KNOW YOUR CONTRACTOR BEFORE PURCHASING ROOF COATINGS
While roof coatings are a great product that have helped many people improve the performance of their building on a budget, they can be the source of some painful scams that building owners have fallen into. In many cases, a so-called “contractor” promises an inexpensive, all-in-one roof coating that can do amazing things for your building. In reality, they are laying down nothing more than essentially water on your roof and then skipping town with your money.
Trust Your Contractor
If you are looking into installing a roof coating on your building, make sure you know the contractor you will be using and are familiar with their material and their process. If you don’t have a trusted contractor, watch out for these warning signs that a “contractor” may be trying to scam you.
Common Warning Signs of a Scam
One of the biggest giveaways, and often the first to pop up, is that the contractor shows up at your building with material that was left over from a previous job. Your building is the perfect candidate, and he can do it for cheap or the material will be wasted. Don’t fall for this trick!
If you do fall for it and the scammer gets in your door after the first claim, he will then tell you that his material can do things no one else’s can, like prevent water dams (common claim among roof coating scammers). If you fall for that, he will offer you an unbelievable low price, but only if you do the job today, right now. If you reject that offer, he may lower the price once or twice (again, because the material will go bad if he can’t use it!).
Finally, if you’ve let the scammer on your roof, he will avoid answering any questions about his material, his process, or his past work. Then, in the middle of his job, he will begin to ask for payment in cash before the job is complete. At this point, it may be your best bet to pay him some money and get him off your roof. It may be wise to cut your losses by now.
Conclusion
As with anything else in life, a good thing can be used for bad by people with bad intentions. If you come across a scam like this, watch for the warning signs, and then report the scammer! Call the police and give them his license plate number, truck make, model and color. Try to help your neighbors avoid falling for this scam.
