Salem Backflow Testing

Sarah T.

This company left a flier on my doorstep the previous year. I hired them thinking that they were the previous company I had used the year before.

They came out to provide my annual back flow test. I was informed that a repair was needed. I confirmed the repair. At the end of the month I received a warning letter from the city saying my water would be turned off. I contacted the lady by text to let her know. She assured me that she would call the city and let them know that the repair was scheduled to be completed. A few days before the end of the month, I called the city to confirm that my test passed. Service still wasn't done. I called the lady multiple times but she wouldn't respond by text. Part of the service included digging out the dirt from the box. I dug out the box myself and let her know that the box had been cleared when I first confirmed the repair. All that was needed was a washer. My son witnessed a guy come back out but he wasn't there long enough for my son to get me. He was in and out pretty quickly. That afternoon I couldn't start my sprinklers. I spent about an hour trying to figure it out on my own. I called the lady multiple times but she would only answer by text. This was during business hours. The guy hadn't turned the water back on before he left. It took me using a hammer to tap it open.

I was charged $97 for the back flow test, a washer, and I would assume full price for a second test, as well as an hour of my time trying to turn my water back on because the employee failed to do so. Maybe that's going rate? I feel like I might have been over charged, especially with the late notice and having to figure out how to muscle my water back on, after paying the company to do a service. The company I used before charged me a one time backflow fee, replaced the washer for a repair, with no charge, all in the same visit.
I was able to call the water company to get the contact information for the previous company. I will use them moving forward.

Just very unprofessional. I would not recommend Salem Backflow.