Dale Cardwell, TrustDALE, on Consumer Fraud Prevention and Choosing Trustworthy Service Providers (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 931)
On this episode of North Fulton Business Radio, host John Ray welcomes Dale Cardwell, consumer investigator and founder of TrustDALE. Dale moved to Atlanta in 1996 to work as Clark Howard’s producer at WSB-TV Channel 2, where he spent three years helping consumers who had been taken advantage of. Frustrated by only exposing problems after the fact, Dale created TrustDALE in 2009 to prevent consumer fraud before it happens. The company certifies home service providers using a seven-point standard and backs each certified company with a $10,000 guarantee.
Dale shares his FAST FUNDS FOUND DEAL acronym to help consumers identify potential scams based on emotional triggers rather than trying to recognize constantly evolving fraud tactics. He explains how TrustDALE serves as a purchasing resource rather than a shopping site, with 28% of visitors contacting certified companies while on the site, compared to typical conversion rates of 1.5–2% for commerce websites. Dale has helped serve approximately 2.5 million North Georgians and recovered $1.6 million for consumers who hired non-certified companies.
John Ray is the host of North Fulton Business Radio. The show is produced by John Ray and North Fulton Business Radio, LLC, an affiliate of Business RadioX®, and is recorded inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.
Key Takeaways from This Episode
- Dale Cardwell created TrustDALE after seeing the same six consumer fraud patterns repeatedly while working as Clark Howard’s producer at Channel 2
- The FAST FUNDS FOUND DEAL acronym helps consumers identify potential scams based on emotional red flags: urgency to pay, promises too good to be true, and difficulty finding the business
- TrustDALE certifies home service companies using a seven-point standard backed by a $10,000 guarantee, with 28% of website visitors becoming leads compared to typical 1.5-2% conversion rates
- Over 16 years, TrustDALE has served approximately 2.5 million North Georgians and recovered $1.6 million for consumers defrauded by non-certified companies
Topics Discussed in this Episode
00:20 John Ray introduces the show and guest Dale Cardwell
02:09 Dale Cardwell discusses his background as Clark Howard’s producer at Channel 2, WSB Atlanta
03:08 The six common problems consumers face when hiring home service providers
03:29 Creating the seven-point certification standard and $10,000 guarantee in 2009
04:28 Why there is no consumer police to help victims of fraud
06:43 Introduction to the FAST FUNDS FOUND DEAL acronym for identifying scams
08:08 The DEAL acronym: Documentation, Endorsement, Authority, and Litigation
11:27 How to verify company credentials including insurance and business licenses
14:43 Checking online reviews and distinguishing real reviews from fake ones
17:46 The difference between Better Business Bureau ratings and TrustDALE certification
20:56 How TrustDALE prevents problems rather than just reporting them
25:16 How companies pay for TrustDALE endorsement and the value proposition
26:01 Success stories showing 28% conversion rate versus typical 1.5-2% rates
27:46 How to use TrustDALE.com and register purchases for the guarantee
29:07 Importance of contacting companies directly through the TrustDALE website
Dale Cardwell, TrustDALE
Dale Cardwell is a six-time Emmy Award-winning journalist, consumer fraud investigator, and founder of TrustDALE.
His career began at WKAG in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, and included prominent investigative roles at CBS affiliates in Birmingham, Alabama; WRAL-TV in Raleigh; and WSMV-TV in Nashville. In 1996, Dale joined WSB-TV in Atlanta, the number one station in the nation’s ninth-largest television market, where he teamed up with consumer advocate Clark Howard. Together they formed one of the nation’s most successful consumer reporting teams. Dale’s investigative work saved Georgians tens of millions of dollars and led to the jailing of some of Atlanta’s most notorious politicians.
In 2009, Dale founded TrustDALE, a free online research and referral site that certifies companies based on a seven-point investigative standard developed from over 30 years of analyzing how consumers get defrauded. Dale also hosts Inside Investigations, a weekly program airing in over 100 television markets across the country.
He and his wife, Angie, a hospice nurse, have raised two grown children and make their home in DeKalb County, Georgia.
TrustDALE
TrustDALE is a consumer protection service founded in 2009 by six-time Emmy Award-winning consumer investigator Dale Cardwell. The company connects consumers with certified, high-quality home service companies through a transparent seven-point investigative process.
TrustDALE certifies service providers in categories including plumbing, electrical, HVAC, roofing, tree services, and many others. Every certified company signs an agreement placing Dale in charge of resolving disputes through the $10,000 Make It Right Guarantee for home services and the $25,000 Make It Right Guarantee for commercial services.
The platform operates as a purchasing resource rather than a shopping site, achieving a 28% conversion rate compared to typical commerce website rates of 1.5-2%.
Since its founding, TrustDALE has expanded from Atlanta to Tampa, Dallas-Fort Worth, Nashville, Birmingham, and now serves consumers nationwide. The company has helped approximately 2.5 million consumers make informed decisions and has recovered $1.6 million for consumers defrauded by non-certified companies.
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Renasant Bank supports North Fulton Business Radio
Renasant Bank has humble roots, having started in 1904 as a $100,000 bank located in a Lee County, Mississippi, bakery. Since then, Renasant has grown into one of the Southeast’s strongest financial institutions, boasting over $26 billion in assets and more than 280 offices offering banking, lending, wealth management, and financial services throughout the region. All of Renasant’s success stems from the commitment of each banker to invest in the communities they serve, which in turn helps them better understand the people they serve. At Renasant Bank, their banking professionals understand you because they work and live alongside you every day.
Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram | X (Twitter) | YouTube
Beyond Computer Solutions supports North Fulton Business Radio
Whether you’re a law firm, medical practice, or manufacturer, there’s one headline you don’t want to make: “Local Business Pays Thousands in Ransom After Cyberattack.” That’s where Beyond Computer Solutions comes in. They help organizations like yours stay out of the news and in business with managed IT and cybersecurity services designed for industries where compliance and reputation matter most.
Whether they serve as your complete IT department or simply support your internal team, they are well-versed in HIPAA, secure document access, written security policies, and other essential aspects that ensure your safety and well-being. Best of all, it starts with a complimentary security assessment.
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About North Fulton Business Radio and host John Ray
With over 900 episodes and having featured over 1,400 guests, North Fulton Business Radio is the longest-running podcast in the North Fulton area, covering business in our community like no one else. We are the undisputed “Voice of Business” in North Fulton!
The show invites a diverse range of business, non-profit, and community leaders to share their significant contributions to their respective markets, communities, and professions. There is no discrimination based on company size, and there is never any “pay to play.” North Fulton Business Radio supports and celebrates businesses by sharing positive stories that traditional media ignore. Some media lean left. Some media lean right. We lean business.
John Ray is the host of North Fulton Business Radio. John and the team at North Fulton Business Radio, LLC, an affiliate of Business RadioX®, produce the show, which is recorded inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.
The studio is located at 275 South Main Street, Alpharetta, GA 30009.
You can find the entire archive of shows by following this link. The show is accessible on all major podcast apps, such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, Amazon, iHeart Radio, and many others.
John Ray also operates his own business advisory practice. John’s services include advising solopreneurs and small professional services firms on their value, their positioning and business development, and their pricing. His clients are professionals who are selling their expertise, such as consultants, coaches, attorneys, CPAs, accountants, bookkeepers, marketing professionals, and other professional services practitioners.
John is the author of the five-star rated book The Generosity Mindset: A Journey to Business Success by Raising Your Confidence, Value, and Prices, praised by readers for its practical insights on raising confidence, value, and prices.
