Watch out for summer-time con artists
Spring is just around the corner and so are con artists who prey on homeowners, especially senior citizens. These con artists show up at your door offering a variety of products and services from household cleaners to magazines, from tree trimming to roof repair.
Some may offer to pave your driveway with leftover materials from a pervious job, mow your lawn, or remodel your home for a very low price. Oftentimes, these fly-by-night operators may drive vehicles with out-of-state license plates, or set up temporary offices from which they can move quickly once authorities start looking for them.
Before you pay money to anyone who uses this type of approach, and especially before you allow any unknown individual into your home, the Better Business Bureau suggests you do the following:
• Obtain the name and address of the company that person allegedly represents. If the person does not represent a known business and the circumstances suggest an itinerant contractor or sales representative, ask for references and contact each one.
• Get all details of the offer in writing and carefully review it. Make sure you understand everything in the contract. Any verbal promises should be included in the contract.
• Make sure the salesperson has provided you with the proper “notice of cancellation” form as required under the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC’s) “Three Day Cooling Off Rule” for contracts signed in the home.
• Verify the contractor is properly licensed, bonded and insured.
• Determine how long the company has been in business and call your Better Business Bureau to determine the firm’s customer experience record.
• If you have checked references and the company’s reputation, and you decide to hire the company, make the check payable to the company and not to the salesperson or other individual’s name. Do not pay in cash.
Lisa Higgins with Higgins Roofing in McMinnville also stressed that consumers verify a contractor carries “workers comp” insurance on the contractor’s employees.
“Knowing a company is insured is important. If landscaping or structural damage is caused, the contractor’s insurance will cover the damage,” said Lisa. “However, if a worker falls off the roof, workers comp takes over. That type of incident is not covered under general insurance policies and without workers comp, the homeowner could be sued.”
For more information, call your Better Business Bureau at 615-867-0032 or call our 24-hour information hotline at 242-4222 or 1-800-989-4222. You can also visit our web site at www.middletennessee.bbb.org.