I am extremely disappointed and disturbed by my experience with First Septic Services. This was,…read morewithout question, the worst experience I have ever had with a septic service company.
I called and scheduled a septic pumping and county-required inspection. I was quoted $560 for both services to be performed at the same time.
When they arrived, I was suddenly told that because I operate a business on the property--and supposedly had failed to disclose that--they could not pump my tank without additional authorization or a permit. I was also told that, depending on the pH of the tank, I could potentially be charged approximately three times the normal pumping price for hazardous-material disposal. As far as I could tell, they had not even tested the pH of my tank on site before discussing this potential charge.
I told them that was outside my price range, thanked them for their time, and said I would not be having the work done that day.
I was then told I owed a $435 service-call fee simply because they had come to my property--even though the $560 service I scheduled was not being performed. The representative then told me that if I instead paid $170 for an inspection, they would waive the $435 charge.
At that point, I felt like I was being pressured to pay them something regardless of whether they performed the service I had actually scheduled.
I have had this same septic tank pumped many times and have never previously been told that operating a business on the property could result in my septic contents being treated as hazardous waste or subject me to this type of additional disposal charge. Most importantly, when I scheduled this appointment, nobody asked me whether I operated a business on the property.
The situation then became much more disturbing.
I told the representative I needed to make a phone call and attempted to leave the backyard. He physically positioned himself in a way that blocked my path. I found his demeanor menacing and intimidating, and I was extremely uncomfortable being put in that position on my own property.
Once I got past him, I called the office hoping to resolve the situation. Instead, I was chastised and accused of lying because I had not disclosed that I operate a business.
I did not lie. I was never asked.
If that information is essential to whether they can legally perform the service, it should be requested before they quote a price, schedule the appointment, and dispatch a truck--not used afterward to accuse a customer of dishonesty.
As a woman dealing with these representatives at my home, I felt talked down to, antagonized, intimidated, and taken advantage of. I cannot know their motivation, but I can describe the effect their conduct had on me: the encounter became so upsetting that I had a full-blown panic attack and called my neighbor to come over because I did not feel comfortable dealing with the situation alone and wanted them off my property.
I have dealt with septic companies and had this tank pumped numerous times. I have never experienced anything remotely like this.
Based on my experience, I would not use First Septic Services again and would not recommend them.
Buyer beware: Get the quoted price, service-call fees, property-use restrictions, permitting requirements, hazardous-waste criteria, and potential additional charges in writing before they dispatch a truck.
