TRENTON - As spring cleaning gives way to summer home improvement projects, Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and the Division of Consumer Affairs today announced the launch of “Nail It!,” a consumer education campaign aimed at protecting New Jerseyans from being deceived or defrauded by contractors they hire to repair, remodel or renovate their homes.
Grievances pertaining to home improvement contractors consistently rank high on the Division’s annual list of consumer complaints. Common complaints include shoddy workmanship, missed deadlines and failure to begin or complete projects after accepting payments from homeowners. Last year alone, the Division’s Office of Consumer Protection issued 103 final orders assessing a total of $2.6 million in civil penalties, consumer restitution and other costs against contractors who violated consumer protection laws.
The Nail It! campaign aims to educate consumers on how to make wise choices when hiring contractors for home improvement work. Employing a three-pronged strategy of social media messaging, educational handouts and a newly created online information hub, the campaign provides tips to help consumers navigate the often confusing home improvement contractor hiring process and assist them in making informed decisions to ensure projects are completed to their satisfaction.
“New Jersey is committed to protecting consumers from fraud and deception in the marketplace and holding violators accountable, especially in the state’s most complained-about industries, like home improvement,” Platkin said in a release. “The Nail It! campaign advances our mission by educating and empowering homeowners to become their own best protectors against home improvement fraud.”
“Home improvement projects are expensive investments that can cause significant disruption to consumers’ lives while in progress, which is why it’s important to make sure the work is done properly, on-time, and on-budget,” Acting Director of the Division of Consumer Affairs Elizabeth M. Harris said. “Our Nail It! campaign provides consumers with valuable information that can help their projects run more smoothly and help them avoid the risk of falling victim to home improvement scams.”
The three-pronged educational campaign includes:
• Nail It! Social Media Campaign: This digital campaign features colorful infographics with important consumer tips for hiring home improvement contractors. Over the next eight weeks, the campaign’s messaging is expected to reach more than three million New Jersey viewers on Facebook and Instagram, including targeted consumer audiences, to help them spend their time and money wisely when hiring contractors to repair, remodel or renovate their homes.
• Hiring a Home Improvement Contractor Informational Brochure: This quick and handy educational pamphlet is a step-by-step how-to guide for managing home improvement projects–from planning the scope of work and selecting a contractor to reviewing contracts and arranging project financing. The pamphlets are available to the public at Consumer Affairs Local Assistance Offices statewide and downloadable online. The Division’s Consumer Outreach team will also disseminate the pamphlets at public events and as part of its consumer outreach educational forums.
• Nail It! Informational Web Page: Accessible on the Division’s website at www.njconsumeraffairs.gov/nailit/ the Nail It! webpage serves as an informational hub to help consumers navigate the home improvement project process. In addition to providing downloadable access to the educational materials contained in the Nail It! campaign, the webpage includes a list of common “red flags” of home improvement scams and a handy “consumer brief” with additional tips on hiring home improvement contractors.
To avoid costly headaches and help ensure projects are completed to satisfaction, New Jersey consumers are encouraged to review the Nail It! educational materials before undertaking projects to repair, remodel, or renovate their homes.
The creation of the Nail It! campaign was funded by a grant from the Sears Consumer Protection and Education Fund.
