Junk removal is a booming business in Los Angeles. Grab a pick up truck and some help down at the Home Depot, and BOOM! you’ve got yourself a junk removal company. But unfortunately not all junk removal companies are on the up and up. A popular tactic among some junk removal companies in Los Angeles is to bait and switch. You’ll be quoted one price and then they will find some reason to increase the price.

Junk removal companies do this with the full expectation that you will pay it and do nothing. Avoid the junk removal bait and switch with some of these helpful tips.

Tip #1: Avoid companies that do phone estimates.

A popular tactic among junk removal companies in Los Angeles is to offer a phone estimate. Of course, this estimate will be lower than the actual cost of the junk removal. Avoid phone estimates. If you need an estimate for a junk removal, get one in person.

Tip #2: Don’t Fall for High Pressure Threats

Another common tactic among junk removal companies in Los Angeles is the tired old threat of “Pay us … or ELSE!” This scam goes something like this… A junk removal company in Los Angeles will come, load up your junk, and then demand more money than the quoted price. And if you refuse to pay that price they will unload your junk and drive away. Amazingly enough people frequently cave when faced with this threat.

Don’t fall for it and don’t be flustered by their bluster. If a junk removal service threatens to unload your junk and leave empty handed, let them. That junk removal company is the one choosing to lose time and money by running a silly scam. So call their bluff and let them spend another unpaid hour unloading the truck. Most of the time they’ll back down and take away your junk for the price quoted.

Tip #3: Remember You Have a Voice

If you’ve fallen prey to a bait and switch don’t just shrug and move on. Speak out. The world has gotten much smaller thanks to the internet. We’re all connected. If you’ve been bait and switched by a junk removal company in Los Angeles use review sites like Yelp and Angie’s List to let everyone between Pasadena and Provence France know about it. Also call the Better Business Bureau of Los Angeles to complain. BBB complaints are taken seriously by businesses and the court system. The worst thing you can do is to remain silent.

The key to not getting hustled by a junk removal company is to know your rights and stand firm. Remember the customer is mostly always right.

Recycling … There are several charitable organizations and environmental organizations that can help you recycle large office equipment like copiers and printers. Some charge a fee, others do everything for free. Most private hauling services in Los Angeles recycle as well, but they generally charge to haul away copiers and printers.

Hauling Service … A hauling service in Los Angeles hauls away your office equipment for a fee. Typically they’ll charge you a single item pick up rate. A hauling service will then try to recycle your office machines or if they cannot be recycle they dispose of them properly.

City of Los Angeles Bulky Item Pick Up … The city of Los Angeles has its own bulky item pick up service. However due to statewide and citywide budget cuts these bulky item picks up can be erratic and take time. Up to three weeks to arrange a bulky item pick up.

You can also check with your copier machine vendor to see if they have a buy back or return program for their copiers.