I wrote about 4 common carpet cleaning company rip-offs about 9 years ago, and they are still happening today even here in Fargo, ND. So, here they are:
Rip-Off #1- Unbelievably Low Price- To some degree, all of us are attracted by low price because we want to work within a budget. But some carpet cleaners use price as the bait for their false and misleading advertising. They offer a cheap price– usually a flat rate for a few rooms, like $39.95-$55.00 and then maybe $5-10 bucks for other rooms. Once they are in your home, they pressure you into buying “add-ons”. Carpet cleaning service is not as cheap as some unethical carpet cleaners would have you think.
Rip-Off #2- Bait and Switch- Dual process carpet cleaning describes the process of shampooing or heavy preconditioning, followed with hot water extraction cleaning. Unfortunately, unethical carpet cleaners often use dual process as a bait and switch technique. Here is how it is done: First, they “bait” you with a basic cleaning (single process) for an unbelievably low price. Then, when you call, they “switch” you to more expensive dual-process cleaning. If you don’t fall for their switch and choose their basic service, you will probably get a quick, poorly done cleaning job.
Rip-Off #3- Unsupported Claims- “This is the best method, etc. etc.” You read this all the time, such as “we have the biggest, best truckmounted system”. Remember this: the method that is best for you is the method that gets the result you want. There are many carpet cleaning methods, from small, Rug Doctor systems, to large, Cube truck mounted systems and everything in between. Usually, the service professional doing the job makes all the difference. Untrained or barely trained $8-15 per hour employees will not normally do as good of a job as an owner/operator in this kind of service.
Rip-Off #4- The “Oh-no” Rip-off- It goes like this, sometime during the job, the cleaner tells you , “oh no, we have a problem here, in order to fix it, its going to be extra…” This usually happens when you hire a carpet cleaner over the phone from a low price coupon offer. You schedule a job with the company, and after they get out, they tell you its going to cost you more money.
A simple remedy to these rip-offs are to have the company come out and do an estimate. Have them look at your particular carpet and give you a price for their service in writing. Ask about problems and if they are covered or how much extra it will cost. Ask who will be doing the cleaning during the appointment. Will the company guarantee their work. These questions will help you avoid getting ripped off by unethical carpet cleaners.
If you have any more questions about carpet cleaning, feel free to give us a call at 701-306-7026 or visit our web site for more information.
Filed under: carpet cleaning | Tagged: bait and switch, carpet cleaning, carpet cleaning company rip-offs, Fargo, mn, Moorhead, nd, rug cleaning
