GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – Officials with the Better Business Bureau say that homeowners aren’t in the clear yet — now that “storm chasers” are on the prowl for quick cash.
All across northeast Wisconsin, residents continue to clean up after this past weekend’s storms and tornadoes.
As it turns out, a downed tree in your yard might be far less dangerous than the financial threat that a “storm chaser” presents.
“Those are people that come from outside-of-the-area, they hear on the news that there’s been bad weather or tornadoes,” explains Susan Bach, with the BBB. “They jump in their car, they grab a couple of buddies, and they go pretend to be roofers.”
The main danger to homeowners is that these operations are predicated on skipping town long before any problems are typically detected.
“By the time you uncover a problem with their work, they’re long gone,” she says.
To avoid falling prey to one of these fly-by-night operations, she says homeowners should check out the company with the BBB prior to signing anything.
Additionally, don’t agree to pay for anything in an unusual way.
“Whenever you’re hiring a contractor, never pay one-hundred-percent of the fee upfront,” explains Bach.
She says, you’ll also need to check with your insurance company beforehand.
“Document and take pictures of all your repair needs and your damages,” she explains. “Check with your insurance company to make sure that they don’t have a specific company that they want you to work with.”
Also, you’ll want to compare bids in an effort to stave off price gouging.
“After major storms like this, we hear about some unethical businesses that may be marking-up their products or services by as much as five-hundred-percent,” says Bach.
Additional information and more tips can be found here.
