THE BIG MISTAKES – Home Repairs!

Posted by Tom Martino at 4:05 pm 0 Comment Print

For more than 40-years I have been shouting from the rooftops (make that, radio and TV) about lying, cheating, rip-off contractors and how to avoid them. I concentrated on WHAT TO DO in selecting them. Well, that didn’t work! People are still getting ripped off in droves! So, now a different approach. This article takes a different approach. It simply outlines the mistakes people make when selecting contractors. It’s that simple. And I base these mistakes on years and year of consumer research! After all, who else do you know who has listened to consumer problems each and every weekday for almost 60-years! After all this time, I think I’m qualified to sum things up. So here is MY LIST OF MISTAKES PEOPLE MAKE WHEN SELECTING CONTRACTORS. I HAVE FOUND THAT MOST ALL PROBLEMS HAVE, AT LEAST, ONE OF THESE TEN METHODS IN COMMON.

THEY MAKE THE MISTAKE OF SELECTING CONTRACTORS BASED ON:

•  The one who is cheapest.
  • Really? I should not even have to qualify this. Cheap is almost always a bad value.

• The one who can start the soonest.
  • There is usually a reason they are not busy.

• The one who knocks on the door.
  • Of all the consumer problems I handle, a larger percentage come from those where the contractor selected the homeowner, rather than the other way around.

• The one who says, “Don’t worry, I’ll work with your insurance company and do whatever they say.”
  • Insurance companies will almost never payout all of what you really need. You want a contractor who will fight for what you need, as opposed to being the adjuster’s friend!

• The one who knows a guy, who knows a guy.
  • People who know people usually disappear when problems arise! The only people you should listen to are people who have repeatedly used the contractor or referred him with great results.

• The one who works for cash “under the table”.
  • I find it funny the people who start out wanting as guy who will “cheat the system”, then surprised when he cheats them!

• The one who does “side work” cheaper than his company.
  • Once again, integrity is in question. Do you really want someone who will cheat the hand that feeds him?

• The one from out-of-state.
  • Happens all the time, They come in like a storm for a storm then leave just as quickly. Forget warranties or any kind of reliability.

• The one who wants a lot of money up front.
  • Why? They can’t get credit for materials? Can’t manage cash flow? Often the money you pay now is paying for someone else’s job. Pay as you go. Or at the end.

• The one not on the original list: ReferralList.com.
  • I have poured my heart and soul into this list making sure the members are honest, trust-worthy and reliable – not to mention the best of the best in their respective fields. I have been on radio and TV for the past 40-years in Denver. If my efforts were not genuine, I could not have lasted this long!

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