K D.
11/09/2019 12:00:00 SA
***WARNING MANDEL IS NOT A LICENSED PLUMBER***
I wanted to be able to give a positive review, but I am dissatisfied. Mandel comes off kind and professional (and I will credit him that). I have a recurring sewage back up issue that has caused me to have to have my main drain and other drains snakes more often than one should have to. To Mandel's credit he has enough knowledge to make a person feel informed. He did clean smaller drains that other rooters have not previously addressed, in addition to the main drain. He did go under my house to determine that the pipes need replacement/repair. He also showed me camera footage that seemed to indicate that there was blockage in the main drain and what he identified as root damage from plants.
He quoted me $9500 to repair, NOT REPLACE, the alleged plumbing to the street. However, the pipe damage under the house would come as a separate unknown cost that he claimed to not be able to fully assess due to the presence of standing water under the house. He ensured me that paying for the main drain problem was the immediate concern and his guy could start digging today. He was clearly in NO RUSH to go to another job, in my opinion.
I called my neighbor over for advice. I did not mention that my neighbor is a construction project manager.My neighbor asks questions which caused Mandell to ask what his level of experience is. Mandel had already said casually that his father was a plumber and all his brothers or cousins are plumbers and how he'd done this for years. I believe bringing his son helps to lend credibility to his story. Cute little boy. He ended up telling myself and neighbor that his grandfather was city inspector or something and that he knows this and that. My neighbor seemed to be trying to make sense of the assessment, but Mandel kept talking and pointed to Yelp reviews, blah, blah, blah. I let him know the reviews were not in dispute because it was how I found him. And now I am critical of those reviews. I have since noticed that they are flooded from a recent period of three months and that the hidden reviews reveal more than he would like us to see. Honestly, it was when he actually pulled up the reviews to convince my neighbor that I knew he was full of crap. His work should speak for itself.
The fact that he brought the cost down to the $8000 range is funny now that I see that its his sweet spot on the quote based on other reviews. He also had no figures for the cost of actual replacement, claiming no one does that. When my neighbor asked what the cost of materials, or cost of price per linear foot, he HAD NO ANSWER. He didn't need to pass that cost on to me, but he should have known what that cost was.
I am a woman. I know nothing about plumbing. But, I am no dummy. I don't make decisions based on unknown risks, I DO NOT go for the hard sell, and if you are who you say your business is, you wouldn't try to hard sell me at the end, create a sense of urgency that was nonexistent, or point to Yelp reviews as your point of legitimacy. Yelp is a support tool, NOT an accrediting body.
I wanted to support a Black Owned Business and will continue to do so, but this business will not get my business. I paid $99 for the drain cleaning and I do not regret that. I paid $250 for camera pipe view, but learned from my neighbor that the technology should be color camera with higher quality grade and USB recording. He had bragged about the replacement of the pipes being the cutting edge, but my neighbor called his contact would told us it was bleeding age processing and that replacing a two-way is not done nor should be.
Extremely disappointed, but relieved that I keep my level head when I do business, even if it is not my area of expertise.
He is okay for routine drain cleaning. I wouldn't pay for more. He even charged me a 5% credit card usage fee when I know that to be the cost of doing business, which is NOT itemized on my receipt so he writes it off anyway. I paid because I have to bare some cost for making the mistake in calling him and not doing my due diligence, but I learned the job I need will cost me 50% less than what he quoted and I will get new materials.
1. DO NOT fall for the quick response. The real rooters are busy.
2. He is a partner in the Rapid Rooter business. Mandel DOES NOT have a Plumbing license and IS NOT a verified or qualified plumber.
3. Kenneth Lee Robinson is the license holder.
4. Lesson Learned!
MY ADVICE: Pay for services with a credit card. Contact your credit card company for any financial dispute. **NEVER PAY CASH** A good bank has insurance for billing disputes. Like Ruby A. said in her revised review. Keep what I paid. It's only money. But, do not defraud or mislead people. It's bad business. He claims to have been in business all his life, but he is not an ethical business man. He would have more work if he wasn't trying to exploit homeowners.