With so many scammers out there calling it can hurt the good companies who do call.
In our industry, (furnace and duct cleaning), most people forget they need the service. So when someone calls offering the cleaning service … they often say yes without knowing more about the company.
Here are 3 things you can do to avoid a scam.
1. Hire a Certified Professional
Even if you have never had your furnace or ductwork cleaned, don’t accept the first company that calls. Do some research. Ask a friend or family member who they have used. A little online research will lead you to any number of organizations. Organizations that offer certifications for professionals in certain industries.
Earning a certification in a trade is often a sign that the person doing the work is better trained. The company has met certain requirements to prove its skills.
Certifications relating to air duct cleaning address the training. And proves the commitment to cleaning air ducts according to a standard. This ensures that the work completed is professional.
Some certifications are often required. For contractors to even bid on projects for corporate or industrial buildings. Why should your home be any different?
2. Don’t Buy Into Too-Good-To-Be-True Offers
If you’ve seen an ultra-low-price offer. For whole-house air duct cleaning services, be wary. According to NADCA, (USA-based Association) the HVAC Inspection, Cleaning, and Restoration Association. This is one way bad companies lure customers in.
Those super-low prices most likely don’t cover the cost of the services. This means that customers can expect substandard service. Or even higher-than-expected charges.
Avoid this scam by calling a certified company. Getting an estimate for the service before any work starts. That estimate should also include a scope of work or a detail of the services. So you can know what services they’ll be providing and how they’ll be cleaning your home’s air ducts.
3. Get a Second Opinion
One trick used by scammers. Is to pretend to discover a much bigger, more expensive problem during a low-cost cleaning job. They may lie, saying they found mold and scaring homeowners into paying for them to get rid of the mold.
This tactic has been well-documented by news outlets conducting hidden camera investigations. During which the contractors make false claims about finding mold in the home. Charging homeowners more than $1,000 for a service their home doesn’t need. If a contractor warns you that they discovered mold. Call for a second opinion before agreeing to have any work done in the home.
You may start your search for a certified contractor online. Look for certified companies. Contractors that display the QUADCA (Canadian-based Association) logo on their website. This will ensure they are qualified professionals.
Check references and testimonials. See what other organizations they belong to such as BBB or Home Builder Association.