The holiday season is a time of miracles, good cheer and family celebrations. Unfortunately, it is also a time when contractors prowl certain neighborhoods seeking to cheat homeowners out of their hard earned pay by promising them to repair or replace their faulty windows and/or siding. And since the need to do so is often necessary this time of year, they frequently succeed. We at Chesapeake Thermal have no patience for these kinds of con artists. They erode the public’s confidence in our industry. By learning the most common scams listed below you can prevent yourself from getting ripped off this type of contractor.
- Canvassers and Telemarketers: Windows replacement companies do not need to and will not travel from door to door seeking your business nor will they call you on the phone to solicit you. This type of high pressure tactic always hides scammers who will harass you constantly until you yield to their pitch.
- Extremely low bidders: Scam companies will often entice homeowners with super low bids for their services reasoning that no one will pass up a good offer. However, contractors who give you an extremely low bid will do often so because they know they will be hiding many extra charges in their final work.
- Inability to provide references: Reputable contractors will be delighted to provide you with a list of their past clients and samples of their work. They are excellent advertisements for their services. Avoid doing business with any contractor who cannot do this. We at Chesapeake Thermal can provide many examples of our vinyl windows in Maryland and our sliding doors in Maryland and references from customers who are completely satisfied with our work.
- Refuses to give you a warranty on their work: Contractors should always be ready to back up the work they do in writing with a warranty. No legitimate contractor will question a homeowner’s request for this guarantee.
What to do if a Window/Siding Contractor Scams You
Often the only course of action that can be taken if you are cheated by a contractor is to take them to small claims court. Unfortunately, the police will not usually involve themselves in such cases. People who have fallen victim to scam contractors can also reach out to their district attorney and the local media (newspaper/television channel) to see if they will run a story.