Experts warn of storm repair scams, highlighting red flag consumers should watch for
BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) – After Hurricane Beryl moved out of Texas, a group of scammers moved in.
The Better Business Bureau calls them storm chasers, a unique group ready to scam residents who are just looking to clean up from the destruction of the storm.
“Typically they’re going to come from out of state. That’s what we find, they will follow kind of the path of those storms and go to those communities and that way,” Katie Galan with the Better Business Bureau said.
There are numerous ways to spot scams.
“If they are trying to get you that quick deal, ‘This deal is only good for today,’ legitimate contractors usually will not going to give you those types of ultimatums. You want to be careful with that. Make sure that their vehicles are marked and that they have a company name or phone number so that you can go and look that up and say ‘Hey, you know what? This still sounds great’ or ‘let me do a little searching, let me get back to you later today or tomorrow’ and then go and do your research that way.”
The Texas Department of Insurance is also working to warn residents about these scams following Beryl. Ben Gonzalez with TDI communications, said there are ways to help narrow down the real companies.
“Get multiple estimates, that helps you gauge what ones are too high or maybe artificially too low and once you get those estimates, they should be on the company’s letterhead so that you can call the company, check that phone number, check their references,” he said.
Aggieland Roofing has worked with victims after they’ve been scammed. Owner Rayne Knight says even experts can get caught up.
“We even have a director of fraud detective in Houston contact us one time. She’d give them all of the money upfront and I was like, ‘Why would you do that you work in fraud?’ And she was like because he told me he needed it for materials,” Knight said. She added this should be a red flag for shoppers looking to get some damage repaired.
Plus, she says asking the right questions will set you up for success.
“Work with somebody who’s going to be able to provide you with pictures if they’re not going to deal directly with your insurance company. Someone that’s going to give you, not only a bill of sale but also a workmanship warranty. They should be able to provide you with all those documents because you’re going to need it for your insurance company once it’s done.”
Knight and Galan both said contractors offering to waive the cost of an insurance deductible in the total price of repairs should also be a red flag. This practice is illegal.
Aggieland Roofing has a resource to help residents understand insurance policies better. Going through your current policy and understanding what you have is one way to make sure you’re prepared for the next storm. The BBB works to accredit and rate companies providing services to residents. You can search for accreditation here or view complaints made.
