The Better Business Bureau is warning of a Georgia roofing business officials said is operating without a license or insurance.
According to a press release from the BBB, the agency was notified Dec. 16 that the business JMS Roofing & Construction operates without a business license and without insurance. On Dec. 17, the agency sent a letter to the business at the address supplied by the informant asking the business owner to clarify these matters. The letter was returned to the BBB by the United States Postal Service as “Not deliverable as addressed, unable to forward.
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The business operates a Facebook page under the name “JMS Roofing & Construction,” and lists a phone number. However, BBB officials said when they called the number, a man answering stated that it was not JMS Roofing & Construction. He said this despite the fact that there is a Facebook posting of this information, various other classified ads giving this number, and the last name of “Speight” in connection with JMS Roofing & Construction.
The company operates in the Adel area, yet the BBB could not verify a business license in any surrounding cities or counties. Based on these facts, Better Business Bureau officials strongly suggested that consumers exercise extreme caution when dealing with this company.
To find a reputable roofing contractor, the BBB urges homeowners to take the following precautions:
• Ask the contractor to give you a written quote. Obtain bids from several firms, making sure that the specifications of each bid are identical. Don’t immediately accept the lowest bid. Check on the quality of the materials and if they clean up after working on the job site as well.
• Ask for a business card. Check to see if the company is locally owned. Ask questions like: Where is the headquarters location? How long have they been in business? Are they financially stable?
• Ask for credentials. Also, ask what training or skill levels are demanded of workers. Make sure that the contractor is licensed and insured. Obtain a business review of the firm by calling the Better Business Bureau at 706-324-0712 or look it up at www.bbb.org/columbus-ga.
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• Ask for and check references. Try to talk to previous customers, and if possible, look at a similar job that has been completed recently and one that has been done for several years.
• Make sure that the contractor has good communication skills. Do they return calls? Do they give you all necessary documentation? Do they follow through?
• Make sure to get a detailed written contract specifying the work to be done and any stipulations and warranty offers. Any additions or changes to the agreed upon work should be added to the contract and initialed by both parties.
• Ask if the contractor would be willing to submit a dispute concerning workmanship or service to a third party arbitration program, and get that commitment in writing.
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• Beware of fly by night repair businesses soliciting work in unmarked trucks and requiring advance payment, and do not succumb to high pressure techniques such as the price is “good only for today.” Do not pay in full until the work is complete; and pay by check or credit card; make the check out to the company not the person; don’t pay cash to a contractor or a sales person.
The Better Business Bureau of East Alabama, West and Southwest Georgia may be reached at 706-324-0712.
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