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Josephine

Carpe Diem
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Nov 6, 2023
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This sucks and I’m sorry. It is a live and learn situation.

If you can, search for reviews. Always get estimates before hand and inquiry about all extra fees.

You’ll never go through this again now that you have once. If that is any consolation.
Thank you Jen. I should have insisted more. In my head I was expecting 4-500 top and I should have been more solid.
 

tvi

Well-known member
Feb 12, 2002
520
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MK Ultra HQ
I had a clogged sink in my kitchen. I had my raffle winner coming over tomorrow so I thought I would call to check if anyone was available. I called a company named New Canadian Drain. First on Google. I called and ask them for a plumber. I didn't ask for an emergency nor did I asked for it to be done today. I was just checking my luck. To my big surprise the guy told me someone could be there shortly! Awesome! So I have him come over.

I asked if I could get an estimate on the phone, noone could give me an answer
I asked the technician if I could get a price, he told me the company was charging that he didn't know.

737$ for 23 minutes. There is no breakdown on the Bill. Just a description of what he did. I called and asked why they charge me that much - emergency fee, holidays, booking fee plus the job. But there is none of it on the bill.

Can I do something?
They're also called New Canadian Plumbing. I dealt with them a few years ago also with a clogged kitchen sink, a problem that we've often had because of it being an old house and fairly typically weirdly arranged drainpipes. The guy came and suggested we need to replace all drainage in the basement, not up to code etc. and quoted $8000. I just said forget it, he immediately dropped the price to $6000. I still said no and he left. Called another plumber who rebuilt the entire drain system under the sink and all the way to the basement and charged me $1000. It's worked perfectly since.

So those guys, New Canadians are total scammers!
 

The Options Menu

Slightly Swollen Member
Sep 13, 2005
4,674
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GTA
You are absolutely right. Learning experience! I should have kept asking until I got an answer =(
Don't kick yourself. You were just trying to get 'stuff' done. :) Most of us have been there in one way or another.
 

Ceiling Cat

Well-known member
Feb 25, 2009
28,757
1,507
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I had a clogged sink in my kitchen. I had my raffle winner coming over tomorrow so I thought I would call to check if anyone was available. I called a company named New Canadian Drain. First on Google. I called and ask them for a plumber. I didn't ask for an emergency nor did I asked for it to be done today. I was just checking my luck. To my big surprise the guy told me someone could be there shortly! Awesome! So I have him come over.

Final outcome : 737$ for 23 minutes.
Next time you can have another raffle and offer a TERB member the opportunity to come over and clean out your pipes in exchange for cleaning out his pipes. It is an easy thing to do. For both parties.




Plugged sink and 23 minutes. Sounds like a plunger and or snake job. Easy fix. Looks like you got scammed.


I used to own rental properties, but I had to step away from the housing rental business—otherwise, I might have killed a tenant by now. During that time, I had an honest plumber working for me. He eventually went independent because he couldn't handle the pressure and dishonesty of working for big plumbing companies.

For example, replacing a trap under a sink is typically a quick 10-minute job. But under company policy, he was expected to turn the connector the wrong way to "accidentally" damage additional parts, forcing the replacement of three components instead of just one. On top of that, he had to pretend he didn’t have the right part on hand, creating an excuse to leave and return, stretching the 10-minute job into a 2-3 hour job.

His boss used to reprimand him, saying the company couldn’t afford to keep him unless he generated more profit. It wasn’t about providing good service—it was all about maximizing the bill. That kind of practice went against his principles, which is why he chose to go out on his own.

Contact Pat Foran at CTV NEWS [ consumer advocate ] - he loves to expose scammers on TV - 416-384-7148 - if he takes your case he will be successful- search his name

NEW CANADIAN DRAIN ARE THUGS AND SCAMMERS

Any reviews found on any company's website are almost always LIES and BULLSHIT and should be completely ignored
You can not win in this case, the charge is typical for this sort of job.
 
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massman

Well-known member
Sep 8, 2001
4,743
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Having had to call a plumber after hours/ on weekends I know it can be really expensive. I believe it’s about 3x the regular rate. They should have told you about the on call premium tho, and given you the choice of living with the issue until regular weekday hours. On plumber I had to deal with was particularly good. I had a leak, he said “how about I just turn off the water to the leaking water line. It might take me a few hours to sort this out and fix it, you don’t need this for now, wait till Monday and we will do it at regular rates”.
I also had another experience where we legitimately had a plumbing emergency after hours that needed fixing, could not wait. The guy spent 2-2.5 h on a Saturday evening, needing to use some of his Specialized equipment and the bill was about 1600.
 
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that6969

Active member
Nov 18, 2024
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Yes, Drano for some pipes can be an issue and I've heard it's not good to use often. I use it maybe once a year if that. You can find articles about it online or I'm sure there's stuff on RE.

And yes typically get 3 or 5 quotes especially if you're not in a rush to get a job done and reading reviews. I'd rather pay a bit more for something to be fixed properly then cheap out of course. Especially when it comes to water issues.
 

Ceiling Cat

Well-known member
Feb 25, 2009
28,757
1,507
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And yes typically get 3 or 5 quotes especially if you're not in a rush to get a job done and reading reviews. I'd rather pay a bit more for something to be fixed properly then cheap out of course. Especially when it comes to water issues.
A plumber can not give you a quote if you tell him over the phone that it is a clogged drain. Unclogging the drain with drain cleaner or a snake is not that difficult.
 

Adam_hadam

Well-known member
Feb 26, 2008
1,490
688
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Is 27k normal?!?!?!
It was a big dirty job, those guys worked hard. My drains are now good until 2125.
Insurance paid for a portion, I also had a back water valve installed 4 days before we had the Monsoon rain storm last summer, the city will reimburse a few $ for the back water valve. 3 of my neighbours basements flooded that day.
 

Josephine

Carpe Diem
Supporting Member
Nov 6, 2023
540
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Etobicoke
www.josephinegreycanada.com
It was a big dirty job, those guys worked hard. My drains are now good until 2125.
Insurance paid for a portion, I also had a back water valve installed 4 days before we had the Monsoon rain storm last summer, the city will reimburse a few $ for the back water valve. 3 of my neighbours basements flooded that day.
I am glad you had a better experience than mine!
 

The Mechanic

Active member
Jan 5, 2007
269
215
43
I had a clogged sink in my kitchen. I had my raffle winner coming over tomorrow so I thought I would call to check if anyone was available. I called a company named New Canadian Drain. First on Google. I called and ask them for a plumber. I didn't ask for an emergency nor did I asked for it to be done today. I was just checking my luck. To my big surprise the guy told me someone could be there shortly! Awesome! So I have him come over.

I asked if I could get an estimate on the phone, noone could give me an answer
I asked the technician if I could get a price, he told me the company was charging that he didn't know.

737$ for 23 minutes. There is no breakdown on the Bill. Just a description of what he did. I called and asked why they charge me that much - emergency fee, holidays, booking fee plus the job. But there is none of it on the bill.

Can I do something?
Just to add my three cents. One go out by yourself a sink strainer, fits inside the sink filters out small particles, clean when necessary no tools needed. To don’t put fog down the sink (fat, oil, grease) once you start doing that stuff will stick to it then you need to heavy artillery to clean it out. Three be careful about Drano and other drain cleaners when you use those chemicals they produce their own heat and fumes, hot enough to melt through an aluminum pan! Cost of the strainer anywhere from four to $10 available everywhere home hardware, no-frills, Walmart and the list goes on.
 

jimsa56

Active member
Jan 3, 2024
160
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question - if the customer does not end up going with the plumber (Who showed up) -- how much would a plumber charge - just for showing up -- 200 dollars over the holidays ?
 
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stinkynuts

Super
Jan 4, 2005
8,016
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$700 to unclog a sink is a scam. $200 would have bern reasonable. A handyman from kijiji could have done it for even less, maybe $100.
 
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Robert Mugabe

Well-known member
Nov 5, 2017
9,658
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I recently tried to unplug a drain for somebody and failed. I had a drain king expanding bulb attached to a hose. Usually works. But this time it didn't.

I asked a friend who is a plumber and he said I should have used this.
 

SchlongConery

License to Shill
Jan 28, 2013
13,165
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Just to add my three cents. One go out by yourself a sink strainer, fits inside the sink filters out small particles, clean when necessary no tools needed. To don’t put fog down the sink (fat, oil, grease) once you start doing that stuff will stick to it then you need to heavy artillery to clean it out. Three be careful about Drano and other drain cleaners when you use those chemicals they produce their own heat and fumes, hot enough to melt through an aluminum pan! Cost of the strainer anywhere from four to $10 available everywhere home hardware, no-frills, Walmart and the list goes on.

I use the fine mesh drain filters in my kitchen sink. Amazed how much gunk it catches taht would otherwise go down the drain.

And strongly concur with your advice to NEVER dispose of fat, oil or grease in your plumbing. It does indeed congeal within the pipes as it is cooled down. Then that greasy residue starts to grab on and hold other particulate matter and then you end up with ever narrowing drains.

I used to contract in and now live in a high rise condo and we used to get drain overflows from the units above when the units below would be pouring grease down their drains. In my experience, it was mostly Asian households who did this. These drain stacks had to be power jettted to be cleared.

Something I do every month is to fill both bowls of my kitchen sink up with HOT water and Blue Dawn dish soap and then drain both sinks at the same time. I do this a couple times. The idea is to try to wash and flush out residue in the pipes before it gets to any thickness.
 

Shaquille Oatmeal

Well-known member
Jun 2, 2023
2,988
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Something I do every month is to fill both bowls of my kitchen sink up with HOT water and Blue Dawn dish soap and then drain both sinks at the same time.
I was going to ask this.
Not that I dispose of fat, oil and grease down the kitchen sink, but what if someone threw oil and grease and then turned on the water at full heat.
I wonder if that would prevent it from congealing.
Come to think of it, it may congeal down the line maybe?
 
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SchlongConery

License to Shill
Jan 28, 2013
13,165
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I was going to ask this.
Not that I dispose of fat, oil and grease down the kitchen sink, but what if someone threw oil and grease and then turned on the water at full heat.
I wonder if that would prevent it from congealing.
Come to think of it, it may congeal down the line maybe?
Will just congeal further down.

Keep a tin can in the freezer to pour grease into, then when it is full, throw it into the garbage can, frozen, on garbage day.

But save bacon grease, Nectar of the Gods, to fry eggs etc.
 
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forgo10

Forgotten One
Dec 18, 2018
191
266
63
and secondly I dont pay anything up front until jobs done. unless im booking someone in the sex industry thats different.
That makes sense, pay when job completed ......... and most SP expect $ up front, also reasonable.
 

KittyCaterina

Kingston Gem
May 17, 2019
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www.kittycaterinaxo.com
Just to add my three cents. One go out by yourself a sink strainer, fits inside the sink filters out small particles, clean when necessary no tools needed. To don’t put fog down the sink (fat, oil, grease) once you start doing that stuff will stick to it then you need to heavy artillery to clean it out. Three be careful about Drano and other drain cleaners when you use those chemicals they produce their own heat and fumes, hot enough to melt through an aluminum pan! Cost of the strainer anywhere from four to $10 available everywhere home hardware, no-frills, Walmart and the list goes on.
Yes!
I love those sink strainers!
I buy them in bulk at the dollar store and switch them out regularly.
A client first introduced me to them.
 

Jenesis

Fabulously Full Figured
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Jul 14, 2020
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