Plumbing services by Sam Bliven Jr Plumbing & Heating in Westerly, Rhode Island

Promptly showed up for appointment for estimate and his office communication is outstanding.

Good job

Found them as first listing in the yellow pages. Called with a clogged drain, and tech showed up same day, about 5 hours later, was courteous, and fixed it quickly. All good. Told first-time customer charge was 115, due at time of service, hourly rate, 1 hour minimum. A little high, but agreed and you expect these days to get a 30 or 60 minimum for the first hour. Tech was 5 minutes from arrival to departure, simple clog to clear, and spent more time on the truck looking for the auger than he spent in the house. Paid, and was happy for the service received. Then a while later a get a bill for an additional 25 for the auger, 5 for "misc. truck supplies" apparently that is a rag to wipe off the auger, and 5 fuel charge to drive the mile from Spuchy Drive to my house 10 times the allowable IRS standard rate for mileage. Would have thought the 115 was enough for a 5 minute job that works out to 1,380/hr for that call. I called to get an explanation for the charges which I believed were in error and that I had paid in full and more than enough at the time of service. You don't expect to get surcharged by the basic tool or to drive 5 blocks. Office woman quickly got snippy, only saying repeatedly, "that's what we charge", and "those are our regular fees" which no one tells you about when you call or at time of service. I rechecked every plumbing bill I've gotten in the past 30 years, and I have never been charged more than an hourly rate and for parts, even when if they came from 15 or 20 miles away. This complaint reads just like so many others about price gouging and poor customer service, seemingly everywhere on the internet these days. Avoid this company at all costs, shop around, don't take the first name you find in the phone book, and ask if someone charges extra to take a common tool out of their toolbox. I'd heard complaints about this company 25 years ago, and figured that was all in the past. I was wrong.