My neighbor was scammed by driveway spraying scammers

Ah, now I understand. Here in S.E.A. many roads don;t last 10 years due to the monsoon rains and heavy truck traffic. So generally most black top roads are being repaired and re-paved by the time y'all are putting on a seal coat.

Bruce in Bangkok (brucepaigeatgmaildotcom)

It appears that my reply to you, re: why to seal coat *driveways*, never made it. It's quite simple; oil, tranny, and other fluids leak on th' same spots. Over time, depending on how bad they leak, it seriously deteriorates th' ashphalt. Same with parking lots. Both generally need to be re-sealed more often than road surfaces.

Also th' rental units we own/manage are five star, 55+ manufactured housing communities. It's a pretty cheap and efficient way to maintain a nice looking neighborhood. We've got one that has 26 yr old asphalt that still looks like brand new.

Snarl

In my town soliciting door to door requires a permit or notificiation to the police station. If your neighbor reported them for going door to door, the police would check if they have met the requirements. If not, our police would be more than happy to stop by and have have a chat.

If an actual scam or fraud is reported, they will start the criminal process. They are also happy to do a full commercial vehicle inspection as well, never know what those can turn up.

Though it would be wrong to accuse anyone without evidence this is a species of fraud characteristic of an American group called "The Irish Travelers" which operates in the Eastern and Southern part of the country. There was a very interesting documentary about them on the box some years ago.

Their itinerant and elusive modus operandi has made legal action against them very difficult.

Regards,

Edward Hennessey

Three simple solutions:

Ask for their contractors license and immediately verify it. A legitimate firm will be glad to oblige.

While you are asking for than information write down the license plate on the truck.

Pay by credit card.

Exhibit some starch.

I had some travellers pass thru, offer to do some tree work that I really did want done. We struck a deal, up they went. Same s*it, they tried to jack the price when the limb in question was half-sawn and ready to fall on my roof oh s*it oh dear.

We negotiated a bit.

They finished the job and hauled away all detritus at the previously-agreed price. They did a good job of it. Nice work. They may be crooks but they're competent crooks. I do respect competence. They did seem eager to accept my cash and get the hell out of town. Worked fer me. Funny how things work some days.

That's a "gypsy" scam. My mom feel for it 40 years ago. The con artists will be gone before you have time to report them to the police.

Everyone is responding like he did get scammed, but I'm not so sure. Was the work done illegally? Almost surely, I'm not arguing that. But to be scammed, he must have not gotten his money's worth.

Did they do a good job and use a good product on the driveway? Did the driveway have alot of cracks and other imperfections before they started? Are they well filled now? $50 extra is not really that much if there WAS in fact alot of existing damage. Just because they didn't price it right at first and had to ask for more doesn't mean your neighbor was scammed, it just means they didn't price the job correctly.

It's *spraying a driveway* not something with hidden complexity. Presumably the driveway was completely visible and measurable. Unless the homeowner somehow changed the scope of the job in mid-work, this is indeed a scam. If you price the job too low you eat the difference and do better the next time. Integrity and all that stuff.. Best regards, Spehro Pefhany

All calibers seem to work wonders ;)

Free men own guns - www(dot)geocities(dot)com/CapitolHill/5357/

Abe wrote in article ...

Is your last name "Williams" by any chance?

Huh?

On Mon, 21 Apr 2008 01:02:23 -0500, with neither quill nor qualm, Don Foreman quickly quoth:

Does that include their seeing your back as you bent over to pick up a dropped paper, accidentally exposing your carry weapon, Don? ;) Or were you even starchier than that?

Goodonya, mate.

-- It's a sad day when you find out that it's not accident or time or fortune, but just yourself that kept things from you. -- Lillian Hellman

It was all quite peaceable. They aren't violent folk, just crooks!

I'm sure. He wasn't scammed. He was stupid.

Steve

That is a weird way to view the problem. Someone bids a job, refuses to finish unless paid more is not a scam? What color is the sky in your world?

A bid is a bid and reputable companies live up to them. Now had the owner added to or changed something later, then he would up for additional charges.

Harry K

Corse it does.

Then they get to wear their footshot and do the job for the agreed price.

be sure to give your credit card info to scammers.

If you give them your credit card you have recourse to (a) dispute the charges and (b) disallow anything than ran up on your card. Give them cash and there is nothing you can do.