Every time you have a problem with water facilities, you’ll see many companies out there searching for nearby services. They all claim to offer excellent assistance and honest work. But, how can you tell which one is honest and won’t con you?
Most of the companies are earnest and moral, with no intention to trick potential customers. Like in every other industry, there is the occasional unethical company that intends to scam people out of money. It’s beneficial to be aware of these, and learn how to identify them, so you don’t end up falling victim to sleazy people.
So, we compiled a list to help you identify between the good ones and the bad ones. Here are the five points that you need to keep in mind:
Unless you contacted first, please do not agree to what they offer
Many scammers will show up out of the blue on people’s door and tell them that their pipes have a problem. Now, since most people have no clue about plumbing, and these people flaunt professionalism, the victims often fall for it.
“Problem with drainage” is a common ruse that many such scammers use to convince their victims. Whether or not the house owners do have a problem with the drainage – the only thing that these swindlers know for sure is that you’re either alone at home, elderly or too young, and the perfect fit for a scam. On the other hand, reputable companies don’t need to go door to door to promote themselves. They rely on a secure network of clients and word-of-mouth promotion. And think about it – would a plumber walking past have the time to put all their appointments on hold so that they can fix your drainage system – which by the way, isn’t even an immediate problem?
Inappropriate questions:
Scammers usually have an idea about who you are and the house inhabitants (you see, to succeed at tricking people, they need to do their homework). Still, they might ask some seemingly random and out of the blue questions that have no relation whatsoever to their apparent line of work. Since scammers will often target the elderly, the disabled, and children, they will ask questions such as “is your mother home?” or “what time will your husband be back?”. Often, questions like these are slipped in between helpful, business-related questions and asked in a talkative manner to fool the “client”.
Watch out for details:
Usually, for a successful scam, it takes two people. One distracts the client and talks to them in a different part of the property, or just away out of sight of “the work” in progress. Whereas the other one does “the work”.
It gives the con artists an excellent opportunity to go about their business without letting you realise what’s going on. For instance, they could spread dirt all over a specific area and claim that a pipe is damaged or broken. Some might bring bags filled with rocks and put them inside waste traps to stage a blockage. Others, still, might go so far as to damage the drains deliberately.
In short, look out for any unusual behaviour or accessories, and keep a close eye on the individual’s actions.
Make sure it’s not a rerun.
Video inspection on drainage pipes and an enormously helpful invention have made plumbing work easier to locate and identify. But just like everything else in this world, people also use it for malicious actions. Many scammers use a favourite trick – not only in Gold Coast but countrywide – is to show a rerun of a pipe in deplorable condition and claim it to be a clip from the garden.
The result is evident: the home-owner gets tricked into paying a massive bill for unnecessary work.
So, how do you cater for this? To avoid getting lured into a trap, you should have the technician tape something in your garden, so you can ensure that the footage is live.
Remember the basics
This point may seem a bit mundane, but people often forget this – especially when faced with a problem – real or not. While you can rest assured that most people and companies on the Gold Coast are honest and moral, a small population will commit unethical hacks. So, it’s crucial that whichever company you decide to hire, you run a background check to make sure that they are legitimate and their clients have had positive experiences with them.
In case you face any plumbing problem, please feel free to call Ace Plumbers. We have been serving the Gold Coast area for quite a while. No matter how big or small the issue, we will gladly help you dial our number!
