William Byrd has been living in his Cleveland home for more than 50 years, but recent repair contract confusion has left the 94-year-old wondering if he was given a fair deal.
Byrd claims he really didn't understand what he was signing when he agreed to more than $13,000 in plumbing repairs by Roto Rooter at his home in June.
Byrd said he was stunned by the total cost, didn't know his walls would be left ripped up, wasn't aware drywall repair wasn't in the agreement, and didn't realize financing on the project would leave him with a maximum interest rate of 26.99%.
Byrd's younger cousin, Brenda Mays, said she was stunned by the situation, and claims the company told her a large part of the repairs would be covered by homeowners insurance.
However, Mays said Allstate insurance only picked up $1,000 of the bill.
"I think he was mislead, he trusted them," said Mays. "They kept saying the insurance was going to cover it."
Mays said she called the company's locals office several time to try and clear-up the confusion, but said she never got a real response.
News 5 was put in touch with Roto Rooter corporate headquarters in Cincinnati, and the company responded quickly.
The company said it would follow-up on the case and issued the following statement:
"When it comes to contracts, especially when significant repairs are required, it is always important for elderly customers to involve a relative or trusted neighbor to help them understand the contract.
We absolutely want our customers to fully understand our contract and every step of the repair process.
Mr. Byrd has trusted our company to handle his plumbing repairs for more than twelve years and we value him as a longtime customer and want him to feel satisfied with the work we’ve done."
Meanwhile, Ohio's Attorney General reports more than 2,500 consumer complaints from seniors in just the first 7 months of 2017, and urges seniors to use its free arbitration services to settle contract disputes.
The Ohio Attorney General said it's critical that younger family members help elderly loved ones go through contracts on major projects before they sign-up.
