You might think that hurricanes are the biggest thing you have to watch out for during hurricane season but it doesn’t end there. A hurricane is a calm before the storm if you will. When a hurricane hits, that's when scammers start coming out of the woodwork. When destruction hits, everyone is trying to get their roofs replaced, fences fixed, and yards cleaned up at the same time. As you can imagine, the licensed and insured companies are called first and quickly become booked out for months. Insert scammers. They come dressed as a prince coming to rescue you from your property of destruction when in reality, they only cause more damage.
We recently just worked with a nice elderly couple who were victims of a scam after Hurricane Irma. They paid a boatload to a company that promised to come to fix their roof, but as you can guess, the roof never got fixed. Even worse, the roofing company filed a lien against their property claiming they hadn’t paid. The whole thing was a mess and ended up not only costing them money, but the closing of their new home was a headache and a half.
We’ve covered how to prepare for a hurricane. Now we’re going to walk through how to avoid scammers after the storm. Here are the five L’s that can help guide you:
- License. You can easily search for a company to see if they are registered and certified by visiting MyFloridaLicense.com. It’s an extra step but it’s well worth it.
- Local. It might seem like anyone can help you so long as they are licensed but it’s best to avoid out-of-town businesses in case there is a problem you need fixed down the road. Let’s say they fix your roof and it ends up leaking within the first few months due to faulty material. Who will be there to fix it?
- Logos. A good rule of thumb is to look for the logo. Established companies have work vehicles and paperwork with their logo on it. That’s usually a good sign that they are a successful company and will stand behind their work.
- Level Headed. You might start to feel a panic set in when you can’t find someone to help. It can be tempting to give in to high-pressure sales tactics when you’re in that state of mind. However, predatory companies can sense this. Remaining calm will help you identify the warning signs and find a trustworthy contractor.
Lessons Learned. The best way to find the right contractor for your job is by word of mouth. Ask your friends and neighbors for a referral of a company they trust. You can also watch for postings from the Better Business Bureau and observe how they respond to complaints.
