It’s no secret that the past few years have been difficult, with a pandemic affecting each of us in ways we never imagined, and if you’re like most people, there are many things you’d like to put behind you.
Most of us spend time thinking about the previous year and making objectives for the next year at the start of each new year. Everyone’s New Year’s goals are different, but it seems that being healthy and saving money is on almost everyone’s list!
These days, there’s a lot of debate about indoor air quality, and more and more people are looking into HVAC system cleaning solutions. After all, air duct cleaning may increase your home’s energy efficiency and save you money in addition to helping you and your family breathe clean, healthy air
COVID-19 has added gasoline to the fire when it comes to home renovation scams as if there wasn’t enough to worry about with a pandemic still raging. Scams involving duct cleaning are nothing new (we’ve all seen those fliers in the mail offering air duct cleaning offers that sound too good to be true, such as $89 whole-house promotions). (Hint: if anything looks too good to be true, it usually is! ), but postings on social media neighborhood groups aimed at homeowners are on the increase. Indeed, it seems that we see many postings advertising dirt-cheap air duct cleaning on different social networking platforms every day, with Facebook and Nextdoor users being the worst offenders.
The text of these articles is almost similar, and often includes offers such as a “special discount” for the first few individuals who comment, or a single fee for endless vents and ducts. If you look carefully, you’ll discover that postings with seemingly unrelated topics often employ the same photos and videos. The name of the firm is virtually never included in the article, and individuals who express interest get private messages through the app. They’re also often uploaded using accounts that are designed to seem to be actual citizens of the communities for which the groups were created.
Scams have become more complex over time, and postings may now look to be genuine. When homeowners express interest, the more adept fraudsters will send them direct messages and ultimately collect personal information before demanding a large payment. Your money is therefore lost, and your ducts are never cleaned. Or, if they are cleaned, the results are subpar.
When it comes to determining whether or not postings are a scam, according to our pals at DuctCleaning.org, there are a few strategies that stand out. The following are eight red flags to watch out for:
“Believe my work, not my words,” the message states. “This isn’t a ruse.” If they have to declare it isn’t a Scam, it probably is.
The post does not contain the name of the Business. Since legitimate businesses seeking to promote their services to the general public, they will always utilize their name.
