Complaints

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

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• 

  Roto-Rooter

  2125 Montana Ave Cincinnati, OH 45211-2741

• 

  Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup

  12034 Exit 5 Pkwy Fishers, IN 46037

  
• 

  Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup

  220 Demeter St East Palo Alto, CA 94303

• 

  RR Plumbing Roto-Rooter

  280 Meredith Ave Staten Island, NY 10314

• 

  Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup

  3 Alan B Shepard Jr Pl Ste A Yonkers, NY 10705

  

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:10/07/2024

  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.

  August 7th $1,200 to remove toilet and snake sewer line, unsuccessful. August 13th $3,200 to snake sewer line and replace house trap with PVC, unsuccessful. August 21st $4,442 water remediation September 10th Failed plumbing repair, corrected.
  
  I fell victim to the company’s long existing practice of escalating the plumbing issue to increase fee’s, executed as it is laid out in the 2011 ********* class action suit “This case arises out of Defendant’s common pattern and practice of systematically pressuring homeowners into unnecessary repair jobs by misleading them into thinking they had a much greater plumbing problem than they actually did,”
  
  While trying to understand the fee's and receive the promised camera footage showing the obstruction, I was threatened with and eventually had placed by Roto-Rooter, a lien on my property and my bill submitted to collection after I disputed the charges. They refused to give me an itemized invoice with labor and materials outlined, refused requests to have camera footage shared with me, refused to let me talk to anyone in management and insulted and yelled at me while on the phone. I have a recording of the incident. I emailed the corporate consumer complaints manager and did not receive a response. With each visit the techs would escalate the severity of the repair. I eventually caught on but it was too late. I hired another company and the line was cleared that day for $580.00. The tech's line was always, you need your main sewer line excavated and replaced. It was as if that was the solution they wanted as it is the most expensive.
  
  Roto-Rooter sent their water remediation team to clean up and disinfect the damaged area. My insurance company was billed $4,442 for this service. Upon inspection I was able to sweep up two piles of debris after the alleged power washing of the floors as listed in the scope of work on the contract. The last sewer leakage from the failed plumbing occured after the water remediation.

  Business Response

  Date: 10/08/2024

  In regards to *** **** complaint, 

  the Property that was service is a rental property. *** **** called Roto Rooter for a clog. everything was communicated via phone (*** **** does not live locally)  and *** **** would authorize and provide payment at the end of the service. When we inspected the main sewer line it was noted in the camera footage that line was still holding and Our tech was unable to pass the unknown blockage behind the wall. We recommend exploratory plumbing. Our sewer specialist wrote up a proposal for *** **** to look at. this was at no cost to customer. *** **** then decided to move forward with plumbing excavation at his rental home. Payment should have been collected at the time of signed  proposal but that did not occur. Once work was completed *** **** begun to disputed agreed amount and refused to pay. *** **** had many demands in order to release payment. All questions were answer by Sewer Specialist once he returned from vacation. *** **** then stated that the plumbing that was done was not correct. We express that once payment is rendered we will go out and access the  work and fix our work is needed at no charge, and video footage could be sent at that time. *** **** was informed if he did not pay he would be sent to collections and a lien would be applied. *** **** ended up paying the amount owed and requested plumber to go at a specific date that he would be on property. That was no problem, appointment was schedule and plumber fixed issue and provided after photo. Customer was also made aware in the invoice when work was completed "there is a spot outside that we could not pass with camera or snake recommend digging up septic line outside." this may cause a future back up. *** **** also basement flooded and we offered him water clean up. Everything was explain to *** **** and signed paperwork by him. We also sent  all document  and pictures to Customer insurance company where they review all provided documentation and if they have any concerns they email us back. Per customer insurance claim was approved and paid. 

  *** **** also disputed excavation charge 12 days after payment was completed and after our plumber went back to fix plumbing work with customer present. 

  I have provided all documentation to customer bank and after it being review by  the bank the charge was put back. 

   

  Thank you! 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/08/2024

  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.

  The contracted work, to clear the sewer line was unsuccessful for a charge of $1,200. A mis-diagnosis regarding the house sewer trap and subsequent work, also failed to clear line and was in the end proven unnecessary for a charge of $3,200.  In total Rotor-Rooter charged $4,400 and left without ever successfully clearing the line. When contracting a service, there is a reasonable expectation by the customer that the service offered will be completed successfully. The sewer trap misdiagnosis and subsequent work that failed to clear the line shows a gross incompetence in the ability of the tech to diagnose as well as provide a solution. At no time was excavating the sewer line inside or outside necessary even though it was repeatedly being pushed by the techs and is one of the most expensive services offered. The local company I then contracted, ******** ******, quickly cleared the line successfully and shared the camera imagery with me live even though I was not on the property. Rotor-Rooter refused to share their footage at every step in the process, why, I do not understand beyond their need to obfuscate. The lack of accountability for the failed service and the continued pressure under duress of having sewage water in the basement to contract more work, is suspect at best. The Roto-Rooter plumber did correct the poorly executed and unnecessary trap replacement after I had the line cleared by another vendor. Rotor-Rooter and its contractors are either incompetent, deceptive in practice or both. It is disappointing that the company continues to deny any responsibility for their failure to provide the service contracted nor offer any recompense.
  
  
  Regards,
  
  
  
  **** ****
  
  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/21/2024

  In regards to *** **** complaint, 
  the Property that was service is a rental property. *** **** called Roto Rooter for a clog. everything was communicated via phone (*** **** does not live locally)  and *** **** would authorize and provide payment at the end of the service. When we inspected the main sewer line it was noted in the camera footage that line was still holding and Our tech was unable to pass the unknown blockage behind the wall. We recommend exploratory plumbing. Our sewer specialist wrote up a proposal for *** **** to look at. this was at no cost to customer. *** **** then decided to move forward with plumbing excavation at his rental home. Payment should have been collected at the time of signed  proposal but that did not occur. Once work was completed *** **** begun to disputed agreed amount and refused to pay. *** **** had many demands in order to release payment. All questions were answer by Sewer Specialist once he returned from vacation. *** **** then stated that the plumbing that was done was not correct. We express that once payment is rendered we will go out and access the  work and fix our work is needed at no charge, and video footage could be sent at that time. *** **** was informed if he did not pay he would be sent to collections and a lien would be applied. *** **** ended up paying the amount owed and requested plumber to go at a specific date that he would be on property. That was no problem, appointment was schedule and plumber fixed issue and provided after photo. Customer was also made aware in the invoice when work was completed "there is a spot outside that we could not pass with camera or snake recommend digging up septic line outside." this may cause a future back up. *** **** also basement flooded and we offered him water clean up. Everything was explain to *** **** and signed paperwork by him. We also sent  all document  and pictures to Customer insurance company where they review all provided documentation and if they have any concerns they email us back. Per customer insurance claim was approved and paid. 
  *** **** also disputed excavation charge 12 days after payment was completed and after our plumber went back to fix plumbing work with customer present. 
  I have provided all documentation to customer bank and after it being review by  the bank the charge was put back. 
  
  Thank you! 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/04/2024

  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 am writing to bring to your attention a significant concern regarding the recent repair work conducted on my property. Despite a substantial investment of nearly $40,000, the repair remains incomplete, leading to a persistent rodent infestation issue that did not exist previously on the premises.
  
  Following the installation of new pipes and the purported closure of the septic system, it has come to my attention that the old pipes were left in the ground and the septic system was left unsealed. Despite my repeated attempts to address this matter, my efforts have been met with unsatisfactory responses from your company. These include inaccurate appointments made by customer service for inspections and a subsequent statement from a manager named Ivan H********, who indicated that his employees provided incorrect information due to inadequate training to address our inquiries. He further mentioned the requirement for a new manager, who commenced employment last week, to properly handle this situation.
  
  I respectfully request direct intervention from senior management, including Spencer L**, CEO; Robert G**********, President; Mark C******, Executive Vice President; and Thad R*******, President of Operations. It is imperative that this issue be promptly and effectively addressed.
  
  Please refrain from Mr. H******** contacting me, as his last conversation with my spouse resulted in an argument about the work carried out at our property. He received pictures that contradicted his assumptions about the work that was actually done and followed up with a week of complete radio silence. I have no tolerance for any justification he may offer for being disrespectful to my home, especially considering that his last week's salary did not afford him the time to send a minimal text message while being paid to find a more qualified manager.

  Business Response

  Date: 10/14/2024

  Roto-Rooter did an excavation on 3/9/24.  We excavated outside the customer home as well has in their bathroom.  This website will not let me upload the files, due to the size of them.  Customer never called back for issues in 7 months.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/14/2024

  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've recently received a call from Veronica G*****, who left a message stating that the company was working on our order and we would receive another call soon. Additionally, I received an email from Pat S******, who requested information that was sent, and, while I showed understanding for the impact of the hurricane in our region.
  Nothing but silence has occurred. 
  
  Despite these communications, there hasn’t been any attempt at inspection, follow-up, or meaningful conversations with anyone from the company. While I understand the challenges posed by the recent hurricane, I am disappointed by the lack of proactive engagement.
  
  I have incurred an additional $1800 in extermination fees during this time, compounding the frustration of the situation. I remain eager for a qualified representative to visit the property and address this matter with the same level of professionalism, empathy, and urgency that I have demonstrated.
  

  I have raised my concern about the need for a higher caliber of personnel in this company, but my request has not been addressed. I am reaching a point where I need to consider my next steps if this situation is not promptly resolved. I am troubled by the recurring issues that have not been addressed, and I am not willing to accept this any longer.
  I am becoming increasingly frustrated by the repeated indications of a lack of commitment to addressing the existing issues and also troubled by the numerous instances that are forcing me to not tolerate this any further than I currently am.
  This final chapter of this horror story will either represent their ultimate opportunity or the definitive threshold. 
  
  
  Regards,
  
  
  
  **** *****
  
  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/22/2024

  Roto-Rooter preformed an excavation in 2021 .  There's is no call in our system that they called back with issues. Roto-Rooter has a signed contract as well as photos showing the work that was done.  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/31/2024

  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.

  
  

  I would like to provide an in-depth account of my ongoing interactions with your company regarding my concerns. This overview encompasses not only the various emails I have sent, but also the multiple follow-up calls made to your team in an effort to seek resolution. Throughout this process, I have been in contact with three different representatives, including a manager who previously conveyed that they were awaiting the assignment of a new regional manager to address and rectify our ongoing issue. Unfortunately, despite their assurances and promises of prompt attention, I have only received vague and unsatisfactory responses, which does little to allay my concerns.
  
  
  To date, I have observed a significant lack of proactive communication from your team, as well as a distinct absence of efforts toward resolving the issues at hand. The updates I have received thus far have primarily consisted of minimal email responses that lack substantial content or clarity. As outlined in the contract we entered into, I was assured that all materials would adhere to the established standards and that the work would be conducted according to industry best practices in a professional and competent manner.
  
  
  It is also my understanding that your company's standard procedures permit the abandonment and burial of outdated materials without implementing necessary remediation measures after excavation. However, this practice is inconsistent with the prevailing standards observed across the industry, where proper handling and disposal are critical. Additionally, I am deeply concerned by the lack of a thorough inspection regarding the verified issue that I brought to your attention over a month ago—an issue acknowledged by two of your representatives, including one at the management level. This raises significant questions about accountability and the commitment of your team to uphold their responsibilities.
  
  
  What outcome are you aiming for here? 
  
  
  My ongoing interactions with your team have reached a point of frustration, particularly with someone who seems unable to advance beyond mere email exchanges. This situation has clearly escalated into a significant issue, one that requires your organization to acknowledge and address with urgency. 
  
  
  The time and resources I have invested in attempting to resolve this matter will directly influence my future actions regarding our collaboration. It is crucial that you recognize the seriousness of this problem, as it is not merely a trivial concern.
  
  
  It is imperative to address the critical issue at hand: it is entirely unacceptable to shirk the responsibility of thoroughly inspecting your work when customers bring forth concerns or problems. 
  
  I hope this explanation conveys just how significant the situation is. The repeated experiences I've encountered lost in a cycle of endless emails—what I refer to as "email tennis"—have only highlighted the growing seriousness of this matter. It has become increasingly clear that your business is not adequately willing to address and resolve these issues. Until there is an acknowledgment of the severity of this problem, it feels as though it is not being taken seriously, which is disheartening.
  
  Furthermore, I want to make it clear that the time and effort I have invested in attempting to resolve these matters with your team will have consequences. My decisions moving forward will directly reflect my frustration and dissatisfaction with this experience. I urge you to consider the broader implications of this situation and to take the necessary steps towards resolution.
  It is quite clear and unmistakable to me that you are unlikely to take any action.
  This compels me to take action on your behalf.
  
  
  Regards,
  
  
  
  **** *****
  
  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/31/2024

  Roto-Rooter excavated to install a new sewer line in the bathroom and yard.  This customer did not call Roto-Rooter for 3 years, now he contacting the BBB.  Roto-Rooter pictures show the new PVC pipe in place.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/14/2024

  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.

  
  

  Notice of Intent to Pursue Legal Action
  
  Over the course of the past two months, I have provided your company with multiple opportunities to address the ongoing issues related to the work performed at my property. 
  
  Regrettably, there has been no evidence of an inspection or any substantive attempt to rectify the problems, which you and your management are aware could potentially be the source of the unresolved issues. 
  
  It is imperative to me that the work conducted at my property is thoroughly documented and adheres to industry standards, so I am now preparing to initiate legal proceedings against your company. I intend to ensure that the legality of this transaction is reviewed by the appropriate authorities. Additionally, I am seeking restitution for significant damages that have arisen from what appears to be a poorly executed job, coupled with a transaction that lacks transparency, guarantees, or sufficient warranty, all of which your company continues to overlook. 
  

  I am pursuing every avenue available to me in order to secure compensation for the damages inflicted upon my property due to your company’s negligence in both communication and inspection of the work performed. While your organization may not prioritize smaller clients, please be assured that you will be accountable in a court of law.
  
  
  Regards,
  
  
  
  **** *****
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/02/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

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

  Answered:

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

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Roto rooter informed me that my service would be warrantied and was given a phone number from the service technician who told me if the situation happened again that he would just come out and provide another service. I let the representative of the phone know that I was told by the service technician that he would complete the service and I was told that whatever was told to me would be what they would stand by. My toilet has been clogged for over a week. I called roto rooter for service and they continued to postpone my service for several days. I have only one bathroom in my home. The condition of my bathroom are now inhuman as soon as you walk into the front or side door you can smell the bathroom even with the bathroom vent on and window open. I can’t afford to stay at a hotel and myself as well as my child has Athsma which makes this situation that much worse. When I was finally able to get the service tech to come out he proceeded to give me a price for the service that was supposed to be warrantied. I informes the technician that I was told that the warranty and or what I was told by the previous technician was what would be stood by however he proceeded to ask for payment. He contacted his boss who also told them he would need to ask for payment. I asked for a payment plan however they technician would not honor it. I am now left with the same issue that I was told would be warrantiesd and taken care of. I can’t stay in my home for much longer.

  Business Response

  Date: 10/03/2024

  Spoke to the customer and explained warranty period is 1 week for toilet auger service. Customer had rocks and socks in toilet. Her second service request was 3 weeks later. Toilet was then clogged again. Customer was offered discount service but refused additional service.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/02/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

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

  Answered:

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

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Our main sewage line backed up in our basement and needed replaced. Roto Rooter came and cleaned our basement Sept 22, 2024, and left fans running to dry the floor. On Sept 23 they excavated our porch to replace the sewage line. Around Sept 25 when they came to collect their fans they determined the sewage had backed up again. We never heard from them again.
  
  We called a competitive plumbing service. They started the project over and discovered Roto Rooter installed new piping without first laying a gravel bed which violates ******** city code.
  
  As of Oct 2, Roto Rooter fans are still in our basement and we can't use our laundry machines because the fans required the same circuit box.

  Business Response

  Date: 10/02/2024

  This is false information.  The Excavation job is separate from the Water Mitigation.  They had a competitor came out two days after our work was complete, they never called us.  The mitigation team was told to stop, then start, then stop, and then start again. We have followed up every step of the way on the mitigation.  As for the excavation, we replaced what we sold the job for, a competitor was called and took advantage of them.  The job was fully done to code, as our team has 20 plus years of experience in this field, and only follow code, to the point we have not done or accepted jobs when the customer wanted us to cut corners.  Respectfully.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/02/2024

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

  The job wasn't done. Video shows new piping installed by Roto Rooter doesn't properly align with the older piping and was not properly secured causing further misalignment. The business response includes: "The mitigation team was told to stop, then start, then stop, and then start again." I don't understand who told them to stop, start, stop, start because it wasn't us. There seemed to be no communication between us, the clean up crew, the excavation crew, and installation crew. An employee came after the job was supposedly complete to collect their equipment and informed us the sewage backed up again. His recommendation was to "call Roto Rooter." I had to press him to find out who he worked for. He eventually said he was a Roto Rooter employee and would discuss the problem with his manager when he was back in the office. 
  "The mitigation team was told to stop, then start, then stop, and then start again." This is offensive. Nobody ever explained to us what was actually happening or what timeline to expect. In fact, we had no interaction with any employees at all. 
  We went with a competitor because we didn't have access to water, laundry, or toileting. We tried calling multiple people at Roto Rooter and several different offices with no response. 
  
  
  Regards,
  
  
  
  ***** *********
  
  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/10/2024

  As we have stated before, Roto Rooter will not be refunding any amount to the customer. The line was inspected all the way to the city (prior to our excavation this was not possible due to a compromised line, that we fixed to code). Customer never called our office until another competitor had done work. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/14/2024

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

  We did talk to a water mgmt employee when he reported a sewage back up after the excavation. This particular employee said he would talk to his manager when he was next in the office. 
  

  The competitor fixed our problem and are happy to explain where and how roto rooter failed to provide the service they are charging us for.

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

  Business Response

  Date: 10/22/2024

  The customer has some of the dates confused. The initial clean-up was done and they were picking some up on the equipment prior to the excavation being done. The reason it backed up again is because it was prior to us coming out to fix the problem. Once we fixed the problem everything was able to then flow to the city. All work was done to code as explained earlier. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/31/2024

  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.

  
  

  We are addressing this complaint through a legal firm. 

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

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/22/2024

  Please see attachments for reply from competitor regarding roto rooter quality of work and a receipt from roto rooter. I have itemized lists from roto rooter that I can submit also. 

  Business Response

  Date: 12/12/2024

  We
  were called to the house for a drain clearing call and sewage back up on 9/21. The
  drain tech was not able to clear the line, so we then had a field supervisor
  with a camera inspect the line to see what caused the back up. We discovered an
  issue to the main sewer line just outside the house. There was a collapse to
  the line, and we were not able to make it to the city main. We provided a
  proposal of $9,800 to fix the issue. The customer decided to move forward to
  fix the issue. We performed the work ( on 9/24) as such on the proposal that
  had us remove the front concrete porch and dig down to the compromised line. We
  replaced that portion of the line and installed an outside cleanout. We then hydro
  jetted the line and video inspected the line. We were then able to get all the
  way out to the city main once we fixed the issue.   It was
  a couple days later that a man by the name of ***** ********* reached out to us
  stating there had been a backup. Our water mitigation team noticed this back up
  when they were doing some of the clean up prior to our work being done. I
  explained to him that this was prior to the excavation work but I could have
  someone back out to clean that up. He stated that he already had another
  company out to look at our work and they told him that the whole thing needed
  to be redone. He had already moved forward with this company before reaching
  out to us to inspect what he was talking about. He provided me with the videos
  that the company gave to him. There was nothing in these videos that would
  warrant redoing any of the work that was performed. We would have gladly went
  out to inspect and possibly redo the hydro jetting if it was requested/ needed
  at no cost to the customer. It was unfortunate that the other company convinced
  him of an issue that was not present. However, he did not try to contact us
  prior to this. I made him aware we would not be refunding him anything. We
  completed our work and fixed the compromised line allowing the flow of the
  sewer line. 

  Business Response

  Date: 07/03/2025

  The fans had to plug into the Dryer box due to the number of fans. The Excavation job was done to specs and per code.  All was inspected. All was done per the scope of work. We won the dispute with the credit card company for not wanting to pay.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/02/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

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

  Answered:

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

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  In Sept 2020 I had a plumbing collapse, I hired Roto Rooter to reroute the outgoing plumbing, they missed a line which I did not know until 4 years later when I had a leak and had to hire someone to fix it, at that time the plumber showed me the pipe that was missed and the leak going on. He offered to fix it since he had to be there to fix the other issue( not related) so I had to pay him an extra 2000 and to fix what should have been replaced 4 years prior. Now I have floor and cabinet damage, from the pipe that should have been replaced or rerouted 4 years ago.

  Business Response

  Date: 10/04/2024

  Good morning, 

  I spoke with ****** ***** 10/2/24 and she expressed her concerns. These concerns were discussed with our management and we are reviewing the job details. ****** and I discussed a dollar amount in regards to what she is looking for in reimbursement to resolve the matter. I assured ****** that we will have a firm answer for her by 107/24 and come to a fair resolution. I provided ******* my direct line should she have any questions along the way. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/27/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

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

  Answered:

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

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  We had a water leak on 8/20/2024 in our crawl space which is partially carpeted. We called Roto Rooter( RR) for a plumber to come and fix the leak. Before the plumber came, RR person, Amber, showed up. We thought she was the plumber. But, she turned out to be a sales person for RR for water mitigation.
  WE DID NOT MAKE ANY CALL FOR WATER MITIGATION. OUR CALL WAS ONLY FOR THE PLUMBER .
  Amber, the sales person went and saw our crawl space and started to talk about involving our insurance. We specifically said we will not like to involve our insurance. Because, we thought, we just have to dry a small portion of our carpet and we will call someone and it will cost us may be $1500 and our insurance was $1000 deductible. She assured us that it will be better for us to go through insurance and RR will help us get paid by the insurance.
  SHE CALLED OUR INSURANCE COMPANY, talked to them and gave the phone to my husband to get the claim number. She then got some paperwork signed by my husband. During this time the plumber came, fixed the leak and we paid him $365 for fixing the leak.
  Next morning their people came and put some fans and 2 dehumidifiers to dry the small portion of our wet carpet and the crawl space.
  When our insurance adjuster came and saw it all, he estimated that the work to dry that area will be about $2795.12.
  After RR’s work was finished they billed us for a a Very high amount of $6067.51.
  Our Insurance says that RR is highly overcharging and is not justified. We feel exactly the same. We feel RR has TRAPPED us in our emergency situation.WE have paid RR $2795.12 the amount our insurance thought it was worth. WE DO NOT WANT TO PAY the balance $3372.39. Which is $6067.51 minus 2795.12.
  
  WE STRONGLY FEEL:
  RR’s PRACTICE OF SENDING THE SALES PERSON RIGHT AWAY SHOULD STOP. IT SHOULD NOT HAPPEN TO ANYONE ELSE. THIS TRAPS THE SENIOR CITIZENS LIKE US. We hope you can help us and take care of the problem.
  Thank you.
  ****** ******

  Business Response

  Date: 09/28/2024

  On 8/20/2024 Roto Rooter entered a contract with the ******* to perform water mitigation on the home located at *** ******* ***** **** in *********** ****.  The scope of work to be performed was given to the homeowners, as well as an estimated price to complete that work.  They agreed to the scope and price, and signed the work authorization form approving Roto Rooter to begin the process.  The water damage was caused by a plumbing leak in the home, which is a covered loss on there policy.  A call was made to the  insurance company to file a claim.  

  The work was completed to the standards of the industry (IICRC guidelines) and every step of the process documented with photographs that we provide to the insurance company.  Roto Rooter does not determine the price for the work performed,  that pricing is provided by ********* software that the insurance industry approves for this type of work.  It is industry standard.  We plug the work performed into the ********* software and it tells us the prices to bill for that service.  Each and every line item.  Each of those line items have a photo taken in the customers home of that service providing proof it wad performed.  Again, that is an industry standard.  

  The amount Roto Rooter billed for the work performed was less that the approved estimate on the contract the ******* agreed to and correct for each service performed.  While it is unfortunate that the ******* "feel" that amount was to high, it does not change the reality of what those services cost.  We did not alter any of the prices the ********* program presented for the work performed.  We simply followed the guidelines.

  Roto Rooter performed a service, pricing for that service was accurate and correct and this complaint should be closed for those reasons.  

   

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/27/2024

  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 tech was out to snake the main line. Said he did and needed to have septic pumped and looked at. So I called King Septic and they pumped the tank but the issue continued. So then we had RotoRooter come out again to snake the lines in the house and you charged me $700. They did not fix the issue and the tech asked me to set up a time to mee the septic company as he thought it was there issue which I did and they charged me $149.35 for the service call. They both talked and the septic company asked him to snake the main like again which he did. But the snake was not long enough to make it to the outlet so he added an extention to it. He made it to the take tank and we heard the clog breakthrough and that solved the issue. If the tech would have done this correctly the first time I would not have had a fee for the septic company of $669.50 +$149.35 and then another charge from RotoRooter for $700. I am asking from them to reinburst me for these fees which total $1518.85

  Business Response

  Date: 09/28/2024

  On the very first visit, 7/16/24, we went to cable the line, the customer insisted that we cable from a different access point that we did not recommend. We did cable from the customer's requested access point and it did not resolve the issue, a charge of $200. We then went back on 7/30/24 sent a different tech out at no charge to re-diagnose the situation, determined that the septic tank was full and needed to be pumped before the line could be cleared. Back out on 8/2 cabled from different access points, back out on 8/5 cabled and got line open. We could not have done the job "right the first time" because the septic tank was full, we cable the first time trying to get the line open temporarily while the home owner scheduled to get the septic tank emptied. Once the septic tank was emptied, we came back out and cabled with no additional charges. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/28/2024

  As you can see by the doc's they were out  three times.  The first time they snaked the main line which he said he went all the way to septic tank but did not.  The second time he snaked all the lines in the house which did not solve the problem.  The 3rd time I had him back out with septic company and snaked the main line and added extension and that solved the issue.  If he did it correct the first time we would not have had any other issues.  

  Business Response

  Date: 12/07/2024

  Tell us wAgain, 0n the very first visit, 7/16/24, we went to cable the line, the customer insisted that we cable from a different access point that we did not recommend. We did cable from the customer's requested access point and it did not resolve the issue, a charge of $200. We then went back on 7/30/24 sent a different tech out at no charge to re-diagnose the situation, determined that the septic tank was full and needed to be pumped before the line could be cleared. Back out on 8/2 cabled from different access points, back out on 8/5 cabled and got line open. We could not have done the job "right the first time" because the septic tank was full, we also could not have " done the job right" because we accessed the line from the point the customer wanted us to go from verses what we advised. we cabled the first time trying to get the line open temporarily while the home owner scheduled to get the septic tank emptied. Once the septic tank was emptied, we came back out and cabled with no additional charges. hy here...

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/27/2024

  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 initial tech came out and the sewage in the tub and shower had cleared itself. He checked both toilets, and all bathroom drains. He asked if anything could have been accidentally flushed as everything was draining perfectly. I thanked him for his time and he left. He was professional and courteous. Right after I finished cleaning and sanitizing, an area supervisor came knocking without warning. This was concerning as it was very late on a Sunday/Monday night. He recommended a video inspection of the drain. I agreed to pay $475 for this service. He ran the camera down the drain and found 2 areas of pipe he claimed needed patching with a stint link device and an area that had bellied between the house and the city system. It was dark outside and difficult to see what he was indicating as he was constantly moving the camera. He then quoted a price for all of the repairs close to $12000. He then pitched financing and said since I had already paid $475, if I financed, he could get it down to $9800. The whole encounter felt more like a financing pitch than a solution to my problem. I received a quote/agreement the next day. I have since contacted the ******** office twice requesting photos or video from the camera so I can review the images and better understand what course of action is needed. The first time I called, I was sent to someone's voicemail which had an out of date message and to date I have received no response. The second time, the operator put in a request for the footage/photos and received no response. Once I filed a complaint on the website I was called on a Sunday after requesting email contact. The manager apologized and stated someone would call Monday. Stephanie called Monday and stated I was charge for a repair, not video. I informed her no repairs were ever conducted. She promised footage after the supervisor returned from vacation. I texted her for follow up a week later. I never heard from her again.

  Business Response

  Date: 10/03/2024

  We have made several attempts to reach out to the customer by email and phone with no response.  Video that the customer has requested have been resent to both email addresses that we currently have on file.  We will continue to reach out but without contact from the customer, we are having trouble coming to an agreement.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/25/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

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

  Answered:

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

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  On 9/15 we had Roto Rooter come out to fix some bathroom back up issues and we had a small leak in the kitchen. When they left we had 3 more wet spots on the Kitchen ceiling, we thought they fixed it but one week later on 9/21 our toilets backed up again and they came out on 9/22 they kept snaking the toilets and my husband kept telling them it was the wrong toilet and that he was hitting the sinks in the other bathroom. He finally "fixed the problem" we had more water on the ceiling again. Then on 9/24 we had both toilets they worked on leaking everywhere we had our kitchen flooded with water. Roto Rooter did not reposition our toilets back correctly. We had to cut a hole in the ceiling to let the water out and we could see the pipe that was leaking that was broken by roto rooter, we know this because this pipe was never leaking prior and we never had an leaking issues. We now have had to call a different plumber that will cost us almost 3000.00 to fix the problem they created and we paid 934.00 dollars for them to make the problem worse and they refuse to give us our money back.

  Business Response

  Date: 09/27/2024

  Customer called Roto- Rooter with pre existing  issues. When customer called Roto-Rooter she expressed Kitchen ceiling is wet and customer had tried to fix issue on her own before calling Roto-Rooter. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/27/2024

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

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/24/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

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

  Answered:

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

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Roto Rooter was hired on 6/21/2024 to do plumbing work to route our washer to the septic system vs a clay drain. The drain had failed and needed to be adverted. Roto Rooter took it upon them selves to send out a high pressure salesman to request our home owners policy for water mitigation, which is something we did not request, as there was moisture in the basement. I was assured that there was nothing to worry about as I had the correct water damage insurance with **********. Long story short, the invoice was egregious, included many items such as "cleaning water heater" which we do not even own. I'd be happy to challenge this invoice bullet point by bullet point and provide pictures and proof of what was done from the insurance agency. RR offered no payment plans other than a credit card that is out of scope. Their business practices boarder on the edge of bullying and are predatory in nature. I would NOT recommend ANYONE engage with them for water mitigation. This has been an absolute nightmare.

  Business Response

  Date: 09/25/2024

  On 6/11/2024 Mr ******* hired Roto Rooter to perform Category 3 (sewage) clean up from a backed up floor drain.  The scope of work, and cost to perform that work was given to him.  He accepted the offer and signed the agreement authorizing us to perform the service.  The price proposed was $4,000 to $9,000.  A claim was filed with ********** insurance.  We completed the job, within the proposed price range (total of $5002.80).  A bill was sent to the insurance company.  ********** sent him a check for $4028.34.  He kept $1028.34 of those funds (meant to pay Roto Rooter) and paid us $3000.00 in total.  This leaves a balance due of $2002.80 plus collection fees.  

  He stated in his complaint that he does not own a water heater.  There are pictures of us cleaning his Navient tankless water heater in the enclosed file.  He stated he feels our pricing is egregious.  We do not determine the prices, the insurance industry sets those.  We simply perform the work, photo document each step of the process (again see attached file) and enter it into the Xactimate system which produces the final price for the customer.  Those prices are standard for every vendor that performs water mitigation.  The customer states he would be happy to challenge the invoice.  We have photo proof of everything we did at the home. When the work was completed, Mr. ******* signed the certificate of satisfaction stating the work was performed properly, and the price agreed to.  It is all accounted for in the attached file.

  We expect to be paid for the work we performed for Mr ******* and we will not be adjusting the amount we will collect.