Am I getting ripped off? Need advice on carpet drying cost.

[KRZY403]

So two weeks ago a toilet in my house got clogged and started overflowing. Long story short, water seeped through the floor in bathroom and starting dripping out of ceiling in basement. My carpets got a little wet. I did a quick google search and Calgary Water and Flood Services (http://waterandflood.com/Pages/Default.aspx) came up first so I gave them a call. They send out a guy the next morning to put in 2 dehumidifiers and 3 fans and told me to keep it running for 3 days. Fast forward to today I get an invoice for $1600!! WTF?!

http://i729.photobucket.com/albums/ww300/anbu387/floodservices_zpsbbc3f47f.jpg
http://i729.photobucket.com/albums/ww300/anbu387/floodservice2_zps28208347.jpg

Can anyone comment on whether the prices and rates I'm being charged for is fair?

*Note* Just want to mention the emerency service call was billed in error since their guy didn't show up till 9 am the next morning to install the fans. The manager has agreed to remove the charge and expecting a call from him in the morning.

[EK69]

Weird invoice set up..

They are charging overhead and profit of 10% each on top of the emergency service call amount? So they charge 225.47 for the emergency call...then tack on 22.55 for overhead and 22.55 for profit? so profit on top of their emergency call fee? Lol

Same with equipment set up and take down ? Profit on top of labour rate?
Samw for someone to install new carpet?
Those few things seem weird to anyone else? :nut:

What was the quote they gave when u called?


//edit
Quick google says u can rent a commercial dehumidifier from Rogers rent all for $67 a day. And some crazy looking fans.

[ExtraSlow]

I'm not surprised by this invoice. Companies like this are very expensive because they can bring this equipment on short notice. Charging barely more than Rogers rentals for the dehumidifier shows how reasonable it really is.

My take, you are not getting ripped off. Call your insurance company to see if this is covered.

[spacerz]

Originally posted by EK69
Those few things seem weird to anyone else?

That's standard business practice for most companies that deal with insurance claims. In fact, that's how most insurance companies want to see the bill/quote from the contractor before the final payment is released.

The OP was charged the exact same amount that an insurance company would be charged in the event of a claim.

The bill appears to be reasonable to me.

[KRZY403]

Originally posted by ExtraSlow
I'm not surprised by this invoice. Companies like this are very expensive because they can bring this equipment on short notice. Charging barely more than Rogers rentals for the dehumidifier shows how reasonable it really is.


How did they bring the equipment on short notice? When I made the call it was around midnight. The first responder was suppose to be at my house at 8 but didn't show up till 9 am and didn't bring in any equipment till about noon. So I had to wait approximately 12 hours for anything to happen.


Originally posted by EK69
What was the quote they gave when u called?


During my initial call, I asked about a quote or estimate. The reply I got was pretty much like "it depends", There were no numbers or an explanation really. I was just told to call my insurance company and have them take care of the charges, so I thought fine I'd call insurance the next day.
9 am the next day, a guy shows up. I asked him for a ballpark amount that I would be billed for everything and he said "around $200" so at that point I thought there was no reason to even call my insurance because the deductible is $1000" so I'd be paying less by not going through them. I even showed the guy my insurance documents. He should have said something if he knew the job was going to cost more than $1000. Honestly, I would have refused services and paid for their wasted time driving up if I had any idea it was going to be this much.

[eblend]

Surely you expected to get raped no?

Anytime anyone does something for you that you can usually manage yourself, expect to pay through the roof. This is how many companies stay in business, charge the lazy or the unwilling. Same reason why an oil change goes for $80 bucks at the dealer when you can just do it youself for $15

[lilmira]

The total sounds steep but the breakdown doesn't look too outrageous. They should have explained the rate to you though. They knew how much it would be from the beginning so I don't see why they couldn't. The initial estimate was out of wack, unless you have it on paper, it's difficult to argue. Does insurance cover damage from a clogged toilet?

[mr2mike]

Seems appropriate.
Minus the 10% profit and 10% overhead costs?!

I wish I could charge extra ontop of my final bill.

I don't think they'd cover toilet stuff unless you bought the extra sewer backup. But check the policy.

Not sure why you wouldn't turn off the water to the toilet, throw some towels down and clean it before it got to this.

[Tik-Tok]

$225 to receive an "emergency call"... but not send anyone out until the next day :rofl:

Well, thanks for putting this up OP. Now I know not to call these companies should the same happen to me. I'd rather take the next morning off and go rent the machines from Home Depot, and a carpet cleaner.

[Twin_Cam_Turbo]

Which company is this? Servicemaster Restore by chance?

[KRZY403]

Originally posted by mr2mike
Seems appropriate.
Minus the 10% profit and 10% overhead costs?!

I wish I could charge extra ontop of my final bill.

I don't think they'd cover toilet stuff unless you bought the extra sewer backup. But check the policy.

Not sure why you wouldn't turn off the water to the toilet, throw some towels down and clean it before it got to this.

Ya I'll have to call my insurance tonight to see if this is covered. I had no idea the water was leaking from the toilet until it was too late. I'll have to get it fixed.



Originally posted by Twin_Cam_Turbo
Which company is this? Servicemaster Restore by chance?

The company is Calgary Water and Flood Services. Here's a link to their website

http://waterandflood.com/Pages/Default.aspx


I just spoke to the manager this morning. The best he said he could do was credit me back $198 for the cost of the carpet reinstallation because I wasn't at home at the time it was done nor was I notified of it getting it done at all. They just showed up one day and talked they're way in to whoever was home at the time and did the job. He also credited me back part of the emergency service call for $74.. So it's still $150 just to make a phone call to them which I still think imo RIDICULOUS.. along with the 10% overhead and 10% profit charges.

I'm not really sure what else to do at this point other than calling my insurance to see if this is covered. I may just take it as a lesson learned and pay up whatever is owing and never deal with them again.

[Tik-Tok]

So they're crediting back $275 all together? My god, there goes all of their profit and overhead costs!!! They did it for free! In fact, they paid you $15 to come fix the problem! :rofl:

[Seth1968]

Send them a link to this thread.

[JRSC00LUDE]

I don't really see anything wrong with the invoice other than the two things they corrected. I'm not sure what else you expect to be honest.

[FraserB]

After your refund, this costs you $74.81 more than doing it yourself. For that $74.81 you get someone to deliver, set up, take down, remove all the fans and lift the carpet.

100% reasonable.

Also, if they were not split out, the overhead and profit lines would be rolled into each item and you would have the same total.

[Go4Long]

Originally posted by FraserB
Also, if they were not split out, the overhead and profit lines would be rolled into each item and you would have the same total.

^This.

Although admittedly they're trying to make it look like they're hardly making any money, which really isn't the case at all. We're sitting here comparing it to the rentals prices, when really they probably own all the equipment (and even the rental company is charging a healthy price to ensure they are making money off the equipment)

Bottom line, as everyone else said, totally reasonable.

As for being charged for receiving the after hours phone call, you did call them after hours, seems a little steep for a guy that didn't even need to roll off his wife to take the call perhaps, but that's the nature of after hours calls.

[ddduke]

Originally posted by Seth1968
Send them a link to this thread.

So they can see what?

He called after hours for an emergency service and it got done for him. I may have been expensive but there's not much that can be done, the price is the price and I think it's pretty decent of the company to credit anything at all.

[heavyfuel]

I don't understand why they put the profit on the invoice. The emergency charge seems to me like a $225 phone call, kinda silly seeing as OP says nothing was set up until noon the next day. Assume that all the equipment is paid for, that leaves labor costs to set up and take down the equipment, fuel to OP's location and not much else in the way of expenses. I bet that invoice is actually 75% or more, profit. Did they rip you off? That all depends on how far you were willing to go to fix the problem on your own. Everybody has to make money.

[cancer man]

At least they gave full disclosure and the pricing is fair.

[heavyfuel]

Originally posted by cancer man
At least they gave full disclosure and the pricing is fair.

Definitely in the right ballpark for these services. It's still none of the customer's business what the profits are.