Spring is here, so be careful of con artists who prey on homeowners, especially senior citizens during this time of year. 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 previous 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 that 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 FTC's "Three Day Cooling Off Rule" for contracts signed in the home.
- Verify that 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.
Remember, any legitimate company that wants your business will be more than willing to allow you the time to "check them out." Don't fall prey to high-pressure tactics such as "this is the only chance you have" or "by tomorrow the extra materials will be gone." If you have an expensive repair, be especially cautious of these offers. Obtain bids from several companies. Don't always go for the lowest bid - in many cases, you will get exactly what you pay for.
