Century Manufacturing Corporation Charges for "Free" Sample, Attempts UPS Delivery Scam, Useless Product Massapequa New York

These guys run a variety of scams that, unfortunately, I didn't recognize until I got a little suspicous and starting poking around online for other reports of their activities.

The situation started when I got a call from one of their sales reps asking if I needed root killer/de-greaser for my property--I'm a property manager. As it happened, I did need it, and had mentioned this to two different plumbers who'd been on site, so my assumption was that one of them had passed my name onto to the company and they were just following up--but we all know what happens when we a*s-u-me.

Anyway, the sales rep tells me I'll be sent a free sample, that if I don't like it I can return it for no charge. And if I like it, I'll get the invoice several months in the future. When the product arrived, I used it immediately, adding it to a problem-area within my sewer system. But of course it takes months to know if root killer works or doesn't. A few days later, one of my units had a backed-up kitchen sink. When I used the product, nothing happened. Zero. I ended up buying some Draino and it worked immediately. A day or so later, I get the invoice for my "free" sample. It's not dated several months in the future--it's Net-30 just like a normal invoice. This is when I start poking around on the internet.

Sure enough, there are literally hundreds of complaints against these guys, mostly on the Better Business Bureau sites. Apparently, they go after fire departments as well, selling them products that don't work. Another scam they perpetrate is to call you after you've received your product and ask if you noticed it was "half full." When you say yes (because they shipped it half full), they tell you they're sorry, some of it leaked out in transit, and they send you a "replacement" container free of charge. Then they bill you for that too.

Sure enough, today I get the call asking if I noticed my container was "half full" when it arrived. (First thought, how the hell does the sales rep sitting in an office several states away know that my container arrived "half full"? If the container had a leak, why wouldn't it arrive "empty"? Depending on the location and size of the hole in the container and how it sat during transit, maybe it wouldn't leak at all? Anyway....) Having read the plethora of reports on the internet, I was ready. I told the guy I was reporting him to my attorney general and he couldn't get off the phone fast enough.

Moral of the story: these guys are vile. Don't be fooled. If they call you, report them immediately--BBB, Attorney General, Consumer Fraud Department, whoever. The more the better. And if something is shipped to you from them, DON'T SIGN FOR IT. Tell the delivery driver you didn't order it and shut the door--you'll save yourself a bunch of trouble. Peace!