Carpet Cleaning Scam – Bait & Switch Tactics
Have you ever been a victim of a carpet cleaning scam? What is price shifting exactly? It’s when a company offers an attractive low price and information that creates excitement. Then they switch things up resulting in a larger expense. It also goes by the well known term “bait and switch.” This creates a variety of outcomes that are disappointing. They often times lead to anger and frustration with the end result.
For example, a company might advertise something like “3 rooms and a hall for $129, get the 4th room cleaned free.” There’s usually a gimmick behind these kinds of deals that makes consumers believe the price will stay the same. Maybe something like a special type of water that doesn’t require detergent in the cleaning process. Once the company gains entry into your home, and into your life things start to change. And, so does the price!
What Are The Next Steps?
They begin to press you on “recommended” extras not included in the initial price like a preconditioner for example. Saying they won’t be able to get your carpet cleaned without a “special” spot remover might also come into play. Going as far as to want to charge extra for every little dirt spot individually is not an abnormality for these types of operations. None of this was advertised in the deal, and they originally claimed not to use any of it, right? Is the spot remover or preconditioner a detergent? What happened to just cleaning with only H20 like their gimmick revolved around?
Why do they do this you ask? Because, they were never going to be able to clean your carpet with water only, even though it sounded real good, and it’s what they claimed. All the advertised special said was 3 rooms & a hall for $129, and get a 4th one for free. The enticing gimmick was getting it cleaned with water only to avoid residue. Little did you know they needed to use soap.
So, What’s The Problem?
It was just a catch, so they could get their foot in your door and start pressure selling. Some other services they’ll press you on and ultimately want to charge additional for would be a power scrub or some type of fast dry service. The problem is there are only a hand full of knowledgeable professionals like Precision that truly know how to deliver on a service like fast drying for example. Power scrubbing on the other hand is easy, there’s really nothing to it. You end up giving in to their suggestions and recommendations, because the technician the company sent out sounds like they’re on the level and capable.
By the time it’s all over, you are wondering why it still looks dingy, and why the carpet is still so wet. The company tells you it’s the best they can do, and that it’s just normal wear or something of that nature. Are you ready for the worst part? When it’s all said and done your price isn’t $129 anymore. No! It’s like $3-$400 or even more. They know consumers aren’t anticipating these types of moves, so they hide behind a lot of fluff. It helps them to formulate their ad campaigns around gimmicks that entice consumers only to rip them off in the end.
Using All the Popular Buzzwords That Got Your Attention In The First Place.
What’s worse is that they all begin to use all the popular buzzwords created by true professionals when things become public domain. Now, it’s all confusing and the consumer doesn’t know who to choose or who to trust. Why is trust a factor here? Because, once public domain happens all the competition begins to make promises they can’t live up to by using the associated buzzwords like fast dry, zero residue, green, organic, non toxic, etc. Then the consumer gets shafted and doesn’t know what hit em’. All they know is that the service they hired over-promised and under-delivered, while shaking them down for extras that made the price skyrocket! Why does this carry on is the better question. One would think these types of carpet cleaners would eventually grow out of their insecurity, and get a better set of ethics.
Confused over which carpet company to choose?
It is no wonder why consumers get confused easily. The kind of services who employ these carpet cleaning scam tactics are shameful. Moreover, they make it difficult for customers to know the difference. Instincts and better judgment should kick in at some point for consumers. They should realize that ridiculously low “too good to be true” prices are usually only fake or temporary. Dealing with disappointment over disgust and wanting your money back is unnecessary.
Why sacrifice so much time lost in waiting when you can enjoy cleaner fresher carpets, tile, and furniture today? Fast drying, zero res, green natural, and truckmount sanitizing steam are not just buzzwords for us. They are what we specialize in as quality carpet cleaners. Customers can find out what we do by viewing our cleaning process. They can also book service for residential homes and commercial office spaces by dialing or texting 619.392.8012. In addition, for some awesome reviews you should check us out on Yelp