Maintaining your property on your own can be a daunting task and can take up a lot of time. To relieve oneself of this duty, people tend to hire a professional landscaping company. This comes a price, of course. While it sounds simple enough to hire a guy to cut work on your property, there can be some hidden pit-falls. There are many people out there who are always trying to pull a scam and make you pay more than you need.
These scam artists are very smart and use a number of ways to fool customers. Some of them are not giving proper quotes, scaring you, pressuring you and so on. Below is a list of things to watch out for…
Don’t Succumb to Pressure
There will be landscaping companies who will frighten you by pointing out various flaws in your lawn and make you agree to doing unnecessary improvements. They may even try to make you agree to a certain amount saying prices can go up “very soon”. Don’t succumb to such pressure tactics.
Don’t Rely on Unknown Companies
There are always some companies who are just starting out. Many of them are for sure genuine however some could definitely be fraudsters. So, always ask for proper identification, paperwork etc. Ask to see their portfolio, as any genuine company would have it available to you.
Ask for Referrals
Those who have a good reputation will never hesitate to provide references of their previous customers. In fact, they should gladly provide it as a sign of their reputation. On the contrary, the fraudster out there will generally make excuses to why they can’t provide any such evidence. When hiring a local landscape design company ask neighbors if they have heard of them or if they would recommend someone.
Don’t Pay In-full Immediately or Without Any Signed Paperwork
Some companies ask to you to pay instantly giving the excuse that they need you to pay in full before a shovel ever enters the ground. Chances are that once you pay you will never them again. Also, some companies offer to give you a “great deal” if you skip filling out the paper work. This will leave you with no receipts or documentation.
These are some of the tricks that scam contractors use to fool their customers. When choosing your landscape contractor keep these points in mind and use your common sense. Always verify their claims and only after you are completely satisfied to you agree to work with them.
Summary
These days there are scammers in every field and the landscaping profession is certainly not spared for sure. As your lawn is a very crucial part of your property, you have to be very careful in choosing your professional landscaper. Keep the above points in mind as well as your eyes wide open. This will save you money and time.
