PSA: watch out for clients who ghost after a partial drain clean

Had a job yesterday where this homeowner in the Chicago area called me out for a backed up main line, said it was an emergency with sewage bubbling up in the basement. I show up with my Ridgid K-400 and snake it out, clear the blockage from tree roots, test the flow, everything good. Lady promises to pay cash on the spot, but then texts me she's 'thinking about it' and ghosts me since. Been in this 10 years, and these partial service calls are the worst, especially when you leave the job clean. Don't start work without a deposit if they seem sketchy, saved my ass more than once. Saw a similar rant in Plumbers United group last week.

man, that sucks, had a similar thing with a kitchen drain job, left them with hot water flowing perfect and they stiffed me $200.

ghosting clients are the bane of my existence, especially after hauling gear up three flights for a clog.

happened to me twice this month, both times it was a rental property owner pretending to be the tenant.

frustrated as hell, just billed one yesterday and they called back complaining about 'extra charges' for the snake rental time.

same here, partial jobs always lead to payment drama.

we all deal with this crap, but seriously, upfront deposits or walk away.

SharkBite fittings saved me on a rush job like this once, but clients don't care about that when they won't pay.

these cheap bastards ruin it for everyone, insurance should cover lost time on no-pays.

felt this, my back's killing me from lugging the sewer camera for nothing.

i get it, been burned on a PEX repipe partial, left half done.

partial service calls are a trap, always get half the money first.

homeowners like that deserve a leak next time, karma.

pisses me off, we bust ass and they treat us like dirt.

screw these clients, they think plumbers grow on trees.

frustrated beyond words, quoted a full system flush and they bailed mid-job.

the industry's full of deadbeats, time to screen harder.

we're all in this mess together, these clients suck.

had one ghost after a water heater install partial, nightmare.

collective sigh, plumbers unite against the ghosts.

same boat, drain job in an old house and poof, gone.

i feel ya, lost a whole day to a no-show pay.

they're the worst, always some excuse about 'budget issues'.

don't chase them, small claims is quicker than you'd think.

burned me good last summer, now i require 50% down.

same, these stories make me wanna quit.

pissed me off too, client called competitor after i cleared the line.

haha, at least you got the satisfaction of fixing it before they ghosted.