stone and hard surface cleaning
identifying scams
How to avoid Carpet cleaning scams
Carpet Cleaning Scams – If you don’t know what you are looking for, you can’t protect yourself from being Ripped Off.
Everyone hates being taken advantage of by a carpet cleaning scam. You pay good money to get your carpet cleaned and ended up with nothing but a dirty, wet carpet. There are many things that carpet cleaning scammers can do when cleaning carpets to rip off people. They get away with it because people don’t know they have been taken advantage of. So, here is a couple of things you need to know. This is not a complete list but it will give you an idea of what you should be watching for.
Scam #1: EXTRAORDINARILY LOW PRICE.
Everyone finds a low price appealing because we want to work within a budget. However, some unscrupulous Professional Carpet Cleaning Companies in OKC use low prices to bait unsuspecting people. Using false and dishonest marketing to make people think they are getting a good deal. They offer a low price and then, once they’re in your home, they pressure you into buying add-ons that should have included. It’s like you got a good deal on a refrigerator, but while they are delivering it, you find out it costs extra for the doors.
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Scam #2: BAIT AND SWITCH.
One form of Bait and Switch Professional Carpet Cleaning Companies in OKC use is what is called Dual-Process. What happens is this: You arrange the appointment for the carpet cleaning. During the job, the technician, at some point, comes to you saying the method of cleaning they are using will not get your carpet clean. Then they make up some reason that sounds legit, and they say they need to use this other method also. Now, out comes the pressure cooker, they will pressure you like crazy trying to get you to agree to the new much more expensive price. Having said that, there is a time when you need a Restorative Cleaning. However, when we do a Restorative Carpet Cleaning in Oklahoma City, Moore, Norman and Mustang or any other city we work in we still use the same method of cleaning it is just a much more aggressive technique.
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SCAM #3: GUARANTEED STAIN REMOVAL.
There are absolutely no stains that ALWAYS come out. However, some carpet cleaners will guarantee to get all the stains out because that is what you want to hear. What happens if they don’t get all the stains out? Well, you can TELL someone you promise to remove a stain, but it will cost a few dollars more. Later, when it does not come out, the price is reduced by the extra amount charged. So the Client did not pay for the stain removal. The problem is the carpet cleaner to lied to get the job. If they will lie to get the job, what other lies will they tell?
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SCAM #4: OUTDATED BELIEFS. HOT WATER EXTRACTION WILL RUIN YOUR CARPET.
Some people believe their carpets were damaged by technicians’ who didn’t know how to clean their carpets correctly. Every industry has people in it who should be doing something else. Of course, Hot Water Extraction does not ruin your carpet. Hot Water Extraction is the most recommended method of carpet cleaning. By cleaning your carpet with Hot Water Extraction, your carpet gets thoroughly cleaned. So it’s not the method of cleaning but the person who did the work that needs to change.
The whole house for one price scam: Get Your Whole House Cleaned For $100.00
I am sure to some people this sounds like a fair price. However, if you know what it costs to do the job right, there is just no way to do it for that price. The idea with this carpet cleaning scam is to “get in the house.” Once they are in your home they will try to get you to pay for some “extra” things. Usually, the extra things are things that should be included in the price. For example, a popular carpet cleaning scam is to say something like:
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“Your carpets are pretty dirty, and in order to clean them we will have to use the (super expensive) “Special Chemical” as a pre-treatment (or something to that effect) if we don’t use this pre-treatment then the carpets won’t come clean (or they will get dirty faster)”
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Pre-treating the traffic lanes is something that should always be done. It’s what loosens the dirt from the carpet fibers. But, it isn’t something for which a reputable company would create a separate charge. The most expensive traffic lane cleaner I can find costs less than a penny per SQ. FT. to use, so there is just no reason to charge extra for it.
Let’s say you agree to pay extra for the Pretreatment
Then they hit you with a few hundred dollars extra added to the bill. That is one of the most popular carpet cleaning scams. With this scam, a dishonest Carpet Cleaner can raise the price on you. From the super low price you were quoted to an amount that you would have paid to a Professional Carpet Cleaner who was honest about how much it would cost. However, most of the time you will end up paying a lot more than you would have.
Now you would think since you are paying a lot more now, you will get a good job done.
Probably not. Sure, now they have bumped the price up a couple of hundred dollars, and of course, now they are making money, but because they have nine other people who think they’re getting their houses cleaned for a $100 they still can’t spend much time in your home.
Now that you are paying a lot more money, you certainly want the carpet to stay clean. Carpet cleaning scammers know it and will come to you and say:
“You need Carpet Protector, and If you do not get it, all of the stains will come back.”
That is an outright lie, here’s why
All carpet protectors (if appropriately applied) will make the carpet stay cleaner longer, aid in spot and stain removal, and lessen the amount of dirt the carpet holds on to. Applying carpet protector isn’t going to stop stains from returning, for the most part. However, some carpet protectors have a chemical to limit wicking. Wicking is one cause of reappearing stains. However, there is no guarantee applying a carpet protector to your carpet it will stop stains from coming back. Also, there is no guarantee the stains will come back if you don’t get a carpet protector applied to your carpet. Someone who tells you this is just a carpet cleaning scammer.
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If you fall victim to one of these carpet cleaning scammers, one of two things happened. Either you paid the $100 and got a dirty wet carpet, or you paid hundreds of dollars more and still got dirty wet carpet.
So, as you are looking for a carpet cleaner skip the ones who charge a flat rate for the whole house and the ones that seem to be too good to be true. In the end, you’ll be glad you did.