Sewerratz
Naperville,#2Consumer Comment
Wed, August 20, 2008
OK you said he had 100 foot of cable on his machine. Guess what that is all the machine holds. One of the reasons for this is that most plumbing codes state that there should be a clean out every 50 feet or at every change of direction. No it is not the plumber you called fault in any way that your sewer was over a 100 feet. Most plumbers do not carry extra cable. But one thing is true about most company's the other trucks have the same type machine which the cables can interconnect. If you called my company we do the job by time and Material. A job needing extra cable usually takes an hour and a half to two hours. So your cost would of been $345.00 or $425.00 Our rates break down as follows $60.00 service call $45.00 Large Machine Charge and $160.00 per hour. Now I know not all home owners know their line may be over 100 feet. But after we figure that out, I tell them to make sure if they ever plug up again to tell the dispatcher how long their sewer is to ensure the plumber picks up extra cable. Most plumbers don't carry it due to space limitations in the van. This also applies to the plumber not having the part to fix your plumbing problem if he was to carry every part out there we have to drive semi trucks, and we still couldn't have every part that was ever made. So please keep in mind we can not see how your sewer is ran and know exactly how long it is till we stick a rodder in the line, or unless you inform us before hand.
Adolph
South Bend,#3Consumer Comment
Thu, January 16, 2003
Ahhhhh yes...."Roto Rooter"; brings back fond memories...NOT! 'I feel your pain'....uhh who said that?...well never mind. Years ago I called the local Roto Rooter franchise to auger roots out of the line to the street on a house I owned at that time. There had already been a clean-out Y installed, so it was a simple job....except for the fact: The cretin that showed up to do the work had absolutely NO useable blades (totally dull and bent) with the ends broken off the cables onto which the blades attatched.
I happen to have a well equipped shop, so I straightened and sharpened the blades, welded the cables back together. That took me just a little longer than the time the dodo took then doing the actual 'roto-rooting';about an hour.
I guess you know where this's going now. I was charged over 2.2 hours labor. The nice FRANCHISED Roto-Rooter people thought they were going to charge me for the time I spent on THEIR equipment so it was even USEABLE! After a lenghty argument I was ultimately charged for "1.4 hours". We were both unhappy. I still got screwed, and they sincerely believed I owed for all the time the guy was at the jobsite. Their office, at the end of the conflict exclaimed "don't ever expect us to service this site ever again". I then expressed my extreme gratitude. That would certainly relieve me of the possibility of facing assault charges.