A story about contractor fraud on AM800 comes with a warning from both the Better Business Bureau and Windsor police.
Bellissimo Concrete and Windsor Ready Mix have agreed to finish a walkway and patio for Sue Capaldi after she says an independent contractor started the work and then disappeared with her $2,000 deposit.
The BBB is using the incident as a lesson about how to deal with contractors.
BBB Southwest spokesperson Ashley Casselman says investigating the company is important.
"How long they've been in business, if they have a licence if you're looking for an electrician for example" says Casselman "Those are things you can look online. On top of that when you do get the quote, make sure you get it in writing, once it's in writing they can only go over that by 10% unless you agree to more work"
Casselman says there's a simple rule about paying up-front for work, anywhere from 10 to 25%.
Windsor police spokesperson Constable Andrew Drouillard says knowing who you're dealing with is critical.
"I can't stress enough the value in doing your research checking into a company even Googling the name and checking wiht the BBB on permits and whether they're a licenced company" says Drouillard.
Casselman says the BBB website is a good tool to see if a company is reputable.
Drouillard adds there are some simple rules like getting 3 quotes for a job and remembering that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Drouillard says police will pursue a situation for fraud if the circumstance warrant it.