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Avoiding Home Improvement Scams
Your home is your biggest investment, but being a homeowner can make you a target of some of the most common scams in recent years.
Home improvement scams, from shoddy workmanship to classic "bait and switch" frauds, are an increasing source of consumer complaints across the nation.
- Watch for home improvement contractors who come to your home unsolicited to inform you that you need expensive repair work, such as to chimney or driveway damage that you never noticed. Many times, these salesmen will offer you a special "deal" because they had material left over from another job in your neighborhood.
- "Limited time offers" and high-pressure sales pitches can be come-ons to a scam.
- Get a second opinion. It can't hurt to shop around and it might save you some money. But watch out for deals that seem too good to be true. They may not be.
- Check with the Better Business Bureau, prior customers, banks and suppliers (If you live in New York City, Westchester, Nassau or Suffolk Counties, check your local consumer affairs office).
- Always ask for references, and contact them before you sign a contract.
- Check with friends and neighbors who may have contracted for similar work and contact your local Better Business Bureau to see if there are any complaints lodged against a contractor.
- Get any promises in writing and, if you can, ask a lawyer to review the terms of a written contract before you sign. If you don't get it in writing, you may give up important legal rights.
- Be wary of demands for hefty down payments. Many contractors will ask for a good faith deposit, but most reputable contractors will bill you after the work is done, not before.
- Don't be pressured into paying additional fees after work has started. If you feel threatened, don't surrender your rights. Call the police.
- Don't pay unreasonable advance sums. Negotiate a payment schedule tied to the completion of specific stages of the job. Never pay the full price up front.
- Know your rights. You have three days to cancel after signing a contract for home improvements. All cancellations must be in writing.
Source: Office of New York State Attorney General