I had an overflow issue with the sewer line and it was coming out underneath my toilet. I called South End Plumbing because I saw they had a link to their spot on WBTV, so I thought they'd be a good company to work with. When I called, I spoke to the woman there and told her what was going on, that there were roots going through pipe that needed to be dealt with. She told me she could send a technician out to give an estimate and I thought to do the job.
The technician came out and he told me he could run a snake down to try and clear the pipe out. He sent down a camera to show me the roots, which I knew were there. He told me he didn't have the correct device to chop up the roots right then, plus, he told me that the pipe would have to be dug out and completely replaced. Then he told me that would be an additional cost of $987 on top of the $287 I was being charged for the estimate I was getting! I appreciated his professionalism and have nothing against him, but really, what did he do for that $287? He couldn't even solve the initial problem because he didn't have the correct device to do the work. I don't even know if South End owns the right device to chop up roots! If they don't, they definitely should invest in one! And then not charge as much for that service, when compared to other companies!
In this case, I was disappointed with the way the company went about dealing with me. I wish South End had been more upfront with me about the costs and their ability to perform the job. I truly thought that by calling them and talking to the woman, that I was going to have my problem solved. I don't feel that she really explained clearly what the service call was going to include.
I ended up calling another company, who was able to come out the next day. They had the right tools with them and were able to do the clearing and chopping of the roots with no problem and at a reasonable cost to me. I had taken it upon myself to do the digging up of the pipe to be replaced, so that helped the process along.
After working with that company, I called South End and complained about my $287 bill. Thankfully, they were willing to work with me and cut it down to $125 for me, which I did appreciate. However, I don't think I will be using them in the future and I wouldn't feel comfortable recommending them.
Eric Scott
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