Over 50 people in Wyoming have fallen victim to asphalt paving scams in the past few years, and the Wyoming Attorney General’s Office is warning residents to use extra caution when dealing with door-to-door solicitors who offer asphalt paving services at “special discounted” prices.
The Consumer Protection Unit of the Wyoming Attorney General’s Office has learned of people falling victim to the scams all across the Cowboy State, including Campbell, Fremont, Laramie, Lincoln, Natrona, Park, Sublette, Sweetwater, Teton, Uintah, and Weston counties.
The Consumer Protection Unit is actively investigating the paving scams.
According to a recent release, the paving crews perpetrating these scams typically arrive from out of state during the warm spring and summer months, leave Wyoming for warmer weather during the winter, and return to Wyoming in the spring and summer.
The information below will help Wyomingites distinguish scammers from legitimate contractors.
Common Scam Pattern:
Consumers have reported that these paving crews approach their homes uninvited and offer paving services at a purported discount because they supposedly have material leftover from another job that would go to waste if not used soon.
Some crews even pretend to be working on a state paving job for the Wyoming Department of Transportation or another local governmental entity. They often tell consumers that their work is high quality and meets highway standards.
The crews often give vague verbal estimates that fail to inform consumers of the actual costs and promise the work includes robust warranties. When finished with jobs, the crews routinely demand payment in amounts that far exceed the vague estimates. If consumers complain, these crews typically promise to seal coat the freshly applied asphalt at a significant discount. The scammers then accept payment, but never return to provide the promised service.
Shortly after these crews complete paving jobs, driveways exhibit signs of substandard work, including: uneven surfaces, crooked edges, eroded asphalt, and thin spots that fail to withstand emerging vegetation or the weight of motor vehicles and pedestrians. Making matters worse, the scammers often damage consumer property by spraying asphalt materials on fences, decorative rock, sidewalks, garages, and homes.
When consumers call to request repairs or take advantage of the promised warranties, the operations ignore the calls.
Scam Prevention Tips:
- Obtain multiple written estimates: Seek referrals from people you know and trust, and then obtain written estimates from more than one of the referred contractors.
- Verify compliance: Verify the contractor is in compliance with local licensing, bonding, and insuring requirements.
- Verify location: Verify the contractor has a permanent location. Many travelling asphalt pavers pretend to be local, but actually drive trucks with out-of-state license plates and list UPS store mailboxes, RV parks, or hotels as their business addresses.
- Get it in writing: Obtain a detailed written contract before the contractor begins the work and get a receipt for your payment after the contractor finishes the work.
- Avoid advance payments: Limit what you pay in advance, never paying in full until the work is completed.
- Know the warning signs: Be wary of contractors who solicit door-to-door, claim they have leftover material, use high pressure sales tactics, extend “today only” offers, or fail to provide a written estimate. Trustworthy paving contractors rarely sell their services door-to-door, seldomly have enough material left over to do another job, and almost always provide written estimates that remain valid for weeks or months.
How to report it:
Wyoming consumers who believe they have interacted with asphalt paving scammers should contact the Consumer Protection unit toll free at (800) 438-5799 or by e-mail at [email protected].