4 Ways Seniors Can Protect Themselves From Home Improvement Scams
In-Home Care in Manalapan NJ
There are a lot of scams that target seniors. But home improvement scams are becoming much more common. And seniors who are living independently at home need to be careful. When you own a home it’s fairly common for people to leave brochures or come to the door advertising services or repairs for homes. But every year seniors lose a lot of money falling for home improvement scams because they can’t tell the difference between a legitimate home service and a home improvement scam.
One way that seniors can protect themselves from home improvement scams is to have in-home care. When seniors have in-home care they have someone there with them to answer the door and potentially spot a scam. Seniors can also protect themselves from home improvement scams by:
Get A Video Doorbell
Video doorbells are a great way for seniors to protect themselves from unwanted visitors and sales people. With a video doorbell seniors don’t even have to get up to go the door. They can talk to anyone outside through an app on a phone or tablet. And a video doorbell records video of the person at the door. That can be helpful in making sure they represent a legit company. Family members can also answer the door for a senior loved one through a video doorbell app.
Put Up A No Soliciting Sign
Seniors can cut down on the number of people that come to the door trying to sell their services or products by putting up a sign that says No Soliciting. In most places salespeople aren’t allowed to ring the bell or knock if there is a visible No Soliciting sign. There are lots of stylish options for a sign or seniors can just make their own.
Get A Home Warranty
A home warranty is different from home insurance. The way that a home warranty works is that the homeowner pays a monthly fee and if something breaks in the house the warranty company will send out one of their contracted service providers to fix it for a one time service fee.
It’s important to make sure that the warranty company that seniors choose has a good reputation before signing up. But seniors who have a home warranty service don’t have to worry about finding a good contractor. The company will send a local trusted contractor or service company to fix anything that goes wrong.
Check With The BBB
Before hiring anyone to do work on their home seniors should check the company’s profile with the Better Business Bureau to make sure they have a good reputation. The BBB is a reliable source. Seniors can trust that a business with a good BBB rating is a company they can trust to do work on their home. Seniors can also get reviews and recommendations from family and friends to make sure they aren’t being scammed by a home improvement company.
Sources:
https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-avoid-home-improvement-scam
https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/info-2019/home-improvement.html
https://www.lawhelpny.org/resource/home-improvement-scams-alert
If you or an aging loved one is considering in-home care in Manalapan, NJ, please contact the caring staff at Care Street Home Care today. Call (732) 607-8870.
The Care Street mission is straightforward and compelling: to provide a comprehensive range of the highest quality home health services in a professional and efficient manner that will enhance our clients' quality of life and empower families to keep their loved one at home.
Care Street has earned a reputation of excellence among hundreds of families, and is recommended by medical professionals and hospital discharge planners throughout the State.
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