Complaint Review: M A Williams Drain Cleaning & Plumbing

I called this company (M A WILLIAMS) that I found in the Yellow Pages, and they advertised $89.95 for a normal drain cleaning. The plumber arrived and saw my problem, then proceeded outside to the left side of the house to locate the sewer pipe and access point to insert his rotor-rooter machine. He had a 5 foot metal rod that he was inserting into the ground to locate the sewer pipe. After several minutes of looking for the pipe he said he located it, but did not see any access to the sewer pipe to insert his rotor-rooter machine. He stated because of this it would be another added $70 charge to remove the toilet to access the sewer pipe and insert his rotor-rooter machine to clean it.

I asked him if he was sure that the sewer pipe was on the left side of the house where he had looked, or if the sewer pipe and access point could possibly be on the opposite side of the house from where he was looking. He stated he was sure that there was no sewer pipe and access point on the right side of the house because he had located the pipe with the 5 foot rod he had used on the left side of the house.

To not incur the extra $70 charge for removing the toilet I told the plumber that I could remove the toilet myself in a few minutes while he was getting his rotor-rooter machine from his truck. He was not happy about that but agreed so I could avoid the $70 extra charge.

I had the toilet removed very quickly and the plumber had not returned with his machine yet, so I went outside to see if he needed help. He was just getting the machine out of his truck, and I again asked him if he was sure the sewer pipe and access was not on the opposite side of the house, and he said he was positive because he had located the sewer pipe, but no access to it, by inserting his metal rod into the ground. He then pointed to the house next, my neighbors house, that had what looked like a newer sewer access pipe sticking out of the ground on the left side of the house.

He then stated that there would be an added charge of $225 to insert into the sewer line a camera he had so I could see the clog. I told the plumber that I was not interested at looking at the clog through his camera, and to just use the rotor-rooter machine to unclog the sewer pipe. He then stated he could use the camera at a reduced discount to $168.75, and I said I still was not interested at looking at the clog. He was visibly irritated but continued with just the service I had requested, clearing the clogged pipe with the rotor-rooter machine, without looking through a camera, a routine plumbing procedure that has been in use many, many years since before the invention of miniture self contained cameras.

Approximately after 15-20 minutes of using his rotor-rooter machine through the toilet access he stated that he had hit a hard stopage and his machine would go no further. He stated he used about 80FT of his machines 100FT rotor, that his machine was strong and would cut through any paper or tree roots that could possibly clog the sewer pipe, and by his machine not being able to go any further showed that the sewer pipe was collapsed, because when the house was built about 1945 they had used a sewer pipe called orangeburg pipe, which was made of a hard re-inforced tar like substance instead of iron, and that it was prone to collapsing with age, and it was the only thing his machine could not cut through.

The plumber then stated that the whole sewer pipe from the house to the street would have to be replaced, and at a cost of $4,000. I was shocked that the whole sewer line had to be replaced, and told the plumber that I would have to check with other contractors and get other estimates. This was about 3:30PM Thursday afternoon. He then again stated that the sewer pipe was now completely clogged and unuseable, and that he could call his office to see about a senior citizen discount. After speaking to his office he said that they did have a senior citizen discount, and the price was now $3,150 with an added 10% off, coming to$2,835.

I said I would still have to check with other companies. The plumber then stated that he would need an answer right away for the discount, and then stated again that the sewer pipe was now completely clogged and unuseable, and he needed an answer immediately so that he could get the permits that very day and have the new sewer pipe installed the next day, Friday, otherwise, if I did not agree I would be without a toilet until the following Tuesday, at the soonest, if I did not answer him immediately. I told him I still had to check with other companies and would call his company after checking further into having the job done. I paid for the bill he gave me and he left.

The very next morning my next door neighbor came over to see what plumbing problems I was having, as he had seen the plumbers truck in my driveway the previous afternoon. I told him what had happened, that the toilet was draining slow, and that the plumber located the sewer pipe on the left side of my house but no access to it, that the plumber said the only access to it was through the toilet hole, that the plumber said the sewer pipe was made of orangeburgh pipe, collapsed and the whole line had to be replaced costing several thousand dollars.

My neighbor then abruptly interrupted me from talking and stated that my sewer pipe is located on the side opposite from where the plumber said he had found it, and that I did have a sewer access point outside, in the driveway, to insert a rotor-rooter machine to clear clogs that happen in the sewer pipe, and that the sewer pipe at my house is made of cast iron, not orangeburg pipe. My house is one of eight in a row of houses that are exactly the same, built at the same time, by the same contractor, and all of the sewer pipes to all of the houses are on the same side, the right side, they all have outside sewer access points, and all are on the side with the driveway. He then walked me to the begining of my driveway and pointed to the cast iron access pipe sticking slightly above the ground.

He stated he installed a new sewer line to his house himself a few years prior during renovating his house, but decided to go in the other direction with his sewer pipe, to the left, and that is why his access points are on the L/S, not the right side of his house. And that was what the plumber was mistakenly pointing to the previous day when I questioned him if he was sure what side of my house the sewer pipe was on.

My neighbor said he would use his pick-up, I have a compact car, and go rent a rotor-rooter machine so I could run it down through the outside sewer access point, that I do have and that the plumber from WILLIAMS said did not exist. After I used the rented machine for 15 minutes, which was exactly like the one the plumber used the day before, but I used the correct access point outside, the clog was gone, the water drained, and all faucets and toilet now drain as they should.

Not only did the plumber from M A Williams find a pipe that did not exist, which is impossible, he said it was clogged and had to be replaced. Also his machine would not have been able to reach the clog from the toilet access as that would have been a distance of 147FT and he stated his machine went 100FT.

I called the Williams office Monday morning stating what happened, that their guy was completely wrong, that he, being a licensed plumber should have found the correct access point in the sewer line....

that their plumber said he found the sewer pipe where no pipe existed (the sewer pipe was on the other side of the house).....

that I did have, and their plumber said I didn't have, an outside sewer pipe access point to be used to clear clogs.....

that having my toilet removed per their plumbers instruction was unnecessary and incorrect........

that if their plumber used the correct sewer access their plumber would have been able to clear the clog.......

his machine would not have been able to reach the clog from the toilet access as that would have been a distance of 147FT and he stated his machine went 100FT

and that the almost $3,000 job their plumber said I needed was gross negligence and incompetentcy on his part, and could possibly be construed as fraudulent, and I wanted the money I paid to their company returned......

The man I spoke to was rude, used foul language, and said under no circumstances would their be a refund, that he wanted to send another guy over to run a camera through my sewer pipe, for what I have no idea, but I said no one from his company could do anything on my property after what happened and I wanted a refund. He continued to be abusive and I hung up.
Now you have the whole situation.