How many of us have heard some version of the following story?

"My Aunt Bernice got taken for a ride by this contractor she hired last year. She hired him because he quoted her a great price, but the whole situation ended up being a nightmare. He was never on time, the work was shoddy, and he went WAAAAAY over-budget."

What about this one?

"Yeah, my friend Derrick totally got scammed by some fly-by-night 'contractor.' He answered an ad on Craigslist because the guy sounded legit and only charged 10% up front. The guy took the money and ran. Derrick hasn't heard from him since."