KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Mark Proffitt never thought he’d fall victim to a door-to-door salesman, but he says that’s exactly what happened.
“Guy pulled up in a shiny pickup,” Proffitt recalled. “He told me `I’ve got a special right now. I’ve got extra asphalt I need to get rid of.”
And soon Proffitt was agreeing to have Show Me Paving resurface his entire driveway for what seemed like a great price $6,800. The deal was sealed with a handshake.
That handshake deal didn’t hold up because by the time the job was done, which was the very next day, the price had grown to $11,000. Proffitt was upset, but comforted by the fact his driveway had a four-year warranty. The next year, however, when he tried to use that warranty because of cracks and holes that had already started forming, he couldn’t reach anyone at Show Me Paving.
“I’ve made at least three attempts to call him,” Proffitt said. “Usually the mailbox is full.”
Proffitt’s wife Terri said she has tried more than 20 times.
It’s a story that doesn’t surprise Detective Matt Peterson of the Richmond Police Department. Det. Peterson said he hears multiple complaints every year about asphalt and tree trimming companies that have taken advantage of people.
He said the companies most often operate out of Lexington and are run by members of the same two families: The Huffmans and the Sawyers.
“In a lot of these cases when they see an elderly person they keep jacking up the price until they reach the limit,” Det. Peterson said.
But Proffitt has learned that you don’t have to be elderly to fall victim.
FOX 4 Problem Solvers called Show Me Pavement, which also operates Show Me Tree Service and has an ‘F’ rating with the Better Business Bureau.
Owner Jason Sawyer answered the phone. Once we told him who we were, he immediately agreed to fix any problems with the Proffitts driveway.
We asked Sawyer why the Proffitts hadn’t been able to reach him every time they called? He said his phone hadn’t been working for the past few months.
That day he sent out a crew and repaired all cracks and crevices in the Proffitt’s driveway. Mr. Proffitt said many of his neighbors are still upset. They hired the same company.
Detective Peterson recommends never hiring any company selling a product door-to-door. Plus before hiring, always get a written contract showing the final price and a completion date. If the company is from Lexington, Peterson suggests calling police in Lexington or the Lafayette County Sheriff to see what type of reputation it has.
