We recently came across an article about the police and mayor of Belleville, New Jersey, warning residents about door-to-door water testing scammers.
Detectives posing as homeowners said that a woman tried to tell them that they would need a filter system for every faucet in the house and that it would cost them around $12,000. They also observed that the salespeople were very aggressive and were claiming to work for the township or the state.
Belleville is one of the many towns in New Jersey that have experience lead in their drinking water.
We decided to do some research about door-to-door water testing scams and here is what we found:
The Many Ways of a Scammer:
- Beware of the different ways you can be scammed:
- Door-to-Door: Salesman telling you that they will test your water for you. If they are being pushy about testing your water, claiming to work for the government or do not have a permit, these are all signs of scams.
- Tablets or Droplet Tests: Some representatives may add tablets or drops to your water and tell you that if it changes color, it’s contaminated. The truth is, they could be adding anything to the water to get you to buy their water treatment system.
- By mail or by phone: A company might not even come to your home or ask to test your water. They may send you a test tube that you must send in and then they might call you and offer you a water purifier as part of a larger promotion.
Avoid FREE Home Water Tests:
- Not all companies offer legitimate water tests. If a company is advertising a “free home water test” the truth is they might be trying to sell you an expensive water system whether you need it or not.
- The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) warns people to avoid “free” in-home water tests.
Disregard Government, Water Quality Association Claims and/or EPA Registration:
- If a company claims to be working for the government (state or local) this is a sales tactic. The government does not endorse water tests or water treatment products.
- If you see an Environmental Protection Agency registration number, this does not mean that it has been tested or approved by the EPA.
- In 2017, the Water Quality Association (WQA) put out a statement calling out scammers who were claiming to work for them. “The Water Quality Association does not solicit door-to-door period.”
How to avoid Door-To-Door Water Test Scams
Make sure that you are not scammed by door-to-door water testers:
- Do not let salespeople inside your home.
- If they are attempting to solicit you for something, they must have permits and be easily identifiable.
- If you suspect a salesperson does not have a sales permit, is using deception or strong sales tactics, or makes you feel uncomfortable, please contact the authorities.
Safe water test done in your home:
- Order an at-home water test kit here.
- Have your water tested by a state-certified lab (WQA recommendation)
- You can search for Information for Certification Programs and Certified Laboratories for Drinking Water here.
- Water treatment products that have been third-party certified (WQA recommendation)
- You can search for WQA-Certified Treatment Products here.
We hope that this blog post helps you identify door-to-door water testing scams and ways you can avoid them.
Have you been a victim of a door-to-door water test? How did you know it was a scam?
Brandon says
We appreciate you sharing with us Neshia! We’re glad to hear you didn’t share any vital information. It’s important to be careful about door-to-door scammers.
Homeowner says
I just had a water company testing associate come to my door in Hubert NC about a week ago. I thought it odd that they came to my door when I just moved in to a home I purchased and have had this home inspected up and down prior to move in. They also only stopped by my home and no one else’s. We have a no soliciting private community. Anyways they came to the door asked for a sample I should have asked for a badge or something. Their whole spill she had to read off was off her clip board like she forgot her reasoning for being here. A couple days later I get a call from a number not tied to the local area at all he spoke really fast telling me there were high concentrations of chlorine and would like to schedule to come into my home that day or the next. He was asking me how many people lived there it was very odd. I didn’t give him any information nor did I schedule the follow up and he hung up.
Katie says
Cesar,
Thank you for sharing your experience! We’re so glad that you took the time to investigate this. We all must be careful when things like this.
Cesar says
Today a couple of people will arrive at 7 pm saying that they would make an appointment for me to come into my house to check the water, all very suspicious, they gave me a card from the Water Quality Association company, and I began to investigate about it. said company which warns that it does not have any door-to-door or telephone service this happened in allentown Pennsylvania I hope that people are alert with any method of aggressive sale of products that are not necessary
Katie says
Torroell,
We are sorry to hear that you and your wife were victims of this type of scam. Thank you for sharing a link to the blog detailing your experience.
Katie says
Daisy,
WOW! Thank you for sharing your experience with us. We are so sorry to hear that happened to you. We are so glad to hear that you sought help to figure out what was going on. You probably saved many more people from making a very expensive mistake. Thank you for taking action!
Daisy says
I had this occur to me here in northern Virginia just last night (March 20,2020). The salesperson was a Hispanic woman in her mid 20’s carrying an iPad in which she used to showcase me a list of new homeowner’s names and addresses within the area. She explained that due to my last name being Hispanic, her company determined to send her under the assumption that I would need a Spanish speaker. She proceeded to ask many personal questions. I called my neighbor to research her legitimacy. After my neighbor called the police, we discovered the woman was driving a vehicle registered under a man’s name. Additionally, she stated she lived in Germantown, MD which is approximately 40 miles away. The police came, discovered her company had but merely a website and asked her to leave. Never allow these people in your home. Aside from trying to sell you something, you never know what information they are trying to gather from you.
Katie says
Fred,
Thank you so much for reading our blog. We are happy to hear that you learned something from it. Thank you for being a customer and for being the best part of the FiltersFast.com Family! We appreciate you!
Katie says
Rich,
Thank you so much for reading our blog. We cannot believe that this happened in Belleville recently and that it is starting to happen in other places too. Thank you so much for your service!
Fred says
I did not relaize this was a thing. Glad you brought it to my attention. I love your company by the way, and will continue to be a loyal customer. Fred
Rich says
Very true story I just retired from Belleville Police Department in NJ.