When making repairs, renovations, make sure you don’t fall for scams
By Mike Causey
Insurance Commissioner
The days are getting longer. Temperatures are rising. Trees
that have been bare since last fall are budding and flowers are beginning to bloom. The calendar tells us that spring will
begin on March 20.
Renewal and rebirth are synonymous with spring. As experience
as shown us, spring also ushers in thunderstorms, tornadoes and, later on, hurricanes.
Severe weather increases the chances that we’ll have to deal with damage to our property. When this happens,
scammers won’t waste the opportunity to take advantage of your misfortune.
If
you’re a victim of extreme weather, I encourage you to be on your guard when scam artists come calling. Don’t
be a victim twice.
Instead of jumping at the opportunity to take advantage
of a deal that seems too good to be true, I hope you’ll use caution, investigate your options and do a bit of research
before broker a deal with someone who may be preying on your misfortune.
Here
are some tips to help you deal with contractors:
•Watch out for contractors
who go door-to-door. If a contractor comes knocking right after a disaster, proceed with caution. Pressure tactics and too-good-to-be-true
offers should raise red flags.
•Call your insurance agent or insurance
company before you start repairs. You always have the right to select your own contractor, but if you plan to file an insurance
claim, make sure your insurance company has the opportunity to review the damage before the work begins.
•Trust but verify. Work only with licensed and insured contractors. Ask to see their license
and request a certificate of insurance.
•Don’t settle for the first
offer. Get more than one estimate. Don’t be pushed into signing a contract right away.
•Get everything in writing. The cost and the type of work to be done, time schedule, guarantees, payment schedule
and other expectations should be detailed.
•Require references. Check
them out.
•Go digital. Use a search engine, such as Google, Bing
or Yahoo, to research any recommendations for or complaints against the contractor.
•Ask to see the salesperson’s driver’s license. Write down the license number. Also take down his
or her license plate number.
•Never sign a contract with blanks. Fraudulent
contractors may enter unacceptable terms later. That could end up costing you more money or changes in work that you did not
want.
•Never pay a contractor in full or sign a completion certificate
until the work is completed.
If you have any questions, the Department of Insurance
is here to help. Our Consumer Services Division can assist you with your insurance questions. You may call our toll-free line
at 855-408-1212 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. You may also find useful information, including information on
how to file a complaint, at ncdoi.gov.
