Shanks A & G Plumbing & Heating Ltd

We found out we had a blocked sewer drain and called Shanks to fix it. Upon meeting Mike who seemed cordial and professional, I was informed that the drain could not be fixed at all and we needed to act right away. His solution was to do an exterior excavation of a clay pipe and since his quote was cheaper than another we received, we hired him. I later found out that the method he used to clear our drain was questionable as he used a camera hose to try and clear the sewage. The next day, he informed us that the damage to the pipe extended far beyond his initial assessment and he highly recommended we remove the entire pipe for $10,000. I don't doubt that we had to remove more of the pipe and that there was significant damage done, but when I wanted to get a second opinion/estimate before we handed over this fortune, he started getting defensive. He left our property frustrated that I wanted to get another estimate for the job. We found out from other companies that he was charging a lot more than what we needed to pay, and also, he had put us in a situation where we had to act immediately, giving us no opportunity to shop around. Ultimately, I feel we were cornered into a situation and were made to believe we had no choice but to go the most expensive route. Suffice it to say we went with another more reputable company who had better ratings on homestars and found a solution that was much cheaper. I have never seen someone's personality change so fast. Moral of the story: don't trust a company based on first impressions.