SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – The Better Business Bureau is warning residents across New England of a scam that attempts to trick homeowners with an alleged good deal. However, homeowners may receive shoddy pavement or nothing at all after paying.
How to spot a paving scam:
The scam typically involves a person coming to your door saying they have extra asphalt from another job that needs to be used and offering the homeowners a discounted price to pave their driveway. There have been different situations this can lead to:
Homeowners that agree or even those that do not firmly refuse the offer can be affected by this scam, as a crew quickly appears at the home and begins working on the driveway. The scammer then claims there is a mistake or issue and that the price will now be several thousands of dollars more than discussed. Refusal to pay the additional money then threatens them to leave the driveway incomplete.
Another version of the scam gets homeowners to agree and then are asked to pay a portion of the fee upfront. The scammer may be hesitant on questions asking about the price or details of the business. After a transaction is made, the contractor may never show up again or the work they do is shoddy and unprofessional. Trying to contact the company may be impossible to reach or the scammer may have used another company name that was not involved.
