Always Hire A Florida Licensed Air Conditioning Professional

Dangers of Hiring Unlicensed Workers

Poor qualifications: . Unlicensed individuals have not demonstrated the education, insurance, or qualification required of a licensed contractor. This can leave you with poor quality work or unfinished projects, which means you could spend more money hiring another contractor to repair or finish the project.

Possible criminal background: . Unlicensed individuals often have criminal backgrounds that may include fraud, theft, violent crime, sexual offenses, and substance abuse.
Likelihood of being the victim of a scam: Unlicensed individuals often disappear after taking your money, leaving you with very few options to help you get your money back or your work completed.

No coverage under homeowner’s policy: Homeowner's insurance does not cover unlicensed contractors, and by law the homeowner is held responsible for hiring an unlicensed contractor and is held accountable for any work associated with the contractor. If an unlicensed contractor's carelessness leads to injury or damage to you or your neighbor’s property, the problem is yours.

Noncompliance with building codes: . Most projects, even small ones, require permits and inspections that unlicensed contractors ignore or are unfamiliar with. If your project isn't permitted or doesn’t comply with the building code, you may have to remove or repair the work at your own expense and be subject to fines by local government.

Voided warranties: Installations performed by an unlicensed contractor void the manufacturer's warranty so you could be spending thousands of dollars on a unit that is not covered if it fails.
If a contractor files bankruptcy or skips out while working on your home, you are responsible for all fines and unpaid bills to suppliers. You're also responsible for the wages of employees who worked for the unlicensed contractor.

In addition, hiring an unlicensed contractor is a violation of Florida Statute 455.228 which can result in a civil penalty of up to $5,000 for the home or business owner and you could be liable for the court costs on top of that.

These tips from the Sarasota County Building department can protect you from predatory contractors:

•   You can verify a State of Florida Licensed Contractor at www.MyFloridaLicense.com. Ask your contractor for a license number. Always verify the license number!   Make sure the license is in the owner’s name. 
•   Get a signed, detailed contract that spells out the work to be done, when, and for how much.
•   Ask for local references and check them.
•   Verify the company's reputation with organizations such as the Chamber of Commerce.
•   Do not make a large down payment and do not pay in full until the work is complete.

If you have a smart phone you can search for the Florida DBPR Mobile App – it's free, and will let you easily search for companies and individuals to make sure they are licensed.

Besides it being illegal to hire unlicensed contractors, unlicensed contractors are subject to arrest and prosecution for working without a license.

Unlicensed contractors are dangerous because they expose you to significant financial harm if injury or property damage happens.

If an unlicensed contractor offers services to you

#1 Do not hire the unlicensed individual.

#2 Keep copies of all information provided by the unlicensed individual (ads, flyers, cards).

#3 Report the unlicensed person by sending the information to the Department of Business &
Professional Regulation.

Report Unlicensed Activity
1.866.532.1440
www.MyFloridaLicense.com

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Free Air Conditioning Cleanings or Tune-Ups

Beware of ads for free air conditioning cleanings or tune-ups. This can lead to recommendations for costly repairs that are not required and to customers being pressured to replace units, or significantly marking up the price on replacement parts.

Visit us at : www.keepingsarasotacool.com

The man is wearing a white jacket and has a stethoscope – so he must be a doctor, right?

An out of town doctor who just happens to be in your neighborhood making house calls is going door to door offering a complete physical including blood tests for only $19.99.  The doctor tells you that the cold and flu season is right around the corner, and you should get a checkup to avoid any possible sickness down the road. 

The man is wearing a white jacket and has a stethoscope – so he must be a doctor, right?

You go ahead and let the doctor into your home to do the physical and afterwards you are informed that you have a bad appendix and it needs to come out immediately.  Even though you feel perfectly fine, the doctor says he cannot leave your home until you have the procedure.  He claims you could be dead within a few hours if he does not remove the offending organ.

This may seem like an extremely unlikely scenario, but something similar to this situation happens all too frequently.

Predator Air Conditioning companies will sweep through a neighborhood and offer “too good to be true” Air Conditioning maintenance specials. 

They promise inexpensive “AC Tuneups” – sometimes as low as $19.99.  They may also advertise the common tagline “Free Service Call with Air Conditioning Repair,” do not fall for this scam!
These tactics are only designed to get a unscrupulous repairman into your home.  You can rest assured you will never only pay $19.99.  In fact by the time they are finished you may be spending hundreds or thousands of dollars for repairs or services you don’t even need.  These types of companies will always try to take advantage of you.

A properly state licensed and fully insured air conditioning contractor would never spend an hour doing preventive maintenance on your AC system for only $19.99. And if you are knowingly hiring an unlicensed and uninsured contractor you are only asking for trouble.

Make sure the contractor who services your AC system is licensed and insured.  Also, the best air conditioning contractors are also NATE certified. 

Remember that organizations like the Better Business Bureau and any Chamber of Commerce charge members a yearly fee – so any company that pays its dues will be recommended or “accredited”.  This is why you should also check online reviews, as well as ask family and friends who they have used, and talk to your neighbors and co-workers.