Attorney
General Mike DeWine
DeWine
Urges Consumers to Research Home Improvement Contractors
(COLUMBUS,
Ohio)— Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine today warned consumers
about spring home improvement scams, while stressing the importance
of researching contractors to help ensure their reliability.
"Warmer
weather brings more door-to-door home improvement sales, and
consumers should remain cautious,” Attorney General DeWine said.
"Don’t be pressured into a decision on the spot. It’s best
for you to research both the reputation of the business and the
individual contractor first. Too often we see an individual
contractor who is operating under different company names.”
In
November 2013, the Attorney General’s Office announced a lawsuit
against Thomas Huber, Jr. of Huber’s Tree Care for multiple
violations of Ohio’s consumer laws, including failure to deliver
and unfair and deceptive business practices. Recent complaints filed
with the Attorney General’s Office suggest that Huber continues to
violate Ohio law using several different business names, including
Capital Tree Service (3), Tree Doctor (4), and most recently, Word of
Mouth Tree Care (2). Complaints allege that consumers paid Huber for
services that he never provided.
Consumers
should take the following steps to protect themselves in home
improvement transactions:
Check
with the Ohio Attorney General's Office and the Better Business
Bureau to determine if complaints are on file against the company.
Conduct
general Internet searches using the company’s name and the
individual’s name.
Ask
the contractor to provide references of past customers and check
those references.
Be
skeptical of businesses that show up to your door unexpectedly. You
have a three-day right to cancel most door-to-door sales, and
businesses must give you written notice of your right to cancel.
Do
not provide full payment up front. Pay when work is finished or for
portions of work as they are completed. For example, it’s
reasonable to pay for one-third in the beginning, one-third in the
middle, and the final third upon satisfactory completion. Such
agreement for payment terms should also be in the written contract.
The
Ohio Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Section has filed five
home improvement lawsuits so far in 2014 against contractors believed
to be violating the Ohio Consumer Sales Practices Act.
In
the past year, the Section has received 1,587 complaints about
contractors who do everything from roofing, windows, and paving to
floors, gutters, and decks.
Consumers
who believe they have been treated unfairly should contact the Ohio
Attorney General’s Office at www.OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov or
800-282-0515.
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