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Alert!

Renovating Your Home Could Leave You With an Empty Wallet

Beware:

Fraudulent renovation contractors who claim to be working in your area may come to your door to offer you a variety of repairs and clean-up services.

In some instances, they tell you they will give you a discount on the service because they already have their work equipment with them. Or, they claim the discount is given because they are using leftover supplies from a previous work contract.

The contractor then asks you to pay them the entire sum up-front and in cash. The worker and/or crew does not show up to do the work and your cash is not to be seen again.

Be Wise:

There are steps you can follow to protect yourself from this type of scam:

If the contractor approaches you by coming to your door, always ask to see their Direct Seller's Licence. If the individual does not have a license or refuses to show you one, write down their name and the name of their company and report it to the Consumers' Bureau (ph. 945-3800 or toll-free 1-800-782-0067).

Always get more than one estimate on the work you would like done on your home. A good estimate will state the date, the type of work to be done, the supplies needed and/or included, a breakdown of costs, amount required for your deposit, and the start and completion date. Inform the contractors that you are shopping around for estimates at different companies as well.

Never pay the entire cost of the contract up front. A fair down payment should not exceed 10% of the total cost. It's a better idea to write a cheque and avoid using cash at all.

Do not settle on a contractor without checking company reputation with the Better Business Bureau (989- 9010 or 989-9019, toll free 1-800-385-3074).

Phone the Worker's Compensation Board to make sure the company's account is up to date. It is very important that the contracting company has Worker's compensation. If they don't, and a worker is injured while working at your home, you are liable.

Never sign a contract until you have read it very carefully and understand all the terms of the agreement.