Also, Swoyer says, be wary of bonus offers to use the improved home for advertising or as a model. Another common tactic of fraudulent contractors is to offer an unbelievably low price for a repair job because the company claims to have leftover material from another job in the neighborhood. Legitimate contractors rarely order so much that they have enough materials to complete a second job, Swoyer says. Never pay for an entire home improvement project in advance, which the Leslies did. Not Only Windows got a mortgage for the Leslies and then had them endorse the check over to the company.
Most reputable companies require one-third of the total as a down payment.
When you prepare a check, write it to the company, not to the salesperson or other individual's name. Never pay in cash, Swoyer says. Never make your final payment until you are completely satisfied, Fisher says. Leslie says she learned the hard way that promises that sound too good to be true usually are. Make sure it's a legitimate company.