Attorney General issues reminders to consumers

Attorney General Tom Corbett today issued a list of reminders to consumers who are preparing to hire contractors for home improvement projects.
Corbett said since January 2005, his Bureau of Consumer Protection has received 875 complaints about home improvement contractors. Last year, the Bureau received nearly 3,000 home repair or remodeling complaints.

In 2004, home improvement complaints ranked the fifth highest on the Attorney General's "Top 20" list of complaints for all consumers and fourth highest among Pennsylvanians aged 60 or older. The number of home improvement complaints typically increase during the spring, when homeowners are more likely to hire contractors to perform various projects.

"Typical home improvement complaints include shoddy and incomplete work or failure to start the job after receiving a deposit or payment," Corbett said. "Many of these unscrupulous contractors create a sense of urgency or offer unrealistic low rates or deep discounts to entice unsuspecting homeowners."

"Also beware of traveling contractors who come to your home and point out specific problems," Corbett said. "Others may claim to have materials leftover from another job or just happen to be 'in the neighborhood' for other work," Corbett said. "A small amount of research can eliminate big problems when hiring a contractor to perform home improvement projects."

Source: Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General