Paid cash, they damaged my property, left behind poo!:
On 7/4/2020 Roto-Rooter was called to my residence to clear a leaky/backed up toilet and help make the residence habitable. The problem ended up being more complicated than the technician expected; it was not resolved. The technician stayed about four hours, attempting to resolve the problem, growing more and more frustrated. He ended up bringing in very heavy equipment (he needed my help moving it up and down the stairs). He damaged the plaster on my walls before ever asking for my help. After he left, I discovered that the technician had left several pairs of soiled, used latex gloves lying about in my home---gloves that had been worn while treating my leaky/backed up toilet. Additionally, the technician neglected to reinstall the bolts to my toilet, leaving it completely unsecured to the bathroom floor. The water main for the toilet was also not turned back on. There was a significant amount of mess left behind as well: soiled floors and walls. My bathroom was left in an even worse state after Roto-Rooter's "service call". I have reached out to Roto-Rooter's franchise owner, Mark Armstrong, who is unwilling to offer even a partial refund on the $1603.80 that was paid in cash, up front. Mr. Armstrong stated that the $1603.80 that was paid does not guarantee that the job would be completed, just attempted. Where is it okay to not complete an expensive plumbing job, damage property, leave behind literal waste materials AND get to keep the entire amount paid up front. Syracuse Roto-Rooter!"
I'm not disputing that services were attempted, after all the technician was at my residence for 4 hours. I take issue with the entirety of the price that was paid in advance for a job that 1) did not get completed 2) the damages to my property and 3) the dangerous/hazardous conditions the technician left behind (those different pairs of soiled gloves, the lack of proper re-installation of the toilet, etc. I was seeking a partial refund of $400 of the $1603.80 that was paid, upfront (in good faith) but Mark Armstong is not open to any type of discourse.
by kimdaa on July 08, 2020
Did not address a problem, charged for excess services.:
This company sent an unqualified tech to my house to fix a toilet that was not flushing correctly. Tech told us the rim jets were not working properly, and we needed to replace the toilet. We would have replaced it immediately but the tech did not have a model available. The rim jets were working correctly and that was not the problem.
Subsequently we purchased a new toilet, and went to install, when a family member (who was out of town which necessitated the call to Roto Rooter) identified a ventilation issue. The family member identified a clog between the S trap and drain.
The Roto Rooter tech who allegedly pulled the toilet out of the floor should have been able to identify this issue. Our complaint centers around the tech's lack of knowledge of the issue which was resolved by a knowledgeable family member and corrected in less than 15 minutes. A bill for $365 was charged to us and the problem was not properly diagnosed, or remedied.
I called the business to make arrangements to mediate this situation and to come to an agreement on the cost of the services provided. The business owner refused to speak with us and had his secretary offer us a 10% credit on future business. I informed the owner's office manager I would proceed with a better business bureau complaint.
Be very wary of using this business.
by F A M on March 28, 2018
Do not use this company:
Do NOT use this company. Roto-Rooter Syracuse came out to my house in July to fix a clogged pipe. They then proceeded to pump 30 gallons of sewage into my basement and just left as fast as possible after. They said I had a broken pipe when in reality it was a second clog they hadn't cleared. Had their guy taken an extra 5 minutes to look at the pipe before jetting it out he would've seen it was another clog. I asked for my money back and no one will return my phone calls. I e-mailed corporate and heard nothing back. I contacted the better business bureau and they didn't even respond to them. Very unprofessional on all sides of this company. They did $3000 plus damage to my house and can't even return a phone call or e-mail. Unbelievable.
by jsmith77 on September 05, 2017