Beware! 4 Roofing Scandals Affecting St. Louis Homeowners and Businesses
Picture this scenario: A big storm rolls through St. Louis and the next morning there’s a knock on your door. It’s a roofing company. “Did the storm damage your roof? Have you had someone look at it yet?” You don’t recognize their company name, never even seen them before. How do you protect yourself from being the next victim of a roofing scandal?
Independent business ethics agencies like the Better Business Bureau, Angie’s List, and Verified Service Reports work hard to maintain and protect consumers from fraudulent companies and their swindling ways. Here are four roofing scandals currently affecting St. Louis homeowners and businesses:
- Contractors demanding significant down payment, or even full payment, before beginning work. No ethical contractor will ask you to pay your bill in full before beginning work.
- Contractors offering to pay your insurance deductible in exchange for contracting their business for your roof repair or replacement. Missouri Senate Bill 101 of 2011 and Missouri Senate Bill 610 of 2014 outlaw this unethical promise. Any contractor and insurance owner making this exchange are guilty of insurance fraud. Know the difference!
- Insurance agents or adjusters demanding you use a certain roofing contractor. By law, no insurance company or representative can force insurance owners to use only specific contractors to process claim repairs. They can make recommendations, but cannot require specific companies or contractors.
- Storm-chasing roofing contractors targeting uninformed and vulnerable insurance owners, specifically elderly and women. The clean-up process following a powerful storm can be chaotic. A good tip to remember is this: a smiling face is not always a helping hand. Storm-chasing contractors are paving a trail of broken promises, stolen payments, and unfinished work. Follow the 10 Factors to Hiring the Right Roofing Contractor to protect yourself from the wrong contractor.