Warning issued about North Van paving scam

The Better Business Bureau is warning citizens in North Vancouver after a local resident lost $4500 on a paving scam.

This scam tends to surface during the warm days of spring and summer, the bureau said.

The scam victim in North Vancouver spent $4500 to repave his driveway and days after the job was completed, the asphalt turned white and the cracks started to resurface.

The business promised to return to fix the driveway but never turned up for their appointment, and didn’t return calls or emails.

The victim visited the Venables Street address that was listed on the company’s website but found another unrelated business located there.

“If you are considering to have some paving work done, it is crucial to research trustworthy paving contractors on bbb.org before handing over money,” says Karla Laird, Manager for Community & Public Relations at BBB Serving Mainland BC.

“Do not be pressured into accepting a job before seeking multiple quotations, or worse, paying large amounts upfront, especially in cash”.

Usually, a less-than-trustworthy contractor says they have leftover materials from a previous paving job. They are looking for homes with cracked driveways and say they can take care of your driveway for a significantly discounted rate.

The catch is that you have to pay upfront.

Since the contractor is using leftover materials, the quality of work is poor because there is normally not enough asphalt to adequately cover all the cracks. This causes uneven spreading, and a risk of further cracking of the consumer’s driveway.

Another common trait of this scam is where the contractor starts working, but does not have enough asphalt to complete the job that same day. They promise to return the next day to finish, however they never come back and consumers are left with an unfinished driveway.

Oftentimes, consumers do not have a way to contact the representative or the company they work for because they were never given a business card or do not have an agreement in writing.

Cash only sales, claims that there is leftover material from another job, and the company claims they are out of the province are some red flags citizens are being asked by the Better Business Bureau to be careful about.