paul R.
Avoid Roto Rooter at All Costs
Avoid Roto Rooter at All Costs: A Cautionary Tale of Fraud, Deception, and Bullying If you’re considering Roto Rooter for your plumbing or mitigation needs, think again. My experience with the Newark, NJ branch of this company has been nothing short of a nightmare—a masterclass in deceptive practices, inflated charges, and blatant disregard for customer service or accountability. The Nightmare Begins On 12/4/24, I contacted Roto Rooter for what I assumed would be routine service—a clogged pipe in my basement. What followed was an outrageous sequence of events that culminated in thousands of dollars in unnecessary charges, threats of collections, and utter frustration. Trumped-Up Charges and Manipulation The technician started with a sky-high estimate of $30,000, a figure I immediately questioned. Despite my protests, I was assured this was “just a range” and not to be concerned: “I’m sending you the contract. Don’t be scared with the price—it’s just a range because I didn’t go there. It’s just a number we put. We can always go down, never up. But you’re covered by insurance.” This was a blatant lie. I was told they needed to “exact the water” and clean the walls to prevent mold. However, by the evening of 12/5/24, the basement was in worse condition than before! The clogged pipe remained untouched, and the flooding had escalated. The $27,000 Cleanup That Achieved Nothing When I raised concerns, Roto Rooter sent two additional plumbers, one of whom claimed the issue was a broken pipe beneath the sidewalk. This supposed “specialist” insisted that a $13,000 repair would be required on top of the $27,000 mitigation fee and the $1,872 water removal charge. When I asked for photographic evidence of the broken pipe, he admitted he had none but demanded I “trust him.” His exact words! “It’s okay because we will pump out the water; the pipe won’t get worse, I promise.” I knew something was wrong. Instead of falling for this outrageous scam, I contacted a smaller plumber I had used before. Within a day, they completed the mitigation, water removal, and pipe inspection for just $1,000. The result; No broken pipe, no further flooding, and no $13,000 charge. Roto Rooter’s Response: Excuses and Gaslighting When I confronted Roto Rooter with this information, their response was appalling. Emails to their representative (Hdioro) went unanswered. When they finally responded, they offered nothing but a generic apology, dismissing my concerns with this infuriating excuse: “You keep bringing up the estimated pricing for $13k, but it was NOT charged to you. It was mentioned, and you have no invoice for this amount!” This is a textbook case of gaslighting. The fact that I avoided being charged the $13,000 doesn’t erase their attempt to defraud me—or the $27,000 they still charged for a service that failed to resolve the issue. Bullying Tactics and Threats To make matters worse, Roto Rooter has resorted to harassment. They are now threatening to report me to collections and ruin my credit if I don’t pay the full bill immediately. One representative even wrote: “Please know that with the signed contract, I am liable to collect the payment due.” This kind of bullying is unacceptable. No customer should be subjected to threats after exposing fraudulent practices. A Final Warning to Future Customers My experience with Roto Rooter is not just about financial loss—it’s about a company exploiting homeowners in vulnerable situations. Their targeting of certain communities and reliance on inflated charges, false claims, and intimidation is deeply troubling. I am taking action. My attorney will be reaching out shortly, and I will ensure my story is heard across every possible outlet. I’ll be posting reviews on Google, Yelp, the Better Business Bureau, and social media. News networks will also be contacted. To those considering Roto Rooter: Avoid this company at all costs. Their actions are unethical, their services subpar, and their customer treatment abhorrent. Let my story serve as a warning to unsuspecting homeowners everywhere. Photos of the damage and documentation of this debacle will be provided so potential customers can see for themselves what $27,000 of “service” from Roto Rooter looks like. Roto Rooter: Your bullying won’t work, and your fraudulent practices won’t go unchallenged.