Everyone loves a Groupon, right? I know I do. If you haven't purchased one before, here's how it works. A company posts a special on Groupon and hopes a LOT of people purchase the service that must be at least a 50% discount price from what you normally charge. The company makes up the money due to the incredible new business generated from the Groupon sales.
Well, about 6 months ago I purchased beautiful new carpeting from Home Depot for my 2-story home. The entire upstairs, minus the bathrooms, is carpeted, plus 14 stairs. I have 3-bedrooms and a hallway that connects all three rooms. I saw the Groupon from National Carpet Care in August stating 4-bedrooms carpet steam cleaning for $45 and jumped on it! I finally call the company to get my carpets cleaned last week. The appt is set for Wednesday, 1-4pm—day before Thanksgiving.
Unfortunately, I made a hair appt that morning at 9:30A.M. That ended up finishing at 4:15 P.M. —partial auburn highlights that ended up looking like Russian blonde bride to be sold on internet. But, that's another long story. Anyway, I tell the carpet tech that calls me (after knocking on my door to realize no one's home) that I need to reschedule. He's fine. A few minutes later I get a call from Clint (manager?) telling me of the 24-hour cancellation policy and since I'm cancelling I need to pay. Ummm... Sorry Clint. I'm looking at the Groupon and there's no mention of that policy. Besides I'm not cancelling, I'm rescheduling. Clint has to call me back. (I guess to actually review the Groupon wording). A few minutes later, a much nicer Clint calls me back to tell me he can fit me in on Friday morning or 1-4 P.M. Wonderful, right? Not so fast...
Friday afternoon comes and company rep calls to tell me tech is on his way. It's 11:30 A.M. I say fine, I'm home. Almost 2 hours later... Jim, senior citizen carpet tech arrives. I feel relieved. Thank goodness Jim looks nice and how bad can someone that looks like my grandpa be? I ask Jim if he can do tile and grout cleaning too. Sure, he replies. Let me get the square footage of your downstairs. I show him my groupon for the carpet cleaning and explain I only have 3-bedrooms but would like him to do the hallway so I'm assuming that will count as the 4th bedroom, correct? Ugh, not so fast, says Jim. Excuse me?!
He then gives me a quote for $230 and explains the Groupon was not really to get the carpet in 4-bedrooms steam cleaned. That's just to "run water over it, but the dirt will stay in the carpet unless you pay extra to pre-condition the carpet and that will actually clean it." Oh, and that will cost an additional $70-80. Then, the tile and grout cleaning will cost $125, and the 14 stairs will be $2.00 each. Ummm... Jim, are you out of your f-ing mind? I wanted to say that, but instead I reply with "Jim, I'm staring at the groupon that I purchased and it clearly says steam cleaning carpets in 4-bedrooms.
Cleaning being the operative word here." He tells me again that it says that but it's not what that really means. I tell him the carpet is practically brand new with no stains and no soiling, etc. Therefore, I shouldn't pay anything extra except possibly for the stairs. He disagrees and tells me that I must not want my carpet really cleaned and he'll do the best he can given the circumstances. People I'm dumbfounded that this company is still in business. My next complaint will be to Groupon for not investigating the companies they promote and do business with, but in the meantime PLEASE STAY AWAY FROM THIS COMPANY.
Jim was in and out of my house within 25-minutes but before he left, he decided to dump the dirty water in my CLEAN upstairs bathrooom tub and then left a trail of this same nasty water once he was done doing the stairs on my downstairs tile (that I was definitely NOT going to have him clean), and out the door. He doesn't bother wiping up this trail and watches me as I do it right in front of him to make a point. He didn't get it. He then asks me to sign the sheet stating he did the work that was agreed on. I asked him, well did you? I can't go upstairs to see since the carpets are wet. He says yes.
Well, 3 hours later I go upstairs to find the bathroom tub disgusting and the carpet looked as if he barely even touched. I'm talking NO wetness in many areas and it's not because it already dried, folks. HE DIDN'T do the work of even "running water over it". Lol I'm laughing because I feel sorry for people that make a living like this. I will pray for poor old Jim. Social Security check must not be cutting it for him to be such a crook in his daily life. And, a dirty one at that. National Carpet Care should pay for my house to be housecleaned AND for another reputable company to come in to actually CLEAN my carpets and not just "run water over it."
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