Over the past 12 months, consumers have inquired more than 5,000 times with BBB regarding local paving companies. BBB has also received 10 complaints in the past year. The complaints primarily focus on sloppy quality of work after the consumer paid thousands of dollars upfront.
“Driveway paving scams are not new, but each spring marks the start of a new season for scam artists to swindle consumers out of unreasonable amounts of money for paving projects that are often unnecessary,”
Some paving scam warning signs may include:
• Selling door-to-door. Reputable asphalt contractors will rarely, if ever, sell their product door-to-door.
• Claiming they have leftover asphalt from another job. Professional asphalt contractors know how much paving material is needed to complete a project. Rarely will they have leftover material.
• Pressure to make a quick decision. Trustworthy contractors will provide a written estimate that will be valid for days. Never hire someone on the spot without doing research first.
• No contract offered. Insist on a written contract specifying the work to be completed and the agreed total price.
• Cash-only sales. Most reputable contractors take checks or credit cards, and do not require cash-only terms.
• Deals that seem too good to be true. If the quoted price seems very low, chances are the quality of work will also be low.
• Out of state. The trucks scam artists travel in are often unmarked or have out-of-state license plates. Scam artists have also been purchasing disposable cell phones to provide a local number in the area they are soliciting. Doing research will reveal that they have no permanent address and are not based locally.
For additional information, visit bbb.org.
About BBB serving Eastern North Carolina
Better Business Bureau serving Eastern North Carolina is a 501(c)(6) not-for-profit corporation serving 33 counties in eastern North Carolina. The organization is funded primarily by BBB Accredited Business fees from more than 3,000 local businesses and professional firms. BBB promotes integrity, consumer confidence and business ethics through business self-regulation in the local marketplace. Services provided by BBB include reports on companies and charitable organizations, general monitoring of advertising in the marketplace, consumer/business education programs and dispute resolution services. All services are provided at no cost to the public, with the occasional exception of mediation and arbitration. Visit bbb.org.
