Consumer alert: Carpet cleaning scams on the rise

KUSA - Wendie Zeller haslearned a hard lesson, and she wants other homeowners to avoid what happened to her.

Zeller wastaken by an unreputable carpet cleaning company that used a bait-and-switch techniqueto get her to pay extra money for shoddy work.

The scammers get into the homes of victims by offering incredibly low prices; usually they will chargejust afew dollars per room. But they have no intention on honoring the price.

In Zeller's case, theyraisedher bill by charging for extras. They pointed at dirty traffic areas in her home, saying she hadto have them preconditionedand neededspecial "dual process treatment" on it.

All of these charges can add hundreds of dollars toa typicalcarpet cleaning bill.Experts say bait-and-switch carpet cleaners push often unnecessary products through fear and intimidation. Zeller says that was certainly the case with her.

Avoiding The Scam It is not hard to avoid being a victim of bait and switch carpet cleaning tacticsif you recognize the signs. If you get a coupon in the mail and the price is too good to be true, it probably is. A carpet cleaner can not stay in business only charging $4.95 per room. Advertising costs, equipment costs, supplies, fuel, insurance, etc all add up.

To stay in business a cleaner must make between $80 to $100 an hour. The average carpet cleaner cleans about 600 square feet an hour so the average home with 1200 square feet of carpet would have a carpet cleaning cost of $160 to $200.

Prices may vary slightly depending on the level of service that the cleaner offers, but that is the average. You should also read the fine print on the advertisement or coupon you have received. Look to see if there are extra charges for preconditioning, etc.

In addition, check to see if there are room size restrictions. Some companies will charge you extra for rooms over 100 square feet. The only room in your home under that square footage, is probably your closet. Most legitimate cleaners will set the room size limit at somewhere between 200 to 300 square feet.

The people at Angie's List offer up other tips. Check to see if the cleaner has been ok'd by The Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification, a nonprofit organization that sets standards and provides education and certification.

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Consumer alert: Carpet cleaning scams on the rise