Pennsylvania homeowners who responded to a $93 sewer-line promotion were allegedly steered toward repair recommendations running "up to $30,000 or more," with Attorney General Dave Sunday calling the bargain offer bait.
Under a settlement, a Bridgeville-based home services company and related defendants must pay $700,000 in restitution over allegations that they pushed unnecessary home repairs on customers.
Here's what to know
Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday announced on Oct. 22 that a home services company, a related plumbing and heating business, two owners, and two former technicians agreed to settle claims involving alleged deceptive sales practices.
According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the deal includes $700,000 in consumer restitution, $50,000 in court costs, and $250,000 in suspended civil penalties.
State officials centered the case on the company's "$93 or Free Clog Crusher Special," saying customers who sought that promotion were often told the clog could not be cleared with a snake and instead required excavation costing "up to $30,000 or more."
According to Sunday, independent follow-up evaluations reached a different conclusion, finding that "excavation work was unnecessary and that the sewer lines could, in fact, have been cleared without digging up their properties."
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The attorney general's office also said the company's technicians relied on safety warnings to sell other expensive work, telling some customers they had gas leaks or cracked furnace parts. Outside reviewers later challenged those diagnoses, including some customers' own natural gas utilities.
More background
According to the attorney general, what began as a $93 drain-clearing appointment sometimes turned into excavation proposals that could disrupt customers' property and leave them facing bills far higher than expected.
The settlement also names two former technicians for alleged conduct inside customers' homes. The settlement bars both men from plumbing work for five years.
Company representatives declined to comment on the settlement. The attorney general's announcement said assistant chief deputy attorney general Jill T. Ambrose litigated the case.
What's being done?
Beyond the restitution fund for affected consumers, the settlement requires the company to pay court costs and leaves suspended civil penalties in place if the company fails to comply.
The company must also change how it evaluates sewer problems and recommends repairs.
The settlement says technicians who sell excavation or hydro-jetting services must obtain the National Association of Sewer Service Companies' Lateral Assessment Certification Program credential.
Where can I learn more?
Elsewhere, homeowners have described similar experiences that began with low-cost service calls and escalated into expensive repair pitches. Those stories involve routine plumbing or HVAC visits that turn into disputed diagnoses, surprise charges, or replacement recommendations.
• A homeowner facing a drain clog instead received a $13,000 AC replacement quote for a three-year-old system.
• In Texas, an $80 HVAC tune-up ended with a $30,000 ductwork quote that stunned a homeowner.
• After a $90 maintenance visit, a customer was pushed toward a $9,000 replacement pitch just days later.
• What started as an AC repair call became a $20,000 iPad sales pitch after a recharge.
• A laundry sink snaking job that began at $220 ended with a $491 bill for one hour's work.
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