I contacted Robert Esnayra & Michael Alvarado at One Call Services after receiving their "lead" from Servicemagic.com.
They had a sewer blockage in a downtown mall and needed a plumber ASAP. I discussed our emergency dispatch fee of $150, which Robert agreed to. He let me know he was headed out to lunch, and to call with the additional pricing for authorization.
After heading to the mall, getting through security with a full truck inspection and registering my license & insurance with the mall, I got to the job. I called to discuss pricing, but was told by the "owner" Michael that my price was too high - which is a decision he has the right to make.
As I attempted to collect the emergency fee (after 1.5 hours of total time now), Michael said "we don't pay for estimates". He decided he would have to speak with Robert before paying me, who is a Director in the company allegedly, and that he doesn't pay people based on "hearsay".
3 days of ducked phone calls later, Robert emails me and says "yeah we had Roto-Rooter do it for $X, and thanks"- he denies having discussed the emergency fee, even though we read a script for each call that details payment methods, dispatch fees and arrival times.
Absolute liars, and poor businesspeople. They completely avoided me - even though we responded as requested right away! It's a worthwhile loss towards the future of never dealing with another company like this again without full payment via credit card upfront.
Joe
Boston, Massachusetts
U.S.A.
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