Duct cleaning scams are a thing. Homeowners all over the world get a lot of scamming phone calls from duct cleaning companies that they are not aware of. Canadians are not excluded. They receive a call from a well-known company promising great offers and deals. People may get swayed by the low prices offered or the opposite- they may even get bullied into these services.
These scammers steal different companies’ identities and act as if they are them. Homeowners often fall for this trap and learn the hard way about the scam.
If you are getting these calls or know someone who is, it’s important to know how to protect yourself and others.
Here is how duct cleaning scams work and how you can avoid them.
Duct Cleaning Scam: How it works
It all begins with a phone call from a local number. When the homeowner answers the phone, a duct cleaning company will start pitching their once in a lifetime deal. Most people feel pressured to accept the service as they may promote it as an offer that you can’t pass on. One of the deals that may be offered is to clean the entire house for $100.
When the homeowner accepts the offer, he has taken the bait. There are different tactics that may happen in this situation. Some of the companies take the appointment deposit and run. Or they actually show up to your house.
Upon arrival at the house, they start their process and begin selling you very expensive and unnecessary services. Some people fall victim to these scamming services and accept them as they feel pressured. They end up spending hundreds of dollars on services they don’t even need.
The services offered aren’t performed by the company. The duct cleaning company will show up with equipment, but most often they will only be putting on a show. The scammers pretend to be doing the service and by the time they are done, the owners are paying a lot of money for nothing.
The fact is, these scamming companies are never local. Their main goal is to trick homeowners into thinking they are a part of a big company. When people hear this, they will agree to accept the services. So don’t be fooled by these scammers, even if they pretend to be a well-known duct cleaning company with a good reputation.
Duct Cleaning Scams: People at Risk
Homeowners who are used to having companies call them to offer their services are the ones to most likely fall for the scam. We all like to believe that we are smart enough not to be fooled by these scams. But in reality, you would be surprised how many of us do get scammed.
So if you have an elderly parent of friend, this is the time to discuss these issues. To educate others and learn new things yourself is the best way to protect anyone from these scams.
Since at WeServe we have many professionals working with us, we understand the hard work they put in to maintain a good reputation. These scamming companies work on stealing other companies’ identities and credibilities. They potentially can ruin the reputation of these businesses. On top of that, they scam homeowners.
Duct Cleaning Scams: How to Prevent Them
The scamming companies are smart. They take time to figure out how to trick homeowners and learn how to be persuasive. Educate yourself with their tactics to avoid the duct cleaning scams.
Cold Calls are Not a Thing
Cold calls and door-to-door sales tactics are long gone. As you have noticed, at WeServe, people do all their requisitions through the app. Our professionals don’t come to your door and offer you their service. Also, no professional company will hire a telemarketing company to make their calls on their behalf.
Look Up the Company
Before booking any service with a company, investigate it. The internet made this step so much easier. All you have to do is type their name online and you will find their website and reviews from other customers. You can find a banner or a post if they were ever in an identity theft scam.
Say No to Too Good To Be True Deals
Every home has a different duct system. The price to clean them varies depending on what your home needs. Duct cleaning is an expensive project. It takes a lot of work and time. The good thing is you only have to do it every few years. But still, no one can give you a quote over the phone. The company needs to come to the house before giving you a quote.
What scamming companies do is give you an offer so much cheaper than what you would usually pay for. They lure you in with this deal just so they can trick you.
Hang up
Due to our polite Canadian nature, when someone calls us no matter how uncomfortable we feel we don’t hang up. But these scammers are very persuasive and can bully you into accepting their offer. If you are ever put into this situation, just say you are not interested and hang up. Nothing wrong with doing that. Block their number as well so they can never contact you again.
Scams do happen a lot. So always be on alert and take action if you don’t feel comfortable. If you need to hire a duct cleaning company, be sure to hire a well-researched company with a good reputation. You can find many trusted professionals on the WeServe app to help you out with this project. And remember, with WeServe you won’t ever need to hang up.
