I think that from my experience in dealing with contractors both at work and at home,
the best contractor is always the one that comes over for a free quote or estimate.
Those guys lay it out on the line and they have what you want in writing to protect
both themselves and you. Kim M
----- Original Message -----
From: Palumbo, Julie
To: wm
Sent: Tuesday, August 17, 2004 9:49 AM
Subject: [wm] RE: Carpet Cleaner Scammers
Thanks for that information. We just had our carpets cleaned before we moved into
our house and they charged more than they had advertised.
JulieP
-----Original Message-----
From: Kim McClafferty [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Tuesday, August 17, 2004 10:47 AM
To: wm
Subject: [wm] Carpet Cleaner Scammers
Got this article from my EverydayCheapskate.com emails. It's pretty
informative. Kim M
Scam artists are prevalent in many service industries, but the carpet
cleaning industry has more than its share. If you get scammed by an unscrupulous
carpet cleaner you lose your money, but you could also end up with a house lined with
ruined carpet. Carpet cleaning is one area you want to trust only to a professional.
Carpet cleaners that charge "by the room" are the bane of the
industry. They advertise with coupons that promise "Three Rooms and a Hall, just
$24.95." Do not believe this. Those coupons just scream "bait and switch." The
cleaners will arrive and start charging extra for pre-treatment, for every spot, for
deodorizer, flea control, stain protectant and all kinds of unimaginable add-ons. And
what happens if you don't agree to the new price that can be 10 times the price on the
coupon? Vengeful coupon carpet cleaners have been known to soak the carpet with dirty
water and leave without extracting it, or spray sticky detergent on the spots and then
have an unexpected emergency call them away.
Reputable carpet cleaners typically charge by the square foot and
usually don't give you a price over the phone. They measure each room first and then
give you a detailed, written estimate. A cleaner who tries to give you a price over
the phone is not a professional.
Good cleaners include pretreatments and spot cleaning in their price.
They vacuum your carpets before they get started. The cleaners you want will prop your
furniture up on little blocks (for no additional charge) to give the carpets a chance
to dry.
Find out the type of equipment the service will be using in your home.
The most experienced cleaners have truck-mounted equipment with extraction
capabilities that leaves the cleaned carpet nearly dry to the touch. Carpet that
remains wet for a period of time can develop mildew, which will make you yearn for the
days when your carpet was merely dirty.
So how can you find a reputable, professional carpet cleaner that will
give you excellent service and stand behind their work with a money-back guarantee?
Get a referral from a friend or neighbor. Or call your local Chamber of Commerce.
Reputable organizations get involved in their communities and have solid reputations.
Check with the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification at
www.iicrc.org to see if those referrals are listed or to find one in your ZIP code. Or
call the IICRC's toll-free consumer help line at (800) 835-4624 to locate a certified
cleaner in your area.
Interview a couple of companies before making your decision. Ask
open-ended questions about the kind of equipment they use, how they charge, what their
estimated dry time is, what products they place under furniture legs after cleaning,
what type and brand of cleaning product do they use, and so forth.
Being a savvy consumer is hard work, but the payoff is worth the
effort. You'll fully appreciate that the next time you have your carpet cleaned,
you'll know exactly what to look for and who to trust.
---
You are currently subscribed to wm as: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To unsubscribe send a blank email to %%email.unsub%%
---
You are currently subscribed to wm as: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To unsubscribe send a blank email to %%email.unsub%%
---
You are currently subscribed to wm as: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~-->
$9.95 domain names from Yahoo!. Register anything.
http://us.click.yahoo.com/J8kdrA/y20IAA/yQLSAA/BCfwlB/TM
--------------------------------------------------------------------~->
Yahoo! Groups Links
<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/kumpulan/
<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
