Tornados, hail, torrential rain and wind. Lots and lots of wind. It’s all the makings of another fun summer of repairing roofs, fixing leaks, rebuilding fences, replacing siding and waterproofing window wells. This is on top of all those other home-improvement projects you’ve planned.
Buy you know that the longer you put off the fix up and clean up resulting from Colorado’s summer storms, the worse the damage becomes. So when that pickup pulls up in front of your house and the driver offers to do the repairs and, oh by the way, he can start tomorrow, you jump at the opportunity because it means you’ve just saved yourself a bunch of time tracking down three contractors to call for bids and references.
How lucky can you get, right?
Lucky? Maybe. Smart? Absolutely not.
Several things are wrong with this scenario. First, it happens way too often. Whenever there’s a storm, traveling contractors swarm into the area to repair the damage. They come from several counties over, often out of state. They probably drive late-model pickups and dress nicely, so when we label them “Gypsies,” which we do, along with “travelers” and “transients,” they don’t fit the “profile.”
Secondly, if you hire a traveling contractor, you don’t know what you’re getting. Why? Because you didn’t take time to research his business to see if there are complaints and, if so, what kind. Nor do you know if other homeowners have been satisfied with the contractor’s work.
And thirdly, materials and workmanship are almost always circumspect when you’re dealing with a traveling contractor. Some homeowners get lucky and the job passes muster. But many more homeowners are taken to the cleaners. Maybe they hand over a sizable down payment never to see the contractor again. Maybe the work is done, but inferior materials are used and workmanship is sloppy. And maybe the contractor gets started, but leaves with no explanation and no way to track him down.
The Better Business Bureau encourages consumers to make time to ensure the contractor is local and has a track record of reliable workmanship. The easiest way to start is by logging on to wynco.bbb.org and clicking “Check Out a Business or Charity.” The BBB maintains a database of 4 million businesses nationwide – both BBB Accredited Businesses and those that are not. You can read the BBB Reliability Report, which includes the company’s BBB rating (A plus to F) along with its complaint history and company contact information.
Then take a couple more minutes and call references. Ask if the job was performed as agreed upon and if they were satisfied with results.
Local? Check. A good BBB rating? Check. References give thumbs up? Check. Hiring a trustworthy contractor really can be that easy.
Don’t go a day without your BBB. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn, Flickr. For more consumer information or to check out the BBBlog, visit wynco.bbb.org or call 970-484-1348 or 800-564-0371.
About the BBB
The Better Business Bureau, founded in 1912, is a champion for ethics and trust in the marketplace. Only businesses that meet the high BBB standards are invited to become BBB Accredited Businesses. Today, 128 BBBs across the United States and Canada rate more than 3 million local and national businesses and charities with scores ranging from A to F. Only a BBB Accredited Business may elect to participate in BBBOnLine, one of the most trusted and recognized Internet seal programs in the world.
The BBB serving northern Colorado and Wyoming topped 1.1 million instances of service to consumers and businesses in 2009. These services include reliability reports on local companies and charities, access to companies that can be trusted by industry, help with dispute resolution, and trustworthy information on consumer and business topics.
Luanne Kadlub, BBB Media Specialist, 970-686-9307, lkadlub@wynco.bbb.org