Express Rooter Plumbing

Our experience was so bad we had to write a review.

On the morning of January 21, 2019 (between 9:00 a.m. and 9:30 a.m.), I contacted Express Rooters Plumbing via its online messaging system to request a quote for the thawing of frozen pipes. I was advised that Express Rooters charged a flat fee of $450.00 plus HST for the said service and that the earliest available appointment time was between 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. I had spoken with other plumbing companies who were available to attend our home at earlier times in the day, but I chose to go with Express Rooters Plumbing, as I liked that it offered a flat rate for the service.

In order to accommodate the scheduled arrival of the plumber (i.e. between 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.), I was required to collect my 1.5 year-old from daycare early so that I could be home for when the plumber arrived. My husband, daughter and I waited at home between 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. Nobody attended our home, nor did they call to advise that they were running late. Thus, I was required to follow-up with the company around 7:00 p.m. to inquire about the plumber’s whereabouts. I was advised that he was running behind and that he would be attending our home in approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes.

By 8:15 p.m., nobody had attended our home, nor had they contacted us to advise that they would be late. At approximately 9:00 p.m., I followed up with Express Rooters Plumbing again and was advised that the plumber would be at our home in 15 to 20 minutes. The plumber arrived at approximately 9:30 p.m.

Upon arriving at our home, we explained to the plumber that the pipes leading to the basement bathroom and the second floor bathroom seemed to be frozen. The plumber examined the pipes and explained that he believed that the pipes leading to the second floor bathroom were plastic and that our best option was to warm up those pipes with a hairdryer, as he would not be able to thaw them with his equipment. He further advised, however, that he would be able to thaw the pipes leading to the basement bathroom, as they were made of copper. He said, that he would thaw the pipes for $500.00. He further explained that the longer we waited to thaw the pipes, the higher the risk that they could burst. At this point, it was approximately 10:00 p.m. at night. My husband signed the invoice.

While the plumber was thawing the pipes in the basement, I cut a hole in the drywall in the upper half of the home, so that I could start blow drying the plastic pipes. At that time, I discovered that the pipes in the upper half of the home were copper as well. My husband went down to the basement and advised the plumber that we had discovered that the pipes in the upper half of the home were copper. The plumber finished thawing the pipes in the basement at approximately 10:45 p.m.

When the plumber came upstairs, he examined the pipes and suggested that we cut another hole in the wall and that we continue to attempt to warm up the pipes with my blow dryer. When I asked him if he could use his tools to thaw the pipes, he advised that it would cost us an additional $300.00. When I explained that I had been quoted the amount of $450.00 plus tax for the thawing of all of the pipes, he advised that my husband had signed the invoice and that the invoice didn’t make reference to the pipes on the second level of the home. At that time, I advised him that I was going to call Express Rooters Plumbing to discuss the discrepancy.

In response to my comment about calling Express Rooters Plumbing, the plumber advised that there was no one there to take the call. When I explained that I was aware that the company had an after-hours service, he advised that the people who answered the after-hours phone only spoke Russian. He then offered to complete the job for an extra $200.00 and then suggested that he complete it for an extra $150.00. I told him that I wasn’t agreeing to that and called Express Rooters Plumbing. An English-speaking representative answered the phone and told me that someone with the authority to discuss pricing would get back to me right away. [I did not receive a call back].

Following my phone call with Express Rooters Plumbing, the plumber agreed to complete the job for the price included on the invoice (i.e. $500.00) signed by my husband. I advised him that I still wasn’t comfortable with that, as I had retained the company on the basis of the original price quoted, but agreed to have him proceed, as it was 11:30 p.m. and the pipes were still frozen.

The plumber completed the job at approximately 12:20 a.m. Before cleaning up; however, he added a couple of sentences to the invoice that had been signed by my husband and asked me to sign it again. At that time, I asked if I could add a sentence regarding the original amount that I had been quoted by Express Rooters Plumbing (i.e. $450.00). He told me that the invoice could not be changed. I explained to him that I had just watched him change the invoice since my husband had signed and enquired as to why I couldn’t add a sentence. Eventually, he handed me the pen and told me that I could add a sentence in the bottom portion of the invoice. As I was writing a sentence, however, the plumber ripped the pen out of my hand and told me that I couldn’t write any further. This behaviour was shocking and somewhat intimidating (I’m fairly petite). After some discussion, the plumber let me have the pen back and I finished my sentence. From there, I provided him with my credit card information, which was written down on the invoice. He did not leave me with a copy of the invoice.

After the invoice was signed, the plumber began cleaning up. As he was gathering his supplies, he asked our tenant how she could live with us. When he came upstairs, the plumber made some comments to my husband, including the statement, “you are not a man”. He then left our home at approximately 12:35 a.m.

On January 23rd, I am following up with respect to the email that I sent on January 23, 2019 regarding my grievances and request for compensation.

On January 23, 2019, I sent an email to Express Rooters Plumbing regarding my discontent as I had not been able to connect with anyone by telephone. I received a voicemail message later that day wherein I was advised that the company would be investigating my complaint and following up with me shortly. A call back number was not included within the voicemail message. Despite a subsequent email message I sent Express Rooters Plumbing on January 31st, I have not heard from anyone since.