Many of us know the feeling. You're home, the doorbell rings, and someone's there trying to sell you something.
One Valley woman thought she was saying yes to a great roofing deal. Instead, she nearly lost thousands of dollars. But, before she did anything else, she called Let ABC15 Know.
Ann's roofing problem didn't start with a leak.
She said she was on her couch, watching TV, when her doorbell rang. It was a door-to-door salesman for a roofing company.
"This guy was so nice, he was so, so nice," Ann said, describing the man who came to her door. " He told me he had gone to a prayer meeting the night before and he had me hooked there!"
Ann said he told her she needed a new roof. "'I said, 'yeah, but we already had the back half done in 2018, so all we need is the front half.'"
She also said she was very clear about telling the salesperson she didn't have any money to purchase a roof at the time.
The salesman, however, had a deal too good to be true.
"He said, 'What if I told you you’ll get a full roof and don’t have to pay anything?'"
No money out of her wallet, even the $1,000 deductible she would have to pay, would be covered. All Ann had to do was let the roofing company put a sign in her front yard.
"I'm happy!" Ann laughed.
Ann got a check from her insurance company for $3,800. The roofing company picked up the check. But soon after, she got a call. The roofing company told her they needed an additional $7,000 to do a full roof.
Ann added, "$7,000? I’m not a magician and I wouldn’t have pulled it out of a hat! She said, ''You signed the contract, if you’re not going to let us do the work, we will send you a check for $600 and we’ll keep the other amount.'"
The company wanted more than $3,000 in fees, even though they didn't do any roofing work.
"You haven't done anything!" Ann gasped.
Ann said, at that point, she was no longer speaking with the company anymore; instead, she called Let ABC15 Know.
Our Let ABC15 Know BBB volunteer, Andrew got involved.
"In came Mr. Andrew, and I appreciate him; he did not quit," added Ann.
The company agreed to return all the money minus $500 that was paid to a project manager, who was expected to work the job.
"I said, 'Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Ann said.
Ann is now looking for a legitimate company to fix her roof.
She said she felt pressured when the salesperson came to her door and had learned an important lesson.
"Don't open the door! If you don't know them, don't open the door!" Ann said.
Homeowners should remember they can always say no to door-to-door salespeople.
In most Arizona cities, door-to-door salespeople need a license to sell. You can ask to see it.
Cities like Mesa and Tempe say ignoring "no soliciting" signs is a violation.
Never feel rushed to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on a home improvement project at your doorstep. Major purchases like roofing require research and multiple quotes from reputable contractors.
