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Carpet Scams and Tricks

Every industry has them. And in the carpet industry, we have a lot of them - those "less than respectable" people selling the product. There are more than a few scams, tricks and deceptions that take place in this industry. There are probably many that we don't even know about. But we will make you aware of the ones we do know.

Bait and Switch

The carpet industry practically invented this one. If you haven't heard of this scam, you probably live on MARS. So for all of you aliens, here's how it works.

All carpet manufacturers have sample books or "deck boards" as they are referred to. These books may have one large carpet sample on the front, and all of the colors in smaller samples inside the book. Some books may have two, three or even four large samples on the front.

When there is more than one sample on the front of the book, each one is usually a different thickness or "quality". Usually these qualities differ only in thickness, and sometimes there is not much difference that you can see or feel. But there is always a difference in cost.

The scam is simple. Let's say a carpet sample book has three samples on the front - A, B and C. C is the thickest one. You are so excited about buying your new carpet that you don't thoroughly read the contract. What happened is, you picked out C. The salesman wrote B on the contract, but charged you for C. He was fully aware of what he was doing.

Or, he will write C on the contract, but send out B, gambling that you probably won't notice the difference.

It gets even worse when you add in the fact that many carpet retailers, including the biggest ones, private label the carpet styles, so it is impossible for you to shop the price or to really know exactly what you are getting. Ever try to shop the price of a mattress? If you have, then you know exactly what we are talking about.

Over Measuring

This is one of the most widely used scams in the carpet industry. The salesman measures the area to be carpeted. He shows you this big thick plush carpet and tells you he can give it to you for only $10.00 per square yard, installed over a padding so thick, you 'll be able to sell your bed and sleep on the floor.

He then tells you that you have 160 square yards, and the total job will cost you $1600, complete. You tell him you will get some other prices and you will get back to him. You go around shopping, only to find that all the carpets that resemble the carpet he's showed you are $15 or more per square yard, and you think he must be giving you a great deal!

In actuality, you only have 80 square yards. He's really charging you $20 per square yard.

We are exaggerating slightly. It's unlikely that someone would tell you that you have twice as many yards as you really do, but you get the general idea of how it works. In most cases, if you end up buying carpet from one of these crooks, they will not write the total quantity on the contract, so that if you ever discover their scam in the future, they can simply deny what they sold you. You can avoid this situation by simply getting two or three different people to measure the area or to find a measuring service and have them do it.

Shop around to compare prices and quality. In addition to the price of the carpet take into account the cost of padding and installation. To judge the quality of the carpet, examine the depth, thickness and density of the pile. Bend back a corner of the carpet and if the pile density is sparse, you'll see a lot of backing. This doesn't apply to shag rugs. Be wary of advertisements that offer fantastic bargains. Before signing a contract, review it carefully. Does it list the brand name, manufacturer's name, style, color and size of the carpet? It should also include the total square yard, the price per square yard and a full description of the padding as well as the total purchase price, including any installation and finance charges.

Buying Carpet It takes years to figure out what types of carpet are really good buys and which are junk. There are a lot of different carpet brand names to choose from. And although many of these brands are the same type and quality of carpet, they are all sold at different prices. Actually, many different carpet brands are the exact same carpet with different names. This is called private labeling. Most retailers enjoy this confusion because it helps them maintain their high profit margins. But this marketing ploy drives customers crazy. The days of being able to compare apples to apples are NOT gone! You can still go to a store, find a carpet, write down the name of the carpet mill and carpet style, and go to another store to compare prices. Some of the old names like Bigelow and Karastan are still around, but now Mohawk owns Karastan, and Bigelow is no longer a mill. Carpet One bought the Bigelow name and has it put on carpet made by other manufacturers.

Other Marketing Scams

The Fiber Face Weight Ripoff

This happens when a sales person tells you that a carpet has a face weight that is higher than it actually is. They know that if a customer wants to get an actual face weight measurement, that customer would have to spend at least $200 to have the carpet tested, and that is only if the customer could figure out how to go about having it tested. Unfortunately, it is common in the carpet industry for sales people to lie when they know you will probably never know the truth, so many sales people do not hesitate to lie about the specifications of their carpet in order to get a sale. It always amazes me that these people can routinely get away with lying, without any fear of legal action.

The Guaranteed Lowest Price Scam

Retailers who offer this guarantee can do so because they are private labeling the brand that is being guaranteed. That retailer is the only retailer that carries that brand of carpet, which is why they can not be undersold.

The No payments and no interest for one year Scam

Retailers use this gimmick to make you think you are getting free financing. In reality, the papers you sign when you buy the carpet are a loan agreement. The retailer pays the first year of interest on the loan with money generated by raising the price of the carpet. Then the retailer sells your loan to another company. I think you would be surprised by how much interest is actually paid (in the form of higher carpet prices). The interest rate is generally as high (or higher) than credit card interest rates.

If you are thinking about buying carpet, my first bit of advice is to get to know the person you will be buying from. The cheapest dealer is not always the best. You want to find someone whom you can trust and who understands carpet. Buying carpet should be a pleasant experience. Buying from someone who tries to sell you carpet that is not well suited to your needs will make it a miserable experience.

My second bit of advice is to do some research before you go to the carpet store. You will find a lot of useful information on this web site and sites that I have links to. So take the time to read through it. You are going to spend lots of money on your carpet. The more you know, the better off you will be.

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Here's A Few More Carpet Buying Tips