Watch out for unathorized pressure-tactic up-selling on carpet cleaning services:
I arranged for carpet cleaning of my home over the phone with Sears Carpet Cleaning Edmonton while I was away on business, providing my credit card number for the arranged value of $115 to cover four rooms in my house. I left my cell number, and the number of my tenant, whom they needed to contact to gain access to the house.
Once inside, the technician convinced my tenant that our carpets needed a host of extra services to get the carpet perfectly clean, and scotchguarding for future issues, etc. NONE of which are needed because I already have a deposit down on new carpeting.
My younger, impressionable tenant naively believed the techdnician's up-selling pitch and said yes, we should do the services, without having my authorization for the services to my house. Only AFTER the extra services - totalling almost $400 - were complete did the technician leave an actual message on my cell phone to tell me the final tally.
I called back and told the technicians I refused to accept the charges for the extra unnecessary and unathorized services, so he told the tenant that SHE is responsible to pay for the extras. She is young, not assertive, and felt horrible about the situation. He put her in an extremely awkward and difficult position. She ended up paying him nearly $400.
When I called a couple days later to discuss with the technician's manager, the manager was unapologetic -RUDE, in fact - and did not see any issue with having unauthorized work done because they charged the person - a mere tenant - who had been talked into the service and not my credit card. He refused to send me any policies in writing that outlined how they obtain authorization, and refused to see how the person who ORDERED the service - ME, the home owner - is the only one who is able to authorize work to my home.
Only upon further hostile discussions did this manager reveal that
during the service call, the technician himself had even called his boss - this same manager - about the fact he hadn't gotten my authorization. So, obviously even the technician recognized he should not proceed without MY say-so. This manager said to proceed on the tenant's word and charge the tenant if I refused.

This is unacceptable that I can personally call and order a service from a reputable company, that MY NAME, NUMBER and CREDIT CARD are on the order form, and yet the technician proceeds with the upcharged servicing. If they don't have authority from the home-owner to do the service, they should not proceed.
It would be like taking my car in for an oil change and the service station getting my co-worker to authorize replacing the thermostat and brakes because I didn't pick up my phone.
This is unacceptable behaviour as a business, and should prompt the organization to re-examine its policy on services and authorization.
I will NEVER be using these people again. And I will take great pains to ensure others I encouter hear of their bad business practices.