Crooked Contractors at your door!

Crooked Contractors! They are everywhere and in every city. There is not a month that goes by we do not get a phone call or an email from someone who has been cheated by a "contractor". The "contractors" are usually people going around door to door, scamming unsuspecting people like Seniors. I have been to two estimates this year for some very nice people who were taken advantage of.

Let me recount one story. I will call my customer Bob. Bob was in his driveway one day when Rick, approximately 50 years old, approached him advising him he had just finished an eavestrough job up the street. He had just enough material left to do Bob's house and he could replace his eavestrough for a fire sale price of $1600 but it had to be in cash and the decision had to be made now. Bob had been thinking of replacing his eavestroughs because they were old and leaking. The offer sounded good, Rick (the contractor) seemed like a nice guy, and he could do the job immediately. Bob agreed.

Since it was already late in the day, it was dark by the time Rick finished. Bob gave Rick the $1600. The next day, Bob looked at the job and realized the work was very substandard. The problem was there was no estimate, he did not have Rick's phone number, and there was no way to get Rick back. Hence, The Eavestrough Company was called.

When I arrived I heard the story and felt so badly for this gentleman. He had been scammed. Not only was the work among the worst I had ever seen, I measured the very tiny house and Rick had charged Bob $15 per foot for the work. That's nearly triple or at least double the normal price. Here are issues I found with the job: the wrong colour was used (commercial brown when the actual colour should have been antique brown), eavestroughs were cut too short at the roof ends, the caulking job on the corners was HORRENDOUS!, the downpipe outlets were installed on the outside of the eavestrough not the inside, it had box miter corners installed very crooked, one trough had been cut far too short and a piece of eavestrough had been spliced in to extend it, the downpipes were crooked running down the wall, several downpipes were dented, and worse, the wrong kind of caulking was used. It could literally be pealed out! We ran water through them and the corners leaked. Following are some pictures of the work:

Bob wanted to know what I could do to fix them. Sadly, I explained to him the only thing that could be done was to take them all off and start over. They could not be fixed. Bob was out $1600 and there was little he could do. He had been scammed by a door to door fraudster!

Here are some things that might help you or your loved ones in the future before you get scammed:

Beware of the contractor who:

1. Pops up out of nowhere, literally.  No legitimate contractor goes door to door.
2. You can't verify who they are, who their company is, any of their references or has a fixed business address.
3. Can not provide you with a business license or certificate of insurance, which should include liability and WSIB.
4. Offers a "bargain" if he can do the work that day.
5. Rubs you the wrong way. Trust your instincts!. Run the other way!
6. Asks you to pay up front for work that hasn't been done yet or for materials that haven't arrived. 
7. Uses high pressure sales  or scare tactics to get you to agree to work.
8. Demands cash only!

If you or your loved one have been the victim of a scam or contractor type fraud, you may want to consider reporting it to your local police if you know the name of the contractor or obtained his license plate information.

Here is what The Eavestrough Company promises you:

We will strive to adhere to the highest standards of honesty, integrity, and responsibility in all our business dealings with you by:

• Writing estimates and warranties that are clear and honest;
• Strictly adhering to the highest quality standards of workmanship;
• Honouring all legitimate financial obligations;
• Maintaining all required insurances;
• Performing all work in a safe and timely manner.
• Providing only products, materials, and services that are of proven quality;
• Quickly resolving all customer call backs in a timely manner.

If this is what you are looking for in an eavestrough company, contact us at www.theeavestroughcompany.com or by phoning us at 905-966-2564.