AUSTIN, Texas — Central Texans whose cars and homes were damaged by hail are now looking for repair shops and contractors to fix the damage.
The hard part is looking for businesses that they can trust.
While State Farm says more than 3,000 home and auto claims were filed after Sunday's storms moved through the area, Jason Meza with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) said it's important to watch out for scammers.
"Every time we see a major catastrophe event then, yes, we do see people come in that try to con or defraud people," Meza said.
According to Meza, those affected by damage need to do their homework before giving business to the first person coming up and knocking on their door. Meza said for car repairs, scammers may ask for a deposit and then just take off. For bigger projects like roofing, the BBB encourages you to get with your insurance company first.
“Make sure they send an adjuster," Meza said. "Some instances, they will let you take the photos and upload them through an app to the person taking the call. On top of that, there is a short list of insurance providers that they can provide you with."
Meza also said reputable businesses should have some type of presence or even a profile with the BBB.
Meanwhile, popular repair shops like Low Price Auto Glass on North Lamar Boulevard were very busy on Monday.
"It’s been a day. We've been getting phone calls and cannot keep up with it," manager Atlaf Prasla said. "It’s been busy."
According to Prasla, drivers should call their insurance company before getting a repair. He said it's because keeping our reference number on file is necessary to file the claim. The extra steps will help you get the job done with someone you can trust.