Time to do the repairs and improvements to our homes… 

The Jackson Police Department urges our citizens to exercise caution – especially when confronted with unsolicited sales solicitations. There are many legitimate companies who solicit sales. Unfortunately, summertime can be scam time for home safety and home repair and improvement. These scammers use deceptive, high-pressure tactics to get people to buy expensive, and sometimes substandard, home repairs such as driveway repair paving or sealing or home security systems or other products they often don’t need. 

Here are a few things we want you to know: 
1. Sales and solicitors must have a business license. 
2. They must have identification – Alarm sales are required to have their company ID and State of Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance Contractor license and present it for examination if requested. 
3. Door to door sales people in the City must have a permit to solicit issued by the City’s Revenue Department. 
a. This is not an endorsement by the City or evidence of the company or salesperson’s credibility. 
4. Solicitors must leave the property when you ask or tell them to. If they don’t, call Police. They are trespassing. 

The Federal Trade Commission offers the following additional advice to help homeowners. 
Beware of: 
1. Pressure to act now to take advantage of a limited time offer. 
2. Offers of “free” equipment to get you to sign a contract. 
a. Translation: you may have to sign a long-term and expensive system monitoring contract. 
3. Scare tactics – “Burglaries have occurred in your neighborhood.”, “Your roof is seriously damaged or your driveway won’t last unless you seal it right away”, etc. 
4. Phony upgrades – They say they have come to replace your security system, but they really want to install a new system with a costly contract for a monitoring service. 
5. Representing themselves as your current security company or suggesting “Your security company is out of business.” 
a. Call your company to confirm. 

The FTC also advises that, whether sellers come to your door or you seek them out, ask for the contractor’s name, address, and phone and license numbers; what state issued the license; and the name the license is filed under. Check out the company online and with your 
state Attorney General, local consumer protection agency, Better Business Bureau, and state licensing officials. 

The FTC also advises: 
1. Get references and find out how the equipment and services have performed for others. 
2. Get written estimates from several companies. 
3. Read the fine print. 
a. Make sure the written contract includes all oral promises made by the salesperson. 
4. You can cancel the deal; the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act gives you three business days to cancel if you sign a contract in your home or anywhere that is not the seller’s permanent place of business. You must notify the company in writing before 
midnight of the third day. You don’t have to give a reason for canceling. 

Remember if you feel pressured to contract or agree to service right away, it is probably not a good deal. You should always thoughtfully consider whether you need the service or repair, check references and compare pricing with companies that you contact before entering into an agreement or contract. If the “deal” is contingent on immediate agreement, do not take it. If the salesperson believes in their product and pricing, they will want you to compare. 

Most important of all, if your instinct is that the deal seems too good to be true, you are probably right. 

See Also: 
FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION 
http://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2011/04/ftc-offers-tips-help-people-avoid-beingscammed-door-door-sales 

TENNESSEE CONSUMER PROTECTION ACT AND RELATED LAWS 
http://www.tn.gov/consumer/documents/LexisNexis2010.pdf