When I started Trusted Saskatoon back in 2011, my aim was to
create a website where consumers could find TRUSTWORTHY locally owned businesses who operate with integrity. I had suffered a few times from negative experiences and felt that there was something missing that prevented people being ripped off. I recently experienced first-hand ( again) the exact reason why I was driven to create www.trustedsaskatoon.com, as a real resource to protect and help YOU the consumer who is choosing where to spend your hard earned money!
Sara Shares A Real Life Roofing Story
Not long ago I returned home to find that a local 'cedar shake expert' roofing company had stopped by. They spoke to a family member in my absence and delivered a flyer, product brochure, business card and a detailed $12,500
quote for a new roof. I had not requested a quote, however the company representative said they wanted to provide it to us as a courtesy as they were concerned for us. They noted that this was their
recommendation based on the many issues they could see whilst working on our neighbours roof. The company had been next door for a few days repairing and re-roofing the roof and they said that had given them an excellent opportunity to see the issues on our roof. Even better, because they were in the area, they would do it for a special reduced price – how kind
of them!
Unfortunately for this roofing company, they pitched their quote to the wrong homeowners...
Being the owner of Trusted for nearly 9 years, means that I have learnt a lot of best practices when it comes to quoting. In addition to that, I have lots of people sharing with me who NOT to trust in Saskatoon. This company has been mentioned to me at least a dozen times over the years, so I was bound to be suspicious of the quote and the motivations behind it.
A Roof Inspection
Scott visited my house with some team members, and inspected my roof from ground level as well as from on the roof itself. They also checked via a drone to make very sure they had done a thorough job. After a few days he sent over the report and a quote that I have attached below.
Please note that the roof showed “signs of normal wear due to ageing”, but that it still had a “projected remaining life expectancy of 15-25 years” so in his expert opinion there would be no reason to complete a roof replacement or any repairs any time soon.
Scott’s information raised the question, WHY would this other roofing company give us a quote for $12,500 for a new roof when there was nothing wrong with it? Was this just a genuine mistake, or was there something a bit more sinister to the story?
WHY You Should Always Do Your Due Diligence
Upon further investigation, they have 19 (yes,19) cases against them due to issues with past jobs, so it is clear that there is a trend beginning to appear with this business.. They are NOT trustworthy.
Roofers are often seen as untrustworthy by homeowners, as there have been too many stories like this of people being scared into thinking that their most valuable asset is going to be wrecked by a roof that is in 'desperate' need of a replacement. To add to the problem, few Canadians make the necessary verifications, such as ensuring the company they are signing with legally exists (16%), has proper insurance (19%), a business licence (27%), and a clean legal history (14%). This exacerbates the problem and leads to people being ripped off unnecessarily.
So, what point am I trying to make by sharing my experience??
I want to emphasize that you should ALWAYS shop around and get at least 2 or 3 quotes whenever you need a job done, to ensure that you do not get ripped off by a disreputable contractor or business owner. Alternatively, you can cut out all that leg work and save time and stress, simply visit Trusted Saskatoon, where you can find a Trusted Saskatoon businesses in 40 categories. We KNOW them, we care about them AND you the consumer. We have checked them out for you and we work with them to maintain standards. They share their experience and advice with you in articles like this - we have collected over 1000 helpful articles in our Trusted Saskatoon library . We GUARANTEE that we only promote trustworthy integrity driven locally owned businesses who are invested in our community and will always complete work to the highest quality for a fair price on time!
I will not name the other roofing company - that is not my role- Trusted is here to support and promote the businesses we partner with, those operating in line with our Trusted Guarantees. We stand by them and so do all of our other wonderful Trusted Saskatoon partners.
5 Trusted Guarantees
- Provide the service and quality promised.
- Complete the job on time.
- Charge the price quoted with NO surprises.
- Communicate honestly and be responsive to customer needs.
- Resolve any issues with customer satisfaction in mind.