Mr. Rooter Pittsburgh Mr. Rooter Cranberry How Mr. Rooter of Pittsburgh & The Dwyer Group Scammed Me Cranberry, Pennsylvania

22nd of Oct, 2012 by User529659

So, how does the Dwyer Group handle media complaints about their franchisee owners from customers who have been victims of fraud and/or deceptive business practices? They block and delete their posts in order to hide their indiscretions. I'm not surprised considering that Dina Dwyer-Owens stated, on Undercover Boss, that Mr. Rooter comprised a substantial part of their livelihood. There are people out there, who have used online forums (rip off report, complaints board, reviews, etc.) in an attempt to gather support from the Dwyer Group in relation to addressing issues with its associated brands, only to explain how their concerns have been dismissed by the Dwyer Group. If you recall, on the
episode of Undercover Boss, the franchisee owners were underhanded with their employees and failed to follow the business model outlined by the Dwyer Group; thus, it is logical to conclude that there are consumers of these franchisee
owners who have also been the victims of unscrupulous business practices at the clutches of their commission only-based business model. In March of 2012, I had contacted the Dwyer Group concerning the deceptive business practices and fraudulent activity with one of their franchisee locations, Mr. Rooter of Pittsburgh, via email to the president of Mr. Rooter Corporation, Mary Kennedy. Mary Kennedy sent me an email informing me that the customer service manager was looking into the situation and would get back to me; however, I never heard back from them. The Dwyer group didn't have my phone number, but they did have my email address and could've easily retrieved that if they were in contact with the local franchisee. So, why couldn't they have contacted me via email? I was very detailed concerning the situation and about what I was looking for as a resolution. Is it because they don't want written documentation of their communication? I suspect that has to be the case. Why else would customer service not have sent me an email? It is because they don't want a paper trail of their verbal communications and to be held accountable for them. Let's fast forward to October 2012вЂ¦ I was given the number of the customer service manager waiting to assist me according to their response via Twitter and YouTube. I called the number and the customer service manager told me that she had spoken with me back in March of 2012; however, She had never contacted me at all. I only ever had email communication with the president of Mr. Rooter Corporation, Mary Kennedy; yet, the customer service manager had it written down that she had already spoken with me. Really?!? That's odd because it never happened. The telephone conversation with the customer service manager, in summary, consisted of informing me that the franchisee owners buy the right to use the name (in my case, a Mr. Rooter franchise) of whichever corporation they purchased from the list of businesses that the Dwyer Group owns and that the franchisee owners are not affiliated with the Dwyer Group in any way; therefore, Mr. Rooter Corporation/The Dwyer Group can't help me. It is up to the local business, otherwise known as the franchisee owner, to respond. Well, based on that, the chance of my situation being made right, is practically non-existent in accordance with the experiences of other people who have found themselves in similar situations with Mr. Rooter of Pittsburgh. Essentially, the Dwyer Group's response on Twitter and YouTube was merely a "publicity event" in an attempt to falsely communicate to the general public that they were interested in helping me, when they weren't really interested in
helping me at all. So, let's see if we can establish a clear picture here concerning the Dwyer Group's position:
Dina Dwyer-Owens states, on national television (Undercover Boss), that Mr. Rooter is their largest source of revenue; yet, the customer service manager at Mr. Rooter Corporation within the Dwyer Group (yes, the one who said she already spoke with me and never did) claims that since the businesses are independently owned, even though franchisee owners are required to pay 3-7% per month of their gross sales in royalties to the corporate Mr. Rooter office located within the Dwyer Group in addition to the fees related to their start-up cost of $20,000+, the Dwyer Group can't help me. Out of the $19,500 cost of the sewer line replacement I was told I needed, (but didn't need) the Dwyer Group would have realized $585-$1,365 of that transaction alone, for just existing, but they can't help me. The Dwyer Group is certainly not willing to give up their share of my invoice, which was obtained in a fraudulent manner. I was informed by the customer service manager at Mr. Rooter Corporate (the day after I spoke with her for the first time) that Mr. Robert Beall was supposed to be calling me that day, the next day, or soon; however, I didn't hold out much hope that was going to actually happen. After I sent an email to Mr. Beall, a reply was sent from him informing me that he will "address" the issue when he is available to do so. I'm curious about how he is planning to "address" my issue. I'm not confident that he plans to do just that, but we will see. ***I absolutely KNEW he wasn't going to address my issue. He went to go hide behind his lawyer's work of fiction that I
recently received in the mail. Here is a business owner, probably the only plumber or one of a few Master Plumbers within his business, who was never at the project site; yet, somehow he is qualified to inform his lawyer (who
sent me a lovely letter by the way) that my claims are essentially unfounded. I was informed by Mr. Beall's lawyer that since there was grease in the sewer line that somehow implies that a sewer line replacement was necessary, even though it wasn't. A hydrojetting procedure would've done the job on the line from the house trap to the main...the section of the sewer line within the second invoice. Mr. Rooter didn't spend anytime trying to clear that line AT ALL! (Except during the $19,500 sewer line replacement/sliplining process) and the events that happened were referred to as "inaccurate" by the lawyer. If they weren't accurate, I surely would not be expending this much energy. If the problem was solved, I would have no claim....But, IT WASN'T! The lawyer threatened me to stop telling the truth, basically. My problem is that Mr. Beall took money for work that he failed to do. He did not do the sliplining process to within 2' of the sewer line and he failed to solve the problem of sewage backing up into the basement according to the contract as evidence by my video that was taken after the work was completed. They had enough pipe to do the entire sliplining job, but they never used it. Regardless of whether or not I have a case against the sellers for failure to disclose according to Mr. Beall's lawyer (who suggested I look there instead of demand from his client that he be held accountable for the terms of the contract which weren't completed), it would not be right to make the seller's pay for work that was contracted, but not completed. According to the lawyer, the work was necessary. In reality, the work was as unnecessary as the backflow preventer Mr. Beall's camera man/salesman was trying to sell me when I contacted them about the sewage backing up into the basement after the work was completed and the
township cleared out the line after Mr. Rooter came twice to hydrojet (incompetently) and the township came out, but they were able to clear the line. What's the difference, do you think? They were master plumbers! Oh and as far as the obstructions, the only obstructions in the line were grease, a pencil, and a battery....Nothing more. All obstructions that would've been cleared and removed with a hydrojetting process conducted appropriately.** Like others in my local area have been doing, I could proceed through all the legal channels and, most likely, get awarded the entire cost of the sewer line replacement ($19,500) due to false diagnosis, misleading sales tactics, and failure to perform the work stated in the contract; however, the people who have successfully taken Mr. Rooter of Pittsburgh to court and won, have only had Mr. Robert Beall turn around and tell them "I don't have any money." [so, I can't pay you, too bad] Mr. Robert Beall of Mr. Rooter of Pittsburgh/Youngstown must not feel obligated to uphold the law by repaying customers according to the judgements against him. On a recent blog, he boasted that he serves over 2.9 million customers a year, so how does that surmount to Mr. Beall not being able to satisfy the judgments against him? He brings in AT LEAST 2.9 million dollars a year, but probably substantially more than that if anyone has ever been at the end of their service pricesвЂ¦even considering the franchise fees and operating expenses, there is no reason why he can't comply with the terms of the judgements against him. Considering the amount of revenue Mr. Rooter of Pittsburgh takes in annually, one would think that the IRS would be very interested in auditing the business to find out, possibly, where he could be stashing the business income that he "doesn't have." I doubt highly that Mr. Beall provides no charge services to residents and business located in Pennsylvania and Ohio. All I am and have been requesting, on a minimal level, is that the second contract of $9,500 be refunded because it was definitely obtained in a fraudulent mannerвЂ¦through false diagnosis, misleading sales tactics and statements, as well as the inability of Mr. Rooter of Pittsburgh employees to properly perform the @HydroScrub procedure, which was supposed to be incorporated into the first contract totaling $10,000. If you read up on their @HyrdoScrub procedure, the process should've worked to clear the line and I should've been flowing with no further problems if it had been done properly! They even advertise (in addition to other plumbing companies who offer the service) that this process is the next best thing to restoring your pipes to almost new conditionвЂ¦ If the full amount of the second invoice was refunded, I would recognize that it would rightly change what would be covered under Mr. Rooter's Warranty and the Lifetime Warranty; thus, Mr. Rooter would no longer be held accountable for anything contained within the second invoice. Mr. Rooter of Pittsburgh, however, would be expected to uphold the first invoice regarding their Warranty and Lifetime Warranty, which includes the sewer line replaced from the stack with the clean-out in the basement, to the pvc pipe underneath the basement foundation, to outside the basement door to the house trap. Unfortunately, based on Mr. Beall's track record, I highly doubt that he will be willing to part with the money that his company did not legitimately earn (If so, it would've already been returned). Currently, although not accredited by the BBB, his rating is a D-. Also, in 2010, he was on the list for the three worst rated plumbing contractors in the area. As a consumer, did you know this? I wish I did! His response to that was, "I'm not going to sit here and attack the Better Business Bureau. I'm a huge advocate that the consumers need a place to report issues to. It is virtually impossible with the infrastructure and the size and volume of consumers I serve to have a top-notch rating." Hence, what he is really communicating to the consumer is that he is too busy and makes too much money to care about what is going on with your situation regarding his business. Other substantially large businesses and corporations are able to maintain ratings of a C+ or better, so why can't you? All it entails is doing the right thing. The problem is that not enough people question the process and do not realize the presence of deceptive business practices until later because their issue may have been resolved, or if it wasn't resolved it was kicked to the curb. Generally, if the issue is resolved, customers are happy; however, when issues aren't resolved (like mine) and you continue to get sales pitches after multiple substantial investments, you begin to evaluate the interactions between the business and yourselfвЂ¦later realizing that you just got taken for a ride and that they were about to take you on another one (A $5,000 backflow preventer, please!). Honestly, if my issue would have been resolved, I would've been one of those happy customers and called Mr. Rooter for future service, in addition to calling on other Dwyer Group franchises for home services because I would've felt like Mr. Rooter and the Dwyer Group cared about the consumer. I recommend that anyone who has done business with Mr. Rooter of Pittsburgh/Youngstown (Owner: Mr. Robert Beall) and anyone else who has had similar issues with other associated Dwyer Group franchisee owners report their experience to the Attorney General in their area and hopefully the law will be inspired to take a stand for us. We may not matter to Mr. Rooter of Pittsburg/Youngstown, Mr. Rooter Corporation, or the Dwyer Group...but, maybe, the law will matter to them! The Attorney General tends to investigate multiple complaints and may even be interested in forming their own case if they find that the business is in violation of the law, which could result in additional fees for the businesses involvedвЂ¦.the last two invoices I received that were prepared by Mr. Rooter of Pittsburg would be good examples
of those "holes." Upon inspection of the Dwyer Group's rating with the BBB, I was shocked to find that there are no complaints filed against them and they have an A+ rating. Maybe what we are doing wrong as consumers is not filing complaints regarding the local franchisee owner AND the corporation. If we sit back and do nothing, businesses will be able to freely engage in unethical business practices with no consequences and the pattern will continue to be repeated with everyday people continuing to be stolen from and bullied by unethical businesses and those unethical businesses who are sheltered by large corporations. I know that I am not the only person who holds this opinion, or who has been defrauded by Mr. Rooter and other franchisees under the Dwyer Group. Search blogs, sites like Rip Off Report, reviews of your local business, etcвЂ¦People feel helpless dealing with the combination of bullying or just plain non-recognition from Dwyer Group and their franchisees concerning deceptive business practices. I have no problem with capitalism at work as long as it is a just and fair process. Additionally, I have nothing but praise for the handful of businesses and business franchisees who, even though their pricing tiers may be expensive, uphold honesty and integrity within their business, striving to focus on what the customer actually needs, NOT how much you can squeeze out of them whether they need the service that you are providing or not. My invoices, with details about what happened during specific invoice periods, are up next. I hope to share my misfortune with you in the hopes of preventing this process from repeating itself, or at least reduce its occurrence. Admittedly, it would be nice to be recognized and to be appropriately refunded, too. Should my extremely reasonable request be granted, then I would be happy to admit that I could've been wrong about the intentions of Mr. Rooter of Pittsburgh/Youngstown, Mr. Rooter Corporation, and the Dwyer Group; however, based on their previous actions, I highly doubt I am wrong about their intentions. If you value your hard-earned money, DON'T do business with them! Perhaps, you will be their next victim...The one who paid their quoted prices...Having the company not solve your problem after the work was completed...(the township did at no charge) Claiming that your problem would be solved after the work was performed in invoice 1, then
invoice 2, then invoice 3, then you need to create an invoice 4 with a $5,000 backflow preventer (At this point, it was a NO WAY!)... *This invoice is an example of an appropriately detailed invoice (I probably wouldn't have got an invoice this detailed if I
hadn't asked for it). Expensive, yes; however, at least I knew what actions were to be performed and at what cost. Worried about my sewage system, I spent $199.95 on a bogus 5-year "Valued Customer Protection Plan"...Buying what I was lead to believe..."Piece of Mind." Also, the stack that was installed on the service call date looked as though it was
used because it was extremely filthy! It was going to be left like that had I not had "needed" more work done! I was told that it could be painted. This service call prompted a camera inspection of the sewage line the following morning, Christmas Day, because the Technician was afraid of getting the snake/rodder stuck in the
sewer line and it being the companies responsibility to free it. I'm left to wonder...how much effort did he actually put into even trying clear the line? No one will ever know. *This is the back of their invoices. This is a "I'm not responsible for anything" clause, which by Pennsylvania State Contractor Law, could potentially void the contract. *This is the bogus "Valued Customer Protection Plan" I was talking about earlier. The sales pitch was that I would save money on services. To date, I haven't saved any money on services performed by Mr. Rooter. Except for the first invoice, there is no evidence that I ever received "Membership Pricing." In fact, it would more correct to ascertain that Mr. Rooter took money for services that they fraudulently claimed that I needed and, at the same time, were unable to adequately perform those services. If you feel that you have no other choice but to use Mr. Rooter, I do NOT recommend purchasing this plan. It is not worth it at all. Chances are...You will never use them again, except MAYBE warranty work. *So, the results of the camera inspection concluded that it was "draining slow," which, by Mr. Rooter standards, requires the sewer line to be replaced. This is not a good enough reason to advise a homeowner to proceed with a costly 30 foot or less sewer line replacement (located under the basement floor), especially since no reasonable effort was made to properly clean the sewer line in the first place. The only obstruction found in the entire sewer line was grease! After the camera inspection was performed, I was told that I wasn't going to like what I was about to hear would be the only solution to fixing the problem of sewage backing up into my basement...A sewer line replacement. I asked them how much it would cost to which they told me to be prepared to sign away my life savings...$10,000. Isn't that a
line that a crook would use? (Soon, I would find out that is a resounding, yes!) It is like the price of $10,000 was at the tip of their tongue and the way the invoice is written up adequately serves as evidence. On the invoice, the price magically appears as the total. In addition to the description of the work bordering on legible, there is no price under the standard rate or the member rate to outline what the costs were for the camera inspection, hydrojetting, and the costs associated with removing and installing the sewer line to the first house trap located outside approximately 5' from the basement door. Keep in mind, I am supposed to have the so-called "Member Pricing" and there is no evidence that I ever received it! Another interesting event was when I was discussing the township rules that I had been researching the night before they arrived to do the camera inspection being newly relocated to the area and unfamiliar with protocol. When I told them that the township's website indicated I was supposed to call the them first, not the plumber regarding the
sewage backup [I wanted to cancel right there and call the township prior to them beginning work], how did they respond? They told me NOT to call the township first, but to call them first. Essentially, they advised me to go against my local government's procedures. For example, Mr. Rooter of Pittsburgh's Blog outlines the steps to take in case of a gas leak: 911 and call them. How about more like call 911, call the municipality in which you live, call the utility company, and then maybe call a qualified Master Plumber. *They told me that if I didn't sign this form and the one below, then they wouldn't do the work. Since sewage backing
up into your basement is considered an emergency (as I learned through HSA) and I was lead to believe by employees of Mr. Rooter that replacing the 30 feet or less of the sewer line from the stack to the pipe under the basement foundation to the house trap located approximately 5 feet or less outside from the basement door would be the ultimate solution to a lifetime of sewer free problems, I forged ahead with the process as they were the ones who showed up
to evaluate the situation...and the ones who evaluated the situation were master plumbers, weren't they? The professionals? There is a difference between a technician and a plumber. The technician is a salesman who knows how to do a few plumbing-related things, but shouldn't be making recommendations to a homeowner about what should be done. So, out of all the employees at Mr. Rooter of Pittsburgh, how many are master plumbers? Alarmingly, in the state of Pennsylvania, only 1 has to be! Do you want people who are not certified plumbers working on your plumbing system?!?!? I didn't.... The problem with this is that the seller did NOT correct the emergency. *Another camera inspection was done at this point, revealing a pencil, a battery, and another clogged area. The clogged area viewed while I watched the second camera inspection looked identical to the clogged area on the first video that I begged to have a copy of (I even gave them a 6-pack of DVRs). The clogged area on the first camera inspection turned out to be grease. Now, if the HydroScrub would've been done correctly, it would've been legitimately plausible to "suspect" (or rather see) tree roots with the clog being located so close to the pine trees, but the sewer line was located deep enough where the terra cotta pipes were not affected at all by the tree roots located about one
to two feet above them. After watching videos of hydrojetting procedures, it was clear that Mr. Rooter did not attempt to break up the grease in the sewer line (that I suspected existed because we share the same main line with
an Italian restaurant) by first using a rodder/plumbers snake on the rest of he sewer line prior to hydrojetting as the high pressure from the water would help to push broken up contents through to the main. Even absent the rodder,
appropriate pressure and an appropriate nozzle would've eventually broken up the grease and cleaned the sewer line. Additionally, the pressure of the water and nozzles were probably about as strong as the nozzle attachment that I
have on my garden hose (which is strong considering our efficient water pressure)...The nozzles weren't adjusted or replaced to properly take care of the job. I have seen videos of hydrojetting equipment capable of tearing apart a raw chicken inside PVC pipes! So, the recommendation this time, was....You guessed it....A sewer line replacement! I told them no. I asked
them what other options were there to fix the problem? Here is were the camera guy/salesman scales it down...[Salesman, going in for the kill]....Well, we could put a 4" (black, flexible) pipe inside the 6" terra cotta pipes for 9,500 (I made him show me the price book and point to the jobs this time). At this point, I asked how much it would be to install a toilet in the basement since the basement floor was already open to which the camera guy/salesman/whatever had responded that he would throw it in at no charge; yet, I couldn't receive "Membership Pricing" for the job being quoted
because his boss would be "mad." So, instead of telling me that I was going to get a toilet installed for $400...He told me an outright lie: That I was going to get a toilet installed at no charge, but charged me anyway by not giving me the "Membership Pricing" I paid for. It states "toilet at no charge" on the invoice. Fraud? Yes! The $4300 was the membership price for the title of one of the jobs he pointed to. On the invoice, did you notice that all the prices are written down under the standard price...that the last two invoices are barely legible? During the project, they had to call in the hydrojetting truck, the camera guy's brother, to come in and clear the line so
that they could get the pipe in the sewer line. What did they pull out? Grease! They took pictures on their cell phones of the grease extracted (There was more grease in the area that was supposed to be serviced under the invoice). One of the highlights at the end of the contract period was to watch them backfill the cleanout without gluing/securing
the pipe where it connects to the lateral sewer line. "Oh, it will be ok. The dirt will pack it in. (Well, what about when the dirt shifts?....). The clean-out is even crooked in the yard. Why can't people just follow the protocols that they are supposed to follow? Speaking of following, Mr. Rooter failed to complete the work according to the terms outlined in the second invoice...They did NOT come to within 2' (or one connection) away from the main line. (FYI, the clog was within the area that they were supposed to have taken care of!) They stopped at least two connections from the main line...Approximately 5+ feet. Who saved the day? The Township! They hydrojetted our line at no charge. The township asked me if Mr. Rooter camera inspected the line after the work was complete to which I responded that they
hadn't. Since the township took care of me, my sewage has been flowing smoothly for 10 months. A few hours before the township shows up to do a "real" hydrojetting procedure WITH the camera (not before, not after...WITH), who shows up? Camera guy/salesman! He had pulled the Mr. Rooter van down into the backyard without our knowledge (You were supposed to park on the street unless otherwise invited to do so). Next thing you know, some man is looking in our front door. Do you know how creepy that is? What was he doing back there before he arrived at our door?
Upon answering the door and explaining our displeasure of forking over $19,500 and continuing to be ankle deep in sewage, despite having nearly every aspect of the sewer line replaced in some fashion, how do you think camera
guy/salesman responded? Another sales pitch! No I recognize your investment, let me see what I can do because we should've fixed it right the first time....It was, again, informing us that the only way to solve our problem was to install a backflow preventer for $5,000 ($4,000 more than the government recommends the final bill for one be). Our response was, "No way!" *They told me that if I didn't sign this form and the one below, then they wouldn't do the work. Continued to be lead
to believe, by employees of Mr. Rooter, that inserting approximately 40 feet of smaller diameter pipe within the terra cotta pipes to 2' shy of the township's main line would be the solution to a lifetime of sewer free problems (The second invoice's work is warranted for 50 years), I forged ahead with the process as they were the ones who showed up to evaluate the situation. One could say, at this point, this is why you do not want people who aren't certified plumbers evaluating and working on your plumbing system... The problem with this is that the seller did NOT correct the emergency. *The final events were equally as draining. When I called Mr. Rooter to try to reach the tech that did the camera inspection for a diagnosis pertaining to the recommendation for a sewer line replacement, this is what I was met with: Me: "Hello, is E there?" Mr. Rooter: "I don't know. Maybe. Who is this?" A business that I just dropped $20,267.05 at responds to a customer that way?!?!? At that price, they should've been
rolling out a red carpet and bowing to me for being foolish enough to pay for what I did....because I thought I was dealing with professionals. This behavior just confirms the presence of unprofessional and deceptive business
practices at Mr. Rooter of Pittsburgh. Moreover, the concrete slab (2' x 3') in front of the basement door is cracked where the partial portion of concrete was laid because they decided they weren't going to replace the whole slab. It looks horrible! This should've been appropriately completed under the first contract. While they don't do landscaping, they could've left the yard in walkable condition, instead of leaving it as a hazard to my
disabled mother and anyone else who crossed the yard. Ultimately, Mr. Rooter of Pittsburgh failed to restore flow to the sewer line as contracted. Also, Mr. Rooter of Pittsburgh failed to inform the homeowner of the proper procedures in the jurisdiction in where they reside. Additionally, Mr. Rooter advised the homeowner to go against the proper procedures outlined in the the jurisdiction where they reside (once the homeowners figured out what those were). While they are definitely guilty of price gauging (yes, I am remorseful
that I paid Mr. Rooter money to fix absolutely NOTHING! I knew I was going to pay higher prices using a large corporation...No wonder you hide your price book until you show up.), but my main concern here is that I was
defrauded and Mr. Rooter of Pittsburgh, Mr. Rooter Corporation, and the Dwyer Group have been trying to brush me off. *This is the relief hole they dug on 12-25-2011, which still backed up so, it wasn't really a relief.... *Basement door (12-25-2011...8 days after we moved in to the new house) and its relative position to the house and the outside area where the house trap is located. Where the basement door begins on the left is where the crack is in the slab. I was still in the "Oh, I called a professional state-of-mind" probably mostly out of desperation. *You see the filthy stack above the clean-out there. That was a newly delivered, brand new washer and dryer. I am
cringing that the tools are on there with no protection between the tools and the appliance! The camera inspection was conducted on 12-25-2011. Why can't contractors be careful and courteous concerning customers' property? *A close up of the camera and items we haven't unpacked, yet. 12-25-2011 *Another view of the hole dug on 12-25-2011. *The crushed pieces of the cover to the top of the house trap that they broke apart with a shovel on 12-25-2011. *Another view of the top of the house trap, sans cover. 12-25-2011 *12-26-2011 is when they started the work in the basement. At least 90% of all sewer lines, rarely need replaced.
Again, I wonder if a quality hydrojetting procedure would have been all it needed to get it flowing...It would have at least allowed for a better camera inspection of the lateral sewer line in order to determine the validity of their claim. I will never know, though, because the work has already been done. I wish I would've had video cameras watching the entire process. Unfortunately, I couldn't be in the whole time to take pictures due to flying concrete and safety issues; however, I did notice that it was very easy to crack the 3'' terra cotta pipes with a bang of a shovel. During this time, there was a jackhammer causing major vibrations; thus, that probably had something to do with all the cracks that formed in the terra cotta pipes. On the camera inspection that Mr. Rooter did, I didn't see any cracks in the line...Just clogs and debris sticking to the sides of the pipe. *The little skinny 3'' terra cotta pipe is coming from underneath the basement door and the large, 6" terra cotta
pipe can be followed out towards the backyard to the township's main line. This is the where the house trap is and where the pipe with the fernco fittings will be sticking out from the ground near the basement door, according
to the first invoice. *Another angle of where the house trap will be located. *More of the sewer line exposed. I am still in my "honeymoon" phase with Mr. Rooter at this point....Appreciative that they found this problem...so on and so forth. As I type this, I am seething because I am not even sure that THIS part
of the job was even necessary; however, in a fair manner (not complaining about being charged 3 times what it would've cost with a reputable plumber), I am only seeking the amount of the second invoice cost, which was obtained in a 100% fraudulent manner. *Did you notice that the location of the crack in the terra cotta pipes is along where the jackhammer had been? I
do. That crack, right there, is so large that it would've been evident on the inside of the pipe. Now, I didn't plan to keep the pipes at the point. It was a replacement, so not cracking them wouldn't have been a concern on the Tech's part. Again, not really making the first contract a huge issue - unless Mr. Rooter does not intend to uphold its lifetime warranty concerning the work in the first part of the sewer replacement/slip-lining process that was completed. *Another photo of the problem area, which was ultimately filled with grease. *More images of the excavation. *See the terra cotta pipe to the right? That is where the basement shower's drain was running originally. Notice that the jackhammer went through that pipe? I'm sure that one was initially fine. Inconveniently, the shower drain was moved and the drain will have to be moved or the shower floor will have to be custom graded. Since they skipped all the way to the bank with our life savings, well....Repairing the shower and restoring it to usable condition is not even in
the cards. *The location of the shower drain prior to excavation. *A close up of the sewer line where the basement shower once drained from. *The trap/backflow area where the sewage was backing up into the house from. *Video of basement excavation and the removal of terra cotta pipes in preparation for laying down new PVC pipes. *Video of the basement w/new PVC pipe and gravel...waiting and ready for the concrete to be mixed and poured. If
you compare videos, that shower drain is moved over about 3-5 inches to the left and about 2-4 inches down towards the wall along the basement door leading to the outside. *Video of camera inspection, which was performed by Mr. Rooter of Pittsburgh, in reference to the images and video of
the work contained within the first invoice. Did you notice that the camera guy sends the camera through at mock speed? When I was watching it, I paused it at every frame. Other than the grease and the toilet paper that is sticking to the grease on the side of the pipe, I don't see anything truly alarming. *Video of the sewage backing up AFTER the work was completed. At this point, you can hear that I am exasperated!!!!!!
Did the employee who came to hyrdojet the first time offer to help me clean that up? NO!!!!! Did the employee who came the second time (the same time as the township came out the first time to the assess the situation) it backed up offer to help me up clean a similar mess up? NO!!!!! I NEVER received a DVD of the second camera inspection, which I should have. The second part of the line, when I was
viewing it during the camera inspection, looked significantly healthier than the first part of the line located underneath the foundation. Like I said, the second invoice was DEFINITELY not necessary at all. When I get a chance, I will upload pictures of the "finish" work. I can't find or don't have any pictures of the backyard the way they left it (If I do, I will post them) because it went through three different formations; however, if I take a picture around the concrete slab, the first house trap, and the grade of the ground nearby...It is exactly how the entire backyard looked.... Here are the sources where I retrieved the information I used in order to arrive at my assessment of the situation in
addition to my own personal experience with Mr. Rooter of Pittsburgh: Real Hydrojetting Procedure http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QCgGXUYm-s http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&feature=endscreen&v=9eFHsAPUprE Angie's List As a member of Angie's list, Mr. Rooter's rating fluctuates between an F and a C. Better Business Bureau: Mr. Rooter of Pittsburgh D- Rating. 48 complaints closed with the BBB in the last 3 years. 10 complaints closed in the last 12 months. 12 out of the 48 complaints filed against the business were not resolved. http://www.bbb.org/pittsburgh/business-reviews/plumbers/mr-rooter-of-pittsburgh-in-cranberry-twp-pa-12002891 Target 11: 3 Plumbers on BBB's List of Worst Local Businesses http://www.wpxi.com/news/news/target-11-3-plumbers-on-bbbs-list-of-worst-local-b/nGgXk/ YellowPages http://www.yellowpages.com/nationwide/mip/mr-rooter-pittsburgh-11024405 Yelp http://www.yelp.com/biz/mr-rooter-cranberry Yahoo http://local.yahoo.com/info-56781964-mr-rooter-plumbing-pittsburgh-pittsburgh **Ex-Employees comments here. You learn so much from the people who used to work for Mr. Rooter. Across the
Nation, actually. The same toxic environment is really quite common. If Mr. Beall and other franchisees of the Dwyer Group didn't "work the system," they probably wouldn't be in business. What I admire about sites like this is that record of business' unethical business practices are never removed...It gives consumers a voice...A way to create
solidarity....A way to find others in the area to figure out how to go about gaining the interest of the Attorney General...** **Another similar situation, but with the same "concern" that Mr. Rooter Corporation/Dwyer Group pretended to show
for me.** Rip Off Report http://www.ripoffreport.com/directory/mr-rooter.aspx **A list of cases concerning Mr. Rooter, with . Again, evidence that deceptive business practices are wide-reaching.** http://www.ripoffreport.com/home-improvements/mr-rooter/mr-rooter-ripoffed-senior-66-b34bb.htm **Ex-Employee of Mr. Rooter of Pittsburgh: "although they give up front prices, their prices are double and sometimes triple what they could and should be. also, they send guys to a house with a main drain clog with a machine they know WILL NOT get the clog. why you may ask, because they want you to pay for another guy to camera the line so he can tell you that it is broke and needs dug up and replaced at a price of thousands. any reputable plumber will tell you that over 90% of the drains under ground DO NOT need dug up and replaced. they are no better then the other major rip off
GILEECE. their guys are ALL paid ONLY commision, if they dont work they dont get paid. the more you pay the more they make. its all a numbers game, the guys have to get as much out of you as they can because they dont know if they will
make anything else or not. call a company that will give you a price over the phone, you will be way better off and will pay so much less. as far as the senior, he should have paid no more then $500 to have that work done, including all materials and the faucet.вЂЁвЂЁalso, they hire people with ZERO plumbing experience. the law says anyone can work as a plumber as long as
they work FOR a master plumber. very few guys at mr rooter actually have a license. the guys that do, hate being there but have very little options, they need to work and need the paycheck. blame the owner and management,most of the
guys have dont like the prices either but have no choice.вЂЁвЂЁDONT FAULT THE WORKERS,FAULT THE OWNERS!!!!!"** Mr. Rooter's Blog http://www.rooter2.com/honesty-and-integrity-choosing-a-plumbing-contractor/ **Well, it is a nice piece of writing; however, those concepts are not put into practice....unfortunately. Especially
evident through my experience and the documented experiences of others.** Like I was, don't be fooled by their advertising and their claims to operating with a code of values. If they were operating by the code of values, I would have needed to create this blog. I have uploaded some of pictures separately. There seems to be a limit on how many I can put up. Unfortunately, I can't upload the videos on here either.

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