NEVER PAY CASH ! HE'S A CON-ARTIST!

I went to a see a young couple who had a basement waterproofing issue today, and what they told me bothered me so much that I came home and had to write this blog as a warning. 

They told me that they had had another "contractor" give them a quote.  This contractor said he would install interior weeping tile and Zypex on the walls, and a Red Lion sump pump. He did not give them ANYTHING in writing, but later gave them a quote of $13,000.00 over the telephone.  He also told them that he wanted it in CASH,- $8000.00 in cash as an up front deposit today and the rest in cash later- because they could save paying the GST if they did it under the table.  I was flabbergasted. 

Rules to live by:

1.  NO reputable contractor will ever do a CASH ONLY deal...if they will cheat and lie to the government- you can bet they will cheat and lie to you also. Contractors may take cash as payment BUT they will NEVER ask for CASH ONLY payments.  They will accept certified cheques, credit cards or other methods that are trackable and they will always deposit the entire amount to a trackable bank account.

2.  A reputable contractor will ALWAYS give you a quote in writing. Then you and he/she have some paperwork that can be used if there are ever any discrepancies, misunderstandings or problems.

3.  Don't use the cheapest fix- what you are getting is cheap and will NOT accomplish the long term goal of having a dry basement FOREVER. Can you afford to throw the amount of the cheapest quote out the window? Compare a few quotes to see that the "apples to apples" are NOT the same.

4.  NEVER, I mean NEVER, pay someone CASH up front, without getting a contract, receipt, or some document that states you have paid for some services which have not yet been completed but which will be completed by a certain date named therein.

5. Check if they are a Better Business Bureau member in good standing.  Check for credentials like awards, pictures of previous jobs and can they describe the work done and the location. Check for references from previous customers. Is their WCB paid up? 

6.  Zypex coating applied on the inside of a wall (negative side) is NOT going to waterproof a wall from leaking just like an advil does not fix a broken leg.  Putting in an exterior culvert with a sump pump in it is just like expecting an advil to fix a broken leg... It may take the pressure and pain off for a time, but the leg is still broken.  The real problem has to be addressed.

There are many other statements I could add, but in closing, I would just like to reiterate to be wise in choosing a contractor.

Oh, and did I forget to mention NEVER PAY CASH!!!!!