There are a lot of contractors out there who are honest with their work. But that’s not always the case, most of the plumbers want to scam as much money out of you as possible. With that said, following we are going to mention some common tactics they use.
Bait and Switch
This is a common scam. It involves the plumber convincing that you are getting the best product or replacement part. However, in reality, they are giving you a sub-par or low-cost product. They pocket the profit. The same scan can be used as if they are installing expensive material but increase the price way too high. The worst part is, most people don’t know they are being scammed like this.
Do your research before choosing. Invest your time finding a reliable Hamilton plumber if you want a long working relationship.
Company
You hired someone to work for you. But you see different people show up from time to time and you have no idea why they are here, or what they are doing. Sometimes, these people can be appreciated. Its unheard of but you need to keep check of these people and see if they are licensed as well or not. If you are suspicious, then you need to mind the following:
Some plumbers subcontract parts of the job to friends or family and claim they have no control over hat these people charge when you are about to pay
If there are several plumbers on the site, then you will end up paying for each of them separately
The best approach is, voice your concern. Let the plumber know you only hired him for his abilities, and you will only pay what was discussed beforehand.
Rates and Neighborhoods
Its possible people may overcharge you based on where you live. It’s possible, if people see you are well-off, they might increase their usual rate to 50% or 100%. The worst part is, you have no idea of what’s going on because the worker always come up with a convincing story. They believe they have the right to take advantage of you because you have the money to pay.
You need to avoid this by checking their rates and working out a budget before they show up. Yes, the budget can be tweaked, but it doesn’t have to be anything dramatic.
Ever Changing Estimates
This is also another common scan. The estimate takes turns from time to time. It works with the plumber going through your issue, calculating the running total in their head but refusing to share the number with you. When you ask for an estimate, they say you need to wait. They start their work, finish off and ramp up the price.
There is another scenario of how this work, they give you a reasonable estimate beforehand. But when they show up at your place, they change their initial statement. This is not always a fraud; there is always a possibility. So, you need to do your research by getting quotes from different plumbers at a time.