A company was paving a driveway in Etobicoke three weeks ago when workers went door-to-door asking homeowners if they wanted their driveways done, too.
“They knocked on my door and said they were paving a woman’s driveway right down my street and that they could come back and pave my driveway the next day at 8:30 in the morning,” Gary Patterson said.
Patterson said since his driveway needed to be done, he negotiated a price and gave one of the men a $2,000 deposit. Patterson said the man told him he was going to his car to pick up a contract, but immediately drove off.
“They got a $2,000 cash deposit,” Patterson said. “They went to the truck and were supposed to give me back some documents, but they just left. End of story.”
Patterson went to see his neighbor and found out the asphalt company had just put a new layer of asphalt on her driveway, while he said he was told they would dig up his driveway and remove the old asphalt before repaving it.
Patterson received a card from the person who took his $2,000 deposit that said GTA Refurbishments.
CTV News attempted to contact the paving company, but the phone number on the map was not active and the address provided was for another company. When CTV News contacted the other business, they said they had no information about the paving company.
“Obviously there’s no way to get a dollar back, I just want people to know to watch out for it,” Patterson said.
According to Consumer Protection Ontario, when hiring a paving company, try to get three estimates and have a written contract. If possible, check previous paving jobs, ask friends and family for referrals, and never pay up front.
As for Patterson, he says he’ll now wait until next year to pave his driveway, and next time he’ll find the company himself.
“I go back to the saying, get the job done and then I’ll pay you when you get it done. No one should be scammed because money is too hard to come by,” Patterson said.
Always be wary of any unsolicited offer at your door, no matter what it is for. Don’t feel rushed, and if someone pushes you and is persistent and won’t take no for an answer, you can call the police.
Add Comment