When you’ve lived in a small town for awhile, you know a lot of people who’ve held a variety of jobs.  Sometimes,  gossip about  former employers reaches you through  the grapevine.  Here’s what you may  hear  if they’ve worked for an air conditioning company:   A customer calls on a sweltering hot summer day because the A/C went out.  Repair man shakes his head and says it can’t be fixed.  You’re miserably hot, unable to sleep.  You believe him when he tells you that you need a new unit.  They do you a favor and get the new one installed the very next day.  And  remove the old unit at no extra  charge.  Then, guess what? Instead of taking it to the junk yard, they  replace  a minor part, then sell  your old unit  to another customer.  Yes, it happens.    Beware of summer scammers! .

Summer is when folks  get serious about roof leaks, chimney repairs and other outdoor jobs.  Have you ever gotten bids to fix a roof?  The price range is nothing short of amazing.  Half of them refuse to do a partial roof install.  They will tell you that unless you get a whole new roof,  they can’t guarantee it won’t leak.  And  if  you start getting bids on a roof replacement,  you’re bewildered.   The bids may differ by as much as ten thousand dollars—or more .  Now is the time to pause before making a decision.  Talk to people, call different roofers, check BBB ratings and online reviews.   You’d be surprised what you can find over the internet.  Just gather the facts on your own.   And beware of summer scammers.

But scamming can also occur in other professions.  There are doctors who convince you that your backache cannot be cured unless you undergo expensive surgery. Tire salesmen who say they can’t fix a low tire..  They feed on your desperation:   Afraid the back pain can’t get better, or  of what you’ll do without a car for a day or so.

When you sense that a provider is pressuring you to make a quick decision, it’s time to stop and think.   Get bids from other companies.  Get second and third doctor’s opinions.  Check with another tire company and see if a nail can be removed..  Beware of summer scammers.