Saturday, February 16, 2008

CONTRACTOR REFERRAL SERVICES - TRUSTWORTHY?

Internet based Referral Services can be a very good resource to help find contractors. Most of them claim to have prescreened each company to eliminate that process for you. Don't trust it! Though they do generally qualify the credentials of the contractors they refer, the screening they perform is only guaranteed at the time of the screening! These services should ONLY be used as a starting point in facilitating the estimates, but you have to screen each company yourself!

Remember, Contractor Referral Services make money by selling your name and contact information to the contractors - NOT by performing the screening process. I can't tell you how many homeowners I deal with that fell victim to a Contractor Con referred by one of these services! Contractor Directories are more effective and give you more control over your communication.

ADVICE: Protect yourself! The ONLY way to really know who you are hiring is to be diligent in doing your own screening! This is probably the MOST IMPORTANT piece of advice I can offer. Treat the hiring process as if you are interviewing a prospective employee for your Fortune 500 company. Do your homework!

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