While modern technology has revolutionized communication and helped industries thrive, it has also made it easier for bad actors to carry out fraudulent business practices. Identity theft, data breaches, company impersonations and other misleading ventures are more common than ever before.
Most fraud plays on consumers’ vulnerabilities, with perpetrators intending to steal money or valuable personal information. No one wants to fall victim to one of these scams, but they happen daily, so knowing which cons are doing the rounds is essential.
The garage door industry is no exception to this issue. While there are many reliable and reputable garage door companies, you’ll also encounter scamming rings masquerading as trustworthy and well-intentioned experts online.
The garage door industry is no exception to this issue. While there are many reliable and reputable garage door companies, there are also a lot of scams or potentially shady business practices, and you should be vigilant and stay informed.
Table of Contents
- How Scammers Use the Internet to Lure in Customers
- How to Evade Garage Door Repair Scams Online
- How to Avoid Garage Door Repair Scams
- The Dangers of Cheap Garage Door Repairs
- Why Choose Banko Overhead Doors?
- How to Protect Yourself Against Garage Door Repair Scams
How Scammers Use the Internet to Lure in Customers
Reputable companies use organic, honest practices to appear on your Google results page. Unfortunately for innocent consumers and well-meaning garage door repair companies, there are less-scrupulous ways to rank on Google, and scam companies are not above using them to reel in unsuspecting customers. Here are some of the ways scam companies use search engines to target consumers.
They Create Virtual Listings With Fake Locations on Google Maps
One of the most widespread tactics used to scam customers is the “fake local listing” method. Bad actors create hundreds or even thousands of dummy companies and set their locations throughout the state or country on Google Maps. They then reroute local-looking phone numbers to a call center far away and send out local subcontractors with questionable skills to provide services at exorbitant prices.
They Pretend to Be Preexisting, Reputable Companies to Gain Trust
Another way scam companies reel in customers is to masquerade as trusted brands online. Websites emulating or outright copying reputable local brands pop up in search results, and searchers may unknowingly contact a scam call center instead of the brand they’re looking for. These imposters can even spoof caller IDs so the number appears as Banko Overhead Doors or another reputable company when they call you.
They Send Cold Emails Promising Unrealistic Prices
Scammers can buy data from data brokers or acquire the information illegally and then use that data to send unprompted sales emails to thousands of potential victims. In these emails, they could pretend to be a well-known brand or link to one of their fake websites to encourage customers to trust them. They will then make outlandish claims of very low prices that eventually become extremely expensive once all the work is done.
How to Evade Garage Door Repair Scams Online
To protect yourself from getting involved with scamming companies, do thorough research on your local reputable garage door service provider before you commit to anything. If a person claiming to be from a trusted brand emails or calls you out of the blue, it’s safest to hang up and call the company back via the telephone number listed on their official website.
If you’re concerned about a website’s legitimacy, look for the prefix “https://” in its URL to know the website is secure. The Department of Defense also recommends using a lookup service to check who a website is registered to if you feel unsure.
How to Avoid Garage Door Repair Scams
Ill-intentioned service providers and impersonators use a surprising number of tricks to separate you from your hard-earned money once they have your attention. For reasons undisclosed by shady operators, projects can suddenly balloon in cost and time, and fake technicians or inexperienced workers can get involved, causing significant damage or providing shoddy, possibly unsafe work.
At Banko Overhead Doors, we’ve heard more than a few horror stories from customers who have been taken advantage of by less-than-scrupulous companies. We’ll go over a few common garage door repair scams you should know about and prepare you with the knowledge you need to fend off would-be scammers and con artists.
1. The Unidentified Technician Scam
Some disreputable companies will advertise their services as if their in-house technicians or workers will be handling the duties. Then, they subcontract the job to an independent contractor with no license, history or way to get in touch if something goes wrong.
It’s common practice in the development and construction industries to hire third-party workers. When you hire someone to build a pool, for example, they use sub-contractors to divvy up the work. One party brings in the heavy machinery to dig the hole, another lays out the foundation and supports and a final party does the finish-work. They just don’t always break this down for you, the consumer.
The same is true with some garage door companies. They may share duties with other parties, especially when it comes to working on projects that require experience. One contractor or professional may know about the springs, while another knows more about replacing the actual door. Whatever the case, this is something that scammers can also use to their advantage.
You hire one company and then they divvy the work out to someone else without asking your permission or giving any additional information. Then they walk away with all the money.
If a van shows up without any identifying markings or the name, logo or contact info of the company you hired, investigate further. Always ask professionals working on your home to introduce themselves before they begin working, and don’t assume that they are directly employed by the repair company.
That’s not to say you must be paranoid every time the repair team shows up at your house. Just ensure you do the necessary homework before hiring a company and allowing people into your home. Remember, your garage door is an entry point to your home, so you should treat it just as you would the rest of your house. You wouldn’t allow just anyone access to your front door lock, and you should treat your garage door the same way.
Another great way to protect your home and assets is to check credentials before hiring or working with a company. You wouldn’t hire a personal driver who has a long record of DUI and felonies, and you shouldn’t hire a garage door repair technician who doesn’t have the necessary certifications and credentials or has a poor history with past customers.
Always ask to see proof of a company’s license documents, and do your homework before hiring someone to find reviews and information on their history with customers. In most cases, you won’t have to look far to find company or service reviews, especially with the number of popular review sites online.
That’s not to say you must be paranoid every time the repair team shows up at your house. Just ensure you do the necessary homework before hiring a company and allowing people into your home. Remember, your garage door is an entry point to your home, so you should treat it just as you would the rest of your house. You wouldn’t allow just anyone access to your front door lock, and you should treat your garage door the same way.
Another great way to protect your home and assets is to check credentials before hiring or working with a company. You wouldn’t hire a personal driver who has a long record of DUI and felonies, and you shouldn’t hire a garage door repair technician who doesn’t have the necessary certifications and credentials or has a poor history with past customers.
Always ask to see proof of a company’s license documents, and do your homework before hiring someone to find reviews and information on their history with customers. In most cases, you won’t have to look far to find company or service reviews, especially with the number of popular review sites online.
2. The Rebuild Package Scam
The rebuild package scam, also known as the “hardware overhaul,” occurs when a garage door repair company comes to look at your garage door and tells you, in effect, that you need to replace everything. Even if you aren’t looking for a whole new garage door, they will tell you that you need new torsion springs, all-new rollers, new cables and new bearing brackets.
Unfortunately, often, the scam doesn’t stop there. These unscrupulous technicians hike up the total cost of their services and hide it in their installation charges. You could be left with a bill of hundreds or even thousands of dollars more than you initially agreed upon.
Garage door scammers undergo training on how to swindle customers out of as much money as possible. Some of the lies they tell their targets include:
- “Most springs they service only last a few years before breaking.” A garage door technician only visits homeowners with broken garage doors. Thousands of garage doors are more than a decade old and in good condition.
- “A manufacturer’s warranty for parts is typically only one year.” This claim implies that the door will fail as soon as the warranty expires, but it is untrue.
- “Your springs will fail in the next few years.” This claim is only a way for the technician to scare you into investing in their replacement parts. You may even have a garage door spring that has lasted more than a decade on your existing garage door.
- “Our rollers are the best and quietest on the market.” These garage door scammers try to sell you expensive rollers that you don’t need. Typical nylon rollers are already quiet and can last more than a decade without needing replacement.
Some nefarious companies expect their employees to tell every customer that their torsion springs are broken or worn out, regardless of how much life they have left in them. Technicians will even try to convince customers that all hardware on a five- or six-year-old door needs replacing. In reality, these parts can last 10 to 15 years or more with proper maintenance and standard usage.
Did you know, for instance, that many garage door companies sell “lifetime springs” for garage door systems? Things get confusing when you define what “lifetime” actually means, though. Springs have varying lifecycle ratings from 15,000 up to 50,000 or more. But that cycle and how long it takes to deplete the spring depends on how often you use your door. If you don’t use it as much, your springs could last years longer than anyone else’s. The same is true if you purchase a used or pre-owned home. However, scammers can take advantage of the fact that you probably don’t know how often the previous owners used the door.
Don’t be fooled into buying all new hardware, even if the door spring has broken. Torsion springs work harder than any other part of your garage door, so it’s likely they will wear out first, and it would be unusual for all the parts of your garage door to wear out simultaneously. When an automobile dies, usually one or two parts are to blame. You don’t necessarily have to replace the entire engine or ignition system to get it operational again.
If all the parts on your door have worn out, you may save money and be better off having your entire door replaced by a trustworthy service provider. Reliable companies can often replace and install new equipment for the cost — if not less — than those repairing old equipment at ballooned scam prices.
3. The Lifetime Guarantee Scam
A lifetime guarantee sounds great, but be careful. If it only covers parts and not labor, you may be taken for quite the ride — especially when the time comes for maintenance or repairs.
Most people assume that a lifetime guarantee or warranty policy means that every future replacement will be free. This agreement with trustworthy brands means that the parts and equipment will last, even under extreme circumstances. But scammers and con artists can use this assumption to take advantage of you.
The trick is that the technician will install a cheap, unreliable part with a lifetime guarantee. As you’d expect, it breaks down sooner than a more reliable part, and naturally, you’ll request help. The company will come back, replace it with another cheap part and charge you extra labor costs. The piece itself is free, but the labor is not. Worse yet, since they replaced it with yet another cheap part, you’ll have to request help again soon.
Be sure to check what is covered under any offered guarantees when you receive your estimate. There can be a huge disconnect between what they tell you they offer and what’s included in your service agreement or contract. If they tell you something is covered, but it’s not mentioned in the contract, they are not obligated to fulfill that promise. This is overtly unethical, but legally there’s no recourse available.
Be sure to protect yourself and your home anytime you enlist outside help, including with garage door repair professionals. Furthermore, always review any signed documents to ensure that you know exactly what you’re agreeing to.
The Dangers of Cheap Garage Door Repairs
Even with all those scams in mind, there is another problem that happens often in our industry. In fact, you could argue that it’s a problem in almost every industry.
Not all garage door parts and hardware are created equal, just like not all professionals and technicians have equal skills. Various specifications and factors go into repairing existing equipment, replacing it and choosing new gear.
For example, did you know it’s possible to install a garage door opener that does not support the full weight of the door you have installed? Garage doors are made of different materials like steel and wood. Naturally, some of those materials are heavier than others. If you end up with a garage door opener that isn’t suited for your door’s weight, you could end up with a damaged door and damaged springs fairly quickly.
If you hire a party or professional that offers extremely cheap services, and they replace high-quality parts with cheaper parts, you have the potential to run into a lot of problems later down the line. This opens up you and your home to the lifetime guarantee scam we discussed above, and it also damages additional equipment faster. This leads to more repairs and maintenance in the future and more money spent on those repairs.
While most consumers know to be wary of the most expensive offers, it’s important to be aware of the risks of taking the cheapest offers, too. When you get multiple quotes, the outliers are usually where the issues lie. There are exceptions, of course, and in the end, you’ll need to use your best judgment. That said, a cheap garage door repair may seem like a budget-friendly choice, but it can have a severe impact on your finances in the future.
Why Choose Banko Overhead Doors?
Banko Overhead Doors is a reliable garage door company that specializes in quickly and expertly meeting your garage door needs. We offer reliable recommendations and guidance on what’s best for you and your property. With more than 40 years of experience in the business, we’ve built up a positive reputation among our customers in the community.
We provide quality customer service with every phone call and home visit for the following repair and maintenance services:
- Garage door spring replacement
- Garage door opener repair
- Garage door maintenance
- Garage door panel replacement
- Garage door replacement
- Garage door cable repair and replacement
- Garage door roller repair and replacement
- Garage door weatherstripping replacement
Our free installation estimates are accurate, so you know what you’ll pay from the beginning. Choose from our collection of high-quality residential garage doors to have a product that lasts for a long time. You’ll also enjoy a reliable warranty for peace of mind in your garage door’s life span.
How to Protect Yourself Against Garage Door Repair Scams
You can typically find out the reliability of a garage door company when you call them for a quote. Make sure the name on the phone matches what they have listed on their website. Choose a different repair company if you don’t feel comfortable on the phone.
The best way to protect yourself against a garage door repair scam is to go with a garage door repair company you know you can trust. At Banko Overhead Doors, we make it our mission to be upfront about costs to ensure that there are no unwelcome surprises for our customers.
Our technicians are fully licensed and insured, and we are proud of our many customer testimonials. Ask us for proof of our past work, and we’re happy to provide it — and any other company you’re considering hiring for your garage door repairs should be, too.
We offer free and accurate estimates, in which your technician will tell you exactly what they want to do, why and how much it will cost so you can make a fully informed decision. When it comes to garage door repair, we know your time is valuable, so we offer same-day garage door repair service.
For safe, reliable and honest garage door repair and service in Tampa Bay, Sarasota and the surrounding areas, contact Banko Overhead Doors today and schedule garage door service.
Additional Resources on Garage Door Repairs:
- What to Check When Your Garage Door Opens By Itself
- Why Did my Garage Door Come Off Its Tracks?
- 5 Reasons Your Garage Door Isn’t Working
- Common Garage Door Issues
