Spring through fall is a prime time for “Seal Coat Scams”
Someone knocks on your door unannounced and offers to sealcoat your asphalt driveway on the spot. He tells you about the great deal you’ll get. Once you give him your money, he fails to deliver.
Scams like this are very common, they also give the scammers an opportunity to survey your neighborhood for future criminal activity including theft and burglary. A simple question about your neighbors could provide criminals information about neighbors on vacation or work hours.
Scammers may go door to door offering the same deal while they are seal coating your driveway, determining who is or isn’t home ,or trying to use you as point of reference to convince other property owners to take the same deal.
The scammers go to a home with a paved driveway and tell the intended victim they will seal their driveway for them at a cheap rate. Most of the time the scammers ask for the money up front and when paid they may leave without doing all the work or in some cases using what appears to be sealcoating but is actually just a mix that appears to be the legitimate coating.
If your watching them do the work, you could be distracted enough for someone to enter your home looking for cash or jewelry. Remember these are professional thieves that could locate items you believe are secure, within minutes.
Warning Signs of a Sealcoating Scam
- Soliciting door to door – If a supposed “sealcoating contractor” tries to solicit your business door to door, you should likely be suspicious. While every business owner has to start somewhere, door to door marketing can be sometimes seen as a red flag.
- Ask for references – Before hiring any residential sealcoating contractor, ask for references. If a company is hesitant to provide references, you should look for another sealcoating contractor. Once you have the list of references, go to the actual addresses and look at their work, and possibly even ask the homeowners about their experience.
- Beware of the ‘extra material’ line – Occasionally a residential sealcoating company may be in the neighborhood and stop by saying that they have some extra material that they can use on your driveway. They’ll likely offer you an incredible deal, which many homeowners can’t resist. The reality is that any experienced sealcoating contractor will have very little extra material after a job, and if they do, quality sealcoating materials can be stored as long as they don’t freeze.
- Beware of contractors without lettered trucks – Another red flag when you’re looking for a sealcoating contractor is to avoid companies that don’t letter their trucks. Sure, a company may decide that they don’t need to letter their trucks, but often lettered company trucks shows a level of professionalism that may put your mind at ease when shopping for a residential sealcoating company.
- Beware of limited time pricing – Beware if a company tells you that you have to have the work done today to receive the best price. Many times these companies are simply trying to pressure you into getting the job right away, or they may be from out of town and just looking for a quick buck.
- Cash payments – If the contractor your working with insists that you pay them in cash, or with a check written out to “Cash”, beware. Any reputable sealcoating company should want you to write a check out to their company name.
- Rock bottom prices – Many sealcoating contractors will try to entice customers with deals such as a $99 sealcoating special. These low prices often mean the company is inexperienced, and likely using inferior materials.
