The Story Behind TrustDALE: An Interview With Dale Cardwell

The Story Behind TrustDALE: An Interview with Dale Cardwell on the 15th Anniversary

As we celebrate the 15th anniversary of TrustDALE, we wanted to take a moment to reflect on how it all began. People often ask Dale where he got the idea for TrustDALE.com, so we decided to sit down with him for a special interview and get the story straight from the source.

“So, Dale, tell us the TrustDALE story.”

Dale: The motivation for TrustDALE goes all the way back to my early childhood. I grew up as the little brother, and my big brother Bruce used to pick on me, as most older siblings do. Whenever I ran inside to ask my mom for help, her response was always the same: “Go back outside and play, or I’ll spank both of you!” It’s funny now, but at the time, it created a sense of frustration for me as an eight-year-old, a thirst for justice that has driven me throughout my life.

I can’t stand to see people get hurt, especially when they are intentionally taken advantage of. That passion for justice is what led me to become an investigative reporter. But there was a catch: journalism demanded that I remain impartial. While I could expose wrongdoing, I wasn’t in a position to actually fix the injustice.

For example, I broke stories that led to public officials like mayors and sheriffs being sent to prison. But when one of those sheriffs ordered the murder of his successor after losing the election because of my reporting, I realized I had to make a change. It wasn’t enough to just uncover the truth—I wanted to do more. That’s when I decided to flip the coin.

“Do you recall a seminal moment when everything came together?”

Dale: I wish I could say it was a brilliant marketing idea, but it was actually born out of frustration over a natural gas commercial that kept playing over and over. You know the kind—this one featured a mom in her kitchen, happily talking about saving $100 on her gas bill, with kids dancing around her feet.

First off, I hate when commercials get shoved down my throat like that. And secondly, I can’t stand small print, or what my friend and former WSB colleague Clark Howard calls “mice type.” So, one day, after seeing this ad for the ten-thousandth time, I froze the screen and read the fine print. What I discovered blew my mind.

The deal this company was offering required customers to commit to buying natural gas from them at their highest variable rate for two years, and only then would they slowly earn the $100 rebate—at a rate of $5 per month. As a longtime investigative reporter, I dug deeper and found out that by going with a lower-cost provider, like True Natural Gas on a fixed rate, customers would actually save hundreds of dollars over that same period. But no one was telling consumers that.

Right then and there, I decided I would tell that story. That moment was the beginning of TrustDALE.

“Gimmicks have been around forever. What gave you the confidence that you could spot scams and help others avoid them?”

Dale: My 25 years of investigative reporting gave me a valuable perspective on consumerism. I kept seeing the same patterns of people getting scammed or taken advantage of. For example, homeowners would hire contractors who gave them too-good-to-be-true promises just to secure their business, only to discover the company wasn’t insured, had fake reviews, or failed to deliver.

I realized I could create a system to prevent these pitfalls. That’s how I came up with the idea of an investigative checklist that vetted companies based on seven key standards. With that, I could eliminate 99.9% of the risks that lead to bad consumer outcomes. I even put it all in a book called Don’t Get Scammed, Get Smart: Seven Simple Steps to Becoming a Savvy Consumer.

But I didn’t stop there. I built a team dedicated to helping consumers who had been burned. I’m proud to say that through TrustDALE Investigates, we’ve recovered over $1.2 million in cash, goods, and services for consumers who had no hope of getting their money back.

One of the cases I’m proudest of is Joe Williams, a Vietnam veteran who was on the verge of losing his home because his lender kept rejecting his payments and adding late fees. Our investigation revealed that these tactics were intentional, and we helped save his home. The bank was later fined $2.5 million by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau for their practices.

Another notable case involved a locksmith scam that affected hundreds of people. It all started with an email from a mom whose son had been charged $350 for a service that was quoted at just $25. When he didn’t have the money, the locksmith made him drive to an ATM to get it. That sounded fishy, so we investigated. What we uncovered was horrifying: this company’s scams had led to a car chase that resulted in the deaths of two young girls. Our investigation helped shut that company down, and the Georgia Attorney General fined the owner $340,000.

“So, you invented a process. How did you turn that into a business?”

Dale: My years at WSB-TV and Radio gave me insight into the companies that were truly dependable. There were businesses I never had to investigate because they always delivered on their promises. I started by reaching out to 15 of those companies. I didn’t just pitch them a business idea—I felt like I was on a mission. I told them, “I know you offer a great product at a fair price, and you stand behind it. Now I want to tell your story.”

But here’s where the “secret sauce” comes in: I also asked these companies to sign an agreement that would put me in charge of resolving any consumer disputes. Ten out of the fifteen agreed without hesitation. They understood that in a marketplace full of competitors with deep pockets and misleading ads, TrustDALE’s transparency and integrity would set them apart.

The others, however, didn’t feel comfortable with the idea of someone else managing their customer service. And that was a huge insight for me—those companies were often the ones that would get into disputes with consumers over minor issues. The ones who signed on were humble, eager to listen, and saw a great opportunity to reach a larger audience.

“What happened next?”

Dale: I asked each company for $1,000 per month, and then I went to WSB and bought $10,000 worth of advertising each month to spread the message. My ads said:

“Need a plumber, roofer, or painter? You name it. I’m Consumer Investigator Dale Cardwell with TrustDALE.com. At my FREE research website, you’ll only find companies that meet my seven-point investigative standard and honor my $10,000 Make It Right Guarantee. So, whatever you need, you’ll find it for free, at TrustDALE.com.”

“That sounds pretty simple.”

Dale: It is simple. That’s the beauty of it. TrustDALE works because it’s based on researched, fact-based information, and we back every consumer experience with our Make It Right Guarantee. That’s why people trust us.

“Why would anyone shop anywhere else?”

Dale: Exactly! That’s the question I want everyone to ask themselves. Why take the risk when you can use TrustDALE and know that the companies you’re working with are vetted and guaranteed?

As we celebrate our 15th anniversary, I’m proud of how far we’ve come. And I’m excited about where we’re going. We’ve created a trusted platform that helps people make smart decisions and avoid getting scammed. That’s a legacy I’m proud of.