These are all “foot in the door techniques” that middleman contractors and sales people use to get into your homes and take over your claim.
* The Free Roof Inspection
Nearly all roofing companies offer free or complimentary roof inspections. However, remember what we mentioned in earlier blogs about door knockers or contractors that come to your home or call you uninvited. Actual roof installers are busy working. They do not knock on doors or make telemarketing calls.
After every hail and wind storm middleman contractors rush to our neighborhoods offering free roof inspections.
Once inspected, they claim to have observed roofing damages that warrants a new roof or major repair. This may be the case, however, always get a second opinion before filing a claim and never sign anything!
Many of the complaints filed with the Fort Worth Better Business Bureau reported some contractors intentionally causing damage to their roofs during the inspection and/or showing them pictures of other people’s roofs.
Nearly all of the complaint’s reported the sales person initially being very polite, knowledgeable, and helpful. However, no matter how professional they seemed, by the end of the meeting, they were all encouraged to submit an insurance claim, allowing the contractor to “handle everything” with the insurance company.
Unfortunately for many, the contractor either disappeared with the insurance check or once the work started, the homeowners were horrified to learn that the super nice sales person did not know as much as he claimed and the crew was not what was promised.
* Roofers Who Create a Sense of Urgency
Any urgency at all should be considered a warning sign. Pretending that you only have a limited time to make a claim and that they need to get started right away is a sure way to get you to make a quick decision.
Another sneaky sales trick that has proven to be very successful for sales and middleman contractors.
* The Emergency Tarp Repair Scare
Ok, so if you are 100% certain that your roof is actually leaking, then a tarp repair may be immediately necessary.
However, never allow a tarp repair to be free. Demand an estimate and a receipt for any services or alterations made to your home/property. If you allow a contractor to perform a free temporary repair or alteration to your home and you then decide to hire a different contractor for the roof replacement, they can put pressure on you to pay for the “free” repair services they provided for any amount they now want.
The worst part, 95% of the time, emergency tarp repairs are not even truly needed. They are simply being used by sales teams and contractors as a high pressure, sense of urgency trick, to get you to allow them to perform work on the property.
If they agree to tarp your roof for free, most homeowners are going to then naturally feel obligated to hire them, if the claim is approved. Not to mention they will now have immediate invoicing capabilities against your insurance company.
Sales People Are Not Roofers:
The bigger issue? Not only are most of tarp/felt repairs not needed, they are also not being performed correctly by actual roof installers.
Sales People Are Not Roofers!
Simply nailing down a few strips of felt on your roof “Will Not Stop A Leak.”
We highly recommend that homeowners always wait on performing any alterations or tarp repairs to the roof until you are 100% certain of who you will be hiring.
Allowing a contractor to make free repairs or alterations to your roof, could come back to cause you massive headaches in the future.
Always demand an estimate for the tarp repair and always get a second or third opinion before permitting the repair and “Always Pay For The Repair Service” being sure to get a paid in full receipt upon completion.
Never allow the repair to be free. Is anything ever really free?!
* Asking You To Sign Anything
Never sign “anything” until you are 100% ready to start the work.
Asking you to sign a work order or “contingency agreement” allowing them to meet with your adjuster on your behalf should be considered High-Way Robbery.
This is an attempt to take over your insurance claim without giving you time to discuss pricing, pick out products, talk about ventilation, see written estimates, seek second opinions or do your own research.
It is highly recommended that homeowners handle their own insurance claim and keep their personal insurance information private.
* Roofers Avoiding Written Estimates
This is the most obvious red flag!
ONLY SCAMMERS AND MIDDLEMEN WILL WANT TO AVOID GIVING YOU A WRITTEN ESTIMATE.
Why would a contractor not want to give you an estimate?
