08/24/2020
The pine straw scam making the rounds in metro Atlanta has stretched out into jurisdictions to include Cherokee County and more recently Hall County.
Cobb County Police took to its website with a warning earlier this summer, and judging by a FOX 5 I-Team story from several years ago, the scam has been around for a while.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fb2H7zH3S4Y&feature=youtu.be
In a simplified nutshell, here’s how it works:
• Crew approaches your home, claiming they have extra pine straw on the truck from another job they did in your neighborhood. They estimate the number of bales needed to take care of your yard, and you agree on a price per bale with them.
• When they finish, they claim they had to use a MUCH HIGHER number of bales to complete your job. The problem is, the crew doesn’t actually spread that higher number of bales. They just tell you they did.
• Some folks pay it, others negotiate the bill down, but still pay much more than what they thought they initially would. Others have kept tabs on the number of bales actually put down and/or contacted law enforcement about the scam.
The Hall County Sheriff’s Office is investigating one confirmed case of this locally, with the possibility of two additional reports.
Rather that reinvent the wheel here, Cobb County Police came up with the following tips, and they’re good ones to remember.
• Use extreme caution when dealing with walk-up salespeople.
• Ask them for a business card or website so that you can research the business before they start the work.
• If possible, obtain the business name, employee names, phone numbers and tag numbers.
• Check for a local business license and Better Business Bureau review.
• If it is a verbal agreement, record the conversation, agree on the specific work that you want to be done and agree on a specific final price before any work starts.
• Trying to save a few dollars is not worth it. Use a local reputable company that is established, licensed and insured.
