In from Scam Busters:
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20 Smart Steps to Stop Repair Scam Artists from "Fixing" Your
Wallet
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Whether it's in your home, under the hood of your car or deep
in the inner workings of your PC, repair scam risks are
lurking in the darkest corners of our property.
And they're every bit as troublesome -- and much more costly
-- than the gremlins that got them there in the first place.
A quick dip into the YouTube archive, for instance, turns up
videos from recent, separate investigations by TV stations in
three countries -- the US, Canada and Britain -- that show
computer repair scam merchants at work.
In each case, a reporter, posing as a customer, presents PC
repair shops with a computer that's been doctored so it
doesn't work.
The faults are simple -- like a loose memory chip or unplugged
cable -- but, in the vast majority of cases, the repairers
either fail to spot the problem or simply claim the trouble is
much more complex and will be costly to fix.
Some of these computer repair scam types (and they even
included a couple of well-known electronics retail chains)
even suggest the PCs are now useless and the owner should buy
a new one -- from them of course.
Only about 20% both correctly diagnose the problem and charge
"fairly" for them. But even that's a moot point since most
computer repair shops have a minimum charge of $50 or $75 no
matter what they do, and that's a costly way of re-plugging a
cable.
Only two out of the dozens of repairers tested correct the
problem for free.
And, of course, as regular Scambusters subscribers know, auto
repair scams are at least as common, ranging from bogus
engineers in parking lots who claim they see something wrong
with your car, to crooked repair shops who'll pull the same
kind of tricks as those computer "fix-its" we just mentioned.
For example, take a look at these articles:
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=76C...y.8Ls9UgQ_9gxQ
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=76C...Qrd.73v0jrvMqg
Then there are the home repair scam merchants who try to con
you by claiming you have problems with some part of your
structure (often the driveway, roof or chimney). Here are some
examples of what to avoid:
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=76C...RsB8AP6Ff12YZg
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=76C...4aPN9.X5rc1yIg
Or they'll tell you your home is infested with pests. Or they
just happen to have materials left over from another job and
can do a cheap makeover on some aspect of your home.
Or maybe they'll either try to lure you out of the house so an
accomplice can steal your stuff, or just come in, ask to visit
the bathroom, and clean you out.
Nearly all repair scams have one thing in common: they exploit
your ignorance.
The villains can tell you anything they want and, unless you
happen to have some real expertise of your own, how are you to
know if they're telling the truth?
Sometimes, it can be a really tough call that may be just down
to your gut feeling about whether to trust someone or not.
Top 20 Repair Scam Tricks
But there are quite a few things you can do to minimize the
chances of being mugged by these repair scam artists. We've
put together a list of 20 of them:
1. Never agree with a front-door or parking lot solicitor or a
telesales caller for them to do work for you without checking
them out.
Simply don't take their word for whatever they tell you -- and
don't let them in your house or go outside with them.
Generally, the most reliable repairers don't have to solicit
for work.
2. You should always thoroughly check out anyone you're
planning on to do your repairs. Are they licensed/bonded? Are
they listed in the phone book? What does their job/repair
vehicle look like -- professional or dirty and worn out? Is the
engineer or tech certificated for the work? Have many
complaints against them been lodged?
3. Unless you already have worked with them and absolutely
trust their reputation for value, always get a second and,
preferably, a third bid for comparison. This alone has saved
us thousands of dollars. A 40% or 50% difference is not
uncommon!
4. Check in advance if the contractor will charge for
investigating the cause and producing an estimate. This can be
expensive, so make sure you know up front what the fee will
be. Although free estimates are wonderful, when it's someone
you've called out to your home or time consuming to create the
estimate, it may be fair for them to charge for their time.
Also, find out if there's a minimum charge.
5. Bids should be in writing and include not only costs but
how long the work will take. When comparing them, make sure
they're like-for-like -- covering the same scope of work and
quality of materials.
Car repair scam artists and some who fix home appliances are
well known for substituting cheap, inferior parts that don't
last.
6. Establish if the work is going to be covered by a warranty
-- and get a written copy. Check out that fine print -- that's
where home repair scams are often hidden, taking away your
rights for redress.
7. And, on the subject of written stuff, keep copies of all
correspondence, including emails and advertisements, in case
there's a subsequent dispute.
8. It's not unreasonable to record phone conversations too --
but you should tell the person you're doing it, which has the
dual benefit of common courtesy (or even the law in some
places) and making the contractor aware you're on the ball.
9. Where an item has to be replaced, make it clear upfront
that you'll be wanting to see and keep the broken part once
the job is done.
10. Never agree to an open-ended repair deal where you have no
idea what the final cost will be. Insist the repairer contacts
you if it looks like the estimate will be exceeded.
This sort of "bait and switch" trick is common with repair
scams, where crooks who come in with the lowest competitive
bid later tell you it's going to cost much more.
11. Take steps to protect your valuables. That means
concealing or locking away precious items before you let
someone into your home or car, and removing or password
protecting (or preferably encrypting) sensitive stuff on your PC.
That even includes family photos, a favorite target of some of
the weirdos in computer repair shops. And you always back up
your data onto an external drive don't you?
12. Speak to knowledgeable friends and do an online search for
the problem you're experiencing, to get a clue on the possible
cause.
Recently, Scambuster Keith was suspicious when a repair shop
told him the whole a/c system on his low-mileage car was kaput
and would cost $3,500 to replace. But a quick online search
established this was a not-uncommon problem with his
particular make and model and the quoted price was about
average.
13. Ask the contractor for references. Of course, he's not
going to give you the names of dissatisfied customers but it's
going to put him on his guard.
Make sure you actually check the references -- don't just
accept written ones -- and speak to the people involved,
especially if it's likely to be a costly job.
14. Be wary if the repairer asks to be paid in cash. Perhaps
it's OK if you want to pay this way but if the repairer asks,
he's also making a statement about the way he runs his
business. And always get a receipt that specifies the work
that's been done.
15. Don't pay upfront. Some contractors may ask for a deposit,
which is often OK. At the very least you should be able to
hold at least half of the payment until the job is complete.
16. Inspect all repair work, check the item is performing as
it should be and pay by credit card if possible, which allows
you to take action to halt the payment if you subsequently
encounter early problems.
17. Beware of sending items, like cell phones and iPods, away
for repairs unless it's to the manufacturer or the retailer
you bought it from. Online and classified ads offering cheap
fixes could be a front for a repair scam. You'll likely never
see the item again.
18. Beware of being bamboozled by jargon. Repair scammers and
even legit engineers and geeks may use terms you don't
understand, either innocently or to try to convince you they
know what they're doing.
If you don't understand, ask. If it's a repair scam, the crook
will either not be able to answer or won't look you in the eye
when they try to explain.
19. Be skeptical of "limited time" special offers or other
sales talk that aims to convince you that you're getting a
bargain, but only if you give the go-ahead for work now.
It's easy for a repair scam artist to say the work would
normally cost so-and-so but they can do it for less right now.
Who says so?
20. And finally, if you have the slightest suspicion that you
may have been scammed, try to get the work inspected by a
third party as soon as possible. Not only may this help you
get your money back but, if repair work hasn't been done
properly, it could even save your life!
Goodness knows, these days getting just about anything fixed
seems to cost an arm and a leg. You owe it to yourself -- and
your wallet -- to try to ensure you're not being hoodwinked by
a repair scam of someone who either doesn't know what he's
doing or just sets out to rip you off.
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