September 25, 2015
Media Contact: Jerad Albracht, Senior Communications Specialist, (608) 224-5007 or Bill Cosh, Communications Director, (608) 224-5020
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MADISON – The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) has received reports from both the Superior and Waukesha areas regarding transient asphalt contractors canvassing the regions looking for work. All Wisconsin residents should be on the lookout for these transient contractors.
The workers show up unannounced at Wisconsin homes and businesses, claiming to have leftover product from a prior job and offering to sealcoat or blacktop a driveway for a cheap price. After a price is agreed upon and a payment is made by cash or check, the crew begins work. The job is quickly and poorly done and the consumer is overcharged for the quality of the project. In some cases, only a base coat is applied and the promised top coat is skipped despite the consumer being charged for it.
Because these crews are always on the go, there is little reason to suspect that they will remain in any particular area. These crews are known for arbitrarily increasing their prices as they work, and they come and go from an area without a trace, leaving consumers empty-handed and with no recourse for uncompleted work or property damage.
If a crew stops by your home offering an immediate resurfacing job, ask them to leave and contact local law enforcement. If you wish to have your driveway properly resurfaced, contact local, trusted contractors and gather multiple bids. Never pay the full price of a project upfront.
If you have been victimized by one of these transient teams, contact local law enforcement and report the crime to DATCP by filing a complaint on the DATCP website or by contacting the Consumer Information Hotline at (800) 422-7128 and requesting a complaint form. Your report will help to get the word out to your community about these scammers and assist law enforcement in the prosecution of these groups.
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