Business Profile

Plumber

Roto-Rooter

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Complaints

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

Customer Complaints Summary

769 total complaints in the last 3 years.
265 complaints closed in the last 12 months.

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

Initial Complaint
Date:04/26/2023
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.
Roto Rooter came and cleaned my water lines that were backing up in my bath tub.

They put a camera down the drain and said that the tiles in the water line outside my house were broken and this is not true. And they were going to charge $7,000.00. Also got me in touch with Synchony Bank to get a loan to cover it.

I since found out that I had insurance with Nicor Gas - Pivotal Home Solutions and found out that they would have covered the clean up of the water line that was backing up.

Center Guard sent by Pivotal Home Solutions is saying that there are no broken tiles and Rotor Rooter lied about the work they were going to do.

Now the job is to fix the water lines outside of the house and rod the rest of the water lines outside of the house.

I am going to make a complaint against Pivotal Home Solutions. Because now they won't reimburse me for the money I paid Rotor Rooter. They are taking advantage of Seniors I am 78 years old and not once d i d Pivotal Home Solution offer free inspections to me to check gas lines, I don't know if they check water lines for a yearly inspection. I am going to contact Channel 5 news and see what I can get done about this.

My name is ******** ****** ***** ******* ***** *** ***** ****** ** ***** *** ********
Business Response
Date: 04/28/2023
On 4/14/2023 Roto-Rooter was dispatched to this residence in
response to a call regarding a main sewer line back up. Upon arrival we
recommended rodding the main sewer line to restore flow and the customer
accepted. During this rodding sanitary flow was restored, but Roto-Rooter technician
suspected an underlying issue as the cause of the blockage/backup.

In response to this suspicion, as a courtesy for our
customer, Roto-Rooter provided a camera service on the main line at no
additional cost. This scope identified roots in the main sewer line and a
proposal was given to correct the damage to the pipe caused by the root
infiltration and included the installation of a full-sized cleanout access per
IDPH requirements for outside access on main sewer lines.

Please see attached proposal copy. Roto-Rooter did not
advise tiles were broken; we advised the line was compromised due to the
infiltration by roots. For roots to enter the line, they puncture the side wall
of the pipe or the joints/transitions. This results in a rough surface on the
interior of the pipe wall, similar to what happens if you poke a pencil through
a sheet of paper – the inside of the puncture mark now has raised/rough edges. The
purpose of a main sewer line is to drain sewage, including toilet paper, feces,
and food particles, away from the house to the city sewer. Any rough areas of
the interior surface wall of the pipe will cause those particles to get stuck
vs flow to the city sewer. These stuck particles result in full blockages of
the sewer line causing backups into the property, similar to how an artery clogs
for a heart attack. To further validate the recommendation by Roto-Rooter, link
to viewing our camera footage is below. You will see confirmed root presence in
the sewer line. Footage also confirms flow was restored as you can see the line
is not full, but, rather, flowing down stream as it should.

While Roto-Rooter understands sewer line issues are
frustrating. Per the video footage, it is confirmed there was a root infiltration.
Per the proposal copy, Roto-Rooter recommended a spot repair of the damaged
section of pipe from the roots and an installation of a full-sized outside
cleanout. With this confirmation, it is understood our proposal and
recommendation is valid. To further confirm the validity, the customer has
advised in her complaint statement that a line repair is taking place outside
of the house – the line that runs outside the house the main sewer line – the same
line in question with this complaint.

We are very sorry our customer is having issue with her home
warranty company pertaining to services, costs, and reimbursements; however, Roto-Rooter
is unable to address those concerns as we have no connection nor affiliation
with her providers.

To confirm, video footage evidences flow was restored with
rodding services to confirm accuracy of rodding charges so no refund is
warranted on this service. Please note, a senior discount was given on the
rodding cost. No charges were incurred for the camera service and corresponding
recommendation, so no refund is due for those services. Footage also confirms a
root presence which validates the proposal given. Proposal copy confirms Roto-Rooter
did not misidentify or “lie” on the cause or condition of line. Additionally,
Roto-Rooter is not affiliated with her home warranty company or their providers
and cannot provide a response on those additional concerns. For these reasons
we consider our portion of her concerns addressed and resolved.
Link for viewing footage:
****************************************************************************************
Initial Complaint
Date:04/26/2023
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.
Contacted this company due to a strong sewer smell coming from basement. Tech came out and stated that I will need to hydro jet my sewer line. A few months later after trying my home remedies I contacted the company back for the service. Before the tech started the work I asked is he sure this will fix the problem. He stated yes there’s a build of debris in your line. After he was completed he packed up his line he tells you may still get a smell due to a unsecure drain pipe in the area, quoting me over $10000 to fix. Two techs from the company assessed the area but after completing the service and taking my money they were able to see the real problem. The problem was the fixed myself by just securing and cementing around the area.
Business Response
Date: 04/28/2023
Spoke with the customer. We resolved the customers issue and fix there issues. Customer is happy
Initial Complaint
Date:04/24/2023
Type:Billing Issues
Status:
ResolvedMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
I am disputing a bill for water remediation service, I am being over charged for equipment that was left inside my home after we requested that it be removed.
I first realized that we would have a problem with the bill when we asked the project manager how the equipment will be billed & he immediately started screaming at us. We then received a bill that appears to be charging us for 4 days of drying equipment. The humidifiers were put in late in the day on Tuesday 2/28. The fans went in late in the day on Wednesday 3/1. Everything was turned off around 9:00 am on Friday 3/3. So, the humidifiers were on for less than 72 hours & the fans for less than 48 hours. My husband asked for them to be removed Thursday afternoon 3/2, because our contractor was there that morning & felt that everything was dry; we agreed & were comfortable with the dryness level because there was an excessive amount of equipment in the basement, it even raised the temperature to the entire house to the point that it was too hot to sleep. I don't think that we should have to pay for that day of service since we asked the equipment to be removed.
I have spoken to employees at Roto Rooter about other extra charges that were included on the bill & about damages that occurred. The bill was reduced from $8,086.47 to $6,977.75; then I was told that the bill was actually $9,723.75, which I believe is a completely made up number so that it looks like they are giving a discount. This amount is not on any correspondence that was received (I have the original bill that was sent to the insurance company) & I can't imagine that a bill could be that much higher than the estimate ($4000-$7000) without prior communication.
I received a final bill, but have never received an invoice that details how many days & cost per day we are being charged for. I sent an email to let them know that I was planning on filing a complaint with the BBB. Then, within 15 minuets, I received an email telling me that my bill "will be sent to legal if not paid in full by 5/5/23" & that "there will be additional fees". So, I would like to know if it is appropriate to receive collection/delinquent notices & have a bill sent to the legal department while it is still being disputed. Because now on top of all of the other stress, I have to worry about my credit rating being damaged.
Business Response
Date: 05/03/2023
We have communicated with the customer that the estimate was an estimate as all water mitigation work is dependent on drying time and additional work necessary to complete the job properly. The original estimate was $4000 to $7000 and when the work was completed the actual total would have exceeded the estimate but we did not charge the customer for any additional work and honored the original estimate that was provided and signed for by the customer. We also have a signed customer satisfaction form that the customer signed at the completion of the project and the issues only arose once the customer was informed of her insurance limits from her insurance company and they were unable to complete the reconstruction work within their policy limits. This is when the customer then wanted us to reduce our invoice to allow them more money to complete the reconstruction. We completed the work to industry standards and followed industry pricing using xactimate and also did not exceed our original estimate.
Business Response
Date: 05/05/2023
Waiting on final amount from the adjuster. The amount due is the customers deductible.
Customer Answer
Date: 05/16/2023
Better Business Bureau:

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

Regards,

**** *******
Initial Complaint
Date:04/23/2023
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.
Date of service 4/22/23
Had sewage back up. Roto rooters service tech came out and told me he could not get the sewage line open, leaving us with no drainage for toilets and showers, and that the trap was completely disintegrated. Cost quoted for repair $6500! This did not sit right with me. Called my township to discuss. They immediately knew I had to have had roto rooter out and apparently they are known for lying about what the problem really is. I called another plumber and got a second opinion and confirmed that the trap was not broken at all. In fact, the clog was inside my house. They were able to locate it and open the line back up which roto rooter said wasn’t possible. Roto router also charged me $350 for their service tech to come out and basically lie to me about what the problem is. He did absolutely nothing to fix the situation. I want my $350 back. Been trying to contact someone all day to cancel the trap replacement and get a refund with no response. You system would not let me upload the invoice but invoice # is ***********
Business Response
Date: 04/26/2023
Customer has been refunded her money as per request. She would not allow a camera technician to perform services to confirm the diagnosis.
Initial Complaint
Date:04/21/2023
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 04/14/2023 we called Roto Rooter to address a clogged drain. The first crew arrived that night and tried to snake the drain without success. We were informed that the issue had to be escalated. No problem. The second crew came back the next day, they said a section of the drain had to be replaced because it was broken. This was going to cost us $7,500. We paid the fee. They drilled the section of my basement and replaced the leaking pipe
Still not working, they sent an expert who put a camera thru the system and told us the rest of the drain needed to be flushed and rescaled. Then they would coat the inside with a specific solution. ANd that this would solve our issues. They gave us a guarantee for 20 years. We had to apply for credit for $8500. Then the next day when the service was to be done, they backed out and said it couldnt be done and that we needed to pay an additional $10,000 to dig up the rest of the drain and replace it completely!

Still we do not have a working drain!
Business Response
Date: 04/23/2023
Excavation manager talked to customer to discuss pricing of all chargers. After conversation they came to an agreement on pricing and customer is satisfied with outcome.
Initial Complaint
Date:04/20/2023
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.
Roto Rooter was called to remove an old whole house water filter. The plumber removed the filter but stated we needed to purchase our own new filter since they didn’t sale any. A new filter was purchased and the plumber came back with an apprentice. The experienced plumber installed the filter while the apprentice completed smaller jobs. The skilled plumber left after 1 hour to get his kids and never returned. The apprentice continued to work without oversight or supervision. The apprentice then showed myself the new filter however the skilled plumber wasn’t “familiar” with the model and it was suggested I search the internet for instructions. The filter was left on bypass. The rug was soaked and when instructed to clean the mess, the apprentice stated he had class at 5p and needed to leave. A second plumber was called and within a few minutes stated the original plumber installed the filter BACKWARDS. The second plumber refused to fix anything including the minimal water pressure I had since the filter was installed. Roto Rooter was called, a complaint was filed and a demand for a new plumber was requested. 2 days later the SAME plumber arrived and said he thought he had installed the filter backwards but was waiting until the weekend to call. He reinstalled the filter the correct way however the minimal water pressure continued. A third plumber was called who informed me the original plumber installed small pipes which is causing the pressure issues. In all these problems, Roto Rooter has been aware and there have been no attempts of compromise or reimbursement. My husband phoned them and argued for a decreased bill although by that time I put a stop payment on the check. I am now getting calls asking for the original $1500. Considering the additional costs that have been incurred, I am not paying $1500.
Business Response
Date: 04/21/2023
THE ORIGINAL COMPLAINT CAME ON 3.20.23. WE OFFERED THE CUSTOMER A REFUND OF $500 FOR THEIR INCONVENIENCE. THE HUSBAND CALLED & TOLD US TO NOT REFUND $500 RATHER SEND BACK THE TECH TO FIX THE ISSUE. WE WENT BACK AND FIXED THE ISSUE ON 3.21.23. THE SECOND COMPLAINT CAME ON 3.27.23. THE PLUMBING MANAGER AGREED TO A REFUND OF $500 AND THE HUSBAND WAS SATISFIED AT THIS POINT. WE PROCESSED A REFUND CHECK ON 4.7.23 FOR $500. ON 4.11.23 WE RECEIVED NOTIFICATION THAT THE CUSTOMER PUT A STOP PAYMENT ON THEIR CHECK FOR $1500 FOR OUR SERVICES. ON 4.11.23 I ADVISED OUR CORPORATE AP DEPARTMENT TO PUT A STOP PAYMENT ON OUR REFUND CHECK OF $500.
Customer Answer
Date: 04/22/2023
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,

***** ***********
the business putting a stop on the $500 refund check puts those monies toward the $1000 requested amount for service rendered. An additional $500 will be sent to the business by certified mail. The expectation is that this will resolve this issue and that neither myself or my husband will receive any further demands for payment.
Business Response
Date: 04/25/2023
The customer put a stop payment on the original form of payment of a $1,500 check. Once that happened, Roto-Rooter had zero money toward the service. Therefore, the $500 refund was stopped by Roto-Rooter. At this point, the customer has not paid any monies toward the service. We are willing to honor the $500 refund and accept $1,000 for the service. It would make more sense for the customer to send Roto-Rooter a $1,000 check or provide a credit card to satisfy the outstanding balance of $1,000. The way we are reading the latest rebuttal, is for us to refund $500 and then the customer will send us a certified check to fulfill the outstanding balance. At this point in time, Roto-Rooter has zero monies for the service provided.
Initial Complaint
Date:04/20/2023
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 had water coming up through the drain downstairs in the basement in the laundry area. We thought it was the sewage division problem, they came out and they did some test and stated that it is not because of the sewage. We called the business they came out, they came into the basement saw the water, went out side, came back into the basement area, returned back outside. We were advised to run our laundry to see if the water would come back up, it didn't so the guy stated that he would have a guy with a camera come and go through the pipes with the camera. Everything checked out and the camera guy said everything was good. The Rotor Rooter tech and the camera stated that we have a six month warranty. The paper work states that I have a six month warranty. Last Thursday 02/02/2023 the water started coming up through the drain again, I called the business and they sent someone out. The gentleman was outside and I asked him did he want me to start the washer and he stated "OK" my husband informed me that if the gentleman comes into the house they would charge us $200.00. The tech did not give us paperwork that he was in our yard and that he snaked the drain. So, they sent someone else the day out and the guy just came to see what was going on. He stated that it would be better for us to talk with a supervisor and he would be in the office until Monday. So, we finally spoke with the supervisor and we informed her that we were given a 6month warranty, and she would not confirm why sent someone to check the pipes to make sure the pipes were ok to validate the warranty. We do not understand why two people would be sent out the tech and the camera man if there was not a warranty in place. I would like a refund of my money since the problem is still there in the amount of $200.00.
Business Response
Date: 04/21/2023
We are mailing the $200.00 dollar refund to *** ******* on 4/21/23.
Initial Complaint
Date:04/17/2023
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.
On February 14 2023, I had a sump pump failure and my basement flooded. I contacted Roto Rooter for basement flood water removal and cleanup. The initial cost assessment guy took advantage of my anxiety and fear of excess damage and first asked if i had insurance which i said yes. Then he asked how much and i said up to 10,000. I was then charged exactly that amount.. the flooding wasnt that severe and didnt even cover the entire basement. I was told my furniture would be put on blocks to prevent damage, this wasnt done and wet items were thrown on top of them and both couches are ruined. The broke my pool table and a brand new tv stand. They tore apart my projector screen and wadded it up for absolutely no reason it could have just been moved. I had to removed a 20ft section of padding 3 days sladter the flood because it took that long for them to even let me know i needed to remove it myself even tho it was a part of the contract for them to remove due to pool table in the way, i was home during the entire water removal processand could have moved the table amd prevented the nasty mildew smell now in my carpet. Nothing was rotated during follow up visits like it was supposed to be to dry out so multiple items wete ruined. The "emergency" removal took 2 days even though thier website states it needs done "immediately" to prevent extra damge. I had issues with insurance company and let roto rooter know that they sent check twice to wrong address and kept in touch with them to prove they were going to be paid even after failing to abide by contact terms and sent forwarded emails from my insurance saying money is coming. I just received a mechanics lien from roto rooter on my home with 5 kids out of nowhere when i just directly showed them i had a direct deposit issued 3 days ago that hasnt went through yet...this company is a huge scam. Can provide pictures and proof of everything stated.
Business Response
Date: 04/19/2023
Working with customer on releasing payment to have lien removed. Damages are being investigated to reach a resolution.
Customer Answer
Date: 04/19/2023
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,

***** ******
Initial Complaint
Date:04/13/2023
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.
I hired Roto Rooter to repair a leak under my kitchen sink & bring drying equipment to dry baseboards. Leak happened on Sunday & even though I was quoted $600+ for the repairs, they charged me $1000, $205 of it was for parts that cost less than $50. In spite of my reservations to hire them for drying, Adrian A****, ###-###-####, *********************,& his manager Marcus B******–###-###-####, ***********************, assured me charges will be between $500-1500, & they use the Xactimate estimator used by insurance companies & said my insurance company will pay for it. Monday, they brought 2 Dehumidifiers & 8 Air Dryers, before installing I asked them to call office and ask for the cost. I was told $91/dehumidifier, $33/air dryers, I asked if any other charges and they said no. The bill I received is for $3154.00.

I'm disputing the following. Leak classification is Category 1 not 2.
Emergency Service call – During business hours $197.l71, emergency was on Sunday & I paid a hefty bill for it.
Equipment setup-take down-monitoring, 12 hrs, $68.93/hr total $827.16. They spent roughly an hour in my house on Monday to setup & roughly half an hour on each consecutive day, Tue, Wed, & finally Thurs when they remove the equipment.
Equipment Decontamination - $398.18. This charge like many was never disclosed.
Charging for masks-gloves $15.39, they never used them.
Water extraction for two days - $183.68 –They never extracted any water from my house.
Apply anti-microbial for two days - $195.38 – I declined this service & they never applied it.
Need to reduce bill by $65.50 since one of the Air Dryers was removed on 2nd day.

This company uses predatory practices, price gouging, taking advantage of people especially elderly, when they are in stress or in an emergency. I have also notified my insurance company about these discrepancies. They have lied to me 3 times over the phone, all communications must be in writing. Attached documents has more details.
Business Response
Date: 04/13/2023
The billing concerns have been addressed with customer.
Thank you,
Mike
Customer Answer
Date: 04/13/2023
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.
No one from the company has discussed anything with me. As requested before, I'm asking all of their communications to be done in writing, they can email me at ********************** and respond to the 3 emails I have sent to Marcus and Karan regarding the over charges on my bill.

Regards,

**** ******

Business Response
Date: 04/17/2023
The water mitigation manager Marcus e-mailed customer on 4/13 and agreed to reduce the bill, on 4/14 **** ****** responded. On 4/14 Marcus agreed to additional reductions. This has been addressed and all reductions have been submitted and bill was reduced from original amount.

Good morning,

**** ****** thanks for
your response this morning. I would like to respond to the individual parts of
your email if you would allow me to.

Set-Up/
Take Down / Load- we are allowed to charge for the techs driving time to
the home plus 1 hr. allowing them the opportunity to complete the
task at hand once arrived at the property.
I can
agree to remove $65.50 additional from the bill.
Category
of water is determined by the lead tech. The ***** teaches us that once
water leaves the sanitary supply line in comes in contact with a surface
the Category of the water loss Changes to a CAT 2. I have provided
information on how water classification is a made. You have pets ****
****** as soon as the water hit the floor that changes the CAT code.

To comment on are daily
practices. **** ****** we see 100 mitigations plus every year, and I can
assure you that until you start servicing the property you never
truly know how far the water damage extends, or exactly what services are
needed at the time. I do apologize that the process wasn't clear in the
beginning of the course, and we also apologize again for the inconvenience
and for not following up with you for any question, concerns or comments.

If there is any
additional information need from me, please feel to reach out and let me
know please.

Note:

Category 2 Water- Category 2 water contains significant
contamination and has the potential to cause discomfort or sickness if
contacted ( I.E Touch or Feel ) or consumed by humans. ( I.E Drinking Water ).
Category 2 water can contain potentially unsafe levels of microorganisms or
nutrients for microorganisms, as well as other organic or inorganic matter
(chemical or biological)

Thanks,

Marcus
B****** Sr. | Mitigation Manager
***** ************** *********** **** ****
Roto-Rooter Services Company
**** ******** ******* ***** *****
O: ###-###-#### C: ###-###-#### F: ###-###-####
E: ***********************

From: **** ****** <**********************>
Sent: Friday, April 14, 2023 9:24 AM
To: Marcus B****** <***********************>
Cc: ***** ****** ************************ ******* ** ******* *************************** ***** ****** ***********************
Subject: Re: ************ Billing Updates

CAUTION: This email originated from outside the organization. Do not
click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the
content is safe.
Good
Morning Marcus,

I
appreciate your response.

On
number 1, I did not want to hire your company to do the work, after being
overcharged for the plumbing work that was done on Sunday.
Adrian came back to my house twice to get this contract and get hired for
this job. I was never informed that anyone had to change
their schedule and I never asked anyone to go out of their way to do
this. Companies don't charge the consumer because they have to
change their schedule, that is the company's choice if they
want the job.

One
item that was in my letter to BBB and you did not address is the number of
hours spent at my house.
Your
technician did not spend 12 hours (installing, monitoring, removing)
equipment. The most time he spent in my house doing all of that was 3-4
hrs max. I have photos of the logs, and I'm sure you can also review
your logs. I would like the hours-charges to be adjusted
accordingly.   This is item #2 on your bill for $827.16

The bill should also be reduced by $65.50 since one
of the Air Dryers was removed and I had 7 Air Dryers in the last 2 days.
You should also be able to verify that in your log.

Lastly,
the bill should be updated to note that this was a Category 1 and
not 2.

As a
side note, I had asked three times speaking to Adrian, yourself, and the
individual that was put on speaker before the equipment was installed, what the
charges would be approximately, and no one ever mentioned any of these extra
charges. As a company that does this on a daily basis, you should know
and disclose upfront what the typical charges are, and outline them in
your documents. Review your bills more carefully before sending them out,
especially if you care about your customers and are trying to be ethical and
not deceitful.

I
look forward to getting the above items taken care of and the final bill sent
to me.

Regards,
****

On
Thu, Apr 13, 2023 at 11:03?PM Marcus B****** <***********************>
wrote:
Good evening,

**** ****** I would like to answer each one of your concerns in
number form:

Service Call- **** ******* a service call was placed on you
bill form the Mitigation Department because we had to change our Daily
schedule to place a team at your home. That charge is separate from the
plumbing department.
Eq Monitoring- In the stabilization **** ****** the equipment
is monitored delay because that is the requirement of the ***** who sets
the standards for the services we provide. Per the Dying Log you signed
each day the technician came and monitored your property.
Eq
Decon- After any piece of equipment is placed in a home the equipment must
be decontaminated before we are allowed to place it in anyone else’s
home. Another Standard of the ***** that we are required to
follow.
PPE
(Personal Protective Equipment)- Tech's are required to wear PPE when
entering a customer's home to perform any services. After reviewing the
photos taken of your home, I Do Agree that you should not be charge for
use of PPE. Please accept my apologies for the inconvenience of this item
placed on your bill. This item has been removed.
Water
Extraction- After reviewing the photos taken of the work begin completed.
I do not see any water extraction taking place and I have removed that
charge from the bill as well.
Anti-Microbial-
I reviewed your initial contract and saw that there was no anti-microbial
used and that charge was removed from your billing.
Drying
Equipment Monitoring / Non-Monitoring- the equipment line item used is a
non -monitoring equipment item because we charge for monitoring by the
dry-log. The Dry-Log allows us to charge accurately based on your
signature each day its signed and monitoring charges are added by the day.
You were not charged twice. There are occasions where we charge for the
non-monitoring for the equipment due to the fact, that we cannot make
entry into a property because of various reason. This why you see it
itemized differently on your Xactimate.

**** ******, I assure
you no one in the Roto-Rooter Mitigation Department would never do anything
unethical or deceitful to any of our customer. We pride ourselves in having
excellent customer service for all our customers. We truly appreciate you and
customers like yourself, that has allowed us the opportunity to service their
home. I do apologize for the misunderstanding, and I have updated your billing
and attached it to this email. I hope I have cleared up any concerns for
you. If there's anything else I can do, or our team please make us aware. I
have reduced your bill to $2,621.69, and I have submitted it to our AR
Department for correction in the system. Once again please accept our Apologies
for the billing.

Thanks,

Marcus B****** Sr. | Mitigation Manager
***** ************** *********** **** ****
Roto-Rooter Services Company
**** ******** ******* ***** *****
O: ###-###-#### C: ###-###-#### F: ###-###-####
E: ***********************

NOTICE: This e-mail message, together with any attachments, contains
information of ****** Corporation and its subsidiaries that may be
confidential, proprietary, copyrighted and/or legally privileged, and is
intended solely for the use of the individual or entity named on this message.
If you are not the intended recipient, and have received this message in error,
please immediately return this by e-mail and then delete it.
Customer Answer
Date: 04/23/2023
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.

The number of hours charged
to (setup, takedown and monitor) are not accurate, your company did not spend
10 hours at my house doing these tasks, the charge specifically says (Setup,
Takedown, and Monitor), and consumers should not be responsible for your drive time.
I and my family were here every day your technician came and the maximum hours
spend doing these tasks were 3 hours, or max 3 1/2 hours being generous. I appreciate that you removed some of the erroneous
charges, and am requesting that you also correct the number of hours.

And I do not agree with your assessment of the Category.
Both your plumber and your technician told us that the leak was a category
1. Your assessment contradicts your own technicians.
I'm pasting ***** info below. My house
is very clean, and our kitchen is a cat free zone. All water was cleaned on Sunday before your technician
arrived on Monday, and everything else was dried out within 48 hours. All your company did was to bring in
machines, plug them in, monitor, and remove.

Please update the category,
along with the hours and provide the updated invoice.
***** Info on Below:

Water Damage Restoration Categories
Category
1. "Clean Water" is from a source that poses no
substantial harm to people. Water
that overflowed while running your bath water, leaking from a supply line for
an ice maker, dishwasher or clothes washer are good examples. This assumes that
the surfaces being flooded are reasonably clean. Flooding from clean water is usually
treated by extracting standing water. Air movers are set up to create
evaporation and dehumidifier's to remove the moisture from the air. After 48 hours, a Category 1 can
become a Category 2.

Category
2. "Grey Water" poses
health risks due to significant levels of contamination of bacteria, mold
and/or chemicals. This includes dirty water from washing
machines, dishwashers, as well as leaks from water beds, broken aquariums and
urine. The water restoration technician should wear some personal protection
equipment (PPE). The carpet padding is usually removed and replaced because its
sponge-like structure offers the perfect environment for bacterial and mold
growth. Due
to rampant bacterial breeding and mold growth, Category 2 becomes a Category 3
situation if left untreated for 2 days or more.

Category 1 Water – Sanitary (“Clean Water”)
The ***** ****
defines Category 1 water damage as water that “originates from a sanitary water
source and does not pose a substantial risk from dermal, ingestion, or inhalation
exposure.” Examples can include:
Water supply lines
Melting ice/snow
Rainwater
Toilet tanks
Toilet bowls without contaminants
Category 2 Water – Significantly
Contaminated (“Grey Water”)
The ***** ****
defines Category 2 water damage incidents as water that “contains significant
contamination and has the potential to cause discomfort or sickness if
contacted or consumed by humans.” Examples can include:

Regards,

**** ******

Business Response
Date: 04/25/2023
We do not agree with customers interpretation of ***** standards; however, we only wish to resolve customers dispute and bring closure to this complaint. With that I agreed to all discounts.
Thank you,
Mike
Customer Answer
Date: 05/02/2023
Better Business Bureau:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and I also respectfully disagree with the business's interpretation of the ***** standards, at this point we can agree to disagree.
In regards, to corrections to the charges, we have agreed on a refund amount. Mike, has instructed their office to issue a refund, and indicated it might take up to two weeks. At this point, I'm waiting for the refund.

Regards,

**** ******
Initial Complaint
Date:04/12/2023
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.
Roto Rooter (RR) came to my home 4/10/2023. Tech stated that main drain would need to be cleared, at a cost of $804 dollars. Techs were onsite from 2:38 PM-5:43 PM. Tech said he was done and successfully cleared main drain, no physical issues with pipe and that septic tank was full and needed emptying, after which we would have no further issues. On morning of 4/12/2023 a septic tank company arrived to empty tank. Immediately upon opening septic tank that tech alerted me to the fact that the main drain is clogged. He took pictures and sent them to me. Septic company offered to clean the main drain for a large additional cost. I declined because RR claimed to have already performed that service. I called RR back on 04/12/2023 and a different tech was dispatched same day. He agreed that the service that was initially paid for was not performed. After speaking with his manager, he was told it was no longer RR's problem, and that the septic company should do the job since they were the last ones to see it. The tech gave us the phone number for his manager, Louis C******, and that we need to call him, as there was nothing more that they were willing to do, including re-doing original work. We called the number and C****** was irate because it was his personal number and quickly got off the call because he was "too busy to talk". He called back later and stated that they do not deal with baffles and that they can only do so much and that they "cleared it to a point". I explained to him that nothing of that sort was explained prior to service, and that I was completely mislead. He offered a partial discount. I reiterated that I was completely mislead and that I want a full refund, as I never would have paid a penny had I been fully informed prior to service. The manager shouted at me that it was "cleared to a point" and I signed the invoice and then hung up on me. I was never quoted a cost for "cleared to a point". I missed work for 2 days bc of this.
Business Response
Date: 04/13/2023
Per tech
**** and camera shot of sewer line on 04/10/2023 customer’s main drain line up
to septic tank was cleared and confirmed clear with camera. The customer advised additional work was
required from a septic tank company inside the tank. Customer advised RRSC does not provide those
services. 04/12/2023 customer reached
out on Manager’s cell after being given number accidentally by tech 3722
visiting on 04/12/2023. The customer was
advised the Manager was in the middle of assisting another customer and would
return the call shortly on the company phone lines. The customer was given the office number JIC. Customer was contacted within 30 minutes and
advised tech **** performed what was the described quoted services on
04/10/2023. Customer was advised RRSC
would honor re-running cable and would provide a discount on the charges that
were already paid. Customer was advised
if issue is within the baffle inside the septic tank RRSC would be unable to
service and it would require septic tank company to clear. The customer was understandably irate and advised
they were most likely being upsold and septic tank pumping typically covers
clearing baffle tee. Customer advised
the issue is with septic tank company who did not properly clean tank. The customer was requesting a full refund and
was advised that wouldn’t be appropriate since tech had performed sewer and
camera services and the only refund would be half of the quoted price which was
stated at the beginning of the conversation.
Customer was becoming verbally abusive including threatening to disclose
and publicize Manager’s cell number throughout social media at which time
customer was advised politely by Manager that the conversation could no longer
proceed. Customer cordially given
salutations and call terminated. At no
point was the Manager rude or unwilling to assist customer with offering up services
that RRSC can provide or were entitled to.

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