Background
I just had a guy knock on my door to pitch me a quote to reseal my driveway. I need to get it resealed, so I listed to his pitch. He said he wouldn't charge me for materials because he is just going to throw away the sealant at the end of November.
That line smells a bit suspicious, but there is some legitimacy. From what I read 1 2, it is possible for the sealant to go bad in storage. So maybe he's telling the truth, that he just doesn't want to bother with storage. Although, I would expect disposal to be a pain for the contractor as well (assuming he disposes of it correctly)
This isn't the first time I've had a contractor tell me they'd give me a discount because they want to get rid of materials for the end of the season. I heard it once before from a gutter salesman, and an AC salesman too.
Question
Is the "I'm going to throw the materials away" claim legitimate in the driveway sealing business?
Best Answer
This is the setup for a classic scam. The offer might be legit, but that is really not the way to bet. Before pursuing this check with the police, BBB, att'y general's office, and past customers.
http://www.bbb.org/blog/2012/04/watch-out-for-paving-scams-this-spring/
Or just websearch "driveway scam". Sometimes it's repaving, sometimes it's resealing, always it needs to be considered questionable. If an offer sounds too good to be true, it usually isn't true.