Beware of Pest Control Scammers

I tend to have a problem with most door-to-door salespeople. It doesn't matter how precious they are. Honestly, it doesn't even matter how just their cause is. All I know is, someone's ringing my doorbell after I just got my one-year old in bed and asleep. You know, as do they, most people tend to be home and most pliable in terms of their wallets around 8 o'clock; we've finished dinner, maybe had a cocktail and are either doing the dishes or watching TV. Some of these folks are legit. Some aren't. The following story angered me, but came as no real surprise.

Most of the neighborhood-trolling entrepreneurs in Utah are recruited from local schools, including  Brigham Young.  They tend to be eager and excited about the work; and why wouldn't they be? They're often promised six figures for a summer's work. It's not unlike Jihad extremism: Do this unpleasant thing for a while and a world of unearthly delights await you. OK, I've pushed the metaphor a bit again, but you get my drift. students are sometimes promised they will make upwards of $100,000 in a summer. But they need training to land your credit card number, and the people who train them are the sneakiest of sneakies. It's like persuasion 101. They learn to use your emotions against you, and they learn how to easily bypass your rejection. 

One of the latest scams that's found it's way into Utah sub-divisions is involves pest control services. Now, most pest control providers are on the up and up, but that's really the point isn't it. They're actual companies that offer a service and provide said surface upon your request. 

Now  these other guys aren't even really companies; they're fronts at best. At worst, they're guys waiting around the corner in a van.  They hire these junior grifters because of their fresh faces and willingness to work. They tend to be most successful with older people, for whatever reason. I've even had the same scammer come by my home twice in a matter of months. This is after I called him out. He acted concerned about my queries, and told he'd speak with local authorities (who he said he was registered with and the proof was in the laminate around his neck). I told him I'd also be talking with these authorities in a matter of moments, and that I wasn't impressed with his laminate. I know, I'm really cool and tough. He did disappear rather quickly though after our exchange -- in a mysterious navy-blue Nissan Quest. 

Now for the good news, there are a ton of whistle blower sites out there to help you sift through the chaff.   Pest Control Utah Reviews not only reviews legit pest control companies, but offers advice on how to get those pushy salespeople (genuine and fraudulent) off your doorstep.  The most valuable of which and easy to do is simply Googling the company. Pair the name with words such as scam and see what comes up. You can even tell the salesperson this policy. If he tries to dissuade you from doing this you're probably dealing with a scam.

But don't trust everything online. You could hit a review page full of glowing recommendations placed there by the scammer himself. ScamInformer and ComplaintsBoard are good sites to check for feedback on a  company. All that being said, the best way to deal with door-to-door salespeople is to look through the peep hole, if the person on your stoop has a clipboard, just don't answer. It's as simple as that.