Insurance company sucks

[bmas]

I have been cleaning carpets for 25 years and have never had a claim. I have a customer that has a white carpet that was very dirty. I cleaned it and it came out pretty good a week later she calls and says thier are brown spots. I go back and use an acid wash but the browning keeps coming back. Three more times I go back with no success, I have never had this happen to me. I don't know if it is from a previous cleaner or if I somehow ruined her rug. I told her I would call my insurance. They send me a letter saying that they feel that the customer is unhappy with the job and they will not cover it so if she wants, I have to pay for a new rug. The customer never told them I ruined her rug. I want them to send an inpecter out to look at it but they don't think they will pay for that. If I did something to the rug to ruin it they would cover it but because they feel the customer is just unhappy with my work they won't. What a scam, $1400 a year for insurance and the one time I put in a claim this is the response. By the way the company is Vermont Mutual. I can't believe I try to do the right thing and I am going to have to pay for a new carpet with no help from a company I have been paying for 25 years.
Sorry, I just have to vent
Brad Mastrangelo

 

[bmas]

Alot of the carpet is brown, not all of it but alot

 

[sweendogg]

I would not do anything until an inspector has inspected her carpet.. even if you have to pay for the inspection. But it sounds like you where both fair and honest in the service you have provided. Just because she has extreme soil and carpet that may not clean up well anymore because she neglected to maintain it does not make you liable for her spots. The soil belongs to her. Do not feel obligated to replace the carpet simply because you cannot remove the spots. I know we would love to see some photos of the spots to help you out if possible. But it really sounds like an inspector is needed here. If every worn out carpet that didn't clean up became the repsoncibility of the carpet cleaner to replace at their cost, we would all be out of business. Dont' give up till you have exhausted every avenue.

 

[John Watson]

How old of carpet??? Is it a jute backed, jute will bleed with age and alkalinity and acidity. If that is the case, An absorbant powder will work wonders, one of the times I recomend capture over all if the browning is through out.


Insurance companies call it negligence, and sorry they are usaly correct when it comes to cleaning, Now if your pressure line sprung a leak and damaged the raw cedar planked wall and swelled the particle board in the subfloor and there was an old red piece of flannal left under the carpet and it bled, yeah, it would probally be covered. .

 

[Greg Loe]

Slow down, take a deep breath, relax. Time is on your side. Take you time and do a full investigation. Ask for local help from another cleaner. Test some areas instead of cleaning the whole thing.

Best of luck to you

 

[Dolly Llama]

I have been cleaning carpets for 25 years and have never had a claim. I have a customer that has a white carpet that was very dirty. I cleaned it and it came out pretty good a week later she calls and says thier are brown spots. I go back and use an acid wash but the browning keeps coming back.
Brad Mastrangelo

what kind of carpet? (besides "white")
and if i understand you correctly, you get them out but they return some time later??

do they return immediately after drying or a days/weeks later?


..L.T.A.

 

[Farenheit251]

With as much experience as you have I am doubting that it was your fault.
If you do pay I would be talking to her about depreciated value. She deserves to be brought back to where she was before you cleaned. I would explain that 7 years is average life of a carpet and start the negotiation there. If the carpet is 3.5 years old I would pay for half. I am not saying to be a jerk and try to short them. But to pay for brand new carpet is very generous.

I was quoted $100 per $1000 of coverage on care,custody and control. At that rate it was just cheaper to self insure.

 

[bmas]

Thanks for all your imput guys. I am going to try to encap in a few days. I have to say the customer has been very nice thruout this whole ordeal. The last time I cleaned it the browning or wicking just stayed. The coment obout the Jute Pad has made me think this also could be the problem. I will try to get some pics and post them. As for the insurance company they don't even want an inspecter to go out unless i pay for it (wich I will if encap does not work). Thanks again for you help and I will let you know what happens. And by the way, as you said, i will not pay for the whole carpet. If it comes to this i will pro rate it and go from thier. ( I mean i try to be as nice a guy as i can but am not a moron.)
Brad