ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – A pine straw scam recently surfaced in the Garden Hills neighborhood in Buckhead, with door-to-door sellers offering discounted landscaping services, and then dramatically increasing prices after completing work.
The warning appeared on the Garden Hills Nextdoor feed after neighbors reported seeing a white truck with a trailer full of pine straw canvassing the area.
According to the posts, the sellers offered low priced pine straw installation, but after completing the work, they increased the price to $2,000 or more.
In scams like these, when homeowners refuse to pay the inflated price, the sellers may make intimidating comments to get homeowners to pay.
A separate online pine straw scam targets homeowners who are willing to pay in advance, through payment apps like Zelle or Venmo.
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Some neighbors in the Garden Hills chat replied the pine straw scam is one of the oldest scams around. In 2021, Georgia’s Attorney General, Chris Carr, issued a warning.
Takeaways
Stick with established landscaping businesses or purchase pine straw from major retailers like Home Depot, Lowe’s, or Pike Nurseries. Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr warned against buying pine straw from sellers who knock at your door.
Ask to see the solicitation permit issued by the city, if applicable. Ask to see a business card and make sure you get the name of the business and the employee. Ask for the business’ website and check it out. Check the Secretary of State’s website to see if the person has a business license. Check the Better Business Bureau’s website (bbb.org) to see if there are any complaints against the business. Before someone starts the work, ask to get the terms in writing, including the scope of the job, quantity of materials and the final price.
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