Avoiding a House Painting Scam
By Beth Ibarra
When a homeowner decides to repaint their house, put a fresh coat of paint on or just touch up certain areas of the house, he or she rarely consider the possibility of hiring the wrong painters. They may consider the possibility that these painters will do a poor job, but never really think about what it would be like to be victim of a scam.
Being the unwitting victim of a house painting scam can never be fun. Sure maybe your name will make it into the local section of a neighborhood newspaper, but not in a good way. When considering possible house painting contractors, there are certain criteria each should meet, and some may lie outside of skill as a painter. Perhaps the most important thing to consider is whether or not the contractor is trustworthy. The best way to avoid a house painting scam is to realize when a contractor is less than genuine in their interest in painting your home.
Some contractors may present shiny, professional looking brochures or presentation packages, only to disappear or flake out after being paid. Others may tout their skill and expertise as professional painters and may even lie about their previous work, only to leave a shoddy and poorly done painting job. These may be some of the common tricks of those looking to scam homeowners into paying top dollar for a less-than professionally done job.
Another house painting scam that may be popular among less professional contractors involves making a good first impression and then flaking out for much of the rest of the job. After they dazzle their potential clients with lofty promises, they may show up for the first day of work. On this day they may be on time, may be kind and courteous and leave what work they get done looking fantastic and promising. The next day they may not show up at all.
The third day they may not show up either. This may be a device used to hook many clients at once and complete each job in stages instead of focusing on one house at a time. This may be the most frustrating experience for a homeowner and a very clever house painting scam. Because of the quality first impression, the homeowner may be slower to realize that they have been scammed.
The excellent work and courteous nature of the painters may cement the homeowner’’s trust for a few days until the crew can come back. Eventually though, the homeowner should realize that they are not getting the same contractor they had been duped into believing they were getting.
So what should homeowners look for when deciding on a good painting contractor? It is usually easy to determine when somebody is being overly kind or when his or her kindness is forced. Go on the Internet or ask neighbors about their work.
Look for contractors who keep a clean job site and show an interest in their clients” ideas and projects. These are the best ways to avoid a scam, as those who are interested in providing good work for their clients will not flake out midway through a job.
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