Consumer Alert: Tennessee Roofing Professionals Earns F Rating

BBB Consumer Alert: Tennessee Roofing Professionals Earns F Rating

Fast Facts:

• Customers report excessive delays in the completion of repairs
• The company was claiming to be BBB Accredited; it is not
• BBB has received an increasing number of complaints

June 13, 2011, Memphis, TN – The Better Business Bureau of the Mid-South is issuing a consumer alert about Tennessee Roofing Professionals located in Memphis TN. The company has an F rating with the BBB.

Homeowners allege that the company solicited them with promises to work with their insurance companies to get their roofs repaired or replaced. After signing insurance checks over to the company, consumers allege that no work has been started and that the company has failed to return phone calls.

At one time, Tennessee Roofing Professionals claimed to be a member of the BBB on its website. It is not and never has been accredited by the BBB of the Mid-South. The company removed that language when the BBB challenged it, but consumers allege that the company’s representatives still claim that it’s a member of the BBB or has a higher grade than is the case.

The company has responded to some complaints saying that their contracts allow for either 45 or 90 days (depending on the contract) to complete the project, but also citing weather as beyond their control. Consumers signed their contracts as long ago as November 2010 and allege verbal representations of shorter timeframes for the work to be completed.

The BBB has received 24 complaints against the company, including 18 since the beginning of May. In that same time period, the BBB has received a total of 10 complaints on the hundreds of other roofers in its files. Other roofers say that they’ve not experienced the kinds of delays that Tennessee Roofing Professionals cites in its responses to complaints.

The BBB met with representatives of the company on June 10^th. While the company promised to resolve all outstanding complaints, it did not provide a satisfactory explanation for the delays in completing jobs or a credible plan for insuring similar problems don’t occur in the future.

BBB tips for dealing with roofers:

· Check out the company’s record with the BBB at bbb.org or by calling 901-759-1300 or 800-222-8754.

· Be wary of home improvement companies that solicit business door-to-door. That doesn’t necessarily make them an untrustworthy company, but it is a common marketing tactic of storm chasers and fly-by-night companies.

· Check with your insurance company about policy coverage and specific filing requirements and make temporary repairs if necessary. Keep copies of receipts for emergency repairs for reimbursement later.

· Take time to shop around for contractors, get competitive bids, and check out the contractor with the BBB and state licensing agency.

· Don’t know who to call? The BBB can provide you a list of BBB Accredited Businesses to choose from.

· Get everything in writing. Prepare a written agreement with anyone you hire that delineates the work to be done, the materials to be used, and the price breakdown for both labor and materials. Review it carefully before signing. Vague clauses such as “repair roof” are invitations for abuse.

· Don’t pay the full amount of repairs in advance. Try not to pay more than a third. Pay with a credit card if possible; credit cards offer you more protection if the work is not completed as specified.

· If the company hasn’t honored the terms of your contract or won’t respond to your contact attempts, file a complaint with the BBB and your state consumer affairs department.

For more information or to schedule an interview with a BBB spokesperson, contact Nancy Crawford at 901.757.8627 or 901.213.7809.