Every day there is another post or mention on Facebook or Twitter about someone being disappointed or scammed by a cleaning claim. A knowledgeable consumer is a smart consumer. Being a smart consumer means knowing some things to look for when searching for a reliable carpet cleaner in your area. Here are a few tips on avoiding carpet cleaning scams.
Top 4 Rip-Off Scams by Carpet Cleaners
Unbelievable Low Price
To some degree, a low price attracts all of us because we want to work within a budget. But some carpet cleaners use price as bait for their false and misleading advertising. They offer a low price, usually between $3.95 and $9.95 per room, but once in your home, they pressure you into buying add-ons. Imagine buying a car and finding out the dealer was charging you extra for the tires and the steering wheel. Carpet Cleaning is not as cheap as some unethical carpet cleaners would like you to believe.
Bait and Switch
Dual Process carpet cleaning describes the process of shampooing and heavy preconditioning, followed by hot water extraction cleaning. Unfortunately, unethical carpet cleaners often use the duel process as a bait and switch. Here’s how it works: first, they bait you with a basic cleaning ( single process ) at an unbelievably low price. Then when you call, they try to switch you to more expensive dual-process cleanings. If you don't fall for their switch and choose their basic service, you'll likely receive poor work using little or no chemicals, and they will not guarantee their work.
Unsupported Claims
This Cleaning is the best.
You'll hear this said in almost every ad from virtually every carpet cleaner. Remember this- the best method for you is the method that achieves your goal. If you want a carpet cleaning that dries quickly, then one that takes a long time to dry isn’t the best for you. So before you choose a carpet cleaner, identify your objectives. Then select the method that reaches your goals.
Outdated Beliefs
Hot water damages carpet.
Many people believed this was true because unprofessional technicians damaged their carpets. Damages happened because they didn't know how to clean carpets using hot water. Washing and rinsing your carpet with hot water will clean your carpet thoroughly. Much like that a person who showers will be much cleaner than someone who only takes a sponge bath.
Each carpet cleaner is biased toward its method, and every method does have its advantages. So We suggest you look at what the carpet manufacturers say. Shaw Industries, the largest carpet manufacturer in the world, recommends only hot water extraction with a truck-mounted unit used by firms that are IICRC certified.
Did you know that Gatesway is an IICRC-certified carpet cleaning company? Call us today to have our highly-skilled technicians give you a professional carpet cleaning and avoid carpet cleaning scams.
