1 year ago

Don’t be April-fooled by paving scammers

April 1, 2015
By Elaine Fischer

April showers bring May flowers, but April also can bring out the seasonal paving scammers.

Each spring and summer, asphalt paving scammers swarm into neighborhoods, knocking on doors to solicit work. Wearing uniforms and driving trucks with company signs, they typically claim to have material left over from a nearby job and just happen to have a crew standing by.

Too good to be true
They offer to repave or spread gravel on driveways and parking lots at bargain prices — if the owners hire them on the spot. Once one property owner hires them, neighbors feel it’s safe to do the same.

But don’t be fooled.

These paving crews use high-pressure sales tactics and often prey on senior citizens. They commonly find excuses to inflate the price once the job is done. Often, the contractors aren’t registered, and the quality of their work and materials is poor.

It could happen to anyone
If you think you couldn’t be fooled, read about this Cathlamet couple who lost $6,000 in a paving scam last August. These folks were really fortunate that local businesses stepped up to help fix their driveway. Most people are just out the money and stuck with the shoddy job.

If your driveway really does need some work, we recommend you “Hire Smart” by using only registered contractors. Contractors registered with Washington State must have liability insurance, a business license and a bond, which gives homeowners some monetary recourse if a job is left undone.

Tips to Hire Smart

• Verify contractors are registered at www.Lni.wa.gov/Verify or call 1-800-647-0982.
  
• Get written bids from 3 contractors.
  
• Don’t pay in full until the job is done to your satisfaction
  
• If you’re a victim of fraud, report it at www.Lni.wa.gov/Fraud  or call 1-888-811-5974.
  

Want more tips? See ProtectMyHome.net.

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2 months ago

Don’t let it happen to you: Paving scam victims speak out in new consumer campaign

February 2, 2016
By Debby Abe

Marv and Dorothy Davenport never thought they were the kind of folks who could be conned.

Marv is a successful businessman who once owned a trucking business. Later, he and Dorothy ran their own gas station, RV park and mini-mart for 24 years in a rural logging community in southwest Washington.

But on a sweltering August day in 2014, a stranger in a pickup drove up to their bucolic home and delivered a painful lesson in dishonesty. The couple lost $6,000 to the crook in a classic driveway paving scam that crops up around the country when the weather warms.

Now the retired couple is sharing their story in hopes that others will avoid the same fate.

Protect My Home TV commercial
Marv and Dorothy are featured in our new Protect My Home consumer awareness campaign. They retell key points of their paving nightmare in a commercial that’s running on websites, mobile devices and TV screens throughout Washington.

Our staff produced the 30-second spot, which also gives tips on how to Hire Smart when choosing a contractor.

Contractors must register with L&I
“The best chance for a successful home improvement project is to hire a registered contractor,” said Shari Purves-Reiter, an outreach manager at L&I. “We hear many sad stories that could have been prevented if people would just Hire Smart. The Protect My Home campaign shows how to protect yourself when choosing a contractor.”

Many consumers don’t realize that state law requires construction contractors to register with L&I. We confirm whether contractors have a business license, liability insurance and bond ­– requirements that give consumers some recourse in case of problems.

Perennial paving scams
Plenty of law-abiding paving contractors who are registered do a good job for customers. But every year, a few home and business owners tell us they’ve fallen victim to paving scams.  The scammers are usually unregistered contractors who travel through a region or across the country, going door to door in search of victims.

Typically, scammers say they have materials left over from a nearby job so they can offer a “really good deal” to pave, repair or spread gravel on a driveway. They quote a low price, do a quick and shoddy job, then jack up the price when they’re done. They often give invalid addresses and phone numbers so owners cannot find them when they realize they were duped.

It can happen to anyone

“They’re slick smooth-talkers who sound very convincing and friendly at first. Once they hook someone, they intimidate their victims into forking over thousands of dollars they didn’t plan to spend,” Purves-Reiter said.  “They tend to target senior citizens, but adults of all ages have been conned by these unscrupulous contractors.”

That’s what happened to Marv and Dorothy.

The man in the pickup who approached Marv claimed to have a “little bit” of asphalt left from another job. Marv eventually gave in to the persistent man’s offer, and said he wanted a few spots on his driveway repaired. He said he’d pay $2,000 – but he didn’t get a contract.

Before he knew it, the contractor brought in a crew and dump truck, and proceeded to pave the entire driveway, including a section that had just been resealed.

“I ran down and said, ‘No, no, no, don’t put any asphalt down there,’” Marv recalled. “He said, ‘We’re going to pave and make it all smooth, and really looking nice…’ He just kept right on going. I just could not get him to stop.”

Demands $9,000

When the crew finished, the contractor demanded $9,000, bringing Dorothy to tears. Marv refused, but then agreed to pay only for the materials. The contractor followed Marv to the bank to get the agreed-upon $6,000.

Marv and Dorothy later discovered what a poor job the crew did, and that the materials on their job cost far less than $6,000. They also learned several other homeowners in the community were victimized by the contractor’s shoddy work and demands for more money. “Some of them even got threatened,” Marv said, “so they paid them to get rid of them.”

One of our inspectors investigated, and cited the contractor for unregistered contracting. The company has not responded to the infraction.

The couple told their story to their local newspaper in hopes of preventing more victims. A sympathetic, legitimate contractor saw the story and repaired the damaged driveway for free with materials donated by a local supplier.

Though the Davenports have been buoyed by the support, the scam left a scar.

“You can’t trust everybody. I found that out,” Marv said. “This country was built on a handshake, but you can’t rely on that anymore.”

The Davenports learned the hard way what the Protect My Home campaign recommends:

• Verify your contractor’s registration at ProtectMyHome.net or call 1-800-647-0982.
  
• Get at least 3 written bids.
  
• Check contractor references.
  
• Pay only as work is completed.
  
• Get a Hire Smart worksheet and more tips at www.ProtectMyHome.net
  
• Report an unregistered contractor or contractor fraud at 1-888-811-5974.
  

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