N.S. senior out several hundred dollars after prepaying for snow removal

N.S. senior left without snow removal An N.S. senior who prepaid for snow removal services says the operator hasn’t shown up. CTV's Ron Shaw explains.

A Nova Scotia senior who prepaid for snow removal services this winter says when the snow came down, the operator never showed up.

Rosemary MacDonald says she responded to an ad on Kijiji for snow removal in November. She says after she called, a man came to her door with what looked like a legitimate contract and accepted her cheque.

“He was going to do the seasonal snow plow removal and clean off my steps for $299 plus $45 tax,” says MacDonald.

Admittedly, MacDonald says she didn’t think too much about the deal until the first major snowfall covered her home and driveway in Beaverbank, N.S.

“They didn't show,” she says. “I tried various times to call them.”

Mike McGillivary has a small snow removal company and used to plow for MacDonald in a different area of town. He says her situation infuriates him, so he came to the rescue and plowed out her driveway Thursday.

“In everything, there's always that wolf out there looking for that chance to walk off with someone's money,” McGillivary says.

Officials for the Better Business Bureau say they’ve had a number of complaints since the first snowfall in the beginning of 2018.

“It’s really the biggest red flag, in this case, a limited and really, non-existent track record for a few of the companies we've heard about,” says Peter Moorehouse of the Better Business Bureau.

Officials say pressure tactics are a sign of trouble, as well as a door-to-door meeting.

“You should not sign, you should not give a deposit right then and there, on the spot, tell the company that you're going to do your research and check them out,” says Moorehouse.

Officials advise the public to be wary if there is a request for a lot of personal information that could lead to identity theft.

When CTV News called one of the phone numbers listed on the work order for MacDonald’s home, it turned out to be for a hair and cosmetics company in Florida.

With files from CTV Atlantic’s Ron Shaw.