The Better Business Bureau is warning home owners about fly-by-night pavers going door-to-door, after several consumers have complained about poor quality work.
Teresa Tang is just one customer who says she's unhappy with the new pavement on her driveway. The men who did the work don't seem to be who they said they were, and now Tang is afraid to show her face on camera.
"I don't want other people to make the same mistake that I did," Tang told CTV News.
The driveway was repaved two weeks ago, but there are already cracks. Big ones.
A light brush of the hand strips material away.
Tang says the pavers told her they were doing work in the neighbourhood.
She says they told her, "We have a few jobs combined, so we can cut the costs down and it will cost you less."
They didn't ask for any money down, Tang says, but the moment the job was completed they wanted immediate cash -- $2,000.
"I went to the bank and got the cash," she says.
No one at the company has responded to Tang's repeated calls to come fix the job, she says.
Lynda Pasacreta of the BBB believes this may be the same group of pavers that have gone from door to door, city to city, across B.C. for the past two years using different company names.
"They'll change it up, so it's more the method of how they approach you," she says.
"We're seeing that people are out five thousand, seven thousand, ten thousand dollars of cash."
CTV's Chris Olsen called the number on the Black Top Paving card Tang was given, and asked about their work.
"No deposit, no payments, nothing you pay until the work is completed and you are happy and pleased," a man answering the phone said.
"There is a full guarantee on it in writing -- a five-year guarantee -- everything in writing."
Everything in writing?
Tang's quote was $2,000, written on the back of a business card.
Her guarantee was hand-written on the back of another card.
CTV News visited the Surrey, B.C., address listed on the Black Top business card.
The address is a repair facility for large trucks. People CTV News spoke to said they'd never heard of Black Top Paving.
CTV's Olsen called Black Top again to ask for an explanation.
A man identifying himself as John Ward answered the phone, and said there must have been a mistake.
"Something must have been mixed up with that address," he said.
When pressed for the company's real address, Ward said, "I'm going to tell you the truth, how come I didn't have me address on it. I'll be honest with you: I'm working underneath the table my friend."
But he denied that he was the fly-by-night paving operation the BBB was warning consumers about.
"No, that wouldn't describe me."
With a report from CTV British Columbia's Chris Olsen