*BEWARE OF CARPET CLEANING SCAM!!!*
*To All of our Valued Customers*
We would like everyone to know that there is a company going by the name Maximum Carpet
Cleaning; they call from an 877 number (877) 386-4036- which is a bogus number. Please
know that this Company is NOT affiliated with our Firm whatsoever!
They are contacting people in Contra Costa County, San Mateo County, Santa Clara County,
Alameda County and now The Atlanta Georgia Area and are preying on mostly elderly people.
This is called a Bait & Switch company. They call and solicit jobs telling people their going to
have someone in their area and they can clean their carpets for $49.00. Once they get there
and do the job (cleaning with portable units and only using WATER!) they charge a ridiculous
amount of money, insist the check be made out to the individual performing the job and they
immediately go to the bank to cash the check. From the information I’ve gathered they have
successfully scammed many, many people.
I believe WORD OF MOUTH is extremely powerful, I urge everyone to warn as many people
as you can about this scam and please do not let them take advantage of anyone else.
Santa Clara County, California has made several arrests recently regarding this scam-
No matter what county you're in, If you or someone you know has been scammed please
contact your Local Police Department and also contact Detective Rivera (408) 686-3661, we
need as many people to come forward and gather as
much information as possible to put an end to this scam.
Here are a few tips:
1) First and Foremost do not EVER ACCEPT ANY TYPE OF SERVICE FROM A
PHONE OR DOOR SOLICITATION!!!
2) MAKE SURE THE COMPANY YOU USE IS
REPUTABLE, LICENSED, CERTIFIED AND INSURED!
3) ASK FOR REFERENCES AND CHECK THE REFERENCES
4) CHECK TO MAKE SURE THE COMPANY HAS A WEBSITE AND CHECK IT OUT!
5) DO NOT LET JUST ANYONE IN YOUR HOME!
6) DO NOT LET THESE PEOPLE INTIMIDATE YOU!
7) IF YOU FEEL SCAMMED OR THREATENED IN ANY WAY, CALL THE POLICE!
8) MAKE SURE THEY ARE USING A TRUCK MOUNTED
STEAM CLEANING SYSTEM, NOT A PORTABLE.
9) MAKE SURE THEIR COMPANY VEHICLE HAS THEIR
COMPANY NAME ON IT AND MAKE SURE THEIR IN UNIFORM.
We value all of our clients and take great pride in
maintaining our client satisfaction and our company reputation.
Dave & Michelle Steely
_______________________________________________________________________________
Carpet Cleaning Scams
Like every industry, the carpet cleaning industry has its share of bad companies. Although
the majority of the companies are honest, their are some that are looking to scam the
consumer. This article will help you identify the unethical carpet cleaners and help you avoid
getting ripped off by a scam.
Bait and Switch
This is the classic carpet cleaning rip-off. In this scam, the customer is lured in by a
ridiculously low priced carpet cleaning. Often the solicitation and/or advertisement you will
be offered for carpet cleaning will be in the neighborhood of $5-25 per room. There is no way
that a company can be profitable selling its services that low. But the companies usually
have no intention of leaving your home with only the advertised amount. So how do they
increase the bill after you have taken the "bait" of the low price?
Preconditioning Scam
One way they will increase the bill is by selling you preconditioning. Most legitimate
companies include this in their pricing. That low price they offered probably didn't include it.
It may have been $5-25 per room to clean it with water only but pre-conditioning will cost you
an additional 25-35 cents per square foot. Considering an average room size of 150 square
feet, that would be $37.50-$52.50 per room extra. So a 5 room home would go from the
advertised carpet cleaning price of $25 to $212.50-262.50. Quite a difference.
But what if you just refuse to pay for the pre-conditioning? Chances are you will get a
substandard cleaning or a rush job, but their is another way that they can try to force you
into paying for the pre-conditioning. They may offer to do a demo for you. This isn't
necessarily bad, many good carpet cleaning companies do demos. What Bait and Switch
companies will do however is clean an area in a highly visible area. If you decide to not pay
for the extra service, you will have an extra clean spot in the middle of your carpet that will
stick out like a sore thumb. By doing this you are forced to pay the extra price.
Extra Room Scam
Another way for Bait and Switch companies to increase their bill is through extra room
charges. If you use a coupon, you must read the fine print. Some companies will charge
extra for rooms over 100 square feet of carpet for example. It is hard to find a room in a
typical home under that square footage, so that means the typical room will count as two
and the typical living room or family room will count as three or even four rooms.
Protection Scam
Almost all carpet cleaning companies offer protection at reasonable prices and carpet
protectors themselves are good products. This doesn't become bait and switch until a
company uses high pressure tactics. Customers may be told that their carpet will be ruined if
they don't have protection applied. This is simply not true. Protection will certainly extend
the life of your carpet and make future cleanings easier but it is in no way necessary.
*ALWAYS REMEMBER*
IF IT SOUNDS TO GOOD TO BE TRUE,
IT PROBABLY IS!!!
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