OAKLAND CO., Mich. (WXYZ) — If you need to reseal or repair your driveway this spring, beware of driveway sealant scams. I'm highlight the voice of a man who was targeted in Oakland County, and talking to the county Sheriff about how to spot these scammers. Here's what you need to know to protect yourselves.
Watch Alicia's story in the video player below
“I'm out here and all of a sudden I hear tires screeching. Thought there was an accident, and I turned around and there was a big F-250 truck pulled in my driveway," said Jeff Chapman.
Chapman, who lives in Independence Township, said the two men in that unmarked truck offered him a deal to re-seal and repair his driveway for $59.
"And then once they started, they then started backtracking and said what?” I asked.
"$59 a gallon," he replied.
And how many gallons did they use?
"They said 37, but they only had 30 gallons on the truck, so I don't know how that math works," Jeff said.
So a job that was initially supposed to be only $59 was going to end up being more than $2100! He talked them down a couple hundred bucks and wrote them a check. But he called the bank and put a "stop payment" on it after he saw the driveway.
"Yea, they oversprayed on the house," Jeff said.
Also, they oversprayed on his concrete sidewalk, the edge of his front deck, and even sprayed sealant on top of dirt.
“The other thing the guy told me, too, was he said he sprayed it in this crack," Jeff said. "And that would expand and that crack would go away. And the crack is still there."
I asked Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard what the biggest red flag is with cases like these.
“The pressure to do it and showing up at your door," he said.
Sheriff Bouchard says the most common transient home repair scams involve sealants and roof repairs. He told me sometimes these cases can spill over into the civil realm, where you've offered to pay for services and don't think you received the services agreed upon.
“But obviously, you know, if they are intending to defraud you using false material, intending to mislead you, that begins to trip into the criminal [realm], and we love to catch these kind of folks," Sheriff Bouchard said.
Last June, the Better Business Bureau warned about unscrupulous contractors, citing some who claim they've been doing work in the area and have extra paving supplies and noticed your driveway needs repair, so they're willing to give a discount. But it's all a scam.
So how do you avoid contractor scams? The BBB says:
- Be wary of unsolicited offers, especially if the estimate is "discounted"
- Research companies and contractors before you hire
- Get everything in writing, including an estimate and material costs
- Stagger payments, so you can inspect the work along the way
- Use safe payment methods, like a credit card.
“If it sounds too good to be true, as my grandfather or Dad said, it's probably too good be true," Jeff said.
To help find a reputable contractor, visit BBB.org. On there, you can search for a business or service category, read any negative reviews or complaints, and see if they're BBB-accredited.
Bottom line, if something feels off, trust your gut and go with a different contractor.
