First the positives. I called Mr. Rooter at 6:50pm and a technician was here by 8:15pm to fix a frozen pipe. It took him less than 15 minutes to thaw out the pipe. For that I paid $450. I think telling a homeowner that it will take 2 hours minimum to thaw a pipe and $450 when the pipe is frozen and not re-negotiating the price when the pipe is thawed in 5 minutes (then 10 min of hot water running to check for leaks) is unconscionable. I felt I had been taken for a ride by being told it would take much longer and felt duped into signing papers saying that I would pay out $450 before the work began. When my pipe is frozen and I feel like I have little choice and no knowledge, the power is with the plumber. Tonight, I felt this power was abused. So for this reason, I would not recommend this company to others.
Addendum: the company's response of "two minutes or two hours" is false. The technician never said this. Also, he said in response to my query about the two hours and coverage that if the pipe had burst, there would be extra charges, over the two hours worth that I had already paid. I am sorry that the company is not being honest in their reply.
- Approximate cost of services:
- $450.00
- Company Response
Dear Mr. Mahadevan: During this freezing weather we are working around the clock to get people’s pips thawed before they burst and cause water damage in their homes. We have fielded literally hundreds of calls just like yours and do our level best to provide a good and fair service in a timely manner. We truly appreciate your positive feedback regarding our response time of two hours.
We would, however, like to revisit the service call and pricing with you. When our plumbing technician arrived he explained to you that our list price to thaw your pipes would be $403.92 plus tax and our standard $15 fuel charge. He also explained that it could take “two minutes or two hours “ and he could not be sure which it was in your case. You agreed to the minimum charge and initialed the work order with that understanding. Fortunately, in your case, the pipes were flowing after 15 minutes and there were no leaks detected so you were spared the water damage that many people are facing right now.Unfortunately, we have no control over what the government charges in HST which was $54.45, and our fuel charge of $15 is standard. Thus the $473.87 charge that was your final bill.
I’m sure you are aware that in every profession there are fees and though we understand that no one likes to pay for services, our people deserve to be paid a decent wage for the hours they work, even more so in a time of crisis, when they are working around the clock to serve the good people of Toronto. The fifteen minutes that it took to thaw your pipes is only a part of the job process. The driving time, vehicle expense, equipment expense, office and plumbing staff, phone systems, heat, light, internet and advertising so you can find us, are expenses related to operating a company and are all a part of what every customer must realize in their final payment.I would like to thank you for your review because each review, whether good or bad, gives us the opportunity to interface with our customers and, if necessary, explain ourselves. It is always a good exercise and helps us to improve our service.