 Summer Flood
Better Business Bureau Serving Northwestern Ohio and Southeastern Michigan, Inc.
BBB URGES CAUTION IN WAKE OF FINDLAY & CAREY FLOODING
In the aftermath of the severe floods in Hancock and Wyandot Counties the BBB urges the consumers to exercise caution when hiring a contractor to repair damages, or when responding to charity appeals to assist those stricken by the disaster.
Making Repairs to Home or Business
Property owners want to make repairs to their home or business as quickly as possible. But in disasters like this we sometimes see unscrupulous contractors or scam artists try to take advantage of the post-disaster chaos to cheat unsuspecting property owners out of money, or provide shoddy materials or sub-standard work
The BBB offers these tips for selecting a contractor to repair any damages:
* Check with your insurance company about policy coverage and any specific filing requirements the company may have.
* Don't act in haste. Don't be pressured into signing a long-term contract. Make temporary repairs if necessary.
* For major permanent repairs, take time to shop around for contractors, get competitive bids, check out references, make sure the contractor is properly licensed, has Ohio Workers Compensation insurance and be sure you check out their report with the Better Business Bureau.
* Be wary of high pressure or scare tactics, such as door to door laborers who claim your home or building is unsafe. If you are concerned about possible structural damage in your home, have an engineer, architect, or building official inspect it.
* Get a written agreement with your contractor that outlines the repairs to be done, the types of materials to be used, the price breakdown for both labor and materials and the payment terms. Review it carefully before signing. Keep a copy!
* Never - never - never pay for all repairs in advance. You run the risk that the contractor will simply disappear. Do not pay cash.
* When seeking the services of a cleaning and restoration firm, remember that flood-soaked carpets can sometimes be saved but must be professionally sanitized at the cleaning firm's plant. Any furniture that has been submerged in floodwater will need to be re-upholstered or refinished if it can be saved at all. Thoroughly clean out mud and residual material from heating and cooling units and let the units dry out before determining whether the equipment is functional or needs repairs. Often nothing submerged can be salvaged.
The BBB has Tips Sheets available on home repair and coping with disasters, as well as reliability reports on area contractors. Our office can also provide you with a list of contractors that are BBB members. Visit www.findlaybbb.org or www.toledobbb.org.
Give Wisely
The BBB also cautions the public and business owners in responding to charitable appeals as a result of the flooding.
Emotional appeals to assist disaster victims are common in the wake of any tragedy. While most charities are operating honestly, scam artists will use a natural disaster as an opportunity to take advantage of our natural generosity.
The BBB offers these charitable giving tips:
* Evaluate appeals carefully. It's likely that many organizations will be responding to the disaster, so look at various options.
* Watch for red flags such as high pressure to make an immediate donation, overly emotional appeals that are short on detail on how the funds will be used and evasive answers to questions about the organization.
* Ask the organization how your donation will be used to directly alleviate conditions resulting from the flooding and how much will be used for administration and fund raising. See if the solicitor explains what the charity intends to do with any excess contributions remaining after they have fully funded disaster relief activities.
* Do not give your credit card number or other personal information to a telephone solicitor or in response to an e-mail solicitation. Ask the caller or sender to provide you with written information on the charity's programs and finances.
* Do not give cash. Write a check to the full name of the charitable organization and ask for a receipt. If approached by a solicitor claiming to raise funds for a charitable organization, contact the organization to verify who is soliciting on their behalf.
* If you decide to contribute online, find out more about the charity before making a contribution and be aware of red flags. For example, some charities imitate the name and style of a well-known organization in order to confuse people. Also, when clicking on the link to "donate", look at the organization's URL in the browser window. Exercise caution if the domain name is hidden, is not familiar to you or is not the same as the one stated in the text of the link.
The Better Business Bureau offers reports on locally soliciting charities. Try to get their full name, address and phone number and either visit our web site or call our office at (419) 531-3116 or toll-free 800-743-4222. We will investigate and provide you with a report on the charity free.
Dick Eppstein, BBB
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