Avoiding Garage Door Scams

How to Avoid a Garage Door Scam

Fortunately, you know EXL Garage Doors is a company you can trust — if you’re not sure, just ask around about Eugene Crumpton, who owns the company. He’s been in the business in the area for decades.

However, not all companies are as trustworthy, so it’s important that you know how to spot a garage door scam.

What Is a Garage Door Scam?

A garage door scam is a way unscrupulous garage door repair companies take advantage of your lack of knowledge of how garage door repairs work and overcharge customers. Here are some garage door scam tactics to look out for.

Garage Door Scam Tactics

A typical tactic for an unscrupulous garage door service company will be to advertise emergency repair service. Legitimate garage door companies can offer emergency service, of course, but these scammers particularly target emergency customers. Once you call them, they do a bunch of repairs and replace a lot of parts you don’t need and overcharge you for everything. They know they can get away with this because it’s an emergency and you don’t have time to check their legitimacy.

There are a few methods you can use to avoid this. One is to go to the International Door Association website and find a reputable dealer through the site, even if it is an emergency. Another method is to find a reliable garage door company for maintenance before you have an emergency. This way, if an emergency does strike, you’ll already know a company you can trust to call.

A scammer may also claim you need an expensive repair when you don’t need any repair at all. For example, if one of the photo eyes of your door is blocked, the door will not close for your safety. All you have to do is clear the obstruction to fix the problem. Your door also might not open or close because your opener is disengaged. Make sure your garage door opener is engaged and getting power — and that you have fresh batteries in your garage door remote — before assuming you need an expensive repair.

Signs a Garage Door Company Is Legitimate

There are a few signs you can look for to indicate whether a garage door company is legitimate. If the company is a member of the International Door Association, it’s one you can trust. If you find multiple reviews — either online or by local word of mouth — attesting to the company’s reputability, that’s also a good sign. If they have a physical showroom, chances are the business is legitimate. If, on the other hand, the company has no clear physical address and shows up without uniforms in an unmarked van, tread carefully.

EXL Garage Doors wants to be your trusted garage door company in Tennessee. If you have any questions about our reputation, what we do or how we price our services, please call us anytime or stop by our showroom to talk.

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