When you invite someone
in your home to make a repair or install a new piece of equipment, you begin
with a list of questions. Among them, you will want to know: Is the contractor honest and ethical? Will he
do quality work and install quality equipment? Will he be timely, punctual and
follow up on issues that could arise later?
The Federal Trade
Commission is well aware of the trouble homeowners find when they hire a
disreputable contractor to perform services. Accordingly, they provide
information at ftc.gov that guides homeowners on how to make this important
decision. The first recommendation is:
Do Your Research
·
Check with friends, neighbors or co-workers
who’ve used the contractor.
·
If you can, take a look at the work done and ask
about their experience. Check for qualifications.
·
Look at websites you trust that post ratings and
reviews. Do people seem to have similar experiences, good or bad? You also can
check out a contractor’s online reputation by searching for the company’s name
with words like “scam,” “rip-off” or “complaint.”
·
Find out how long they’ve been in business. Look
for an established company whose record and reputation you can check out.
As
you proceed, get written estimates. However, the FTC says, “Don’t automatically
choose the lowest bidder. Ask for an explanation to see if there’s a reason for
the difference in price.”
Signs of a Home
Improvement Scam
How can you tell if a
contractor might not be reputable? The FTC says you may not want to do business
with someone who:
•
knocks on your door for business or
offers you discounts for finding other customers
•
just happens to have materials left over
from a previous job
•
pressures you for an immediate decision
•
only accepts cash, asks you to pay
everything up-front or suggests you borrow money from a lender the contractor
knows
•
asks you to get the required building
permits
•
doesn’t list a business number in the
local telephone directory
We’d be happy to answer any questions about the
services we provide. Schedule an appointment or learn more about RC Mechanical, Inc. here.