(and how to avoid them)

Trick 1: Unbelievably low prices. To some degree, all of us are attracted by low price because we want to work within a budget. However, some carpet cleaners use low price as a bait for their false and misleading advertising. They often offer a really cheap price, very often ?because they are in the area for the next two weeks?, then once inside your home, they will try to pressure you into buying add-ons. It?s rather like buying a car and getting a seemingly great deal until you find that the dealer wants to charge you extra for the tyres and steering wheel. Quite simply, carpet cleaning is not as cheap as some of the less ethical carpet cleaners would have you believe. However, that is not an excuse for charging sky high prices!

Trick 2: Bait and SWITCH. Dual process carpet cleaning describes the process of shampooing or heavy pre-conditioning of your carpet, followed usually by Hot Water Extraction Cleaning. Unfortunately, unethical carpet cleaners often use this technique. Here?s how they do it. First they tempt you with an unbelievably low price, which is for the basic cleaning. Once inside your home they will try to switch you to the more expensive dual-process cleaning. If you don?t fall for the switch and choose the basic service, you will most likely get poor workmanship using little or no chemical. This is to be deplored, and furthermore, they will not guarantee their work.

This technique is very often applied when customers are under intense pressure, the furniture has been moved, the customer has taken a day off work and arranged someone to look after the children. There is one shot to get the job done and the so-called expert is asking you for a decision. If that isn?t high-pressure selling, we don?t know what is.

Trick 3: Unsupported claims. ?This method of cleaning is the best!!?. This is something you will hear from virtually every advertisement and virtually every carpet cleaner. In fact, the only ?best? method is the one that is best for you, the one that achieves your goals within your timescale and your budget. If you want to use your carpet very soon after cleaning then Hot Water Extraction is not for you. This method can leave your carpets wet for days.

Our advice before choosing a carpet cleaner is to identify what you want in advance, select the method that suits your needs best, then make sure that the cleaner is going to provide just that. Go ?Tailor Made? rather than ?Off the Shelf?