Transient Operators on the Prowl
That’s the word from the Contractor’s State License Board’s SWIFT (Statewide Investigative Fraud Team) unit. They opened the latest edition of California Licensed Contractor, the little mag they send out to us contractors every quarter, with that leader. And the next article on page one was titled “CSLB Helps Protect Wildfire Victims”.
Now, I have to admit that, as a matter of self preservation, the CSLB is always on about fraud. But we’re now into the realm of ridiculousness where these transient operators are concerned.
In their article, the CSLB tells the story of one group from Connecticut had been cited by SWIFT twice and was still operating, with cases pending in eight California Counties. They also had cases pending in other States!
The “company” would show up, offering to a paving job at deeply discounted prices because they had left-over materials that needed to be used. Then, once the job was started they’d find reasons to charge more. (That’s called “low balling”. See my related articles: Fast Talking Sales, Picking the Right Remodeling Bid, and He Can’t Do It For That.) They also required prepayment — money which was quickly turned into cash so the customer couldn’t get it back. And of course, the materials used were so substandard that they broke down in a matter of days.
Wild Fire Victims Beware
Up here in Humboldt County we have over 1,400 forest fires burning; there are also fires burning in other parts of California. If your home has been damaged or destroyed by fire, be smart about who you hire to repair the damage:
- Stick with your local contractors. You don’t know who that “Fire Recovery Construction” company from SomeTown VA really is. They may be great — or they might be a Transient Operator!
- Ask the local hardware store about the company you’re looking to hire. Granted, they don’t know everybody, and just because they don’t know them doesn’t mean they’re bad, but it’s a good place to start.
- Look for the license number. Every legitimate California contractor is required to display their license number on all advertising — including their company vehicle(s). If it’s not on their truck (maybe they just bought a new one), ask for a business card, or better yet, ask to see their “pocket license.” Every legitimate California contractor is issued a credit card sized license card. If they can’t produce their pocket license, be worried!
- Check the license number here to make sure it’s a real license, and not a fake. If it’s a fake, and this company is trying to pass themselves off as a licensed contractor, let the CSLB know here.
I really hate to be this way — I really do. There are lots of very good individuals out there who do good work who are not licensed. And in the end, regulation and bureaucracy only breeds more of the same, inevitably costing you, the consumer, more money.
On the other hand, it makes me sick to see how some people will behave and treat their fellow man. It’s what causes all these rules and regulations in the first place. And it’s in cases like the one above that the regulations do work to help us all out.
So be careful! And good luck getting your home rebuilt quickly, competently, and at a fair price.
Technorati Tags: Contractor’s State License Board, CSLB, Humboldt County, Wild Fire Victims, transient operators, illegal contractors, unlicensed contractors, California wild fires
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