With the recent storms and massive flood damage to homes throughout our area, I think it is appropriate to remind you that there are some unsavory characters out there who may show up in your area promising to repair the damage to your home. These “storm chasers” are fly by night operations who swoop in when homeowners are at their most vulnerable, promise to fix the damage at a cheap price, take a deposit, and simply disappear.
My advice? Never do business with any company that cannot provide you with verifiable proof that they are a legitimate company. And, don’t just take some guy’s word for it that he has a license, insurance, references, etc. Make any contractor prove it, and contact the Better Business Bureau to make sure they are for real. Also, be cautious if someone shows up at your door offering to give you an estimate. Yes, many companies, including our own, will canvas a neighborhood when they are working on a nearby property, but these people will be able to provide company identification (our reps carry photo id’s with company information), as well as introduce you to the property owner where they are currently working – your neighbor. If a “contractor” cannot provide valid identification and contact information, send him on his way!
On a similar note, we have recently learned that there is some company out there taking advantage of our own good name to snag leads from homeowners looking for estimates on renovation projects. After a call from a customer saying she had filled out an online estimate request (she thought from our website), only to be bombarded with sales calls and emails from companies she had not contacted, we did a little online research. Seems like there is someone who has taken out ads on Yahoo and Bing, that we know of so far, using something close to our name. We’re working to resolve this issue, but, in the meantime, if you want an estimate from our company, please visit our website (https://www.evergreenwindow.com) to complete an estimate request form, or call us at (708)423-1720. We do not use any outside lead generating site, although we will sometimes receive referrals from manufacturers who are contacted by homeowners in our area seeking a contractor.
Once again, be cautious when planning home repairs or improvements, and make sure you are dealing with a legitimate contractor to avoid heartache down the road!
Rae
