DR Francis Plumbing & Heating - BEWARE door to door hot water tank salesmen

Francis Plumbing & Heating

Ottawa's Home Comfort Specialist
(613) 224-0041

www.FrancisPlumbing.com

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BEWARE Door to door hot water tank salesmen

You could be the victim of the next scam!

The latest trend in hot water tank sales is the door to door salesman who offers to replace your rental hot water tank with a more energy efficient hot water tank.

On the surface this may seem like a good idea but there are some things you need to know BEFORE letting any salesperson in your home.

Here are just a few of the tactics some of the more unscrupulous companies are using to get you to buy from them:

1) Claiming they are from your hot water rental company

If someone makes this claim you should already be sceptical. The utility companies & their subsidiaries DO NOT send technicians without a previous appointment (it costs them money to send someone to see you).

If you are unsure if you have an appointment simply check their ID write down their name and their employee number then make them wait outside your door (never let them in your home until you have confirmed that they are who they say they are).

Do NOT call the phone number they give you for their head office instead get YOUR utility bill and call the number listed there for your hot water tank. Verify that they indeed sent this technician to assess your hot water tank.

If they are not from your rental company call the police immediately - this is illegal fraudulent misrepresentation to gain entry into your home.

2) If they tell you that you HAVE to change your hot water tank but don't worry there is no charge for the service, simply sign this new agreement...

This is a scam – call the police.

A working hot water tank doesn't need changing and your rental company certainly wouldn't replace a working hot water tank. Don't forget the longer your old hot water tank lasts the more money your rental company makes from you. They want you to keep your old rental tank as long as possible.

3) If they try to get you to sign a contract telling you that you can always cancel it later if you change your mind…

NEVER sign a contract the same day someone tries to sell you something. Instead collect the information they are providing and ask for an unsigned copy of the contract so that you can review it before making a final decision. Be sure to also ask for a copy of the terms and conditions (often times these are not listed anywhere on the documents simply implied by an astrix).

If they are not going to leave you a copy of the contract odds are they don’t want you reading it.

If they can’t provide the terms and conditions odds are they don’t want you reading it.

Legitimate businesses will give you time to review their offer so that you can make an informed decision. They want your business but they also want your customer satisfaction which is the foundation of any successful business.

If a company is pushing you to make an immediate decision without giving you time to think about it you can rest assured that the only one getting a deal is the salesman NOT the customer.

To avoid becoming another victim of a scam it’s vital that you read the fine print

These contracts are never easy to read or straight forward so you do have to invest some time into reading them. Read each sentence one line at a time then think about how that sentence can be interpreted. A legitimate business isn’t going to have a 12 page terms and conditions; they will keep it simple and straight forward without all the clauses that get them out of providing services while trapping you into a contract for life.

If you want to see examples where people have really gotten trapped unknowingly into contracts simply go to Google and type in “direct energy” – the first drop down suggestion from Google is “direct energy scam” with over a million websites. Of those million plus websites most of the complaints are from customers who were trapped in contracts that followed them no matter where they lived in Canada. They kept paying even when they no longer owned that specific home.

Don’t become another victim of a contract – it’s painful sitting and reading every line but it is so worth it in the long run.

Call your current hot water tank provider

Sometimes they can offer to meet or exceed the offer given to you by the door to door hot water tank salesman. Other times they can’t. But either way you should find out what kind of penalties they have for getting out of your contract with them including fees for picking up the old hot water tank and closing the account fees.

Nothing in life is free – these additional costs may make the deal offered by the door to door hot water tank salesman not such a great deal after all.

Do your homework

Don’t take anything the salesperson says or any written materials (no matter how professional looking) as fact. Do your homework:

· Research the company to see if they are legitimate

· Check with the Better Business Bureau to see if there are any complaints against the company (you don’t want to become another complaint if they already have a long list of unhappy customers)

· Research the product – warranties, installation, parts availability locally, etc.

· Call around to see if another company can give you a better deal

o NOTE: if no one can match the deal they are offering then odds are there is something wrong with the deal in the first place.

· Get their offer in writing – a verbal agreement is not legally binding if you cannot prove it. Always get their offer in writing especially if they promise you extras. The extras disappear quickly if they are not documented with the salesmen’s signature.

There are many legitimate companies offering new water heating solutions but they don’t usually show up at your door unless you have called them for an appointment.

Have more questions?

We can answer your water heating questions by calling 613-224-0041

As new information becomes available I will be sharing it with you right here at D.R. Francis Plumbing & Heating www.FrancisPlumbing.com

Be sure to look for the community notices for additional safety warnings & public water concerns for Ottawa Ontario including Kanata, Barrhaven, Nepean, Gloucester, Stittsville, Carp, Glebe, Manotick, Bells Corners, and the other areas of the Ottawa Region.

If you have any questions about plumbing, hiring a plumber, water safety, hot water tanks, radiant floor heating, boilers, water purification, drinking water, tankless hot water systems or any other water related question please feel free to email me through our “contact us” page on our website. I look forward to hearing from you!

Written by Kay Kinder ©copywrite February 2010

About the author:

Kay Kinder is a freelance writer & advocate for online consumer awareness.

Note from the author:

I have been actively involved in the home improvement industry for decades and have seen many changes over the last few years especially with the big box stores bringing in new merchandise that doesn't meet our specific construction codes in Ontario.

In particular some plumbing and heating products are actually illegal for licensed plumbers and gas technicians to install in Ontario. What is good for the US may not be good in our unique Canadian climate and the stricter rules of construction that apply to Ontario plumbing, heating, construction, and the overall home improvement industry.

I'm also passionate about consumer awareness as I have been ripped off enough times over the years to make anyone scream! One mistake can end up costing thousands in costly repairs later in order to get your home back up to code. I believe that if we educate consumers we arm them with the tools they need to make educated decisions while putting companies back into the business of providing reliable service not just selling any merchandise (legal or not).

I'm passionate about many things in life - family, faith, global health concerns, environmental concerns, natural healthy living, and the quality of life we leave behind for our children.