For Immediate Release: April 6, 2015
May Hot Topics
Asphalt/Blacktop pavers- BBB® Serving Central Indiana has recently received inquiries from consumers who have been approached at their home by individuals claiming they can re-seal your driveway for unbelievably low prices. They may use sales pitches such as they have leftover materials, or they just recently finished a big job for a local company or neighbor in your area. Traveling asphalt crews are fairly common in the summertime. These crews may move over several counties and possibly by state a majority of the time and don’t have an “office”. Thus, if a problem were to arise, you may not be able to contact the “company” or they may be unavailable to quickly come to fix a problem.
Some tips to remember:
- Beware of door-to-door sales. Reputable asphalt contractors seldom offer their services door-to-door. If you are approached, ask questions!
- Leftover materials? Probably not. Again, a commonly used sales tactic is offering “leftover materials” from their last job. A professional contractor will know precisely how much material would be needed for a specific project.
- Take your time making a decision. If they are saying the “great deal” is only good for today, but not for tomorrow, it may be a high pressure sales tactic.
- Get all verbal promises, guarantee or warranties in writing.
- Watch out for “cash only” transactions. NEVER pay in advance.
- Make sure to check out the company with bbb.org/indy.
- Ask for several references.
- Make sure any work that may be performed is drawn out in a formal contract that includes the full company name, mailing address, telephone number, signature lines for you, the customer, as well as the company to sign and date, a description of the job/services, a start date for the job, and an estimated completion date, the cost of the job, and materials that will be used.
Debt relief/settlement offers- BBB® Serving Central Indiana receives several calls a week regarding offers consumers receive, typically by telemarketers, for debt settlement/negotiation programs. These companies say they can contact your creditors to settle for less than the full amount owed. But before you consider signing up:
- Check the company out at bbb.org/indy.
- Understand the potential risks. Your credit score could be negatively impacted. You may even be subject to legal actions by your creditors to collect.
- Understand that your original creditors may reject using a third-party payee and you may not find out until after agreeing to enroll in a service that has already charged you a monthly fee to participate, which you would still be responsible to pay, unless otherwise noted in a formal written agreement.
- Check to see if there are any not-for-profit organizations that may have debt consolidation programs, or contact your creditors directly to see if they offer any type of negotiations.
- NEVER give out personal information over the phone to an unknown party, such as your social security number, credit card numbers, or banking information.
Craigslist house rental schemes: A warning to Hoosiers who may be looking for a home to rent. Listings for homes for rent should be thoroughly investigated before proceeding because of a scheme that is taking place across the country. Here’s how it works. A person may respond to an advertisement for a home for rent. The inquirer may then be asked to wire a deposit. The only communication appears to be only by text or e-mail. It appears the “listed” property may be of a home that was recently listed legitimately by a real estate agent. The listing was then used by the person committing the scheme to use in the Craigslist advertisement. The inquirer, obviously, is then out of the money. Never wire monies to an individual that you do not know, as once the money is gone, it’s gone. Make sure that you are able to communicate on the telephone and schedule an actual visit to a property that is listed.
Swimming pools: Summer is almost here. Have you been thinking about installing a swimming pool? Make sure to check out the company first at bbb.org/indy and then make a checklist of all things to consider, such as: what kind of pool you want, pool placement, permits required with your locale, a clear understanding of the costs involved such as installation, yearly cost of chemicals and maintenance, the possibility of a property tax increase and how it will affect your utility bills. When you see advertisements for what seems to be a really good deal for having a pool installed, make sure you obtain a detailed account for all that is included with the advertised price. BBB® Serving Central Indiana recommends you obtain at least three estimates and that you make sure to check out the contractors that will be installing the pool. As always, when dealing with a contractor, it is very important to make sure you have everything in writing to protect both you and the contractor.
This list is current as of May 6, 2015. Readers should take into consideration the importance of the practice in question and the total performance of the company. For complete information, please visit bbb.org/indy.
Find these Hot Topics on our website: http://go.bbb.org/1dPINo7
For interviews or general information: Tim Maniscalo, President & CEO BBB Serving Central Indiana - 317-488-2202 (Work) or 317-550-8696 (Cell); tmaniscalo@indybbb.org