If
you watch the nightly news on television you will hear about all sorts of scams and con
artists. You would think that we would have caught on by
now and not allow anyone to pull the wool over our eyes.
But
the sad truth is, Carpet Scams are everywhere. You need to be aware of the common
"shop at home" carpet scams that could end up
costing you hundreds if not thousands of dollars.
Now
I have to say up front that there are plenty of honest and reputable carpet
dealers in the world, but it's not easy to tell the difference between the
good guys and the rip-offs these days. So it doesn't matter if you are
considering buying at a locally owned carpet store or are considering a shop
at home carpet service, the information I reveal will help you avoid
becoming the victim of a scam regardless of who you decide to buy from..
To
protect yourself from falling victim to a carpet scam you first need to know
what the common scams are and what you need to do to avoid them. Here is a list of the carpet scams I hear about
most often:
Installation
scams
The
"basic" Carpet installation scam is becoming quite common these
days. Many carpet dealers advertise a special reduced rate for installation
or even "free installation" as an incentive for you to buy right
away. What they don't tell you is that their "basic" installation
only goes so far and if your job requires any work beyond their definition
of "basic" there will be some hefty additional charges for you to
pay. You need to know what these extra charges are upfront, before you sign
on the dotted line. In my Carpet Buying Guide I reveal how much extra
installation charges should be, and what you can do to save money on carpet
installation by doing some of the easy work yourself.
Pad
scams
The
"free pad" scam has been around for years. Sure, they may offer to
give you free padding with your purchase, but is the free pad worth having?
Sometimes not. The pad you purchase must meet the carpet manufacturer's
guidelines and also match the traffic level you have in your home. If they
offer you free pad, you need to be sure that the pad is the right pad for
you.
Pricing
scams - One Price Deals
Many
carpet dealers use the "one-price" for the whole job gimmick. They
want to make it easy for the customer by doing a package deal that includes
the carpet, pad and installation for one price per square foot, or by the
square yard. This may be a convenience for you on one hand, but it is also a
way that the dealer can get you to pay more for upgrades and extras that you
may not need.
Always
ask for an itemized invoice with the price of the carpet separate from the
price of the pad and installation. This is required if you should ever have
to submit a warranty claim with the carpet manufacturer.
More
Carpet Information:
The
History of Carpet
In-Home
Carpet Scams
(You
are here)
The
Bait and switch scam
Measuring
scams
How
to Choose Carpet
Determine
Your Level of Foot Traffic
Carpet
Fibers 1 Nylon and Olefin
Carpet
Fibers Polyester
and Sorona®
Alan's
Preferred
Carpet Dealer Directory
The
2009 Complete Carpet Buying Guide
