel they can speak up and when they do, this is how you treat it. Being such a large company, my request for a $250 refund isn’t even pocket change to you guys nor do I care if you fire Nathanial or Zachariah as it clearly sounds like you’d rather protect liars and sexist and misogynistic people over your clientele as I have been a repeat customer with zero issues until now.

Regards,

*

Business Response
Date: 02/02/2024
I spoke to Zach and he had no clue that he offended you and if he did he said is sorry. If Treshon did no work then why would you pay him for 'side work" I will refund the 99.00 service charge that Treshon charged the trip by zach was a seperate issue and he gave you a large discount.
Initial Complaint
Date:01/29/2024
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 allwed my tenant to call over a leaking toilet. They decided replacing the entire toilet was the best solution. Meanwhile, while they were at my home, I spoke to a local plumber who stated the repair was a $30 repair plus labor. The company is manipulative and deceptive. I recognize that they are an emergency service company and everyone has to make a living. However, I cannot understand how it costs over $800 to replace a toilet and why they would have even recommend to replace the entire toilet, when upon further investigation a simple gasket could have fixed the issue. I feel as if I have been robbed with eyes wide open. I have called several times to try and get some sort of partial refund, but to no avail. I am horrified that such a company is getting away with this. I am asking for a partial and fair refund to make the job done a reasonable price.
Business Response
Date: 02/05/2024
Roto Rooter reached out to *** ****** to explain the charge and repair that was completed.
Our plumber suggested a "tank bolt" repair which was causing the leak. The repair cost was around $400.
*** ******* tenant was presented with the option to fix the "tank bolt" or she could exchange the toilet for around $600-700.
The latter option was selected, and our plumber performed the work with full permission from the customer at the agreed upon price.
Roto Rooter diagnosed the leaking toilet and determined a gasket would not have solved *** ******* broken "tank bolt" issue.
We hope that *** ****** will use Roto Rooter in the future, it is not our aim to make anyone feel unpleasant about cost associated with our work.
Initial Complaint
Date:01/28/2024
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.
During my inspection period I requested a professional plumber to provide an inspection/estimate for the repair of leaking old pipes. Roto Rooter told me that I needed to pay for a scope camera inspection for $600.00. This inspection provided me with an estimate of $16,300.00 to reline the main sewer line. This deceivingly false representation of an inspection affected my decision and the negotiation of purchasing the property. After closing, I schedule the work to be done on 01/19/24. They dug up a hole about 10'x3' to expose the pipes and broke the pipe within about 30 minutes of cleaning (chain knocking). This resulted in an excavation and replacement job estimating to about 20k-25k. Horrified, I stopped continuing with Roto Rooter because they had lost my trust. I'm continuing with a different plumber who is charging me a lot less to replace all of the old piping not just the sewer line because I would have had additional issues if the rest of the pipes were in the same condition. Roto failed to care for that seeable issue and I'm sure it would have come up as an extra cost later! Frustratingly, this issue has delayed me moving in, delayed me obtaining tenants and ruined my birthday/housewarming party! Now they have egregiously charged me $5,000.00 for digging the hole and breaking the pipe after cleaning it for 30 minutes. I have been waiting for about a week for a receipt/itemized breakdown of the charge.
I was primarily working with Field Supervisor Kedrick S****.
Business Response
Date: 02/05/2024
A breakdown has been forwarded to the customer (attached). Roto-Rooter is only charging for the work that has been done. A hole was dug and excavated before we were notified the homeowner was going to go with another company. We removed any charges from the price for parts, plumbing, labor, and backfill labor. We also discounted the labor portion of what was done to get the price down to what was agreed upon between the customer and field supervisor ($5,000.00)
Initial Complaint
Date:01/26/2024
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 them to fix a broken lateral plumbing line in my front yard. During the process they broke my water line. While they repaired that they let in a bunch of dirt and grime which clogged my pipes. I asked them to come out and unclog the pipes and they refused. I just want them to finish the job.
Business Response
Date: 01/27/2024
I called and left a message today. In discussions with my plumber, we could not finish the job as the repairs are on outside hose bibs. We will schedule a time when the weather is warmer to fix and communicate to the customer that the hose bibs need to be turned off in the winter weather. Thanks!
Initial Complaint
Date:01/26/2024
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.
the repairman, ruined my toilet, damaged various things in the bathroom, and damaged my shower i contacted mr hilderbrandt after a few attempts , and sent him photos on 12/18 , he then said I would be contacted by joe. after again waiting, i was contacted by joe, who then came out to survey the damage on january 8, he assured me he would repair the damages and get back to me, I had sent him a multitude of photos, despite him seeing the damages himself. Since January 8th, he has put me off with various excuses, death in family , sickness, busy schedule, and via text has to date not rectified the situation.
Business Response
Date: 02/02/2024
Customer has been taken care of. Toilet replacement had to be ordered through ****** and has been placed. Customer understands that as soon as we receive order that we will call her and schedule a time to come out and replace it. Customer is happy.
Customer Answer
Date: 02/03/2024
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.

the customer is not happy! the toliet has NOT been replaced, nor has damages been repaired.this is simply untrue

Regards,

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

Business Response
Date: 02/05/2024
I am not clear as to what the customer is upset about. We have placed a replacement toilet that the customer agreed with and once it arrives, we will be calling to schedule a time with customer to install new toilet.
Customer Answer
Date: 02/06/2024
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.
you said the customer has been taken care of and is happy. neither which is true. I have not heard either way from joe since 1/26/24 , to which he said that he would schedule the install that week. I am simply correcting the fact that you said it has been taken care of
Regards,

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

Business Response
Date: 02/07/2024
Apologies...I was under the impression since Joe spoke with you and there was an agreement on the replacement toilet that is on order from ****** that you were satisfied. Again, the replacement toilet is on order and as soon as it arrives we will be calling you to schedule a suitable time to come and replace the damaged toilet.
Customer Answer
Date: 02/08/2024
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.
heard from joe yesterday 2/7/24 at 11:48 am, he advised me that the toilet would be in today 2/8, when I received his message, I immediately responded with OK, When do you want to schedule install? it is now 2/8/2024 at 630 PM, and he has NOT responded.

Regards,

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

Business Response
Date: 02/12/2024
Joe has spoken with customer and service has been set for toilet replacement Tuesday 2/13/24.
Customer Answer
Date: 03/26/2024
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,

******* **********
Problem:
my first complaint was automatically closed immediately, without contact from BBB, however that issue of damage to my home was resolved. NOW the local roto rooter has put my bill in collection I have called the contact on the letters twice , and emailed twice! to say that! I had disputed this on my charge card and they did not respond. IN ADDITION I WAS TOLD BY THE COMPANY ON DIFFERENT OCCASSION, AND JOE, told the very firt time and after that that he was here that the company would refund the money!, I told him at that time that I had disputed it and he said " ok we will not address the dispute and you can get the money back., and if we do we will just refund it.now it is in collections! this company just doesnt stop with this issue since December 2023

Desired Outcome:
remove from collections and void bill

Business Response
Date: 03/26/2024
We found that a credit memo was never entered. The customer disputed the charge with the credit card company and they never gave funds to Roto-Rooter. This left our system thinking that payment was owed by this customer. That is not the case. The issue was addressed this morning and the credit memo entered by Roto-Rooter. This should resolve the customers issue.

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.

Regards,

******* **********
this has gone unanswered by your collection dep , WILL THIS AFFECT MY CREDIT?
Initial Complaint
Date:01/25/2024
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 12/23 our drain clogged. We called Roto-Rooter. Expensive ($800), but they cleared it. Everything worked out. Until they brought in the Water Restoration Team.

The toilet had overflowed with some sewage, so they pushed filing a claim to pull up the floor & cabinets to ‘mitigate’ contamination.

Their Salesman took advantage of the fact that we had never filed a claim & misled us by omission - intent on making a sale with no regard to our interests. No mention of deductible, he made it seem like the insurance company would just cover all potential damage with a big check.

They took measurements, left an air fan. This fan had a moldy smell, so we discontinued use of it on day one.

The proposed work didn’t seem warranted with a plan to dismantle the bathroom and leave it to our insurance company to finish, so I emailed them on Xmas day. They didn’t respond until the next day. When questioned, they admitted they had not been forthright on this process. We told them we were interested in canceling & would contact our insurance company & get back to them.

After speaking to insurance on the 27th, we canceled the claim and told them to pick up the fan. They made excuses & delays so that this pickup was not made until 12/30, greatly inconveniencing us.

They then sent an invoice (************) for $1015 for saddling us with this fan. The invoice was inaccurate & exaggerated. Only the fan was on our property, no dehumidifier was provided (of course it was billed). Setup/takedown was less than an hour (not '3.25 hours').

None of this matters; we told them on 12/26 we stopped using the fan on day one. Subsequent interactions have been equally dismal, with no attempt to explain this invoice - instead immediately trying to slap a lien on our property.

They have no qualms about taking advantage of our plumbing misfortune over the Xmas holiday - bilking $1000 from us while providing no benefit. This is the worst interaction with a plumbing company we have ever had.
Business Response
Date: 02/13/2024
On 12/23 our drain clogged. We called Roto-Rooter. Expensive ($800), but they cleared it. Everything worked out. Until they brought in the Water Restoration Team. The toilet had overflowed with some sewage, so they pushed filing a claim to pull up the floor & cabinets to ‘mitigate’ contamination. Their Salesman took advantage of the fact that we had never filed a claim & misled us by omission - intent on making a sale with no regard to our interests. No mention of deductible, he made it seem like the insurance company would just cover all potential damage with a big check. They took measurements, left an air fan. This fan had a moldy smell, so we discontinued use of it on day one. The proposed work didn’t seem warranted with a plan to dismantle the bathroom and leave it to our insurance company to finish, so I emailed them on Xmas day. They didn’t respond until the next day. When questioned, they admitted they had not been forthright on this process. We told them we were interested in canceling & would contact our insurance company & get back to them. After speaking to insurance on the 27th, we canceled the claim and told them to pick up the fan. They made excuses & delays so that this pickup was not made until 12/30, greatly inconveniencing us. They then sent an invoice (************) for $1015 for saddling us with this fan. The invoice was inaccurate & exaggerated. Only the fan was on our property, no dehumidifier was provided (of course it was billed). Setup/takedown was less than an hour (not '3.25 hours'). None of this matters; we told them on 12/26 we stopped using the fan on day one. Subsequent interactions have been equally dismal, with no attempt to explain this invoice - instead immediately trying to slap a lien on our property. They have no qualms about taking advantage of our plumbing misfortune over the Xmas holiday - bilking $1000 from us while providing no benefit. This is the worst interaction with a plumbing company we have ever had.

In response to this, our field supervisor’s explain facts to the customer, we follow all IICRC protocols in assessing damage and contamination. A toilet overflow is considered a Category 3 loss. An insured is responsible for knowing if they have a deductible or not as all insurances are different and all have various deductibles. I don’t agree when a customer says they got taken advantage of as they ultimately make the decision to sign paperwork based on the facts that they are presented. Once the job has been signed up our techs come out and place an AFD in place and a Dehumidifier as an engineering control to minimize microbial growth and minimize secondary damages by the water intrusion as stated by IICRC. At no time did the customer call and say there was a smell coming from the AFD and why did they wait till the 26th to even mention that they had turned it off for that reason?. Our company handles mitigation only, we do not handle reconstruction, and the customer was notified of that and if they needed help finding a contractor they can check and see who was on their insurances vendor list if they had one. The customer notified us on 12/27 that they did not want service to continue and to come pick up the equipment. Our schedule gets set usually a day or 2 in advance so they were put on the schedule for pick up at the next opening available. The customer notified the Field Supervisor that they didn’t want to pay a deductible and therefore didn’t want to proceed. The Field Supervisor did explain to them that there will be some sort of charge for what had been done so far with the equipment set up and days it had been at the property. Their response was well, we turned it off. As stated in our equipment responsibility form that the customer signed and the signed Water Mitigation Agreement. see below.

Customer Equipment Responsibility Form (Instructions related to the cleanup of your property) • General: Please do not open the windows. Please minimize entering the affected rooms. Do not allow children to play in or around operating drying equipment. • Dehumidifiers: Dehumidifiers reduce the humidity, which in turn increases the rate of drying. Please do not turn off or move dehumidifiers. • Air movers: Air movers are designed to increase the rate of evaporation, which in turn increases the rate of drying. Please do not move or turn off air movers. • Safety and Health: If air movers or dehumidifiers must be moved, please notify a Roto-Rooter technician. The technician will move the equipment. • Equipment Responsibility: By signing below the customer acknowledges and agrees that: o Roto-Rooter will leave equipment on premises as detailed in separate Equipment Log. o Roto-Rooter will leave equipment on the premises with extension cords and other devices that may impede walkways. Customer should avoid allowing people near the area in which the equipment or extension cords are present. o Customer is responsible for loss or theft of the equipment detailed below while the equipment is in their care and custody. o Customer will allow a company technician access to the property to monitor and remove equipment. o Customer will sign the Equipment Log any time equipment is added or removed from the premises. In the event of an emergency, please call our 24-hour phone #_____________________________. I have read and understand the information above about equipment operation, equipment responsibility, and safety and health precautions. I understand that electrical usage will be higher during the drying period. This increased electrical usage may or may not be covered by my insurance company and I should consult with my insurance agent/adjuster with any questions regarding this increased electrical cost. I understand that increased electrical costs are NOT the responsibility of Roto-Rooter Services Company.
Water Mitigation Agreement This Water Mitigation Agreement is between Roto-Rooter Services Company (“we,” “us,” or “our”) and the customer signing below (“you” or “your”) and relates to the property specified below (the “Property”). 1. Services and charges: We will provide water extraction or mitigation services at the Property (the “Services”) in accordance with a separate work order/invoice signed by you and us that specifies our services and charges. Our services will comply with standard industry practices, with such variations as we determine are appropriate. We will calculate our charges using industry specific software that is generally accepted by insurance carriers, such as ********* software, and will provide you or your insurance carrier a final itemized invoice at the completion of our work. The exact scope of the Services will vary depending on the circumstances but may include some or all of the following: extracting water from floor coverings and structures (such as drywall); removing irreparably damaged or contaminated materials; applying anti-microbial agents; drying floor coverings and structures using air movers or other equipment; cleaning air using air scrubbers; cleaning floors with standard steam extraction; and deodorizing. For purposes of determining equipment usage, a portion of a day constitutes a full day. We will use conventional water extraction/mitigation methods only. If we encounter hidden or unforeseen conditions that require additional work, we will promptly notify you, and you can decide whether to add work by a written change order. 2. Limitations on our responsibilities: We are not responsible for the following: hidden or unforeseen conditions or the consequences of such conditions; repairing or replacing property damaged by water; finding or repairing sources of water intrusion; problems caused in the future by water damage (including mold); detecting and addressing mold or mildew issues; personal injury or property damage arising from existing or future mold or mildew issues; losses from disposing of items exposed to contaminated water; loss or damage to valuable personal items you fail to remove as provided below; or any consequential damages or lost profits arising out of water damage or the Services. If we encounter hazardous substances, unsafe conditions, or mold, we may stop work, and you will pay us for the work performed based on our initial internal pricing calculations (prorated for partial performance). We are not obligated to perform mold remediation unless we specifically agree otherwise in a signed invoice/work order. Notwithstanding any such agreement concerning mold remediation, we do not warrant that all mold and mildew will be removed or destroyed or will never recur, and you acknowledge that the goal of mold remediation is to bring mold to normal levels, not create a “mold-free” environment. You authorize us to remove and dispose of any items exposed to grossly contaminated water that we conclude might contain pathogenic, toxigenic or other harmful agents, and you agree not to return those items to the Property. Our liability to you for any claim arising out of the Services will in no event exceed three times the amount you actually pay us. 3. Your responsibilities: You will give us access to the Property to perform the Services in the manner we deem appropriate and will limit access by others (including occupants and pets) to the job site to avoid exposing them to dangerous conditions. Before we commence work, you will remove personal items, including cash, jewelry, firearms, collectibles and any valuable items and will notify us of any known hazardous substances or unsafe conditions at the Property, including asbestos, chemicals, and the like. You will not turn off, unplug or remove any drying equipment before the time we have specified and will not allow anyone else to do so. You will be responsible for any loss or damage to our equipment while on the Property, unless caused by our gross negligence. You release us from and agree to indemnify us and hold us harmless against any liability for personal injury, property damage or other damage or loss to you or others arising out of (a) our work, except to the extent caused by our gross negligence or breach of this agreement, or (b) hazardous substances or unsafe conditions at the Property (including mold or microbial growth of any sort). 4. Insurance coverage: You hereby assign to us all insurance rights, benefits and causes of action you have relating to our work and agree we may reassign those. You acknowledge that we now own your insurance claim to the extent we provide Services. You authorize us to deal directly with your insurance company and will do all things necessary for us to process the insurance claim. There is no assurance that insurance coverage will be available to pay any of our charges, and you are ultimately responsible for paying us for the Services, whether or not you have insurance. You represent that all information you provide us about your insurance coverage will be true and complete and authorize us to make all appropriate credit inquiries about you.
5. Payment: If you do not have insurance coverage or do not intend to file a claim with your carrier, you will pay us 50% of our estimated charges upon completion of the first day of work and the balance the day we complete the Services. If you intend to file a claim with your insurance carrier, we will invoice them as a convenience to you, but you remain responsible for paying any amounts due, and we may demand full and final payment from you at any time. Unless we agree otherwise, you will pay us 50% of your deductible at the end of the day we start work and the remainder of your deductible the day we complete work. On the earlier of 10 days after you receive payment from your insurance carrier or 30 days after we complete the Services, you will pay us the remaining amount due. You will pay interest on overdue amounts from the date due until paid at an annual rate equal to the lesser of 1.5% per month or the highest rate legally permissible. Unless prohibited by law, if we use a collection attorney or agency and prevail, you will pay us a collection fee equal to the greater of $100.00 or 25% of the balance due. 6. Cessation of work: If you breach this agreement or your insurance carrier indicates insurance coverage is not available, we may stop work and remove our equipment. In that case, you will pay us for the work performed based on our initial internal pricing calculations by line item 7. Waiver of cancellation rights: You acknowledge that (i) you initiated contact with us and requested specific services from us, and we did not engage in a personal solicitation of a sale to you, (ii) the Services are needed to meet a bona fide immediate personal emergency that will jeopardize the welfare, health, or safety of natural persons or endanger property you own or for which you are responsible, (iii) you are authorizing us to provide the Services without delay because of that emergency, (iv) some state or local laws allow consumers to cancel certain home improvement, repair or solicitation contracts within a short period of time after they are signed, such as three or seven business days, and (v) as an inducement to us to commence the Services without delay, to the extent permitted by law, you hereby waive and agree not to exercise any such cancellation rights you may have under applicable law. 8. Miscellaneous: You represent that you have read and understand this agreement and have full authority to enter into this agreement. This is the entire agreement between us and supersedes all prior oral or written agreements relating to the subject matter. It may not be modified or changed except by a written document signed by both parties. If any of the terms of this agreement are held invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions will not be affected and will continue to apply. Nothing in this agreement limits our right to seek damages for your breach of this agreement.

As far as the billing portion, the customer was charged 5 line items using the industry standard ********* program. The line items they were charged were:

1 – Equipment set-up, take down, and monitoring(hourly charge) they were charged 3.25 hrs which includes technician travel time to and from the premises to the company as listed in *********, the set up process, taking initial readings, the equipment take down procedure, a final reading, and travel back to the company.
2 - Equipment decontamination process before placing gear in the vehicle at 2 pieces of equipment as outlined by *********
3 – Dehumidifier for 23rd, 24th, 25th, 26th, 27th which is 4 days charge as outlined by ********* as a daily charge for equipment being on property
4 – Negative air-far/AFD for 23rd, 24th, 25th, 26th, 27th which is 4 days charge as outlined by ********* as a daily charge for equipment being on property
5 – 1 HEPA filter which is used in the AFD and are new on every job as outlined on *********.

As stated by the customer that no benefit was provided, the customer opted not to go through with mitigation, so they unfortunately made that choice not to proceed with services but there is still a cost associated with what had been up to that point of the 27th when the customer cancelled their claim. Let us know if you need further documentation of what the customer had signed.

Thank You,

Russ E. D*****

Water Mitigation Manager
IICRC ******* *** *** *** **** *** *** ***
Master Water Restorer

Roto-Rooter Services Company
Water Restoration
**** ****** **** ****
******** ** *****
********** ****
********** ******
********************
Customer Answer
Date: 02/19/2024
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.
Roto Rooter has made no attempt to justify the charges nor resolve our dispute with them. All they’ve done is repeat and defend their fraudulent charges.
First, there was only ONE piece of equipment left on our property, not two. I’ve informed them of this error on their part multiple times and they have refused to address this. They are charging us for a piece of equipment they didn’t provide at all. Signing a contract doesn’t give Roto Rooter the license to fabricate charges.
Let’s get the story straight - our toilet overflowed on 12/23. We called Roto Rooter who unclogged the pipes and we happily paid $800 for the service. The next thing we know Brian B**** (Water Mitigation Sales Manager) and his young son are at the door. He starts talking about pulling up baseboards and removing our tile flooring and bathroom cabinets to “mitigate contamination”. He made it seem like a much bigger deal than it actually was and pushed hard to get us to sign the contract and get their fan in place asap, implying that we didn’t need to worry because insurance would “pay for all of this”. The Water Mitigation team (Manny) showed up, hauled in a piece of equipment, placed it in the hall outside the bathroom, and plugged it in. That was it, took him 20 min max (we have Ring footage of him coming and going and of the ONE piece of equipment he installed). We immediately began to notice a moldy odor coming from the equipment which was blowing the smelly air all around the house. We turned the fan off and the odor went away. At this point we had lost all faith in this company’s ability to mitigate anything, and it was evident that despite the insistence of a pushy salesman mitigation wasn’t needed at all. The next day was Christmas Eve so we decided to contact them on the next business day to cancel our “contract” with them and tell them to come get their nasty piece of equipment. We emailed Brian B**** on Christmas day asking him to contact us asap. On the 26th we explained the situation to him and told him we were not going forward with mitigation and were canceling the insurance claim. We had to schedule separately with Manny to get the moldy equipment removed from our house, which he dragged out until Dec 30th.
Bottom line - Brian B**** was pushy and misled us on this process from the beginning, making it difficult for us to determine the right course of action. Roto Rooter was clearly intent on only one thing - making a sale. We’re very disappointed by Roto Rooter’s handling of this matter. They have been unwilling to work with us, instead threatening to put a lien on our house. Roto Rooter is trying to charge us over $1000 for a dirty fan left at our house for 4 days over Christmas that we couldn’t use. Pushing us into this contract was predatory, and these false and inflated charges are fraudulent.

Regards,

**** *******

Business Response
Date: 02/20/2024
On 12/23 our drain clogged. We called Roto-Rooter. Expensive ($800), but they cleared it. Everything worked out. Until they brought in the Water Restoration Team. The toilet had overflowed with some sewage, so they pushed filing a claim to pull up the floor & cabinets to ‘mitigate’ contamination. Their Salesman took advantage of the fact that we had never filed a claim & misled us by omission - intent on making a sale with no regard to our interests. No mention of deductible, he made it seem like the insurance company would just cover all potential damage with a big check. They took measurements, left an air fan. This fan had a moldy smell, so we discontinued use of it on day one. The proposed work didn’t seem warranted with a plan to dismantle the bathroom and leave it to our insurance company to finish, so I emailed them on Xmas day. They didn’t respond until the next day. When questioned, they admitted they had not been forthright on this process. We told them we were interested in canceling & would contact our insurance company & get back to them. After speaking to insurance on the 27th, we canceled the claim and told them to pick up the fan. They made excuses & delays so that this pickup was not made until 12/30, greatly inconveniencing us. They then sent an invoice (************) for $1015 for saddling us with this fan. The invoice was inaccurate & exaggerated. Only the fan was on our property, no dehumidifier was provided (of course it was billed). Setup/takedown was less than an hour (not '3.25 hours'). None of this matters; we told them on 12/26 we stopped using the fan on day one. Subsequent interactions have been equally dismal, with no attempt to explain this invoice - instead immediately trying to slap a lien on our property. They have no qualms about taking advantage of our plumbing misfortune over the Xmas holiday - bilking $1000 from us while providing no benefit. This is the worst interaction with a plumbing company we have ever had.

In response to this, our field supervisor’s explain facts to the customer, we follow all IICRC protocols in assessing damage and contamination. A toilet overflow is considered a Category 3 loss. An insured is responsible for knowing if they have a deductible or not as all insurances are different and all have various deductibles. I don’t agree when a customer says they got taken advantage of as they ultimately make the decision to sign paperwork based on the facts that they are presented. Once the job has been signed up our techs come out and place an AFD in place and a Dehumidifier as an engineering control to minimize microbial growth and minimize secondary damages by the water intrusion as stated by IICRC. At no time did the customer call and say there was a smell coming from the AFD and why did they wait till the 26th to even mention that they had turned it off for that reason?. Our company handles mitigation only, we do not handle reconstruction, and the customer was notified of that and if they needed help finding a contractor they can check and see who was on their insurances vendor list if they had one. The customer notified us on 12/27 that they did not want service to continue and to come pick up the equipment. Our schedule gets set usually a day or 2 in advance so they were put on the schedule for pick up at the next opening available. The customer notified the Field Supervisor that they didn’t want to pay a deductible and therefore didn’t want to proceed. The Field Supervisor did explain to them that there will be some sort of charge for what had been done so far with the equipment set up and days it had been at the property. Their response was well, we turned it off. As stated in our equipment responsibility form that the customer signed and the signed Water Mitigation Agreement. see below.

Customer Equipment Responsibility Form (Instructions related to the cleanup of your property) • General: Please do not open the windows. Please minimize entering the affected rooms. Do not allow children to play in or around operating drying equipment. • Dehumidifiers: Dehumidifiers reduce the humidity, which in turn increases the rate of drying. Please do not turn off or move dehumidifiers. • Air movers: Air movers are designed to increase the rate of evaporation, which in turn increases the rate of drying. Please do not move or turn off air movers. • Safety and Health: If air movers or dehumidifiers must be moved, please notify a Roto-Rooter technician. The technician will move the equipment. • Equipment Responsibility: By signing below the customer acknowledges and agrees that: o Roto-Rooter will leave equipment on premises as detailed in separate Equipment Log. o Roto-Rooter will leave equipment on the premises with extension cords and other devices that may impede walkways. Customer should avoid allowing people near the area in which the equipment or extension cords are present. o Customer is responsible for loss or theft of the equipment detailed below while the equipment is in their care and custody. o Customer will allow a company technician access to the property to monitor and remove equipment. o Customer will sign the Equipment Log any time equipment is added or removed from the premises. In the event of an emergency, please call our 24-hour phone #_____________________________. I have read and understand the information above about equipment operation, equipment responsibility, and safety and health precautions. I understand that electrical usage will be higher during the drying period. This increased electrical usage may or may not be covered by my insurance company and I should consult with my insurance agent/adjuster with any questions regarding this increased electrical cost. I understand that increased electrical costs are NOT the responsibility of Roto-Rooter Services Company.

Water Mitigation Agreement This Water Mitigation Agreement is between Roto-Rooter Services Company (“we,” “us,” or “our”) and the customer signing below (“you” or “your”) and relates to the property specified below (the “Property”). 1. Services and charges: We will provide water extraction or mitigation services at the Property (the “Services”) in accordance with a separate work order/invoice signed by you and us that specifies our services and charges. Our services will comply with standard industry practices, with such variations as we determine are appropriate. We will calculate our charges using industry specific software that is generally accepted by insurance carriers, such as ********* software, and will provide you or your insurance carrier a final itemized invoice at the completion of our work. The exact scope of the Services will vary depending on the circumstances but may include some or all of the following: extracting water from floor coverings and structures (such as drywall); removing irreparably damaged or contaminated materials; applying anti-microbial agents; drying floor coverings and structures using air movers or other equipment; cleaning air using air scrubbers; cleaning floors with standard steam extraction; and deodorizing. For purposes of determining equipment usage, a portion of a day constitutes a full day. We will use conventional water extraction/mitigation methods only. If we encounter hidden or unforeseen conditions that require additional work, we will promptly notify you, and you can decide whether to add work by a written change order. 2. Limitations on our responsibilities: We are not responsible for the following: hidden or unforeseen conditions or the consequences of such conditions; repairing or replacing property damaged by water; finding or repairing sources of water intrusion; problems caused in the future by water damage (including mold); detecting and addressing mold or mildew issues; personal injury or property damage arising from existing or future mold or mildew issues; losses from disposing of items exposed to contaminated water; loss or damage to valuable personal items you fail to remove as provided below; or any consequential damages or lost profits arising out of water damage or the Services. If we encounter hazardous substances, unsafe conditions, or mold, we may stop work, and you will pay us for the work performed based on our initial internal pricing calculations (prorated for partial performance). We are not obligated to perform mold remediation unless we specifically agree otherwise in a signed invoice/work order. Notwithstanding any such agreement concerning mold remediation, we do not warrant that all mold and mildew will be removed or destroyed or will never recur, and you acknowledge that the goal of mold remediation is to bring mold to normal levels, not create a “mold-free” environment. You authorize us to remove and dispose of any items exposed to grossly contaminated water that we conclude might contain pathogenic, toxigenic or other harmful agents, and you agree not to return those items to the Property. Our liability to you for any claim arising out of the Services will in no event exceed three times the amount you actually pay us. 3. Your responsibilities: You will give us access to the Property to perform the Services in the manner we deem appropriate and will limit access by others (including occupants and pets) to the job site to avoid exposing them to dangerous conditions. Before we commence work, you will remove personal items, including cash, jewelry, firearms, collectibles and any valuable items and will notify us of any known hazardous substances or unsafe conditions at the Property, including asbestos, chemicals, and the like. You will not turn off, unplug or remove any drying equipment before the time we have specified and will not allow anyone else to do so. You will be responsible for any loss or damage to our equipment while on the Property, unless caused by our gross negligence. You release us from and agree to indemnify us and hold us harmless against any liability for personal injury, property damage or other damage or loss to you or others arising out of (a) our work, except to the extent caused by our gross negligence or breach of this agreement, or (b) hazardous substances or unsafe conditions at the Property (including mold or microbial growth of any sort). 4. Insurance coverage: You hereby assign to us all insurance rights, benefits and causes of action you have relating to our work and agree we may reassign those. You acknowledge that we now own your insurance claim to the extent we provide Services. You authorize us to deal directly with your insurance company and will do all things necessary for us to process the insurance claim. There is no assurance that insurance coverage will be available to pay any of our charges, and you are ultimately responsible for paying us for the Services, whether or not you have insurance. You represent that all information you provide us about your insurance coverage will be true and complete and authorize us to make all appropriate credit inquiries about you.

5. Payment: If you do not have insurance coverage or do not intend to file a claim with your carrier, you will pay us 50% of our estimated charges upon completion of the first day of work and the balance the day we complete the Services. If you intend to file a claim with your insurance carrier, we will invoice them as a convenience to you, but you remain responsible for paying any amounts due, and we may demand full and final payment from you at any time. Unless we agree otherwise, you will pay us 50% of your deductible at the end of the day we start work and the remainder of your deductible the day we complete work. On the earlier of 10 days after you receive payment from your insurance carrier or 30 days after we complete the Services, you will pay us the remaining amount due. You will pay interest on overdue amounts from the date due until paid at an annual rate equal to the lesser of 1.5% per month or the highest rate legally permissible. Unless prohibited by law, if we use a collection attorney or agency and prevail, you will pay us a collection fee equal to the greater of $100.00 or 25% of the balance due. 6. Cessation of work: If you breach this agreement or your insurance carrier indicates insurance coverage is not available, we may stop work and remove our equipment. In that case, you will pay us for the work performed based on our initial internal pricing calculations by line item 7. Waiver of cancellation rights: You acknowledge that (i) you initiated contact with us and requested specific services from us, and we did not engage in a personal solicitation of a sale to you, (ii) the Services are needed to meet a bona fide immediate personal emergency that will jeopardize the welfare, health, or safety of natural persons or endanger property you own or for which you are responsible, (iii) you are authorizing us to provide the Services without delay because of that emergency, (iv) some state or local laws allow consumers to cancel certain home improvement, repair or solicitation contracts within a short period of time after they are signed, such as three or seven business days, and (v) as an inducement to us to commence the Services without delay, to the extent permitted by law, you hereby waive and agree not to exercise any such cancellation rights you may have under applicable law. 8. Miscellaneous: You represent that you have read and understand this agreement and have full authority to enter into this agreement. This is the entire agreement between us and supersedes all prior oral or written agreements relating to the subject matter. It may not be modified or changed except by a written document signed by both parties. If any of the terms of this agreement are held invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions will not be affected and will continue to apply. Nothing in this agreement limits our right to seek damages for your breach of this agreement.

As far as the billing portion, the customer was charged 5 line items using the industry standard ********* program. The line items they were charged were:

1 – Equipment set-up, take down, and monitoring(hourly charge) they were charged 3.25 hrs which includes technician travel time to and from the premises to the company as listed in *********, the set up process, taking initial readings, the equipment take down procedure, a final reading, and travel back to the company.

2 - Equipment decontamination process before placing gear in the vehicle at 2 pieces of equipment as outlined by *********

3 – Dehumidifier for 23rd, 24th, 25th, 26th, 27th which is 4 days charge as outlined by ********* as a daily charge for equipment being on property

4 – Negative air-far/AFD for 23rd, 24th, 25th, 26th, 27th which is 4 days charge as outlined by ********* as a daily charge for equipment being on property

5 – 1 HEPA filter which is used in the AFD and are new on every job as outlined on *********.

As stated by the customer that no benefit was provided, the customer opted not to go through with mitigation, so they unfortunately made that choice not to proceed with services but there is still a cost associated with what had been up to that point of the 27th when the customer cancelled their claim. Let us know if you need further documentation of what the customer had signed.

Thank You,

Russ E. D*****

Water Mitigation Manager

IICRC ******* *** *** *** **** *** *** ***

Master Water Restorer

Roto-Rooter Services Company

Water Restoration

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

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

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

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

********************
Customer Answer
Date: 02/21/2024
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.
Has the company addressed the issues of this dispute?
Roto Rooter has made no attempt to justify the charges nor resolve our dispute with them. All they’ve done is repeat and defend their fraudulent charges.
First, there was only ONE piece of equipment left on our property, not two. I’ve informed them of this error on their part multiple times and they have refused to address this. They are charging us for a piece of equipment they didn’t provide at all. Signing a contract doesn’t give Roto Rooter the license to fabricate charges.
Let’s get the story straight - our toilet overflowed on 12/23. We called Roto Rooter who unclogged the pipes and we happily paid $800 for the service. The next thing we know Brian B**** (Water Mitigation Sales Manager) and his young son are at the door. He starts talking about pulling up baseboards and removing our tile flooring and bathroom cabinets to “mitigate contamination”. He made it seem like a much bigger deal than it actually was and pushed hard to get us to sign the contract and get their fan in place asap, implying that we didn’t need to worry because insurance would “pay for all of this”. The Water Mitigation team (Manny) showed up, hauled in a piece of equipment, placed it in the hall outside the bathroom, and plugged it in. That was it, took him 20 min max (we have Ring footage of him coming and going and of the ONE piece of equipment he installed). We immediately began to notice a moldy odor coming from the equipment which was blowing the smelly air all around the house. We turned the fan off and the odor went away. At this point we had lost all faith in this company’s ability to mitigate anything, and it was evident that despite the insistence of a pushy salesman mitigation wasn’t needed at all. The next day was Christmas Eve so we decided to contact them on the next business day to cancel our “contract” with them and tell them to come get their nasty piece of equipment. We emailed Brian B**** on Christmas day asking him to contact us asap. On the 26th we explained the situation to him and told him we were not going forward with mitigation and were canceling the insurance claim. We had to schedule separately with Manny to get the moldy equipment removed from our house, which he dragged out until Dec 30th.
Bottom line - Brian B**** was pushy and misled us on this process from the beginning, making it difficult for us to determine the right course of action. Roto Rooter was clearly intent on only one thing - making a sale. We’re very disappointed by Roto Rooter’s handling of this matter. They have been unwilling to work with us, instead threatening to put a lien on our house. Roto Rooter is trying to charge us over $1000 for a dirty fan left at our house for 4 days over Christmas that we couldn’t use. Pushing us into this contract was predatory, and these false and inflated charges are fraudulent.
Regards,

**** *******

Business Response
Date: 02/22/2024
In response to this, our field supervisor’s explain facts to the customer, we follow all IICRC protocols in assessing damage and contamination. A toilet overflow is considered a Category 3 loss. An insured is responsible for knowing if they have a deductible or not as all insurances are different and all have various deductibles. I don’t agree when a customer says they got taken advantage of as they ultimately make the decision to sign paperwork based on the facts that they are presented. Once the job has been signed up our techs come out and place an AFD in place and a Dehumidifier as an engineering control to minimize microbial growth and minimize secondary damages by the water intrusion as stated by IICRC. At no time did the customer call and say there was a smell coming from the AFD and why did they wait till the 26th to even mention that they had turned it off for that reason?. Our company handles mitigation only, we do not handle reconstruction, and the customer was notified of that and if they needed help finding a contractor they can check and see who was on their insurances vendor list if they had one. The customer notified us on 12/27 that they did not want service to continue and to come pick up the equipment. Our schedule gets set usually a day or 2 in advance so they were put on the schedule for pick up at the next opening available. The customer notified the Field Supervisor that they didn’t want to pay a deductible and therefore didn’t want to proceed. The Field Supervisor did explain to them that there will be some sort of charge for what had been done so far with the equipment set up and days it had been at the property. Their response was well, we turned it off. As stated in our equipment responsibility form that the customer signed and the signed Water Mitigation Agreement. see below.

Customer Equipment Responsibility Form (Instructions related to the cleanup of your property) • General: Please do not open the windows. Please minimize entering the affected rooms. Do not allow children to play in or around operating drying equipment. • Dehumidifiers: Dehumidifiers reduce the humidity, which in turn increases the rate of drying. Please do not turn off or move dehumidifiers. • Air movers: Air movers are designed to increase the rate of evaporation, which in turn increases the rate of drying. Please do not move or turn off air movers. • Safety and Health: If air movers or dehumidifiers must be moved, please notify a Roto-Rooter technician. The technician will move the equipment. • Equipment Responsibility: By signing below the customer acknowledges and agrees that: o Roto-Rooter will leave equipment on premises as detailed in separate Equipment Log. o Roto-Rooter will leave equipment on the premises with extension cords and other devices that may impede walkways. Customer should avoid allowing people near the area in which the equipment or extension cords are present. o Customer is responsible for loss or theft of the equipment detailed below while the equipment is in their care and custody. o Customer will allow a company technician access to the property to monitor and remove equipment. o Customer will sign the Equipment Log any time equipment is added or removed from the premises. In the event of an emergency, please call our 24-hour phone #_____________________________. I have read and understand the information above about equipment operation, equipment responsibility, and safety and health precautions. I understand that electrical usage will be higher during the drying period. This increased electrical usage may or may not be covered by my insurance company and I should consult with my insurance agent/adjuster with any questions regarding this increased electrical cost. I understand that increased electrical costs are NOT the responsibility of Roto-Rooter Services Company.
Water Mitigation Agreement This Water Mitigation Agreement is between Roto-Rooter Services Company (“we,” “us,” or “our”) and the customer signing below (“you” or “your”) and relates to the property specified below (the “Property”). 1. Services and charges: We will provide water extraction or mitigation services at the Property (the “Services”) in accordance with a separate work order/invoice signed by you and us that specifies our services and charges. Our services will comply with standard industry practices, with such variations as we determine are appropriate. We will calculate our charges using industry specific software that is generally accepted by insurance carriers, such as ********* software, and will provide you or your insurance carrier a final itemized invoice at the completion of our work. The exact scope of the Services will vary depending on the circumstances but may include some or all of the following: extracting water from floor coverings and structures (such as drywall); removing irreparably damaged or contaminated materials; applying anti-microbial agents; drying floor coverings and structures using air movers or other equipment; cleaning air using air scrubbers; cleaning floors with standard steam extraction; and deodorizing. For purposes of determining equipment usage, a portion of a day constitutes a full day. We will use conventional water extraction/mitigation methods only. If we encounter hidden or unforeseen conditions that require additional work, we will promptly notify you, and you can decide whether to add work by a written change order. 2. Limitations on our responsibilities: We are not responsible for the following: hidden or unforeseen conditions or the consequences of such conditions; repairing or replacing property damaged by water; finding or repairing sources of water intrusion; problems caused in the future by water damage (including mold); detecting and addressing mold or mildew issues; personal injury or property damage arising from existing or future mold or mildew issues; losses from disposing of items exposed to contaminated water; loss or damage to valuable personal items you fail to remove as provided below; or any consequential damages or lost profits arising out of water damage or the Services. If we encounter hazardous substances, unsafe conditions, or mold, we may stop work, and you will pay us for the work performed based on our initial internal pricing calculations (prorated for partial performance). We are not obligated to perform mold remediation unless we specifically agree otherwise in a signed invoice/work order. Notwithstanding any such agreement concerning mold remediation, we do not warrant that all mold and mildew will be removed or destroyed or will never recur, and you acknowledge that the goal of mold remediation is to bring mold to normal levels, not create a “mold-free” environment. You authorize us to remove and dispose of any items exposed to grossly contaminated water that we conclude might contain pathogenic, toxigenic or other harmful agents, and you agree not to return those items to the Property. Our liability to you for any claim arising out of the Services will in no event exceed three times the amount you actually pay us. 3. Your responsibilities: You will give us access to the Property to perform the Services in the manner we deem appropriate and will limit access by others (including occupants and pets) to the job site to avoid exposing them to dangerous conditions. Before we commence work, you will remove personal items, including cash, jewelry, firearms, collectibles and any valuable items and will notify us of any known hazardous substances or unsafe conditions at the Property, including asbestos, chemicals, and the like. You will not turn off, unplug or remove any drying equipment before the time we have specified and will not allow anyone else to do so. You will be responsible for any loss or damage to our equipment while on the Property, unless caused by our gross negligence. You release us from and agree to indemnify us and hold us harmless against any liability for personal injury, property damage or other damage or loss to you or others arising out of (a) our work, except to the extent caused by our gross negligence or breach of this agreement, or (b) hazardous substances or unsafe conditions at the Property (including mold or microbial growth of any sort). 4. Insurance coverage: You hereby assign to us all insurance rights, benefits and causes of action you have relating to our work and agree we may reassign those. You acknowledge that we now own your insurance claim to the extent we provide Services. You authorize us to deal directly with your insurance company and will do all things necessary for us to process the insurance claim. There is no assurance that insurance coverage will be available to pay any of our charges, and you are ultimately responsible for paying us for the Services, whether or not you have insurance. You represent that all information you provide us about your insurance coverage will be true and complete and authorize us to make all appropriate credit inquiries about you.
5. Payment: If you do not have insurance coverage or do not intend to file a claim with your carrier, you will pay us 50% of our estimated charges upon completion of the first day of work and the balance the day we complete the Services. If you intend to file a claim with your insurance carrier, we will invoice them as a convenience to you, but you remain responsible for paying any amounts due, and we may demand full and final payment from you at any time. Unless we agree otherwise, you will pay us 50% of your deductible at the end of the day we start work and the remainder of your deductible the day we complete work. On the earlier of 10 days after you receive payment from your insurance carrier or 30 days after we complete the Services, you will pay us the remaining amount due. You will pay interest on overdue amounts from the date due until paid at an annual rate equal to the lesser of 1.5% per month or the highest rate legally permissible. Unless prohibited by law, if we use a collection attorney or agency and prevail, you will pay us a collection fee equal to the greater of $100.00 or 25% of the balance due. 6. Cessation of work: If you breach this agreement or your insurance carrier indicates insurance coverage is not available, we may stop work and remove our equipment. In that case, you will pay us for the work performed based on our initial internal pricing calculations by line item 7. Waiver of cancellation rights: You acknowledge that (i) you initiated contact with us and requested specific services from us, and we did not engage in a personal solicitation of a sale to you, (ii) the Services are needed to meet a bona fide immediate personal emergency that will jeopardize the welfare, health, or safety of natural persons or endanger property you own or for which you are responsible, (iii) you are authorizing us to provide the Services without delay because of that emergency, (iv) some state or local laws allow consumers to cancel certain home improvement, repair or solicitation contracts within a short period of time after they are signed, such as three or seven business days, and (v) as an inducement to us to commence the Services without delay, to the extent permitted by law, you hereby waive and agree not to exercise any such cancellation rights you may have under applicable law. 8. Miscellaneous: You represent that you have read and understand this agreement and have full authority to enter into this agreement. This is the entire agreement between us and supersedes all prior oral or written agreements relating to the subject matter. It may not be modified or changed except by a written document signed by both parties. If any of the terms of this agreement are held invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions will not be affected and will continue to apply. Nothing in this agreement limits our right to seek damages for your breach of this agreement.

As far as the billing portion, the customer was charged 5 line items using the industry standard ********* program. The line items they were charged were:

1 – Equipment set-up, take down, and monitoring(hourly charge) they were charged 3.25 hrs which includes technician travel time to and from the premises to the company as listed in *********, the set up process, taking initial readings, the equipment take down procedure, a final reading, and travel back to the company.
2 - Equipment decontamination process before placing gear in the vehicle at 2 pieces of equipment as outlined by *********
3 – Dehumidifier for 23rd, 24th, 25th, 26th, 27th which is 4 days charge as outlined by ********* as a daily charge for equipment being on property
4 – Negative air-far/AFD for 23rd, 24th, 25th, 26th, 27th which is 4 days charge as outlined by ********* as a daily charge for equipment being on property
5 – 1 HEPA filter which is used in the AFD and are new on every job as outlined on *********.

As stated by the customer that no benefit was provided, the customer opted not to go through with mitigation, so they unfortunately made that choice not to proceed with services but there is still a cost associated with what had been up to that point of the 27th when the customer cancelled their claim. Let us know if you need further documentation of what the customer had signed.

Thank You,

Russ E. D*****

Water Mitigation Manager
***** ******* *** *** *** **** *** *** ***
Master Water Restorer

Roto-Rooter Services Company
Water Restoration
**** ****** **** ****
******** ** *****
********** ****
********** ******
********************
Customer Answer
Date: 02/22/2024
Better Business Bureau:

For some reason, instead of addressing our concerns Roto Rooter is just cut and pasting their initial (inadequate) response. Could you ask them why they're doing that?

Thanks,

**** *******

Business Response
Date: 02/23/2024
In response to this, our field supervisor’s explain facts to the customer, we follow all IICRC protocols in assessing damage and contamination. A toilet overflow is considered a Category 3 loss. An insured is responsible for knowing if they have a deductible or not as all insurances are different and all have various deductibles. I don’t agree when a customer says they got taken advantage of as they ultimately make the decision to sign paperwork based on the facts that they are presented. Once the job has been signed up our techs come out and place an AFD in place and a Dehumidifier as an engineering control to minimize microbial growth and minimize secondary damages by the water intrusion as stated by IICRC. At no time did the customer call and say there was a smell coming from the AFD and why did they wait till the 26th to even mention that they had turned it off for that reason?. Our company handles mitigation only, we do not handle reconstruction, and the customer was notified of that and if they needed help finding a contractor they can check and see who was on their insurances vendor list if they had one. The customer notified us on 12/27 that they did not want service to continue and to come pick up the equipment. Our schedule gets set usually a day or 2 in advance so they were put on the schedule for pick up at the next opening available. The customer notified the Field Supervisor that they didn’t want to pay a deductible and therefore didn’t want to proceed. The Field Supervisor did explain to them that there will be some sort of charge for what had been done so far with the equipment set up and days it had been at the property. Their response was well, we turned it off. As stated in our equipment responsibility form that the customer signed and the signed Water Mitigation Agreement. see below.

Customer Equipment Responsibility Form (Instructions related to the cleanup of your property) • General: Please do not open the windows. Please minimize entering the affected rooms. Do not allow children to play in or around operating drying equipment. • Dehumidifiers: Dehumidifiers reduce the humidity, which in turn increases the rate of drying. Please do not turn off or move dehumidifiers. • Air movers: Air movers are designed to increase the rate of evaporation, which in turn increases the rate of drying. Please do not move or turn off air movers. • Safety and Health: If air movers or dehumidifiers must be moved, please notify a Roto-Rooter technician. The technician will move the equipment. • Equipment Responsibility: By signing below the customer acknowledges and agrees that: o Roto-Rooter will leave equipment on premises as detailed in separate Equipment Log. o Roto-Rooter will leave equipment on the premises with extension cords and other devices that may impede walkways. Customer should avoid allowing people near the area in which the equipment or extension cords are present. o Customer is responsible for loss or theft of the equipment detailed below while the equipment is in their care and custody. o Customer will allow a company technician access to the property to monitor and remove equipment. o Customer will sign the Equipment Log any time equipment is added or removed from the premises. In the event of an emergency, please call our 24-hour phone #_____________________________. I have read and understand the information above about equipment operation, equipment responsibility, and safety and health precautions. I understand that electrical usage will be higher during the drying period. This increased electrical usage may or may not be covered by my insurance company and I should consult with my insurance agent/adjuster with any questions regarding this increased electrical cost. I understand that increased electrical costs are NOT the responsibility of Roto-Rooter Services Company.
Water Mitigation Agreement This Water Mitigation Agreement is between Roto-Rooter Services Company (“we,” “us,” or “our”) and the customer signing below (“you” or “your”) and relates to the property specified below (the “Property”). 1. Services and charges: We will provide water extraction or mitigation services at the Property (the “Services”) in accordance with a separate work order/invoice signed by you and us that specifies our services and charges. Our services will comply with standard industry practices, with such variations as we determine are appropriate. We will calculate our charges using industry specific software that is generally accepted by insurance carriers, such as ********* software, and will provide you or your insurance carrier a final itemized invoice at the completion of our work. The exact scope of the Services will vary depending on the circumstances but may include some or all of the following: extracting water from floor coverings and structures (such as drywall); removing irreparably damaged or contaminated materials; applying anti-microbial agents; drying floor coverings and structures using air movers or other equipment; cleaning air using air scrubbers; cleaning floors with standard steam extraction; and deodorizing. For purposes of determining equipment usage, a portion of a day constitutes a full day. We will use conventional water extraction/mitigation methods only. If we encounter hidden or unforeseen conditions that require additional work, we will promptly notify you, and you can decide whether to add work by a written change order. 2. Limitations on our responsibilities: We are not responsible for the following: hidden or unforeseen conditions or the consequences of such conditions; repairing or replacing property damaged by water; finding or repairing sources of water intrusion; problems caused in the future by water damage (including mold); detecting and addressing mold or mildew issues; personal injury or property damage arising from existing or future mold or mildew issues; losses from disposing of items exposed to contaminated water; loss or damage to valuable personal items you fail to remove as provided below; or any consequential damages or lost profits arising out of water damage or the Services. If we encounter hazardous substances, unsafe conditions, or mold, we may stop work, and you will pay us for the work performed based on our initial internal pricing calculations (prorated for partial performance). We are not obligated to perform mold remediation unless we specifically agree otherwise in a signed invoice/work order. Notwithstanding any such agreement concerning mold remediation, we do not warrant that all mold and mildew will be removed or destroyed or will never recur, and you acknowledge that the goal of mold remediation is to bring mold to normal levels, not create a “mold-free” environment. You authorize us to remove and dispose of any items exposed to grossly contaminated water that we conclude might contain pathogenic, toxigenic or other harmful agents, and you agree not to return those items to the Property. Our liability to you for any claim arising out of the Services will in no event exceed three times the amount you actually pay us. 3. Your responsibilities: You will give us access to the Property to perform the Services in the manner we deem appropriate and will limit access by others (including occupants and pets) to the job site to avoid exposing them to dangerous conditions. Before we commence work, you will remove personal items, including cash, jewelry, firearms, collectibles and any valuable items and will notify us of any known hazardous substances or unsafe conditions at the Property, including asbestos, chemicals, and the like. You will not turn off, unplug or remove any drying equipment before the time we have specified and will not allow anyone else to do so. You will be responsible for any loss or damage to our equipment while on the Property, unless caused by our gross negligence. You release us from and agree to indemnify us and hold us harmless against any liability for personal injury, property damage or other damage or loss to you or others arising out of (a) our work, except to the extent caused by our gross negligence or breach of this agreement, or (b) hazardous substances or unsafe conditions at the Property (including mold or microbial growth of any sort). 4. Insurance coverage: You hereby assign to us all insurance rights, benefits and causes of action you have relating to our work and agree we may reassign those. You acknowledge that we now own your insurance claim to the extent we provide Services. You authorize us to deal directly with your insurance company and will do all things necessary for us to process the insurance claim. There is no assurance that insurance coverage will be available to pay any of our charges, and you are ultimately responsible for paying us for the Services, whether or not you have insurance. You represent that all information you provide us about your insurance coverage will be true and complete and authorize us to make all appropriate credit inquiries about you.
5. Payment: If you do not have insurance coverage or do not intend to file a claim with your carrier, you will pay us 50% of our estimated charges upon completion of the first day of work and the balance the day we complete the Services. If you intend to file a claim with your insurance carrier, we will invoice them as a convenience to you, but you remain responsible for paying any amounts due, and we may demand full and final payment from you at any time. Unless we agree otherwise, you will pay us 50% of your deductible at the end of the day we start work and the remainder of your deductible the day we complete work. On the earlier of 10 days after you receive payment from your insurance carrier or 30 days after we complete the Services, you will pay us the remaining amount due. You will pay interest on overdue amounts from the date due until paid at an annual rate equal to the lesser of 1.5% per month or the highest rate legally permissible. Unless prohibited by law, if we use a collection attorney or agency and prevail, you will pay us a collection fee equal to the greater of $100.00 or 25% of the balance due. 6. Cessation of work: If you breach this agreement or your insurance carrier indicates insurance coverage is not available, we may stop work and remove our equipment. In that case, you will pay us for the work performed based on our initial internal pricing calculations by line item 7. Waiver of cancellation rights: You acknowledge that (i) you initiated contact with us and requested specific services from us, and we did not engage in a personal solicitation of a sale to you, (ii) the Services are needed to meet a bona fide immediate personal emergency that will jeopardize the welfare, health, or safety of natural persons or endanger property you own or for which you are responsible, (iii) you are authorizing us to provide the Services without delay because of that emergency, (iv) some state or local laws allow consumers to cancel certain home improvement, repair or solicitation contracts within a short period of time after they are signed, such as three or seven business days, and (v) as an inducement to us to commence the Services without delay, to the extent permitted by law, you hereby waive and agree not to exercise any such cancellation rights you may have under applicable law. 8. Miscellaneous: You represent that you have read and understand this agreement and have full authority to enter into this agreement. This is the entire agreement between us and supersedes all prior oral or written agreements relating to the subject matter. It may not be modified or changed except by a written document signed by both parties. If any of the terms of this agreement are held invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions will not be affected and will continue to apply. Nothing in this agreement limits our right to seek damages for your breach of this agreement.

As far as the billing portion, the customer was charged 5 line items using the industry standard ********* program. The line items they were charged were:

1 – Equipment set-up, take down, and monitoring(hourly charge) they were charged 3.25 hrs which includes technician travel time to and from the premises to the company as listed in *********, the set up process, taking initial readings, the equipment take down procedure, a final reading, and travel back to the company.
2 - Equipment decontamination process before placing gear in the vehicle at 2 pieces of equipment as outlined by *********
3 – Dehumidifier for 23rd, 24th, 25th, 26th, 27th which is 4 days charge as outlined by ********* as a daily charge for equipment being on property
4 – Negative air-far/AFD for 23rd, 24th, 25th, 26th, 27th which is 4 days charge as outlined by ********* as a daily charge for equipment being on property
5 – 1 HEPA filter which is used in the AFD and are new on every job as outlined on *********.

As stated by the customer that no benefit was provided, the customer opted not to go through with mitigation, so they unfortunately made that choice not to proceed with services but there is still a cost associated with what had been up to that point of the 27th when the customer cancelled their claim. Let us know if you need further documentation of what the customer had signed.

Thank You,

Russ E. D*****

Water Mitigation Manager
***** ******* *** *** *** **** *** *** ***
Master Water Restorer

Roto-Rooter Services Company
Water Restoration
**** ****** **** ****
******** ** *****
********** ****
********** ******
********************
Customer Answer
Date: 02/28/2024
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.
A simple question for Russ: why are you charging for two pieces of equipment, when only one was used at our residence?
Regards,

**** *******

Business Response
Date: 03/18/2024
In response to this, our field supervisor’s explain facts to the customer, we follow all IICRC protocols in assessing damage and contamination. A toilet overflow is considered a Category 3 loss. An insured is responsible for knowing if they have a deductible or not as all insurances are different and all have various deductibles. I don’t agree when a customer says they got taken advantage of as they ultimately make the decision to sign paperwork based on the facts that they are presented. Once the job has been signed up our techs come out and place an AFD in place and a Dehumidifier as an engineering control to minimize microbial growth and minimize secondary damages by the water intrusion as stated by IICRC. At no time did the customer call and say there was a smell coming from the AFD and why did they wait till the 26th to even mention that they had turned it off for that reason?. Our company handles mitigation only, we do not handle reconstruction, and the customer was notified of that and if they needed help finding a contractor they can check and see who was on their insurances vendor list if they had one. The customer notified us on 12/27 that they did not want service to continue and to come pick up the equipment. Our schedule gets set usually a day or 2 in advance so they were put on the schedule for pick up at the next opening available. The customer notified the Field Supervisor that they didn’t want to pay a deductible and therefore didn’t want to proceed. The Field Supervisor did explain to them that there will be some sort of charge for what had been done so far with the equipment set up and days it had been at the property. Their response was well, we turned it off. As stated in our equipment responsibility form that the customer signed and the signed Water Mitigation Agreement. see below.

Customer Equipment Responsibility Form (Instructions related to the cleanup of your property) • General: Please do not open the windows. Please minimize entering the affected rooms. Do not allow children to play in or around operating drying equipment. • Dehumidifiers: Dehumidifiers reduce the humidity, which in turn increases the rate of drying. Please do not turn off or move dehumidifiers. • Air movers: Air movers are designed to increase the rate of evaporation, which in turn increases the rate of drying. Please do not move or turn off air movers. • Safety and Health: If air movers or dehumidifiers must be moved, please notify a Roto-Rooter technician. The technician will move the equipment. • Equipment Responsibility: By signing below the customer acknowledges and agrees that: o Roto-Rooter will leave equipment on premises as detailed in separate Equipment Log. o Roto-Rooter will leave equipment on the premises with extension cords and other devices that may impede walkways. Customer should avoid allowing people near the area in which the equipment or extension cords are present. o Customer is responsible for loss or theft of the equipment detailed below while the equipment is in their care and custody. o Customer will allow a company technician access to the property to monitor and remove equipment. o Customer will sign the Equipment Log any time equipment is added or removed from the premises. In the event of an emergency, please call our 24-hour phone #_____________________________. I have read and understand the information above about equipment operation, equipment responsibility, and safety and health precautions. I understand that electrical usage will be higher during the drying period. This increased electrical usage may or may not be covered by my insurance company and I should consult with my insurance agent/adjuster with any questions regarding this increased electrical cost. I understand that increased electrical costs are NOT the responsibility of Roto-Rooter Services Company.
Water Mitigation Agreement This Water Mitigation Agreement is between Roto-Rooter Services Company (“we,” “us,” or “our”) and the customer signing below (“you” or “your”) and relates to the property specified below (the “Property”). 1. Services and charges: We will provide water extraction or mitigation services at the Property (the “Services”) in accordance with a separate work order/invoice signed by you and us that specifies our services and charges. Our services will comply with standard industry practices, with such variations as we determine are appropriate. We will calculate our charges using industry specific software that is generally accepted by insurance carriers, such as ********* software, and will provide you or your insurance carrier a final itemized invoice at the completion of our work. The exact scope of the Services will vary depending on the circumstances but may include some or all of the following: extracting water from floor coverings and structures (such as drywall); removing irreparably damaged or contaminated materials; applying anti-microbial agents; drying floor coverings and structures using air movers or other equipment; cleaning air using air scrubbers; cleaning floors with standard steam extraction; and deodorizing. For purposes of determining equipment usage, a portion of a day constitutes a full day. We will use conventional water extraction/mitigation methods only. If we encounter hidden or unforeseen conditions that require additional work, we will promptly notify you, and you can decide whether to add work by a written change order. 2. Limitations on our responsibilities: We are not responsible for the following: hidden or unforeseen conditions or the consequences of such conditions; repairing or replacing property damaged by water; finding or repairing sources of water intrusion; problems caused in the future by water damage (including mold); detecting and addressing mold or mildew issues; personal injury or property damage arising from existing or future mold or mildew issues; losses from disposing of items exposed to contaminated water; loss or damage to valuable personal items you fail to remove as provided below; or any consequential damages or lost profits arising out of water damage or the Services. If we encounter hazardous substances, unsafe conditions, or mold, we may stop work, and you will pay us for the work performed based on our initial internal pricing calculations (prorated for partial performance). We are not obligated to perform mold remediation unless we specifically agree otherwise in a signed invoice/work order. Notwithstanding any such agreement concerning mold remediation, we do not warrant that all mold and mildew will be removed or destroyed or will never recur, and you acknowledge that the goal of mold remediation is to bring mold to normal levels, not create a “mold-free” environment. You authorize us to remove and dispose of any items exposed to grossly contaminated water that we conclude might contain pathogenic, toxigenic or other harmful agents, and you agree not to return those items to the Property. Our liability to you for any claim arising out of the Services will in no event exceed three times the amount you actually pay us. 3. Your responsibilities: You will give us access to the Property to perform the Services in the manner we deem appropriate and will limit access by others (including occupants and pets) to the job site to avoid exposing them to dangerous conditions. Before we commence work, you will remove personal items, including cash, jewelry, firearms, collectibles and any valuable items and will notify us of any known hazardous substances or unsafe conditions at the Property, including asbestos, chemicals, and the like. You will not turn off, unplug or remove any drying equipment before the time we have specified and will not allow anyone else to do so. You will be responsible for any loss or damage to our equipment while on the Property, unless caused by our gross negligence. You release us from and agree to indemnify us and hold us harmless against any liability for personal injury, property damage or other damage or loss to you or others arising out of (a) our work, except to the extent caused by our gross negligence or breach of this agreement, or (b) hazardous substances or unsafe conditions at the Property (including mold or microbial growth of any sort). 4. Insurance coverage: You hereby assign to us all insurance rights, benefits and causes of action you have relating to our work and agree we may reassign those. You acknowledge that we now own your insurance claim to the extent we provide Services. You authorize us to deal directly with your insurance company and will do all things necessary for us to process the insurance claim. There is no assurance that insurance coverage will be available to pay any of our charges, and you are ultimately responsible for paying us for the Services, whether or not you have insurance. You represent that all information you provide us about your insurance coverage will be true and complete and authorize us to make all appropriate credit inquiries about you.
5. Payment: If you do not have insurance coverage or do not intend to file a claim with your carrier, you will pay us 50% of our estimated charges upon completion of the first day of work and the balance the day we complete the Services. If you intend to file a claim with your insurance carrier, we will invoice them as a convenience to you, but you remain responsible for paying any amounts due, and we may demand full and final payment from you at any time. Unless we agree otherwise, you will pay us 50% of your deductible at the end of the day we start work and the remainder of your deductible the day we complete work. On the earlier of 10 days after you receive payment from your insurance carrier or 30 days after we complete the Services, you will pay us the remaining amount due. You will pay interest on overdue amounts from the date due until paid at an annual rate equal to the lesser of 1.5% per month or the highest rate legally permissible. Unless prohibited by law, if we use a collection attorney or agency and prevail, you will pay us a collection fee equal to the greater of $100.00 or 25% of the balance due. 6. Cessation of work: If you breach this agreement or your insurance carrier indicates insurance coverage is not available, we may stop work and remove our equipment. In that case, you will pay us for the work performed based on our initial internal pricing calculations by line item 7. Waiver of cancellation rights: You acknowledge that (i) you initiated contact with us and requested specific services from us, and we did not engage in a personal solicitation of a sale to you, (ii) the Services are needed to meet a bona fide immediate personal emergency that will jeopardize the welfare, health, or safety of natural persons or endanger property you own or for which you are responsible, (iii) you are authorizing us to provide the Services without delay because of that emergency, (iv) some state or local laws allow consumers to cancel certain home improvement, repair or solicitation contracts within a short period of time after they are signed, such as three or seven business days, and (v) as an inducement to us to commence the Services without delay, to the extent permitted by law, you hereby waive and agree not to exercise any such cancellation rights you may have under applicable law. 8. Miscellaneous: You represent that you have read and understand this agreement and have full authority to enter into this agreement. This is the entire agreement between us and supersedes all prior oral or written agreements relating to the subject matter. It may not be modified or changed except by a written document signed by both parties. If any of the terms of this agreement are held invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions will not be affected and will continue to apply. Nothing in this agreement limits our right to seek damages for your breach of this agreement.

As far as the billing portion, the customer was charged 5 line items using the industry standard ********* program. The line items they were charged were:

1 – Equipment set-up, take down, and monitoring(hourly charge) they were charged 3.25 hrs which includes technician travel time to and from the premises to the company as listed in *********, the set up process, taking initial readings, the equipment take down procedure, a final reading, and travel back to the company.
2 - Equipment decontamination process before placing gear in the vehicle at 2 pieces of equipment as outlined by *********
3 – Dehumidifier for 23rd, 24th, 25th, 26th, 27th which is 4 days charge as outlined by ********* as a daily charge for equipment being on property
4 – Negative air-far/AFD for 23rd, 24th, 25th, 26th, 27th which is 4 days charge as outlined by ********* as a daily charge for equipment being on property
5 – 1 HEPA filter which is used in the AFD and are new on every job as outlined on *********.

As stated by the customer that no benefit was provided, the customer opted not to go through with mitigation, so they unfortunately made that choice not to proceed with services but there is still a cost associated with what had been up to that point of the 27th when the customer cancelled their claim. Let us know if you need further documentation of what the customer had signed.

Thank You,

Russ E. D*****

Water Mitigation Manager
***** ******* *** *** *** **** *** *** ***
Master Water Restorer

Roto-Rooter Services Company
Water Restoration
**** ****** **** ****
******** ** *****
********** ****
********** ******
********************
Customer Answer
Date: 03/28/2024
Better Business Bureau:

We've talked with Eli from Roto-Rooter and they have removed the charge for the Water Restoration Services - so we are satisfied with their response.

Regards,

**** *******
Initial Complaint
Date:01/23/2024
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.
First, the guy who did the job did it well. No complaints against him. My mother (senior) and I (disabled) needed our sump pumps battery backup replaced. He came out and suggested do the whole thing for $1700. Then he looked stuff up on his phone and gave us a quote of $2000. We agreed to that. He called before he was scheduled to install it and said he hadn't found one yet and didn't wanna get a cheap one at ***** or **** *****. Another day or so he said he got one but was more money than he thought (which is hard to believe in his profession he wouldn't know the costs) and didn't wanna say the price til he came back. We insisted on knowing beforehand. He said $2500. We said never mind and he said $2300. By then we wanted it done and had already waited the week so we agreed. He gets here with the paperwork and says it came to $1980 and was charging us $2000 afterall, but said that's only $20 for labor. He asked if we'd pay an extra $200-300 for labor. We agreed to $2200. Wouldn't apply the $75 off coupon we had. We got the model number (one whole part with main and backup as one). Looked it up online at stores nearby. That exact model is listed for average of $811-830 or so. At *******, **** *****, ***** and the supply place in ****** he said he got it from. Called a supervisor and were told that's just the markup and basically "that's just how it is." Said we got a deal. ?? You're gonna mark up a part over a thousand extra dollars?! And then guilt us into paying even more for labor because you guys can't pay your employees better but will rob customers by overcharging for parts?! I've left reviews, was instantly told to email my address to someone in customer satisfaction. Did that but didn't hear back. Their site clearly says "you’ll pay the price we quote you upfront." Nothing about raising the part prices and then having to hand over additional labor costs! Therefore, we want that $200 back. The company can pay the labor from that $1,000+ they made!
Business Response
Date: 01/24/2024
Spoke to customer and explained RR pricing and guidelines. Customer is happy now.
Customer Answer
Date: 01/24/2024
Better Business Bureau:
What do they mean they explained policy and were happy now?? We are far from happy! A thousand dollars over part price and changing quoted prices? Then telling us that giant price increase is just how they're policy is? But they didn't seem to understand we were quoted 1700 that jumped to 2000, then to 2500?! We had to pay EXTRA for the labor AFTER the quote was confirmed more than once. They talk about "policy" but don't know their own policy of sticking to the quote given up front. It's right on their website! Tell people the price is 830 but they're gonna raise it to 2,000! We wouldn't have agreed to that ridiculous price if we had KNOWN that's what they do! It was very misleading. Telling us they didn't wanna get a part from certain stores as they were cheap, then getting one from a supply place (probably where they get a kickback) and the exact same model is available at the stores they didn't wanna get a cheap product from! Misleading! Now we have to wait 2 weeks to a month for cooperate to give us back 200?? Rip people off with underhanded fees and then we end up waiting for the money!

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: 01/25/2024
Good Afternoon **** ******,
After further review of your invoice we have determined the pricing charged was inline with the parts and labor. However due to the nature of this complaint we are willing to refund $100 back to you via a check.
Roto-Rooter
Customer Answer
Date: 01/26/2024
Better Business Bureau:
$100?! You need to check your phone records as we were told since the quote given up front was $2,000, THAT is what we should have been charged! Not $2,200! You website clearly states customers pay the price quoted up front! We were told 2000 by the guy doing the job when he gave us the price in our basement and we were told by your local office on the phone if that's what he quoted us, that is what we pay! You talk about policy and don't even follow your own?! And learn some transparency! Tell customers up front you charge over 1,000 EXTRA in markups and then labor tacked on after the original quote! Then he refused to even take the $75 off coupon! So you owe us $275, not $100! See attached photo. Pay the price quoted up front and COUPON!

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: 01/26/2024
After speaking with the GM we can offer to refund you $200 back but due to the parts cost of $1980 per the techs invoice we are unable to refund anymore.
Customer Answer
Date: 01/31/2024
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.
Yet, your site SAYS you take coupons! Nothing at all about how much parts cost. It says right there that you take them. Yet you refuse to take them! False advertising and lies. Still waiting for just the $200 back so im not accepting the response because 1. Your story keeps changing from $200 to $100 to $200. And 2. Your site says you accept coupons yet that's a lie! There's nothing saying a minimum or maximum amount to apply a coupon! YOUR SITE SAYS YOU TAKE COUPONS! So, according to your official website, you owe an extra $75 ($275 totdal) for falsely offering coupons and then refusing them! People on limited income choose companies because they offer coupons. You get your contract and then refuse the coupon so yo7 get even more money when you're already secretly overcharging for parts by over 1,00 (more than double the part cost)! Look at your own website and see plainly that it says you accept coupons! I added the screenshot from your site because it seems you're having trouble finding it. Says right there to download the coupon and give it to the tech for extra savings!! It does NOT say unless we make up some excuse that you're already getting a discount." What discount?? You keep sayingnthe parts cost 1980. And?? We were quoted 1700, then 2000 when he agreed to the job in my house. Not sure how you think we shouldn't use the coupon just because you overcharge for parts and then don't leave room for labor. That's not the customer's fault. The part costs 830 so take the overcharge for labor but don't say it's a discount so we can't use a coupon you advertise,

Regards,

**** ******
Business Response
Date: 02/05/2024
*** *******
Due to the nature of your complaint and our need to make our customer's satisfied we will refund you the additional coupon price of $75 + $200.
Roto-Rooter
Customer Answer
Date: 02/06/2024
Better Business Bureau:
I don't wanna close this complaint before getting the money back. I've had several different answers about the amount I'm getting back so hopefully this is accurate and will not change again. I was told weeks ago they were sending out the 200 refund but never got that. When I get the 275, I will be satisfied and accept the response, but like I said, they've changed it several times (on here, the phone and emails) so I can't just trust that I'll get it after I close this.

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

Regards,

**** ******

Business Response
Date: 02/20/2024
Good afternoon the check request is being sent from the corporate office and can take 4-6 weeks to arrive. I have emailed the office to confirm the request has been received.
Customer Answer
Date: 02/21/2024
Better Business Bureau:
I'll keep waiting and will reconnect in a month and a half (not happy about the wait) if needed then. Thanks.

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

Regards,

**** ******

Customer Answer
Date: 03/21/2024

Hello. Can my case be reopened? I've been waiting all this time and still have not gotten what the company promised me. It's been since February 5th. Complaint #********.

[From the Business on Monday, February 5, 2024
*** ******,

Due to the nature of your complaint and our need to make our customer's satisfied we will refund you the additional coupon price of $75 + $200.

Roto-Rooter]
Business Response
Date: 03/21/2024
Good Afternoon *** ******,
We have reached out to corporate to check on the status of the issued check and verify if it's been deposited. We will respond back to this BBB complaint once we have the needed information.
Thanks,
Rebekah S****
Roto-Rooter
Customer Answer
Date: 03/21/2024
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.
Yes, we got the check for $200 and cashed it. We did NOT get the $75 we were promised! Ive been waiting over 6 weeks for nothing apparentlysince you didnt bother to send that one?? Check the BBB notes. It clearly shows on 2/06/2024 you all agreed to add the $75 coupon amount! How long am I supposed to wait?? Considering there are new complaints from others saying you failed to honor your own coupons for them as well, it's easy to see you're still cheating people. But I guess not accepting the coupons you offer is another part of your "policy." I would like my $75 asap.

Regards,

**** ******
Business Response
Date: 04/17/2024
I spoke to *** ****** and she confirmed that she has received her additional $75 refund.
Customer Answer
Date: 05/10/2024
Better Business Bureau:
Both checks were received, thank you.

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

Regards,

**** ******
Initial Complaint
Date:01/23/2024
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 entered an agreement with this company for service provided. The agreement was for full completion within 24 hours of signing. Those terms were not satisfied and the company is refusing to offer any response other than denying responsibility. There is a safety hazard involved in leaving it partially complete as it involved digging a trench on the property.
Business Response
Date: 01/24/2024
Spoke with ***** and agreed on a settled amount to refund back due to any inconvenience. Will be crediting his account of the said amount. He is satisfied.

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