When the beautiful weather arrives, we all love it. However it does also bring some not so beautiful people in the form of crooked contractors who want to steal from homeowners.
They provide phantom repairs that are likely not necessary or not even completed at all. In the summer when the heavy rains and winds and possible tornadoes and severe storms are more common. In the aftermath these vultures will swoop in on unsuspecting homeowners many were looking for very quick and below price repairs. It's a given that the majority of contractors out there honest law-abiding and hard-working it is usually the ones that go door to door offering to do the work immediately for cash on the spot. Successful contractors don't usually have to go door to door to solicit business.
If there's been a recent storm they may simply show up to fix the fence or a part of her roof that has clearly been damaged. Hopefully you never fall victim to any of these scams as homeowners lose thousands of dollars in addition to this the headache of trying to fix or to get real repairs done while trying to recover money from a con artist makes for a very difficult time. Most insurance companies will not want to cover shoddy workmanship especially from an unlicensed contractor. Now let's have a look at the five worst scams these con artists will try to pull.
1. Poor work quality
if they do any repairs it will be with substandard material. The homeowner will usually have to have it redone with their own money.
2. Prepayment
the contractor will usually ask for a large deposit in order to buy materials or some other form of excuse. Once funds are received the contractor may disappear or do very little work.
3. Inflated damage
to increase the overall bill, these contractors may make holes in rooms larger than the original or add to the bill work that was never really done.
4. Phantom damage
the contractor may claim there is storm damage when there actually is not. Some dishonest back contractors will actually create the damage, show you the damage and then get you to have them repair it.
5. Deductible payment
there is usually a deductible on a homeowners policy. Some contractors offered to pay the homeowners deductible just in order to gain your business remember he has to get his money back so he has to also increase the amount of repairs in order for him to gain back his investment.
There are many ways to avoid scams. The following tips are easy to remember.
Only deal with licensed tradesmen who have enough good sense to at least have an insurance policy. There shouldn't be any reputable contractor who wants his name tied to any kind of fraudulent or shoddy workmanship activity. Stay away from door-to-door contractors most good contractors work on a referral basis because they've done good work for somebody else.
Check them out on your local Better Business Bureau or call to make an inquiry if the history is sketchy and the contact information is not clear. You may want to avoid this type of contractor.
Always ask for a written agreement. Do not sign a blank contract or leave blank spaces. The work to be done should be clear and specified. When it is to be done as well as the price for the repairs.
Work with your insurance broker make sure he or she is involved the moment that you know the home will require repairs. It's imperative that the work is done by reputable for professional in order to have proper coverage from your insurance company.
The red flags will be numerous as con artists may not have business cards or references. Their overall appearance may not be professional. Their contact information may not be clear they may have a PO Box as opposed to a physical address. If they do not have insurance don't let them into your house should anything happen the homeowner will have very little recourse in order to recover any damage is done. Give us a call with any insurance question. 905 683 2323 Bethel Insurance Brokers Inc.