For today’s Newsday Tuesday I want to highlight a story about a form of contractor scam that isn’t the “takes your money and runs” type of scam. When a salesperson (in any field of business) convinces you to buy something or invest in something that you don’t need, or doesn’t work for you, then this is a type of scam. In this article the BBB warns against homeowners who buy into solar paneling on their homes (which can cost as much as $60,000!) because a contractor convinces them to do it, even though it’s not needed.
I am all for doing things to green up your home, and finding cool and interesting ways to save money, but solar paneling can take a lot of work and cost a lot of money without seeing the benefits of it. There are literally hundreds of other instances where you might be going out and shopping for something and a salesperson will try and upsell (industry term) you to a “better” (and more expensive) product. Selling things to people that they don’t need is just as much stealing money from them as grabbing their wallet is.
Whether it’s solar paneling, a “better” water heater, or a “more efficient” HVAC system be sure to be on your guard when purchasing a product. Make sure that the pros out weigh the cons, and that the investment it takes to install a newer and better model will pay off in the end.
Build (and buy) safe out there.