|
|
Review 5/10/2008
|
Several days ago I called the 800 number for Home Pride ChemDry, and scheduled a carpet cleaning with the understanding that, first of all, they'd come in, give me an estimate of costs, and if I decided they were charging too much, I'd send them away. Home Pride will not come to your home and simply give you a free estimate as other ChemDrys will do.
They showed up, and despite my putting my palm up at the door to stop the tech from coming in and immediately moving my furniture, which they intended to do before vacuuming, I told them I only wanted the estimate BEFORE they did any work, before moving furniture. Instead, I was pretty much bullied into letting them come in and move furniture, which upset me greatly. I kept arguing that I only wanted the estimate, and was told that this was NOT the way they did things.
I argued to no avail and watched as they moved most of my furniture (even sofas, which I told them needn't be moved) and vacuumed, with me wondering what on earth I was getting into.
After they'd done this, I was given a list of what "needed to be done," and was totally appalled when their quote was over $2,200!!! I have a house which is just over 2,000 square feet, including a great deal of tile floor, and the ChemDry person who'd been here earlier in the week had measured the traffic areas, which came to about 926 square feet, and quoted me a cleaning fee of $315!!! I had turned him down, because two years ago Home Pride did my house for $200!
Well, I argued vehemently that there was no way I was paying $2200 to clean my carpeting; that was insane. I was told I needed "conditioning" first, and I needed "extracting" of various areas (from the price quoted I believe he was trying to sell me extracting of the entire house, which was NOT needed), then despite my saying I'd had the fabric protector done several years ago ($89) and was NOT impressed with it, this tech kept insisting I needed to have it done.
He added on and added on all of these "necessary" items until the price was beyond belief. How could my carpeting, done by the same company two years ago, need $2200 worth of cleaning when it was only $200 previously?
I was bullied and strong-armed verbally, so to speak, and we must have argued for half an hour over the price. Then I was told if I didn't get three rooms cleaned AT ALL it would "only" cost me over $400. I was also quoted over $800 for PARTIAL cleaning and partial extracting. No thank you. That would only clean part of my house.
Finally, I got the last quote, which was still over $500 and tired of arguing, I had that done. No conditioning, no extracting (even the two areas which needed it), no fabric protector. $500, when it was $200 last time!
I should add that he told me the chemicals for extraction ran $98 per gallon! He said I needed at least two gallons.
I will never use Home Pride again. I don't like being bullied and I don't like pushy technicians. I don't like being told by the receptionist that they would first give me an estimate, THEN would do any work I wanted done, only to be told at my door that it doesn't work that way.
I was disgusted with this company. I would never recommend them to anyone.
I should have hired the ChemDry tech who quoted me $315.
|
|
|
|