Better Business Bureau of Wisconsin Warns Residents About Potential Summer Scams, Part 2
Thursday, June 5th, 2014 -- 12:47 PM
-The Better Business Bureau of Wisconsin is warning residents about potential summer scams hitting the state.This warning came about after the Better Business Bureau of Wisconsin was contacted by a Stanley resident who was scammed out of a $30,000 car.
I spoke with Randall Hoth, President/CEO of the BBB, and he talked about the company that is scamming people, like the individual from Stanley.
Mr. Hoth said, "Individuals are traveling the state using the name of A&S Asphalt Paving. The company has refused to share any information with the Better Business Bureau. They may respond to the Better Business Bureau only to say, 'well, we have a signed contract with someone.' Our concern is the quality of this work and the fact that these solicitations are coming into our state, without sales permits, which is required in the state of Wisconsin. If anybody comes to your property, you have the perfect right to ask them for their selling permit that has to be approved within the local community."
Mr. Hoth said that people should not feel obligated to pay these people if they just start the work without authorization.
"What happens is, seniors sometimes feel that, 'well, this is work that I guess I need to get done.' They get high pressured in letting someone start this work and then they feel they owe them for a portion of the work done, which is absolutely not true," said Mr. Hoth. "It seems that each complaint the Better Business Bureau gets is where someone just boldly showed up with a crew and started to do work. And you are absolutely not obligated to do that and local law enforcement will help you out."
Mr. Hoth believes that the complaints and inquiries they've already received are just the tip of the iceberg.
Mr. Hoth said, "Now, my point here is that we've had 3 complaints, 19 inquiries, but I think that's the tip of the iceberg. I believe these travelers and groups are clearly moving through the state of Wisconsin. We've tracked them back to a mobile home park outside of the Dells. The phone number that they used in this last case is a dead phone number, out of a mobile phone, registered in New Mexico. All these signs lead to the fact that these companies will show up without proper identification. They'll change the name they operate under. We have four or five different names we're tracking here at the BBB."
Mr. Hoth said it's important that people do their research, get information and be a smart shopper before having any work done this summer.
Feel free to contact us with questions and/or comments.