Its the time of year when neighbourhoods and communities up and down Vancouver Island and elsewhere, come under siege from individuals holding out promises of cheap labor, home repairs, estimates on appliances and a variety of other services. As March is Fraud Awareness month, the Nanaimo RCMP would like to remind homeowners to be weary of accepting any of these services.
In the past week, the Nanaimo RCMP have received several reports of individuals going door to door offering to sell and install home water heaters and home purification systems.
There have been four reported incidents since March 1st, 2020. It has been confirmed, the individuals involved do not possess a business license and several bylaw tickets have been issued under the City of Nanaimo business license bylaw. To date, the area of University heights area has been frequented.
The only identification that the individuals were able to produce, was a homemade business card of a company that could not be traced or contacted.
This is not an uncommon occurrence and when law enforcement gets involved, the individuals often move onto other jurisdictions, said Constable Gary O’Brien of the Nanaimo RCMP.
There are commonalities amongst door knockers which homeowners should be aware of.
In the overwhelming majority of incidents, they do not possess a business license and often prey upon neighbourhoods where seniors reside. Their behaviour may border on aggressive and they will often bully their way into a home to convince the homeowner that either their furnace, water heater, or other appliances are faulty and need to be repaired immediately. Often, a down deposit of half the amount quoted is asked for and in most cases, the work is never completed.
If you receive a knock on your door from an individual asking to sell a product or carry out a home estimate on appliances, follow these steps:
Ask to see a business license. If one cannot be produced, do not proceed further
If a business license is produced, carefully examine it for authenticity
Ask for references and before committing to any services, let them know you will be calling a neighbour, friend or family member to attend.
If you have been targeted by door knockers, please do not hesitate to contact the Nanaimo RCMP non-emergency line at 250-754-2345 and report the incident or to simply ask for advice.