Website Exposes Shady Contractors

New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, whose office has handled 1,500 consumer complaints against contractors in less than two years, said the website is a way for consumers to educate themselves about fraudulent contractors before hiring those individuals to work on their homes. Photo Credit: www.wcca-gj.com

State residents planning to hire a home-improvement contractor can now search a Web site that identifies contractors who have scammed consumers or performed shoddy work.

The names of 24 Western New York-area contractors who have either faced legal action or been the subject of substantiated consumer complaints are listed at www.nyknowyourcontractor.com . The site provides the status of judgments or complaints about those contractors, as well as forms for filing a complaint against a contractor with the state Attorney General’s office.

Unlike New York City and Long Island, Western New York and the rest of the state do not currently require contractors to be licensed to perform construction or remodeling work, Cuomo said.

Charles Bell, programs director of Yonkers-based Consumer Union, which publishes Consumer Reports, said the Web site is “an essential first step” for those looking to hire home-improvement contractors.

Source: Allissa Kline, www.bizjournals.com/buffalo.