Dear Attorney General,
Contractors sometimes stop by my house offering services like tree trimming or home improvements. Are these businesses legitimate?
Dear Kansas Consumer,
Homeowners should always use caution when dealing with salesmen or contractors that approach you at the door. These individuals are often transient merchants operating without a license and potential scammers looking to make a quick profit before leaving town.
Recently, my office investigated and shut down a driveway paving business operating illegally in Kansas. We re-claimed $5,000 for a consumer who had paid for services and fined the business $10,000 in civil penalties and fees.
This business immediately paid off their settlement with $15,000 in cash, money that likely came from unknowing consumers they took advantage of as they traveled around the country doing illegal jobs.
Businesses like this prey on homeowners by offering them a “great deal” or discount on leftover materials. When the project starts to crack or break months later, the contractor has already left town with the money and is usually impossible to track down.
It is always best to do business with local, reputable companies. If you are approached by a contractor who doesn’t have a local address out of state, ask to see their Transient Merchant’s License. If they are unwilling to show this, do not do business with them.
Other signs of door-to-door scam artists are magnetic signs on the side of work vehicles that offer no permanent business address, business cards with cell phones as the only contact information, work vehicles that seem rarely used and estimates that seem “too good to be true.”
Consumers should use caution and verify the name, address and references of any contractor before doing business with them. Remember, even if you are offered a discount by someone at the door, you will almost always regret the “deal” after it is done.
As your Attorney General, I will work to keep Kansans safe by spreading information and promoting awareness of consumer issues. If you have any questions or concerns about consumer issues, please contact my Consumer Protection Division at 785-296-3751 or 1-800-432-2310 or visit us online at www.ksag.org.