Driveway Sealing Scam Covering Bay Area, Los Altos Police Warn

LOS ALTOS, CA -- Beware of people selling door-to-door who sugar coat services rendered, the police department warns.

Several reports have been made from citizens about a driveway repair, seal-coating scam that has been operating throughout the San Francisco Bay Area including in Los Altos.

These types of scams are typically committed by transient and unlicensed companies that offer driveway repair and seal-coating services. The subjects will contact residents, while specifically targeting seniors, and offer to repair their driveways with a verbal estimate. No written estimate or contract is usually provided.

The arrangement becomes suspect when few tools are brought in and a sub-par job is completed. From there, a cash payment is demanded that may be significantly larger than the original verbal estimate. The typical monetary loss resulting from these types of scams can be in the thousands of dollars.

Police officers warn to be aware of the following circumstances

1. Selling Door-to-Door: Reputable and licensed contractors will rarely solicit work by means of walking door-to-door. Always ask for a contractor license number and for references even if they sound and look professional.
2. Left-Over Materials: Professional and licensed contractors will know with great accuracy how much paving material is needed to complete a project. Rarely will they have leftover materials.
3. Pressured to Make a Quick Decision: Reputable and licensed contractors will provide a written estimate that will be valid for weeks or months. If the great deal they are offering you today is not available tomorrow or next week, it may be a scam.
4. No Contract Offered: Insist upon a written contract specifying in detail, the work to be performed and the agreed-upon price.
5. Cash Only Sales: Most reputable and licensed contractors will accept checks or credit cards and will not require cash-only payments.
6. Too Good to be True Deals: If the estimated price seems very low, chances are the quality of the work will also be quite low.
7. Unmarked Truck: The trucks utilized by the subjects will often be unmarked, or they will have an out of town address, phone number and license plate.

If you encounter a situation that you believe is a scam or if you believe that you many have fallen victim to a scam, call the Los Altos Police Department at 650-947-2770 to report the situation.