Missouri Based Paving Contractor Scam Targets Iowa
For more information:
Ryan Smith, Communications Director
Ph; 515-243-8137, ext. 313
Cell: 515-419-1839
Missouri Based Paving Contractor Scam Targets Iowa
Des Moines, IA – August 27, 2015 – A paving contractor scam from Hannibal, MO is operating in Iowa. As of yesterday, the company Chip & Seal Construction Co. has targeted at least one Iowa homeowner in Buchanan County.
On August 26, a rural homeowner was outside mowing his lawn when he was approached by David Watkins stating he had extra material left over from a DOT job and they could repave their driveway for a couple hundred dollars. The homeowner agreed but ultimately ended up paying the company $6,500 after being pressured to do so.
After paying the company, the homeowner went online to research information found on their receipt. What the couple learned was shocking. A photo of who they knew as “David Watkins” revealed his real name is Basil Failor. Failor has a lengthy history of problems with property owners and law enforcement authorities across Missouri and Illinois. In January of this year he was arrested by the Missouri State Highway Patrol for a felony warrant for financial exploitation of the elderly and violation of unlawful merchandising practices.
His company, Chip & Seal Construction from Hannibal, MO, has been the focus of previous consumer allegations of overcharging for low-quality driveway work. The St. Louis BBB has been investigating this company and discovered several potential connections to other companies with a similar pattern of complaints. This company may be traveling around to different neighborhoods and communities possibly changing their name and using different aliases to elude unwanted attention. St. Louis BBB’s press release can be accessed with the following link: http://www.bbb.org/stlouis/news-events/bbb-warnings/2015/04/bbb-warning-on-itinerant-driveway-contractors/
BBB offers the following tips to consumers approached by contractors:
· Do not be tricked by businesses claiming to offer onetime-only savings. Often this is a way to convince a homeowner to agree to a job without researching the company.
· Get at least three bids when considering a contracting project. Consider all aspects of the proposal and remember that the lowest bid may not always be the best.
· Read any contract carefully before agreeing to work. Make sure you get any verbal promises in writing before signing an agreement.
· Make sure a company is insured and bonded. Get the name of the insurance company and check it out before agreeing to work.
· Get lien waivers showing that suppliers and subcontractors have been paid.
· Do not pay all money in advance. Do not make a final payment until all work is completed and you are satisfied with the job.
· Pay by credit card whenever possible in case you need to challenge the charge.
· Research the company. Find a BBB Business Review by calling 515-243-8137, or checking our website at www.bbb.org. Do an online search to find reviews, news reports or other mentions of the company.
About Better Business Bureau: Better Business Bureau is committed to marketplace trust. For more than 100 years, BBB has been creating a community in which businesses and consumers can trust each other through programs that encourage best practices, create marketplace role models, and denounce substandard business behaviors. People turned to BBB more than 132 million times last year, and BBB reviewed more than 4.5 million businesses and charities. BBB Serving Greater Iowa, Quad Cities and Siouxland Area, founded in 1940 and is one of 112 local, independent BBBs across North America. You can reach us at 515-243-8137 or online at bbb.org/iowa.
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