This scenario was a deliberate set up for a sting in an attempt to extort as much money as possible from a service call that began with a phone quote of $85. Their misrepresentation in this situation is fraudulent and criminal.
When the plumbers arrived, they brought out the standard snake and ran it through the pipe with an auger tip that looked like two small wings. The wings on the tip were loose and floppy.
They ran the snake through a 4 clean out I installed 10 years prior, only 15 feet from the 6 clay pipe where the roots were. One pass to break through the roots, to allow backed up water to drain so they could insert a closed circuit camera, was their only attempt with the snake. They didn't spend any time in an effort to clear the roots with the snake. I was never offered the option of them using various saw like attachments to the snake. This would have opened up the roots for a better camera inspection. Why dig, when you you have this camera technology!?
They inserted the camera up to the location of the roots in the pipe. There was a significant amount of root mass clogging the pipe but not so that the snake attachments shown in a photo I got from Home Depot with saw blade or diamond teeth with heavy duty cutting abilities couldn't rip through the roots.
They began informing me, persisting throughout that the standard rooter would not be able to clear the roots and that I needed a process called jetting. They insisted they would have to dig to the pipe and open it up to determine if they could do this. They said they needed to make sure the pipe hadn't become misaligned or partially collapsed.
After a cell call to Harry, the field supervisor, Ed got me to agree and sign a work authorization. He told me it would be no more that $1,500. I didn't receive a copy of the invoice with the estimate in writting before they began work and I did not receive it untill after the work was completed and I gave them payment.
After digging and cutting the ABS pipe I had installed, they exposed the root problem. They really played up how plugged it was and told me again that using the standard rooter snake would not work. They continued by using a 1x 2 wood firring strip, (photo 2) then a 3/4 copper pipe, (photo 3) to try to poke a through the roots for the camera. With the availability of the various saw like auger tips, (photo 1) why were they wasting time with primitive tools such as these.
At this time, Ed was able to push his arm through the roots and stated to Harry that it felt like the roots opened up after the main clog. Again, I feel very strongly that the saw blade head or diamond tip attachment could have easily cleared the roots from my clean out access and allowed for a better view of my pipes with the camera, without digging! Isn't the point of a camera to ascertain whether or not one needs to dig by seeing inside the pipe without digging first?
They did finally get the camera in and sent it through into the city main. I watched this procedure myself and saw no significant amount of root build up just beyond the main clog at the sidewalk. I then had to rush off to pick up my daughter at school. They had been at my house from 11 AM to now 2:40 PM.
When I returned, they had put away the camera and still had my sewer line disconnected. Short of jumping in the hole and checking for myself they had me believing that it was still very plugged and needed the process called jetting. A hydro-jetter is a trailer rig with a diesel powered water snake with a rotating tip that spins and shoots water out (similar to pressure washers) at 2000 to 6000 PSI. This technique it extremely powerful and cleans the pipe efficiently.
Here is when the fun begins, without any price list or breakdown for parts and materials, Harry scribbled a price of $8,100 on a scrap paper. This was to run the jetter though the 6 pipe, clean it out and line it. Pipe lining is a new process of injecting what looks like a thirty foot tube sock made of fiberglass and filled with epoxy chemicals. It is shot into the pipe with air pressure and essentially lines the clay pipe with the equivalent of an ABS pipe. I was informed that it was my responsibility to maintain this pipe and told that if the pipes are leaking and washing away the supporting soil, the pipe may buckle and then I would be looking at $20,000 or more to dig up the street and replace it. Furthermore, the less expensive alternative of lining the pipe, would not be available once the pipe had buckled.
Reluctantly, I verbally agreed to $3,400, which they reduced their price to for performing the jetting. They went to lunch and to pick up the jetter.
While they were away, I found online that Schuelke Plumbing, my copper repipe plumber, also did rooter service now. I explained the situation and they told me to cancel the job. I told them of the work the two guys did and how long they were working in order to know what to pay them for their work up to this point when canceling the job. They quoted me $900 to $1,100 for the work they had done so far. Over the phone, sight unseen, I obtained a price for jetting at $895.
Right at this time, Urgent Rooter returned with the jetter. Still having no toilets and plugged pipes, I went out and told them I was canceling the job. They persisted explaining that whatever I could do, if I could even clear it at all, wouldn't last. I asked again if they could use the snake and they persisted it wouldn't work, that the jetter was the only way.
With the attitude that the jetter is now on location and since I was canceling, they suddenly became very flexible on price, they offered $2700. I continued trying to cancel. They then offered $2500. To cancel at this point, the rooters wanted $1,300 for the work they had done.
If I paid them the $1,300 they would have left and I would have still had a disconnected and plugged sewer with a 5 foot hole in my front yard. Thinking further of what my plumber said I took his highest number of $1,100 for the work to this point and his jetting quote of $895 and offered $2,000. They accepted, but... Offered no warranty and I was left to back fill the dirt myself.
Note that my offer of $2,000 took place at the end of the day when I paid them. My mistake! This again shows no intent to treat me fairly. They had a blank work order and hit me with the outrageous number of $8,100, and continued by telling me I could save $5,000 if I agreed to the jetting service alone. Sales trickery at is finest.
After seeing the jetting process, I am completely convinced that the 4 clean out I installed could have accepted the jetter just fine and the pipe would have been completely cleaned. After reconnecting the pipes they actually did run the jetter through my 4 clean out. The digging was completely unnecessary to jet the pipe.
I feel Urgent Rooter deliberately manipulated and misrepresented the facts. They took advantage of my situation of being without a toilet or running water to oversell service that I did not need. This kind of unfair targeting of consumers needs to be stopped. Once the hole was dug, my sewer disconnected and still clogged, Urgent Rooter used the situation as a type of duress to pressure me to a decision.
Tactics used by Urgent Rooter are nothing short of criminal action in the sense that their entire goal was to extort as much money as the could out of this fairly easy access, simple root problem. The entire scenario was orchestrated to con me out of more money than they could charge for a simple rooter snake service.
Urgent Rooter was in clear violation of the law which requires I receive a copy of the invoice filled in completely with a written estimate along with a notice explaining my 3 day right to cancel prior to starting work. I did not receive either of these documents before they started work. Be sure never to make that mistake! I guess they figured they had a live one! I am guessing maybe they did as I am a handy man and I installed that clean out myself 10 years ago. I will now try to make up for the stupidity on my part to be sure I let as many people know about Urgent Rooter so it doesn't happen to anyone else.
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