How to avoid scams when hiring Cleaning Services in Nigeria

The demand for professional cleaning services in Nigeria has grown rapidly in recent years ranging from home and office cleaning to post-construction, deep cleaning and other cleaning. Unfortunately, this rising demand has also led to an increase in fraudulent or unprofessional cleaning providers who take advantage of unsuspecting clients.

In this blog post, we’ll show you how to avoid scams when hiring cleaning services in Nigeria, protect your money, and ensure you work only with legitimate, reliable companies.

Why Cleaning Service scams are common in Nigeria

We can attest to the fact that of recent cleaning service scams have been report. Nevertheless, it’s important to understand why cleaning service scams happen. Here ae some of the reasons:

  • Lack of regulation: The cleaning industry in Nigeria is largely informal. Many people start offering cleaning services without proper registration or training.
  • Online anonymity: Social media makes it easy for scammers to create fake profiles and collect payments without trace.
  • Desperation for affordable services: Many people go for the cheapest option without verifying authenticity.
  • Trust issues: Since cleaning involves access to homes and offices, dishonest individuals can misuse that access.

How to avoid scams when hiring Cleaning Services in Nigeria

1. Verify the Cleaning Company’s Identity

This is the first and most important step is to take before hiring a cleaning company. Verification may involve Check business registration, looking for a website, Google Business profile, or professional social media pages (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn), checking for reviews. A genuine company should have a verifiable phone number, office address, and email not just WhatsApp.

2. Never Pay in Full for services yet to be rendered

One of the most common cleaning service scams in Nigeria is collecting full payment before service, then disappearing. It is advisable that you deposit a percentage of the agreed amount usually 40-50%. Also bank transfers with proper receipts are safer than cash as this may save you later. Avoid sending money to personal accounts unless verified.

3. Check for portfolio

Before hiring, ask for photos, videos, or references from previous cleaning projects. A trustworthy cleaning company should be proud to showcase their work whether it’s home cleaning, office cleaning, post-construction, or fumigation services.

4. Verify their physical Address

Legal cleaning companies often operate from an identifiable location even if it’s a small office. So before hiring a cleaning service visit their office if possible to confirm they exist and check if the business name matches what’s on signage, receipts, or invoices.

5. Avoid extremely cheap prices

If the cleaning service quote sounds unbelievably cheap, that should raise a concern for you.  Scammers often lure people with very cheap prices just to get more people and get away with their money. For example a scammer may charge “₦5,000 full-house cleaning” only to disappear after collecting payment or deliver poor-quality service.

6. Read Online Reviews and Social Media Comments

Most cleaning companies advertise their services on Instagram, Facebook, or Google. Don’t just look at the pictures — read the comments and reviews. Check for repeated complaints which could be lateness, no-shows, damage, etc. Look for verified customer testimonials.

Red Flags to look out for

  1. If the cleaner refuses to share company details or uses only personal accounts without traceable contact information, walk away.
  2. If the Cleaning company refuses to issue receipts and contracts that include scope of work, cost, and service date.
  3. If the company use random addresses or stolen business names to look genuine online.
  4. If the company hides comments or turns off reviews

Finally, hiring a cleaning service should make your life easier. To be extra safe, book cleaning services through trusted platforms or registered companies like Edoproperty.com

You may want to read Top 7 Cleaning Services in Benin City

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