This is for a review for services that happened on April 25, 2020, that I inadvertently posted on another company's Yelp page.
we called Discount Plumbing & Rooter (Discount Plumbing, Inc.) to come out to inspect and snake the plumbing on a NON-emergency basis after a well-meaning tenant attempted to fix the problem themselves by partially removing the garbage disposal and dismantling the plumbing on his own. DP&R's plumber, angelo, arrived, inspected the area, made grim assertions, and showed us two estimates for possible repairs. i made the mistake of not following up with my request to have the two estimates emailed to me when i asked because i had to return to a conference call i was on, and i agreed to have the line snaked first, and then, if that didn't fix the issue, more aggressive troubleshooting, and repairs, and he began working. from memory, i recall that the price was to be $178 to snake it (only), and $378 to dismantle the (newly-installed as of Aug 2019) garbage disposal and repair because it appeared to be leaking. turns out it was weeping because the tenant removed one securing nut on the collar connecting the garbage disposal to the sink. a simple error that a skilled plumber would spot almost immediately. there was NOTHING else wrong with the garbage disposal.
the plumber made grave assertions before beginning and after the snake job about how he would personally remove it if it were him because tenants will always put things down the drain that don't belong or they'll overload the garbage disposal too much. the additional cost to remove the garbage disposal per his recommendation was $434 after snaking the line. his said this astonishing amount was justified because he needed two items he didn't carry; one being a specialty plumbing piece (the plumbing piece to tie into the drain the dishwasher) and the sink basket strainer...both, turns out are VERY common and i later found out from another plumber that they cost LESS THAN $40. DP&R's plumber said they don't install 'cheap' components and that's why it costs so much. since the job was snaked and the line was flowing as it should, i instead opted to have everything restored as it was.
two things i cannot stand in a vendor providing a service similar to this: 1. telling horror stories of what 'could' happen in a worst-case scenario, and generally over-sharing when he/she could simply fix the issue, and most importantly, 2. do NOT discuss the issue or corrective measures with the tenant who is NOT paying the bill!
COVID-19 and WFH: on this day, i couldn't give my complete attention because i was in the middle of my workday, conference calls, work obligations, and having to step out to meet with the plumber and discuss actions, costs, etc., while also dealing with my tenant was a bit of a nightmare. i also asked the plumber to step outside with me and refrain from discussing with the tenant any issues with the work or what he discovered during the job.
all told, we were charged $378 for what turned out to be a simple snake (rooting) of the line. this is approximately double what it should have cost and was the charge to disassemble and fix the garbage disposal, when in fact, it was only missing a securing bolt, NOT broken, and would have required removal to snake the line as it was which would have been included in the original charge.
note to this company: educate and remind your plumbers that, aside from simple questions, they should NOT be speaking with anyone who is not the person responsible for paying the bill, period.
FOLLOW UP: considering my first review and how we felt completely over-charged, DP&R had the audacity to attempt to charge us for another visit to fix the weeping (very slow leaking) seals we had on the garbage disposal. after speaking with your plumber, he told you he didn't touch the garbage disposal, except that i have pictures of it removed so the line could be snaked! he even insisted we buy a new garbage disposal (this one was new in august 2019) because you stated you didn't have the parts and they only come with a new garbage disposal kit. you finally agreed to send angelo back out to fix the job he didn't complete in the first place. so far, so good (one star), but zero for your greed in a time of high stress and confusion.
customer beware: steer clear of this business unless you know plumbing and you obtain pricing BEFORE they arrive.