A woman living in Thanh My Tay Ward in Ho Chi Minh City, who used the name Thanh Hoa, told Dân trí that her toilet became blocked on October 19 and she searched online for a service to clear it. Different providers quoted different pricing methods, leaving her unsure of the cost. The first team quoted nearly VND500,000 per 100kg, the second charged by volume at VND915,000 per cubic meter, and the third offered the lowest price, VND280,000 per 100kg.
After speaking with them, Hoa chose the third team. An employee said he represented a company and that the price had been clearly calculated, so she agreed to the service. The pumping lasted about 15 minutes. The employee then asked her to come to the tanker truck and said it was full.
“In a short time, they said they had pumped out 3.6 tonnes. I became suspicious, and when the employee quoted VND10 million for the service, I was extremely alarmed,” Hoa said.
Hoa said the employee explained that the amount was the market price when she questioned the bill. He also said some households paid VND20 million to VND30 million for septic tank pumping. Hoa asked relatives and friends for advice. They considered the quote too high and said the usual price was VND1 million to VND4 million, depending on the volume and location. She refused to pay VND10 million and offered VND2 million to VND3 million instead.
The two sides then argued. Hoa said the employee demanded a transfer because he had explained the pricing method in advance and she had agreed to the work. During the negotiation, he also used rude and threatening language, which worried her.
Hoa called police to help resolve the dispute. While she waited for officers, the tanker truck quickly left. One employee remained and continued demanding payment, lowering the amount to VND5 million. After working with the authorities, Hoa received help resolving the matter and did not have to pay the more than VND10 million initially demanded by the service.
Similar stories involving drain cleaning and septic tank pumping services have also appeared recently. Earlier, a video posted on social media showed a group of workers clearing a drain at the home of two elderly people in Thanh Xuan Ward, Hanoi.
According to the video, the workers quoted VND380,000 per lang of drain-cleaning chemical. They used 36 lang during the job, equivalent to more than VND13.6 million. Including labor and machine charges, the total bill reached VND14.5 million.
The person who posted the video said the two elderly residents had initially been told only the chemical price, VND380,000 per lang, and had not been told that the total could exceed VND14 million. The two sides argued after the workers presented the bill. The family then called ward police. The workers eventually reduced the amount from VND14.5 million to VND1.5 million.
Dân trí previously reported another case involving the family of Tran Duc Tuan on Nguyen Khang Street in Cau Giay District, Hanoi. When a service worker came to clear a blocked drain, he quoted VND350,000 per lang for chemical treatment. If a machine was used, the price was VND350,000 per meter of cable. Under that calculation, the final cost depended on the amount of chemical or cable used.
Tuan rejected those options and asked for a package price. After calculating, the worker quoted VND2.5 million. Tuan considered the amount unreasonable, declined the service and asked the worker to leave.
The worker continued negotiating, reducing the price from VND2 million to VND1 million. Tuan still refused and said he would find another provider. After further discussion, the two sides agreed on VND500,000 to clear the drain.
Following these cases, experts advise residents to check the pricing method and the full amount payable before ordering a service. If anything appears unusual, they should notify the authorities to reduce the risk of problems during the transaction.
Sources: Dân Trí
