Complaints

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

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  Roto-Rooter

  2125 Montana Ave Cincinnati, OH 45211-2741

• 

  Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup

  3603 Metro Pkwy San Antonio, TX 78247

• 

  Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup

  87 Carando Dr Springfield, MA 01104

  
• 

  Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup

  12034 Exit 5 Pkwy Fishers, IN 46037

  
• 

  Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup

  18544 US Highway 19 N Clearwater, FL 33764

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:02/22/2023

  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 2/21/23, I hired Roto Rooter to come into my household and fix a clogged shower drain. The gentlemen who showed up (Mike) finished the service in 15 minutes. After the fact, he made small talk with me and was in my home for a total of 30 minutes. Before he left, I was handed a bill (which I paid with a credit card) of 673$. After he left, I went to use the shower. However, I noticed black splotch stains on the floor of the tub. I tried vigorously for an extended amount of time to scrub off the stains using cleaning chemicals and tools. The stains would not fade. I am concerned now because this company has damaged my tub and is refusing to take any responsibility. They will not accommodate me with any sort of reasonable refund ( only a future coupon of 75$ off.) I was yelled at by the employee when I stated this was unfair. I will be disputing this charge with my credit card company. Furthermore, I decided to file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau in hopes this conflict could be resolved and prevented for other customers in the future. Thank you.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/22/2023

  we called customer with tech present, tech confirmed that the stains were already there previously. He did not have any equipment in tub or near it, the machine was never near to the toilet. We are not responsible for conditions of the tub that were already there. Offered $75 off which is more than the coupon offered online. Customer agreed on getting $75 credit back on card. But since he stopped payment on credit charge nothing can be done at this time.   

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/22/2023

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

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/21/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  On Jan 14, 2023 plumber from Roto-Rooter company was in my house to repair water pipe. Even the technician did note before repair that this kind of problems with pipe are usually due high water pressure he did not check the pressure. After the repair the new connection failed when main valve was open flooding my garage and kitchen. Only after that the pressure was tested and pressure valve was repaired.
  
  I immediately called the company and informed them about incident. Since they do water restoration as well, they offered to dry the flooded area and repair all the damages.
  
  After I called multiple times, the drying crew showed up and the drying was set for (I think three) days. During the equipment setup technician removed kickboards from cabinets in my kitchen as well as drywalls in part of the garage. I got the manager number and I was told that I will be contacted in next few days with the date when the repair crew will show.
  
  I try to call the number given few times, I left the voice message. Never got any response back.
  I called main office to be bounced back and forth between employees with promises but nothing happened.
  Eventually I got an email and this went between another manager and employee for a week. Still no date for repair.
  
  I showed a lot of good will working with the company to resolve the issue without incurring any additional costs for them. But after more than month when I start to put pressure for an answers the manager become hostile on the phone. I still have no date for repair nor any hope that it will ever happen.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/22/2023

  We have coordinated and communicated with our reconstruction contractor to have the work performed for the put back and we have communicated this with the ******* Family. The work will be performed on Wednesday 3/1/23. Customer satisfied.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/20/2023

  Type:Sales and Advertising 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.

  Rotor Rooter came to my house on Christmas Day to provide an estimate for water remediation to my basement. The sales guy was slick and told me my insurance company would cover everything and he could get a 3 man crew out the next day. He told me I needed to pay my insurance deductible to ********* and made like he was calling them directly. I heard the person on the other line say, "The Rotor Rooter guy again." Later I found out that he called Rotor Rooter and I paid them my deductible which is not being recognized by *********. Two guys showed up on December 26 and proceeded to rip out drywall and flooring. I later had three contractors tell me they cut too much of the drywall and did such a messy job that it would cost more to fix. They also got water all over my gym equipment which caused my treadmill to stop working. They were supposed to scrub the gym flooring clean but they only sprayed it. RR sent me a bill for $11k & my insurance company paid less than half of it and said they overcharged me by accessing the water damage as level 2/3 (dirty water) when it was a level 1 (clean water from fridge line). They also charged for testing/supervision that was not covered. The RR sales guy assured me they had worked w/ ********* before & used the same software so the bill would be fully covered. The company is overcharging me and threatening to place a lien on my property due to my insurance company taking more than 30 days to work with them on the payment.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/21/2023

  Branch sent settlement offer of $9520.73

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/17/2023

  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.

  Found a little water in laundry area 11/2/22. Called RR. Soon after a guy shows at the door talking water mitigation. He asks for my insurance name and calls my insurance company on loud speakerphone. Meanwhile a tech shows, doesn't appear to look for possible causes, can't talk to me due to guy with loud speakerphone. Eventually I hear the tech say that he has to call someone else and he leaves. I still don't know what the cause is or if he is coming back. Water guy convinces me and my insurance to file a claim and he leaves. Soon after a 2nd water mitigation guy shows and takes floor samples. Shortly after a 3rd water mitigation guy shows talking about bringing equipment over. Finally the other tech shows and says he needs to snake the sewer drain. Still did not look around to verify the cause. Says someone with a camera needs to come out but they can't that day. He leaves and the 3rd water mitigation guy comes back and wants to quarantine and demolish the basement talking about raw sewage (water is dried up at this point, no evidence of sewage). It's dinner time and we tell him to leave and he was a jerk about it. I call insurance and tell them I don't want to file a claim. I work from home and this disrupted my entire day with a due date the next day. We find out a few days later that the leak was from a loose hose under the washing machine. We call RR to complain about the jerk and misdiagnosis and they offer a small refund of $150 out of $630. We have the washer fixed. 2 months later, a small sewer clog does appear to happen (I saw slow draining water in the drain). Not wanting to mess with RR again, I call EcoPlumbers. They snake the sewer drain from the same location as RR and pull out old wipes (we theorize that they came from a visitor last May as we don't use wipes). EcoPlumbers charges us much less. Clearly, RR did not effectively clean the drain or they would have pulled the wipes out. They don't know what they are doing and are scam artists.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/17/2023

  customer was refunded $150 for the drain cleaning. There was no water remediation for this customer. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/17/2023

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

   

  I stated they refunded me $150 already. That’s not enough. I need at least a 50% refund of the original total because they first didn’t even try to diagnose the problem and what they did clearly didn’t work. Additionally, I said that we refused water remediation. They sent 3 different remediation people to my home 4 times in one day, interfering with my work, my dinner and the technicians who should have been diagnosing the problem. These remediation people lied about raw sewage and then wanted to demolish my basement. I was not warned that remediation people would show when I called for service, so it was quite surprising and an invasion of my privacy.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/15/2023

  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.

  This complaint is on behalf of my parents,
  ***** and ******* ******* – both over 70 years of age
  **** ********** ***, **** *****
  
  Parts and supplies: $725+
  Fee: 1.6% charged for him to get the parts
  Labor: $800+
  Total of Entire Work: $2000+
  Representative gets $800+ + $500 = $1300
  
  Here are the reasons for my complaint:
  1. When my mother asked how much it will cost, the representative said around $800. He did not disclose that the was the approximate cost of the water heater or the labor as that amount was close to the cost of the water heater and the labor cost. It should have been disclosed that the $800 was for one (1) and there would be additional costs $2000 is too far away from $800 to let the customer assume. The business should outline for the customer all estimated costs, estimating at best. An $800 estimation is too far from the $200 final cost. My mother should have been told that the parts are approximately $800. The labor is approximately $800, and there is a fee of 1.6% to get the materials.
  2. The representative NEVER disclosed the 1.6% fee to go purchase the parts. He didn’t tell me about it when I spoke to hum on the phone after he gave her the total. He didn’t tell until I wanted itemized information about the costs. I could have asked for options for that cost. There is a Home Depot approximately a mile from my parents’ home. I could have the major parts delivered and paid the 1.6% on the lesser amount. It is a percentage of the costs he had to purchase!
  3. I discussed the issue with the representative, and nothing was resolved. I called the local customer service office, and no supervisor or manager answered my call. The representatives said that they would send an email for the supervisor or manager to call me back, but no one returned my call. The time is currently 10pm local time. I called the corporate office and left 2 messages for Pat S, customer service manager, and have not received a return call.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/15/2023

  We have provided a $400 discount. Customers is satisfied

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/14/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  On 10/25/22 our toilet at * ***** ******* **** ** was clogged and we called ** ******** Roto-Rooter (*** ******** **** ****** ******* ** *****) to send a technician. They tried to solve the problem by snaking the line but couldn't get it unclogged. We were billed $1,354.40. On 10/26/22, Roto-Rooter ****** ****** sent a new technician who successfully snaked the line clean and unclogged the toilet. We were billed $1,360.94. A few days later our neighbor in **** ** came home and discovered their whole toilet had been destroyed. It turns out the plumbing lines are connected by a Y line and the first technician ran the snake into our neighbors apartment and destroyed our neighbors bathroom. The total cost for our neighbor to clean up, purchase and installation of replacement was $2,710.98. Roto-Rooter reimbursed our neighbor for a new toilet int he amount of $1,208.52 but refused to reimburse our neighbor the difference of $1,502.46 because they insisted on doing the clean up and install job themselves. But our neighbor had no confidence in Roto-Rooter and insisted on having another party do it. We also lost confidence in Roto-Rooter. In the end, Roto-Rooter never reimbursed our neighbor in full. Therefore we paid our neighbor the difference of $1,502.46 because we felt bad for them. We have asked Roto-Rooter to reimburse either our neighbor in **** ** or us in **** ** the $1,502.46. We have also asked for a refund of the original $1,354.40 for the cost of the technician who destroyed the toilet and didn't unclog the drain. Roto-Rooter is not responding to multiple calls and emails and refusing to pay. We think the total of $2,856.86 ($1,502.46 + $1,354.40) is fair for a reimbursement to us.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/14/2023

  We provided 3 services for unit **. We clear the shower drain and we cleared the bathroom sink drain 10/25/22. This is were our cable want thru next door unit **. On 10/26/22 unit ** had another clog in the toilet. 

  When we talked to the neighbor. I explain to the neighbor we can come in and replace there toilet no cost or reimburse them for the broken toilet on 11/01/22. After 2 mo. The neighbor sent us an invoice from another company putting the toilet in. 01/06/23. We was willing and able to put in the toilet.

   

   

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/14/2023

  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 toilet was clogged the first day and not cleared by the first technician. We are not asking for a full refund of all the services. We are being reasonable. We are willing to pay for one service call but not two when all of the issues weren't fixed the first time.
  
  

  Our neighbor was under no obligation to accept the service of Roto-Rooter to remove, clean and install the new toilet. Roto-Rooter needs to reimburse the full amount.

   

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

   

   

  Business Response

  Date: 02/15/2023

  The neighbor choose to get someone else. So they choose to pay someone else. We was willing and able to replace the toilet. The plumber Alex that you recommended would have came back. Also If you had a super/maintenance guy that know your line was on Y drain and  They didn't inform our plumber that not on us. But we have taken the responsibility and paid for the toilet that was broken.

  For your unit **. If the drain wasn't fully clear. We definitely clear it the next day. So What we can do. We will refund $250.00 back to you if there was any inconvenience for that day.

   

   

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/16/2023

  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.
  

  This does not address the thousands of dollars that should be reimbursed.

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

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/12/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  On 1/1/23, we had Roto Rooter (RR) come to solve raw sewage, sludge, and toilet paper backing up in our basement toilet and sink. It was decided that we needed to snake from our toilet and replace our toilet. We paid $1,700 to RR and purchased a toilet ourselves for $267.00. On 1/5 we had another backup, small in size. We didn’t think much of it, until we had a larger backup in our house on 1/13. We called RR on the 13th to request they bring a camera to look at our pipes. No one could come until 1/16. So, we decided to stop running all water in our house. We didn’t take any showers, no dishes, we used buckets to brush our teeth and to wash our hands, and we purchased camping toilets to use the restroom. 1/16 comes and we had a large backup of raw sewage, toilet paper, sludge, and water without us running any water or using any toilets in our house. We contacted RR in the morning of 1/16 to ask them to camera our property, came that afternoon, saw a blockage or collapse in our garage area right before our cleanout. The cost was $13,000 to remove the pipe and install a new cleanout. Contract was signed morning of 1/17. RR came out on 1/19 to install the new pipe and cleanout. They needed to come back on 1/20 to fill in the hole and cement the gap. Important to note, while the workers were installing the new pipe, water and raw sewage was coming out of the pipe outside of my garage into the hole. The morning of 1/20 there was a large backup of raw sewage, toilet paper, sludge, and lots of water without us running any water or using any toilets in our house for a week now. RR knew that this happened. We contacted the city to request they come and look at our pipes but needed video footage of our cleanout. RR took the camera footage on 1/20, but never gave it to us or to the city. Very important – we had a HUGE backup of raw sewage, toilet paper, water, and sludge on 1/21 that was like a river. We would like a refund from RR due to them not fixing the problem.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/14/2023

  Roto-Rooter was contracted to repair a sewer line on the customers property. We made the repair as contracted. Informed the customer that there was another problem on the city side of the sewer line. The city came out and acknowledged that there was a problem on their side of the sewer line. The customer called the city multiple times to have that problem resolve. Any backup of the sewer line was acknowledged by the city on their side and not due to the repair made by Roto-Rooter. Any damages caused by any backup should be submitted to the city of *********.  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/18/2023

  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 (RR) did indeed come out, but the lack of propriety for the customer, lack of human decency, and not needing to do the job in the first place is at play here. The men from RR acknowledged themselves on 1/20 that the problem was on the city side but did absolutely nothing to help us solve the problem. Once they received their money, they washed their hands of the situation – remind you that the video that was needed for the city was never supplied to us. One other detail is that we never received a receipt from the charge of the $13,000. If RR cared so much about the customer I should not have to beg and plead with them to 1. Receive the video and 2. Receive a receipt of payment, which I never received anyway. RR called the city on the afternoon of 1/20 to file a work order to come fix the problem on the city side. That phone call in and of itself acknowledged that the problem of the sewer backing up in our basement was never our problem caused by a blockage that we created, but rather a problem from the city. If RR cared about their customer, they should had made more of an effort to assist us with the city rather than letting us believe that the problem was on our property. Also, if they are supposed to be a “full-service plumber that knows how important our plumbing is to our home”; leaving us in the state they did, still not being able to run water and charging an outrageous amount of money for a poor job really goes against what they claim. Additionally, if “RR plumbers in ********* are trained to the highest standards – which means they can tackle any problem with knowledge and skill” they should have recognized that with us running no water in our house there should have been no standing water in our pipes. We repeatedly asked as to why this is happening, and no one could give us a straight answer. Even questioning the plumbers as to why we are having backups and the constant pressure in the pipes. The way they described it as “a hurricane of water underground”. This is not true and cannot happen. They used our materials (55 gallon trash can full of rocks and 2 55 gallon trash cans of soil meant for a garden) that we never got reimbursed for. If I wasn’t a gardener, how were they going to support the pipe with no rocks and fill in the hole with no dirt? The city came on 1/21 when we were having the flood. They cameraed our property and the sewer was filled with water again even after RR claimed they fixed the problem. If they were supposed to fix the problem, why are we filling up with water? Every day after 1/21 the city came and pumped the water out of cleanout in our garage. All RR was worried about doing was snaking our line, which did nothing. The lack of preparedness and knowledge of plumbing is beyond me. We are continuing to pursue a refund due to the lack of competency of the RR employees and showing no morals in the situation.

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

  Business Response

  Date: 02/20/2023

  Roto-Rooter was hired to repair part of the main sewer line that ran through the garage. That repair was made. If that repair has failed, Roto-Rooter will fix that under the warranty. The later issue was due to an issue on the ********* city side of the sewer. The city acknowledged the issue was on their side. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/25/2023

  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.

  Please see the attached document that will state the facts as to why RR owes us a refund for the work. 

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

  Business Response

  Date: 03/02/2023

  As you can see from the pictures of the city repair. We did our work, the customer had a flood after that repair and then the city comes out to fix the problem on their side of the sewer. Has the customer had a flood since? Roto-Rooter fixed the issue on the customers side. We told them that there was additional problem on the city side of the sewer. The pictures and the dates prove what we have been saying from the beginning. 

   

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/10/2023

  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.

  Please see the attached the reason why the rejection is warranted and the new picture submitted. 
  
  
  Regards,
  
  
  
  ******** *******
  
  

  Business Response

  Date: 03/13/2023

  We fixed the issue on the customers side and told them there was an issue on the city side. The back up happened after we made our repair but before the city made theirs. The pictures show this. No back ups since the city made their repairs. This shows what we said from the start. The customer had an issue on their side and the city had one on theirs. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/19/2023

  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.

  This is what $13,000 has cost me. RR came and replaced a pipe that didn’t need to be replaced, closed up the hole using my supplies. Left to come back the next day to finish filling the hole with mortar mix. This is what I paid $13,000 for? That same day/morning 8 inches of raw sewage backup in my basement (remind you I wasn’t running any water or using any toilets in my house). They said that was a fluke supposedly after they said they fixed the problem. Again, this is what I paid $13,000 for? The whole time that Friday the cleanout in the garage was filling up with water and they said the city needs to come and fix it. BUT did not ever offer to lower the price knowing that my problem wasn’t fixed from what they did. Again, this is what I paid $13,000 for?  So, they hurried up (never seen workers work so fast), covered the hole, and couldn’t drive away fast enough. Again, this is what I paid $13,000 for?  Even though the cleanout in my garage was filling up with raw sewage and never offered to pump the water so we wouldn’t have a backup. Again, this is what I paid $13,000 for? The very next day, Saturday morning there was over a foot of raw sewage in my basement (how can that be if they claimed they fixed the problem and I wasn’t using the toilets nor running any water in my house). Again, this is what I paid $13,000 for? So, we were calling everyone, even Roto Rooter. They sent someone out to want to charge me an additional $8,000 to help me clean up the mess. Again, this is what my $13,000 paid for? Seem like it was all my problem the owner and they held no responsibility for their part at all. Is that fair? Again, this is what I paid $13,000 for?
  
  FACTS: Roto Rooter took a video seeing that the drain was full of water saying that it was my cause due to a collapse or breakage. Again, we were running no water and it was filling up with water (if I wasn’t running any water and they claim I had a collapse, how was my pipe filling up with water???). They said we had to replace our pipe. Came and dug a whole 5 feet and 2 inches in length and 4 feet and 3 inches in width and took a perfectly GOOD pipe out. Even with them trying to replace the so-called “broken” pipe there was a constant flow of water. Why didn’t Roto Rooter right then and there realize it was never my problem, but on the city side all along???? If it was my problem since day 1, that RR keeps claiming, why was there a constant flow of water?? RR claims they are supposed to be knowledgeable and professional plumbers. They proceed to change said “good” pipe even though the issue was still coming from the city side, which after changing my pipe should have solved the problem, but common sense says how is that going to happen when constant water flow was still coming into my pipe from the city side. Again, proving once again that I NEVER had a problem, there was NEVER no need to change my pipe, and there was NEVER no need to charge me $13,000 for something that I NEVER needed done. The problem from DAY 1 was on the city side and if RR really cared they should have investigated further, communicated with the city, and got my problem solved without charging me $13,000. 
  
  As stated before, it seems that WE WILL NEVER GET AN ANSWER for the replacement of the use of our materials or never receiving an invoice or the video for the city or explaining why basic human decency is not used in the RR company. So, this will keep showing up until we get an answer. They took my supplies, took my money and never got anything in return from them. The problem was never solved. RR keeps stating that “The customer had an issue on their side and the city had one on theirs.” THIS IS NOT TRUE. The problem all along was on the city side, NEVER on my side and RR knows this and will not admit it because they don’t want to admit that they took advantage of a terrible situation. It cost $13,000 to fix a small portion in my garage while the cleanout kept filling up with water. This is what $13,000 got me? This has been emotionally and physically draining to have to pay $13,000 for a job that was poorly done that didn’t have to be completed in the first place. RR took my supplies and never replaced or reimbursed me for my supplies. This is what $13,000 has gotten me. Never got an invoice, never the video that we needed, this is what $13,000 has gotten me. RR is the winner in this whole situation because they are sitting in their offices knowing that they took advantage of a terrible situation. Me the customer who should be thriving in this situation is dealing with the notion of being taken advantage of and paying $13,000 for job that I DID NOT NEED!

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

  Business Response

  Date: 03/29/2023

  The customer did not need to give us any materials for this job. If they did, that is on them. Roto-Rooter would have gone and paid for any materials needed. The customer refused to sign our receipt. We do have copies of the contract stating Roto-Rooter was contracted to do the job that we did. 

  Business Response

  Date: 04/12/2023

  Roto-Rooters position has been explained multiple times. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/19/2023

  The technicians that came to our house made no indication that they were going to go buy materials. They asked what did we keep in 5 gallon trash cans. We told them soil and rocks. They proceeded to say how they would like to use them in supporting the pipe and filling in the hole. They told us we would get reimbursed and the technician Bill who came to look at their work confirmed that we would get reimbursed. To this day, no reimbursement. Pictures attached to show Roto Rooter how the materials were used with empty trash cans and clear dried up orange clay from the day the workers left it after they used it. And correction we did sign a receipt when we gave them our credit card information and to this day has not received that signed receipt of payment. We maintain that a full refund of the work completed from the $13,000 job needs to be issued to us, the customer, because Roto Rooter makes promises they cannot keep and we continue to suffer to this day from the poor job they left us that did not need to be completed in the first place. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/09/2023

  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.

  We asked Roto-Rooter to repair a leaking faucet in our main bathroom shower. On December 29, 2022, Roto-Rooter installed replacement faucets. We were charged $784.47. (Invoice #***********.)
  
  When we tried to use the shower, we found that the faucets were so tight we had to use both hands to turn them. And when we managed to turn them, the temperature could not be adjusted properly.
  
  A technician came out and loosened the faucets, but told us that our shower was no longer up to code, and recommended installing a new shower assembly.
  
  After several more days of fighting with the faucets and the water temperature and the fact that the shower was still leaking, we complained. Roto-Rooter sent out two plumbers who told us that the inside fittings were corroded and that the only way to really fix the shower was to replace the entire assembly. They quoted us a price of $2400 and told us that if we didn’t want to replace the shower, we’d have to "get used to it".
  
  We called Roto-Rooter, made a formal complaint. We received the following reply from a supervisor:
  
  "Hello ****, this is Ted at Roto Rooter. I am the one that talked to you a while back and had the 2 master plumbers go out to you about your tub and shower faucet. As we talked about. It appears that the valve is just to old and would need to be replaced. We did all that can be done with it at this time. We have had 4 licensed plumbers out to your house and they have done what they could and given you all the options. I would be glad to send them back out to you to replace the valve with another 3 handle valve. Which is not code but would do it since that is what you prefer. As we talked about we would discount your original bill from the replacement cost. Replacement would be about $1500 minus the $700 that you paid. So your cost would be about $800. That is the best I can do for you. Thank you."
  
  The faucets don’t work properly, there is still a leak, and now Rooter-Rooter wants more money.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/10/2023

  One of our master plumbers replaced what was leaking per customer request. The handles would not work right because she has another issue that needs replacecd and brought up to code she declined. We are going to give her back our labor cost to help fix the real issue.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/12/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.  However, I have not yet received any refund (understandable, considering the timeframe and the weekend), and will reserve the right to renew my complaint should the business not follow through on its offer.

   

  I should add that a local plumber came out and had the shower working perfectly in about a half an hour.
  

   

  Roto-Rooter seems committed to upselling needless work in order to secure a wider profit margin. Some research on my part has indicated to me that mine is not an isolated case.
  
  
  

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

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/09/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  We called Roto Rooter on November 26, 2022 due to an overflowed toilet that caused a leak in the ceiling below the bathroom. The company used scare tactics to pressure us into filing an insurance claim immediately. We were quoted $4,500 – $6,500 for the water remediation work. Once we agreed to have the water damage fixed, the company took advantage of the situation to complete unnecessary work. Our bathroom floor, walls , shower, and carpet in the bedroom were ripped out. On our first floor, a large chunk of the main level floor that water had dripped on for approx. 15 mins (mostly into a bucket) was removed down to the subfloor, and an entire wall between the house and garage, plus the entire dining room ceiling was removed. Maybe some of this work was necessary, but overall, it seemed excessive. Our final bill ended up being more than double what we were originally estimated, $13,406. I am unsure how the estimate could be so grossly off from the final amount billed. Also, the difference in the amount was very poorly communicated. You would think that such a drastic increase in the cost of a service you are quoted should be discussed and a new estimate should be provided before the work is performed. Our insurance company sent the bill and scope of work that was completed to a third-party audit and agreed to pay $10,443, which we then paid Roto Rooter by a check in the mail on 1/9/23. Our insurance company said they used the 3rd party audit specifically because Roto Rooter has earned a reputation in the industry for overbilling for service outside of industry guidelines for advanced structural drying. Roto Rooter has so far not agreed to this amount and continues to send us late bill notices for the remaining $2,963. Nobody has been able to clarify why the payment from insurance will not suffice. We feel we have been taken advantage of and are filing this complaint in the hopes that a resolution can be reached.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/13/2023

  We have spoken with **** and we are working with the insurance adjustor to resolve the issue.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/14/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, reasons for rejection are included below.
  
  We are awaiting another response from Rich at Roto Rooter after bringing up multiple issues/overcharges that we have with their bill.  We spoke on the phone on the morning of 2/13/23.
  
  
  Regards,
  
  
  
  **** ******
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/16/2023

  No - We filed a claim through **********, which is our homeowners insurance carrier.  The document we uploaded (***************************), is what was sent to us from our insurance company.  This is the audit report done by a 3rd party, ********.  This was sent to Roto Rooter but they are still trying to collect the $2963.28 difference from their final bill.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/16/2023

  We are still working with the insurance company to resolve this with them.  The work we performed was necessary and in accordance with industry standards.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/16/2023

  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 spoke with Rich at roto rooter on 2/13 and he said he was going to look into the issues I brought up with overcharging / unnecessary work.  They are suppose to be reaching out to our insurance, but so far we do not have confirmation that has happened.
  
  
  Regards,
  
  
  
  **** ******
  
  

  Business Response

  Date: 02/17/2023

  We are still working with the adjuster to resolve the claim.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/17/2023

  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 was originally e-mailing contacts that weren't working on our claim (i.e. Roy H*******), I e-mailed Ryan A** and multiple others at roto rooter on 2/16 and included the 3 contacts at ********** that we have been working with.  I have heard no updates from either side at his point in time.

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

  Business Response

  Date: 02/17/2023

  we are waituing for the insurance to respond to us and once we do we will contact *** ******.  Until then there is nothing else we can do.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/23/2023

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

  We have not heard back from anyone since placing this complaint.  I addressed unnecessary work issues with Rich at Roto Rooter weeks ago.  I have not been contacted back yet, but we continue to get a bill weekly.
  
  
  Regards,
  
  
  
  **** ******
  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/03/2023

  My insurance and roto rooter were in contact via e-mail on 2/24 - I have not heard any updates as of today (3/3/23)

  Business Response

  Date: 03/13/2023

  The amount of the bill went up do to additional damage discovered while completing the work which resulted in the need for additional equipment and extended drying.  The additional charges were discussed with the customers and there is a signed change in price that was completed with the customer.  The amount the insurance has paid does not meet the charges which were necessary to meet the standards put forth by the restoration industry to properly restore water damaged structures.  We are still attempting to get the insurance to take care of the additional amount on the customers behalf.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/15/2023

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

  I have not received any update from Rich (Water Mitigation Manager) from when we originally started this complaint.  There was plenty of unnecessary work done, which was brought up to Rich.  Our dining room, which was not affected by any water damage - for some reason had the entire ceiling removed.  There were no moisture meter readings taking on the unaffected ceiling.  When asked Matthew (who did the demo) why the unaffected ceiling was removed - the only reason he gave me was that it was easier for the person putting in new drywall, which was untrue.  We also were charged extra drying days - someone from the roto rooter office, came out and read 3 different dehumidifier readings, but she didn't take any moisture meter readings on any of the "affected" areas.  I have yet to hear any update from my complaint and/or any response from roto rooter directly.

  I have attached a layout of our 1st floor from the roto rooter documents - the area highlighted in yellow was unaffected, but the whole ceiling was removed.  The area in blue was where the water damage was at the ceiling.  It is called "Hallway" in the layout, but it is actually our dining room.
  
  
  Regards,
  
  
  
  **** ******
  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/03/2023

  Hello - the .pdf that was originally uploaded is the mitigation report from Roto Rooter.  This was sent to my insurance company.  There has been a 2nd audit that was opened on the original mitigation report sent by roto rooter.  The company doing the 2nd audit is ******** and I was assigned a new adjuster from **********.  As of last Friday (3/31), my insurance, roto rooter and 3rd party auditor have all been in contact via email.  Hopefully everything is resolved sooner than later.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/07/2023

  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.

  1/31/23 - *********** - tristan #****
  
  Bill checked as commercial instead of Residential
  
  Repair Code 2203 - Attempt to cable from cleanout in basement. Couldn't clear going through dirt. Pipe is collapsed - Camara to follow.
  
  We were charged by 1st man and paid 905.00 I had coupon code for &75.00 I went on line and just for a snake job was over $500.00 less. We called for a snake job only.
  
  The 1st man that came out wanted to only give us a price for clean up. There was very little clean up and it was done. I told him i just wanted it to be snaked. (He did not have the equipment) we paid first man $905.00 for nothing !. Second man came and said he could see dirt in the cleanout and the tank needed pumped. He did not do any other snaking in the house as far as I know. He said someone would be out shortly to do a probe. The third man did not come till
  the next day and the second man never put the larger cover back on the large septic hole. (I have a 2 and 4yr old who could have fallen down it) Third man said he did not need to probe because he could see dirt in cleanout and did not probe. I asked him to put lid back on septic. He said it was the second mans job. I had someone help him put it on for safety. 3rd man only wanted to quote 6500 on pipe. We fixed it.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/11/2023

  Roto Rooter sent three different technicians to this property. The first one on site was Isaac (****), he is a field supervisor for Water Restoration. He gave a price to provide a water mitigation service. Isaac did not collect any money. Shortly after Isaac left, Tristian (****) arrived and provided a drain cleaning service. Tristian had attempted to clear the drain from the basement. After being unsuccessful, Tristian called a camera technician to get a camera inspection done to the line to determine what is causing the line to clog. Tristian charged the customer $905 for his time. Lastly, Sean (****) arrived to give a camera inspection. Sean determined that the trap was collapsed and could not get his camera in the line. Before Sean left he gave an estimate to fix the trap.  Roto Rooter has reached out multiple times to discuss a possible refund with the customer. Roto Rooter is willing to refund the customer $555.00 and only charge the hourly rate for one technician on site ($350.00). 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/12/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. WILL $555.00 BE RETURNED TO CREDIT CARD OR SENT TO ME ?
  
  
  
  Regards,
  
  
  
  ***** ********