TUCSON, Ariz. — Monsoon storms can leave quite a bit of damage behind. You may need a quick fix, but be careful with who you trust to fix your property.
"During monsoon season, reputable contractors are really busy, so they don't have the time to go knocking door to door," said Myriam Cruz, the marketing director for the Better Business Bureau of Southern Arizona.
Here are some tips to weed out scammers and to make sure you find legitimate damage repair companies...
One, verify the contractor's license. You can do this through BBB.org or by searching the Arizona Registrar of Contractors list.
"Make sure you verify their phone number, their address, their name and their licensing information. So go ahead and do a quick search on Google. It'll tell you the reviews. And once again if you go to BBB.org you can also view the companies profile. It'll also state the letter grade from A-plus to F," said Cruz.
Two, it's a red-flag if they ask you to pay cash upfront. The BBB says don't do it.
"Once they get that cash, they don't show up, or if they do show up, they're work isn't always the best. So we advise consumers to work out a payment plan," said Cruz.
Three, ask for everything in writing.
"Contractors will come out and give you all these verbal promises, so make sure that all verbal promises are also in writing and make sure you read what you sign," said Cruz.
And four, price check. If a deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
"Good work will have its cost. Make sure you ask for maybe three estimates from three different companies so you can compare the costs of the project and that'll give you a better baseline for how much you should be paying for that project," said Cruz.
If you come across a scammer report it. BBB Scam Tracker allows you to input any information you have to help alert the BBB and other consumers of the scammers' activity.
