Alpha Omega Discount Plumbing & Drain Services

They were on time, and did a great job! I recommend these guys and will use this company again.  The person came for a leaky faucet, but I asked them to put in shut off valves and they ended up helping me because the old disposal was leaking  and I did not know this, so they ended up doing all this work for me and fixing all the problems.  I appreciate the professional help.  I recommend this company.

Kevin, the "boss", arrived and assured me they would have their snake extricated and they'd be on their way in no time.  He also reassured me that I was not being charged extra for their extended stay due to the circumstances being beyond my control.  The two attempted to retrieve their snake, but it absolutely would-not-budge.  What with the snake motor being at ground-level with the snake shooting up to the roof, making a 180-degree down-turn into the vent to drop straight down 15ish feet to the main line below the house, jogging a hard 90-degree to horizontal, then making another hard 90-degree right-turn to enter the sewer main, one could see why it was being so stubborn.  They decided they would need to dig to find my main, punch a hole in the pipe, cut the snake at ground-level, then splice the severed snake to the spindle after relocating the motor/spindle directly behind the freshly cut sewer serpent to achieve maximum torque.  They were confident this would free their precious spline.  After determining neither of them had the necessary heavy-duty bolt cutters for the job, I had my brother bring a pair from his place of employment, with which they were able to cut the snake.  After a quick splicing they would be free and gone in no time.  They completed the splice, fired up their machine, and much to their dismay, the snake would-not-budge.  I believe it was about this time that Kevin informed me that it was his opinion that my main sewer line was completely eroded beneath a very old palm tree and mulberry tree and that his snake was most likely buried in roots, waste and soil.  A completely new sewer main would need to be installed.  I pondered this while they decided to cut the snake again and leave the stuck portion in-place until I had the new sewer main installed (either by them or another plumber), which would then free-up their 30 or-so feet of metal.  I inquired what it would cost to install a new sewer main and they assured me that my job was definitely a big one.  I left to allow them free discussion regarding the price to alleviate my problems.  When I returned I was informed that the job should be somewhere in the neighborhood of $8,000 - $9,000, but for ME, they would do it for $4,500.  I told Kevin I would seek a second opinion and get back to him.  He understood, but told me for an extra $250 he could immediately install a clean-out (normally a $400 job), as I would need one with the new main line anyway, and it would also be an easy way to patch the hole in my existing sewer line that they had to make to access their snake for cutting.  Not knowing much about plumbing, it seemed like a good deal and I gave them the go-ahead.  Within 15 minutes or-so a rubber boot was attached to my line, a 4" 90-degree PVC fitting was attached to the boot, and a 2-3' piece of 4" PVC was sticking out of the soil with the severed, immovable snake protruding from the UNFINISHED top of the pipe.  Kevin made sure I knew to call him with my decision, and that if I decided to use another plumber to PLEASE set his freed snake aside and he would pick it up (as apparently they are quite expensive).  I agreed, paid for their services, and they departed.  I then did my own research and found that the $8,000 - $9,000 quote he gave me was extremely inflated, and that his "special" deal of $4,500 was more in-line with what the replacement should cost. 
I called another plumber the next day who quoted me a better price and I agreed to have him start immediately.  Upon digging near the newly installed "clean-out" he informed me that the rubber boot was not completely secured to my existing sewer main (it was leaking around the seal), and questioned why the Alpha Omega plumber installed the clean-out knowing full well that he could not complete the job without the new sewer main being installed.  At this point I realized that the new clean-out "installation" was most likely a way to recoup some money ($250) for the extra time Kevin and his employee spent at my house trying to free their stuck snake.  I called Kevin to inform him that I was using another plumber, that his snake was finally free (the other plumbers simply tugged on the end and it was released from its death grip), and to question him for charging me $250 for what essentially was a rubber boot, a 90-degree fitting, and about 2-3 feet of 4" PVC.  After-all, there was no labor involved as they had already dug to the main and punched a hole in it to cut their stuck snake.  He immediately became defensive and made a point to tell me that he COULD have put me on an "after-hours" rate as soon as his snake became stuck.  I reminded him that HIS expert employee agreed to do the job with full knowledge of the direction my sewer main traveled (right beneath 60 year old trees) and that he himself assured me upon his arrival that the mess was no fault of mine.  He went on to defend the installation of the clean-out (even though the $250 device was now uselessly lying in my backyard as the plumbers had to disconnect it to install the new main line).  He accused me of painting him as "dishonest" when I was simply trying to have a professional conversation with him regarding his services.  After some "strong" discussion, he offered to refund $100 to the credit card I used to pay for his services, and assured me he had my credit card information available for the return.  I accepted his offer and he asked that I leave his now free snake in my driveway so that he could retrieve it at his convenience.  I did just that, and I have not yet seen a refund (8 months later) and the prized snake was never retrieved.   
I think all of his actions speak to his honesty and integrity, and the most laughable and ironic part of the story is that he pedals his craft using a not-so-subtle Christian theme through his company's name - "Alpha Omega Discount Plumbing and Drain Services" - and its slogan - "FIRST plumber you should call... LAST plumber you will ever need".  Surely stolen from the Bible; Revelation 22:13, "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last..."
I'm quite certain God approves.

My rebuttal to owner's response:

Obviously, the issue with me was NOT taken care of, as during our phone conversation he stated that he would refund my credit card $100 AND retrieve his snake from my driveway.  My account is still $100 short and his snake was scrapped at the metal yard after sitting in my driveway for about 6 months.  He states, "all that had to be done was to contact our business" - ummmmmm, isn't that what I did the next day when we spoke by phone?  Are his customer service skills so poor that one needs to hound him to complete his negotiated deal?  Apparently so.  His assertion that I used his quote to gain leverage from another plumber is preposterous.  It's called "getting a second opinion".  The plumber who performed the work gave me a quote BELOW Kevin's "special" price without knowledge of the $4500 quote.  I stand by my post - his employee arrived promptly; unclogged my sewer main; got his snake stuck; called in his boss; they failed in their attempts to dislodge it; he "recouped" some money with a useless clean-out installation; and he failed to follow-through with his next day's promise.  I guess he could have attempted to charge me an "hourly rate" after HIS employee couldn't retrieve his equipment - and I could have told them to beat it.  The quote to unclog the drain was the price I paid.  End of story.

Nothing special about this company.

We had a good experience and have used Alpha Omega several times.