Homemade Carpet Cleaners: Low-price ads promise amazing deals for Valley services like carpet cleaning ...

Low-price ads promise amazing deals for Valley services like carpet cleaning ... - ABC15.com (KNXV-TV)

<div readability="172.062932888">PHOENIX - How many times have you seen an ad for a great deal on a service you need? But when you try to get that deal, it ends up costing much more. The ABC15 Investigators feel your pain. That's why we're testing local businesses to see if you really can get popular services for the advertised price. The first service on the list, Valley carpet cleaners. THE TEST We invited three cleaners to an apartment in Phoenix so that we could get cleaning estimates. Our undercover producer wanted to get the deal that was advertised online or on coupons that were sent through the mail. BEWARE OF EXTRAS Genie Carpet Cleaning advertises $39.99 to clean three rooms. But at our apartment, we were told by their worker that our carpet needed a pre-treat that would cost extra. The worker says it's the chemical that goes on the carpet to loosen up the dirt and get it clean. When we asked what we'd get for just the $39, he said it would be steam only. Genie Carpet Cleaning's ad does mention a pretreatment for 15 to 30 cents extra per square foot. But it states that's only for heavy traffic area or stains. The worker tells us we have no red or black staining, but that the carpet is dirty. He didn't know that we just had our carpet professionally cleaned one week earlier. He then tells us our charge would be $94, not the $39.99 we wanted. Genie's owner later told us that the steam does clean. He also says people can get the advertised deal, but not if they have heavy traffic areas or stains. Cleaning that costs more. EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED Next up is All City Carpet Cleaning. Can we get their $19.95 a room deal? That would be $60 total for our three rooms. The worker wastes no time, telling us there is a $90 minimum just to come out. But the ad we saw doesn't state that. So our producer pulls the ad up online. The worker calls his boss and they decide to give us the $60 estimate as the deal stated. Later, All City's owner tells the ABC15 Investigators, that their prices changed around that time. He says the company no longer offers that $19.95 deal and there may have been some confusion about that. Finally, the last test involves a deal for just $4.99 a room. WHAT DOES THE LOW-COST DEAL REALLY INCLUDE? The business is called Am2Pm Carpet Cleaning Restoration. The deal is good for up to three rooms. But their worker tells us we had to pay 20 cents per square foot on top of that price. He said it's for a pre-treat that gets rid of travel lanes and sanitizes the floor. So, what do you get for the $4.99 steam deal without the pretreat? The worker tells us it's "hot water" and that it's going to be the "same when it dries." Back to their ad. It says if the carpet is "heavily soiled." Remember, we just had ours professionally cleaned. This worker wants us to pay $114.24. But he's not done. When we tell him we only want an estimate and have to think about it, he calls his boss. The worker offers our producer 10 percent off and $100 out the door. When we refuse, the worker hands the phone to our producer who ends up talking to his boss. We did not get the carpet cleaned and didn't get the advertised deal. Later, the owner of Am2Pm Carpet Cleaning told the ABC15 Investigators, people can get that $4.99 a room deal. He says that's for a basic cleaning and it does clean. He also says eventually, he offered that deal to us. But he says most people need a pretreatment and that costs more. THE LESSONS So, overall, after our tests, we learned a few things you should know about carpet cleaning. We found that "basic cleaning" can be code for hot water. Also, you have a better chance of getting the deal if you have the coupon or ad with you. And if you can't get the deal, don't pay the higher price. Instead, complain to the boss. Next Sunday, the ABC15 Investigators will test oil change facilities to find out if you really can get work done for the advertised price. LET US KNOW WHICH LOW PRICE DEALS YOU CAN'T GET Let us know about any other consumer issue you have at jducey@abc15.com or go to my ABC15 Facebook page . <div readability="12">Copyright 2011 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.</div></div>

Homemade Carpet Cleaners

Low-price ads promise amazing deals for Valley services like carpet cleaning ... - ABC15.com (KNXV-TV)

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