Consumer fraud affects millions of people each year and surprisingly in our own neighborhoods. have you been visited by a contractor promising to do work for you in your home, garage or yard and a deal was struck? if the deal sounds too good to be true then it may be you are in for a shock. typically, homeowners pay a portion to the contractor to begin work and the work never seems to begin or satisfactorily completed. after numerous phone calls and email messages you are frustrated and you do not know what to do next.
Here are a few suggestions to avoid being a victim:
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Ask for a contract
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Ask to see the person's contractor license. usually a person has to have a license to work in the city.
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Check city hall to see if this person has a business license.
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Check the chamber of commerce to see if there were any complaints.
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Check the better business bureau for any complaints
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Avoid door to door vendors.
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If you agree to have a person perform work and he requests a payment to start work, my suggestion would be to wait until you see the contractor begin the work.
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Pay only a small percentage to begin work.
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Pay in installments.
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Withhold the last payment until you inspect the job and you are satisfied with the result.
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Keep all your documentation and canceled checks.
If you are a victim of consumer fraud and you paid for work to be completed and it was not done, you can call me and I will help you to recover your hard earned money.