Scam Type
Home Improvement Scam
Business Name Used
Hotmix Asphalt Service
Date Reported
August 21, 2023
Postal Code
None
Total Dollars Lost
$ 0
Scam Description
A guy pulled into my driveway as I sat on the porch. He noted some broken asphalt and said he could repair the apron section of my driveway at a discount because he had a partial load of asphalt left over from a nearby job at **** **** *****. He showed me photos of commercial paving jobs he had done (parking lots).
I asked about price and he said it was usually $4.50 per sq ft but he would do it for $3.00. I told him I had no intention of spending that much on the driveway. He went on about what he would do for my driveway and told me, “you at least have to allow me to put up my sign.” I told him that he could put out his sign, no problem. He said he had to return to the prior work site down the road but would be back in 10 minutes. He returned and brought another man with a dump truck who backed it into my driveway and without warning or permission, dumped a huge pile of asphalt in the middle of my driveway, blocking my exit. It was at dusk, about 7:45.
I couldn’t believe it. I watched as they began moving the asphalt around then rolling it. Instead of just the apron, they asphalted almost all of the driveway, except for a section in front of the garage. He said there was more asphalt left than he thought but not enough for the entire driveway and that if I wanted him to complete it he would put some numbers together for me and do the remaining work the next day. Then he handed me a bill for $7,200. He asked if I could pay using Zelle, and I said “no.” He offered to take $1,000 in cash instead. I said I did not have cash. He asked about me “going to a bank down the street,” and I said “no.” Then he got angry and the other man also, who protested that I saw them working hard, and they had families to feed.
It was after 10:00 p.m. when they left, promising to return tomorrow morning after the banks opened to “work something out.”
