3 Signs Your Plumber May Not Be Trustworthy

3 Signs Your East Bay Area Plumbing & Rooter
Contractor May Not Be Trustworthy

Trust Your Instincts And Don’t Be Fooled By Unscrupulous Sales
Tactics. Here Are 3 Signs You’re Dealing With A Shady Plumber.

If you’ve ever visited our website or done business with us in any capacity, you know that our goal is to be the most trustworthy, accountable, and downright dependable plumbing and rooter company in the East Bay.

Integrity and doing right by our customers means everything to us…but the same cannot be said for all rooter companies in Oakland and Berkeley.  Unfortunately, there are far too many pushy, unscrupulous, and just plain untrustworthy plumbers operating in our area.

That’s why we put together this handy list of things to AVOID when choosing a plumber.

#1 Shockingly Low Advertised Prices

Low prices are great…if they’re accurate. That said, in our experience, extremely low price quotes are usually a sign of pricing games. It will typically work like this:

The plumber or rooter company will advertise a $50 or $75 drain snaking service.  Of course, once they come to your home, they will inform you that, unfortunately, they’re going to need to do more than just snake the drain.

They’ll say that in order to solve your problem, they will have to perform additional services and utilize more equipment, all of which are going to cost you a lot more than $75.

They may add additional fees and charges that don’t even make sense. But… they’ll be baked right into your bill, so you won’t be able to tell what was valid and what wasn’t.

#2 The 1-2 Punch AKA “I Need To Get My Manager”

The 1-2 punch is another trick not-so-trustworthy rooter companies use to get homeowners to agree to services they may not even need. How it works is simple.

The plumber or rooter technician will come to your home for an ordinary sewer inspection or drain cleaning.  However, when they go to actually perform the agreed-upon plumbing service, they will encounter an “unexpected” problem or obstacle that just CAN’T be resolved without involving their supervisor.

To be fair, there are times when a technician may need to call their manager, but if they make you wait around while the manager actually comes to your home to resolve the issue (aka twist your arm), you should be wary.

Think about it.  Why wouldn’t they just reschedule or have the manager walk the tech through the problem over the phone?

The real reason they want the manager to show up is because this person is usually a smooth talker and grade-A salesman who will twist your arm and put the pressure on you to agree to whatever EXPENSIVE plumbing or rooter services they recommend.

#3 Contractors That Seem Sleazy, Pushy, Or Just Give You “Bad Vibes” 

It might seem a little silly, but you really should trust your instincts when it comes to pushy or unprofessional behavior from contractors.  If your contractor behaves more like a used car salesman than a plumber, it’s a sign you might be dealing with a company with questionable business ethics.

Another red flag is rudeness, a sloppy appearance, and any other signs of disrespect towards you or your home.  We got into the plumbing and sewer services business because we want to HELP homeowners with their problems, but not all plumbers are the same.

If it doesn’t SEEM like they’re there to help you, chances are you’re right.  It’s why we try to show our appreciation and support to all of the homeowners we work with.  We want you to know that we respect your home like it’s our own.

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