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Chris Mazzacco
Chris Mazzocco is the Director of Sales & Marketing at Steam Way Restorations, Inc. Steam Way has serviced SEK since 1982 offering both residential and commercial carpet & upholstery cleaning as well as air duct cleaning. As an IICRC certified firm Steam Way provides 24-hour emergency service for water damage mitigation, fire & smoke cleaning, and mold remediation. You can contact Chris at 620-330-2819 or chris@steamway.net
Cleaning & Restoration
2013-05-29 11:58:10
Homeowners rights to select contractors
A-Many times an insurance company will try to give the impression that after a claim you must choose from a “recommend list” or a “preferred list” of contractors which is simply not true. It is your right as a homeowner to select any contractor you feel comfortable working with. There are two prevalent trains of thought in the insurance world when it comes to reconciling claims. One, estimate repair cost, write a check and subsequently wash their hands of the situation. Companies who have adopted this policy rarely refer any contractors in an attempt to avoid liability for work done or to avoid incurring further costs. The second way of dealing with a claim is to have a selected group of predetermined contractors do the necessary repairs, which sounds like the situation our homeowner who presented this question to us is / was in. These insurance companies like to use their selective network of contractors because they can control the methods and timeline of repairs and therefore control the final cost they will have to pay out. Both of these methods have different advantages for the insurance company but what they have in common is both methods have the interest of the insurance company in front of the policy holders. I’m not trying to run down the insurance industry, they are a business, and like the rest of us they are looking for ways to maximize profits. Right now the insurance industry faces intense government scrutiny and the increase of unprecedented weather events in the past decade is mind boggling. An insurance representative has the option of recommending a contractor but the ultimate choice is up to you. Many of the recommendations are experienced, qualified contractors but sadly many are also contractors who will simply work cheaper. Many major insurance carriers have exclusive deals with national franchises. Many of these franchises are again experienced and qualified contractors, but some have just simply purchased a franchise name and have no real restoration industry accepted certifications or training. The decision is yours, but choose wisely. Peter Parker’s (Spiderman) uncle borrowed the following line from the 19th century French author Francois-Marie Arouet. “With great power comes great responsibility.” Next month we will look at how to identify a great restoration contractor and what to do in the event of an emergency.
 
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