Avoiding Disaster Repair Scams - Flood - Hurricane - Tornado - Earthquake

Unfortunately, every time there is a disaster, whether it's a hurricane, tornado, flood or earthquake, it seems to also unearth a rather unsavory side of life as well. I'm talking about disaster repair scam artists. These low-life's come crawling out of the wood work looking to make a quick buck and basically get out of town as quickly as they got into it. Saying that though, there's also a lot of good-hearted and well-intentioned people and companies truly looking to get your life back to normal as soon as possible.

It's always a good time to remind people that there are plenty of people out there that view the aftermath of a disaster with dollar signs, and not the ones that will be used to rebuild and recoup, but the ones that will fill their wallets fully taking advantage of people that are likely not thinking as clearly as they would in other circumstances.

They are no more than con artists. Fraud specialists. Deceitful Individuals, and they'll all share their time in a "special" place one day. They are slick with the tongue and sweet with the smile and they'll take you for everything from removing a tree or cleaning out a basement floor.

I say this because it happens more often than not. Goes unreported. And leaves you not only with a disaster to deal with but also being out-of-pocket. That's why you need to make sure you are dealing with individuals that are on the up-and-up and can actually deliver.

You never want to feel cheated in addition to your suffering.

Disaster's can be easy pickings and big red bulls-eye's for immoral contractors and scam artists who actively target homeowners as most of them in these areas are anxious to get their lives somewhat back to a semblance of what it was before the storms came.

I'm here to tell you that you can protect yourself by following some simple tips:

The first thing you are going to need to know is that these unscrupulous people are going to contact you, you can be sure of that. But how can you tell them a part from the rest of the crowd? Here's some of the typical warning signs that you are getting into a scam:

• First, they'll show up at your house. Some of their more pronounced opening lines are "I was just in the neighborhood and happened to see" insert whatever it is here that he thinks you may have a problem with. It may be a window or a roof or whatever. Bottom line was he came to you. Most reliable and good contractors typically won't have the time to drive around the neighborhood making unsolicited offers in an attempt to boost their business. These guys are busy most all the time. If they aren't, well, you should probably think twice about it.
• Says they can get to it immediately. Most repairs during a disaster situation are not immediate. There's typically a wait unless you are first in line.
• Is really interested into getting you into a contract. They are interested more in the long term benefit of you versus being able to benefit you now. If they do good work this is typically secondary as you'll be pleased with them to use them again.
• I love the ones that say they can save you money by using some left over materials from a previous job. This should throw up red flags everywhere. First, why do they have left over materials and how bad did they screw the first one when paying for all these materials.
• Oh, and don't forget the pressure sales. You know the ones, you can only get the discount if you sign today. Those guys are tremendously annoying.
• Most every disaster will have outside help come in. It's natural. But you are less likely to be scammed by a local established business versus someone that's there to help.
• Be wary of the money up front or cash deposit offers during this time.
• Special financing offers to get you back to normal quicker. Read these carefully so you don't get stuck with balloons or extremely high rates later. If you can, skip these all together.

First, do not let anyone into your house that you cannot verify. Even during these times, most phone or cell phone service will work. Call and verify that these people are who they say they are.

Watch out for the low-ballers. If you are getting bids from contractors and you've got one that's come in way under the rest, be careful of a few things. They are not likely including everything that will need to be done or are simply looking for the cash and not really looking to finish the job. Do yourself a favor and take a little bit of time to get 3 or 4 bids and select the most appropriate one. As part of the bidding process, make them include some local references that you can quickly check out.

During this time, you should make sure that the contractors are insured and bonded. If they aren't, take a pass.

You should not be required to pay in full up front. Dependent on the type of renovation being done to restore your quality of life, there may be a deposit required. This is typical for large renovations. However, it should also be tied to a payment schedule that requires completion of certain tasks for further payments. This makes sure that the contractors get paid for the work done and that you and your money stays secure.