weird customer wants 15 10x14 area rugs cleaned

Got a weird text and it almost seems like a scam.

He said hes deaf so he can only text or email, then asks what the address to our cleaning shop is. I told him our business address but that we dont run a cleaning plant/shop and all cleanings are done on site at customers homes.

Then he says he needs 15 area rugs cleaned, all 10x14s. He says there is dog urine in most of them and needs it cleaned out and deodorized.

Next text message he says I will have my private delivery guy drop them off at your cleaning plant, I explain again that we only do on site cleanings at customers homes and that if the areas rugs have urine in them they will need to sit in a bath for a period of time.

He asks for my email so I give it to him.

He sends me an email asking for the address to our cleaning plant so he can have his private delivery guy drop off all 15 rugs to be cleaned, he then says when the rugs are dropped off I will pay for service by credit card if that works and when the cleaning is complete his private delivery guy will pick up the rugs from our cleaning plant and bring them to his new home in Washington. His number is from cali

3rd freaking time I calmly explain that again we do not run a cleaning plant and only clean on site, I refer him to D A Burns because they have urine and I dont want to deal with it


something smelled like a scam or other weird situation, the guy just could not get it through to his head that we dont have a cleaning plant..

Yup it's a scam!

But the real question is, did you suspect it was me?

15) 10'X14's should be a sign?....but could be a 2-3k job.

lol was it you?   ya would have been about 2500.00

but honestly the amount of time it would take me and not really being set up with an actual rug shop its just not worth the risk..     doesnt take long to clear that banging out wall to wall

Of course not, "wasn't me", I was only taking of advantage of the opportunity I saw, Like a good salesman.

When I read you said it was a CA number, I couldn't help but play along.

Honestly It does sound like a total scammer to me....10x14 is a very unusual size...and blind guys can't see dirt.

Another Nigerian scam. Was his name Dave Morgan?

Whats new about this scam is that they used my on line feature of my website.

Actually, it sounds like Google trying to establish if you are a brick and mortar business.

I bet if I went through with it the guy would pretend to set the whole thing up and then at the end come up with a reason why I need to pay his private delivery guy and then he will reimburse after delivery.

just a guess, but I can see him asking for like 250bucks for the "delivery guy" that he some how cant pay because hes in the hospital or out of the country.

then giving me info to some weird company name not in the us

Bingo! They say they can't pay the delivery guy for some reason, but they can pay you. Red Flag here! They ask if they can pay for your service and add the delivery fee into it so you can pay the delivery guy. They pay you with a stolen credit card that at first goes through and then gets denied later. You pay the delivery guy and you're out the money. I bet you have to pay the delivery up front to get the rugs delivered to be cleaned. Just a new twist on an old scam.

I really doubt there's any rugs at all.........I'd bet it's just a money scam. In Turkey I think they call this "The Giant Odd-Ball Sized Rug, Without the Rugs Scam"! :geek:

No one has 10 10x14 sized rugs! It's a real big odd size, and I can't see someone having 10 of them........I guess I'm the only one who see's this quantity/size thing as red flag numer1??..or I'm just a skeptic.

Yup, it's a scam, I used to get them a LOT last year and the year prior, always ignored them, after some time they get smarter, they use phone service for the deaf, so I told the lady employee that this is a scam and I politely told her I'm going to hang up now

There was like 10 red flags which is why I never gave him any info, especially when I told him 3 times we dont clean off site.

I dont like craigs list because ive had quite a few scammers that text or email saying they are deaf and they need your info. that they will send a driver to pick up the stuff your selling.

Davey Cracker wrote:

No one has 10 10x14 sized rugs!  It's a real big odd size

Here's a 12x15 the biggest one I've ever cleaned. I couldn't carry or flip this one over by myself

You couldn't flip it over by yourself ? You gotta start going to the gym Mo !

dp1 wrote:You couldn't flip it over by yourself ? You gotta start going to the gym Mo !

Not to exercise, but to hire someone who can lift it.

This rug is heavy

Just think how much lighter it will be when wet

Getting those dang things out of my garage tomorrow

I have a gravel driveway so cant imagine trying to clean rugs in the garage.. probably would get so much dust in them

a pretty big rug shop here closed down, their rent got too high wondering if theres a lot of rug business floating around

the only other big shop around is d a burns and they charge ridiculous prices, most peoples rugs are cheaper to buy new then have them clean it

The rug business is not a good one around here. I do maybe 3 per month in my garage and the rest at the customer's home.

There isn't enough volume to make it profitable in my area unless one specializes in only high-end rugs, but that takes a better operation than a garage pit to really do it right.

I always got very nervous cleaning rugs worth 5-10 grand in my garage. If something went wrong, can you imagine describing your operation in front of a judge when sued? "Yes sir, that is my wash pit next to the snow-blower and 400 feet of tangled extension cords."

That's why you have photo shop

For many cleaners, the only shop they have is photo shop.

Since this thread is already been hijacked, I'm going to hijack it even more, lol.
Mo, when are you going to be in Cali, Tony said that someone is waiting for you at the avocado juice joint