Spring is just around the corner and so are con artists who prey on homeowners, especially senior citizens. These con artists show up at your door offering a variety of products and services from household products to magazines, from tree trimming to roof repair. Some may offer to pave your driveway with leftover materials from a previous job, cut your grass or remodel your home for a very low price. Oftentimes, these fly-by-night operators may drive vehicles with out-of-state license plates or set up temporary offices from which they can move quickly once authorities start looking for them.

Before you pay anyone who uses this type of approach, and especially before you allow any unknown individual into your home, the Better Business Bureau suggests you do the following:

• Obtain the name and address of the company the person allegedly represents. If the person does not represent a known business and the circumstances suggest an itinerant contractor or sales representative, ask for references and contact each one.

• Get all details of the offer in writing and carefully review them. Make sure you understand everything in the contract. Any verbal promises should be included in the contract.

• Make sure the salesperson has provided you with the proper “notice of cancellation” form as required under the Federal Trade Commission’s “three day cooling off rule” for contracts signed in the home.

• Verify that the contractor is properly licensed, bonded and insured.

• Determine how long the company has been in business and call your Better Business Bureau for the company’s business review.

• If you’ve checked references and the company’s reputation and decide to hire the company, either use a credit card or make the check payable to the company and not to the salesperson or any other individual’s name. Do not pay in cash.

Kelvin Collins is president/CEO of the Better Business Bureau of Central Georgia and the CSRA Inc. This tips column is provided through the local BBB and the Council of Better Business Bureaus. Questions or complaints about a specific company or charity should be referred directly to the BBB at (478) 742-7999, www.bbb.org or by e-mailing info@centralgeorgia.bbb.org.