The phone has been ringing off the hook with confused people on the other end of the line. Evidently, there are a few "alleged" companies calling home owners stating that they are in the area and are running a special on chimney sweeping. Now, that's a fairly common approach to acquiring new customers; however, what's going on here is that when the victims of these scammers book an appointment, disappointment is the least of their concern.
"As the truck pulled up, I noticed no company lettering, it was beat up pretty bad, and the guy had to borrow my ladder to get onto my roof." A recent customer stated who had called us furious that he had to deal with these scammers. "That guy got up on my roof for 3 minutes and said that he couldn't even sweep the chimney because it was so bad." "You need a liner, buddy!" the contractor said to him, "I can install it today for $1400 bucks, otherwise it could be more to book another appointment, we're only in your area a short time." This is just an example of one of the calls we've received from angry Massachusetts residents.
I felt bad for this home owner and you should know the following:
- Responsible chimney service companies will be installing a lining system into your chimney flue, not a "liner". That's only part of the system. You should know that even though it is common "short hand talk" to say "you need a liner", be advised that it's ok to ask about the specific system they will be installing. Ask about the parts, what they'll need. If they don't know, then they may not be the right option to do the work.
- If it's too bad to sweep, then it's too bad to install a lining system. Are you serious REALLY!!! They're kind of heavy! Any chimney that can't hold a lining system probably needs to be rebuilt first.
- Rarely does a lining system install the same day! We've done it a few times out of luck because the customer was close and we had material in our warehouse to cover the proper installation of their lining system. Some questions to ask:
- Did they measure anything?
- If this is a fireplace, how are they addressing the multitude of draft issues that may/could arise from an improperly configured lining system?
- How is it they have all the parts for a chimney's lining system in a state where they don't usually do business? hmmm, sounds amazing to me! How do they do that?
Certified Chimney sweeps are expert in the proper venting of harmful and deadly gases that are produced from your home's heating system, fireplace, woodstove, and other appliances that use a chimney. Do you want just anybody changing the configuration of your heating system? Your chimney sweep should be a member of your heating system technician's organizations too don't you think? It's helpful when the two experts who manage a rather important factor in your home's comfort maintain some dialogue and record of service.
Imagine if automobile manufacturers never really understood or realized the complexity of properly venting the exhaust from their engines? Ask your oil or gas technician if they've heard of your chimney sweep company and if they have an open dialogue regarding their customers.
Get the facts and hire only CSIA and NFI certified chimney sweeps. An article posted in the New York Times (google keywords: New York Times Chimney Scam) reported a quote from the Chimney Safety Institute of America representative, Mellissa Heeke stating: "We encourage people not to fall for a super-low price," she said, adding that no legitimate chimney cleaning would cost $25 or $30; they usually cost up to $300." And, there could even be additional charges that your sweep will not know about until he completes his inspection. Any first time in to inspect a chimney could possibly incur charges to remove obstructions, install clean out doors, caps, etc. What you should be paying for is a thorough inspection of your chimney AND its flues. The company should include sweeping to facilitate a thorough inspection.
We hope this post reaches everyone in Massachusetts. Don't be scammed, these times can be challenging enough and we hope you have found this article helpful. Feel free to share any experience you have had with a potential scammer. Cheers!