« The Great Pyramid of Scams | Home | The Charity Myth »

Scams that come straight to your door

By Mary Beth | April 27, 2007

It’s that time of year again, when you can expect the con men to come to you. It’s so sweet of them to save you the bother of a phone call or email.

“Ma’am, we were just doing some paving jobs in the neighborhood and noticed that your driveway looks pretty bad. We have some extra sealer on the truck and we have a very low price…”

When the whether gets nice, homeowners begin to report that they are being approached by unknown repair people going door-to-door. These guys claim that they do roofs, gutters, downspouts, repair chimneys, trim shrubs or anything around your home…but many of them cause more problems than they solve.

Often the man who comes to your door is part of a traveling group which moves town to town with the whole family. Watch out for out of state plates on the truck. The following are a few common scenarios:

• He quotes you a very low price to do the repairs you’ve been putting off for months. You may feel intimidated with his high pressure approach and hire him just because you are afraid of him. You agree to his low price, he does a quick & sloppy job, then returns and demands much more money than was originally discussed.
• He may tell you he needs your payment in advance “to buy his materials.” After you pay him, he may very well disappear.
• He gives you a price and begins the work. After he is partially finished, he comes back to you with the bad news that his car broke down (or his child went to the hospital or whatever). He wonders if you could pay him the rest of the money for the work right now and promises that he will be “right back” to finish the job. Pay him and you may never see him again.
• Even if you tell these people “NO”, they may try to talk you into letting them into your home. They ask to have a drink of water, for example, or to use the bathroom. Some consumers later discover that their purses, wallets, TV sets or jewelry are missing.

Always be wary of strangers knocking on your door!

To avoid becoming a victim of this seasonal fraud, consider the following tips:

1) If you need work done on your home, hire a reputable person or business. Ask your friends or neighbors for recommendations and check their record with the BBB.
2) Insist on a written contract which describes the work in detail. Pay only when the job is properly completed.
3) If in doubt about a door-to-door character, have him checked out by the local police. Many counties require that people soliciting homes have a “peddler’s license”. You will be doing the entire neighborhood a favor by having him checked out.

Topics: Scams |

Comments