It appears that Hurricane Earl may not cause as much damage as first feared, but as I told the Fox & Friends audience this morning, the danger isn’t passed yet. In fact, homeowners facing cleanup, flooding or wind damage should be on the lookout for the next threat:
shady contractors.
A recent Angie’s List poll, found that 34 percent of respondents who had
storm damage were approached by a stranger at their door offering help. Most of those who accepted the help suffered for it. One member got some hard-sell tactics from an unscrupulous contractor who came uninvited to his door and insisted that a new, $13,000 roof was needed. Our member was smart, though. He called in another company to get a quote. Turns out, there wasn’t anything wrong with his roof at all. What a great example of why homeowners should just say no to high-pressure sales tactics and do their homework before they hire anyone for home repairs.
That’s not to say there aren’t good people out there who truly do want to help, but pay attention to these two warning signs and review our tips on how to
avoid storm-chasing contractors. Remember:
- If it’s a good deal today, it will be a good deal tomorrow.
- Never sign anything pushed on you by a stranger who comes knocking at your door. Sometimes they’ll have you sign what they say is a waiver for them to get up on the roof, when really it is a contract for work.