By admin 
Two Southern California homeowners say they were charged thousands of dollars for garage door repairs after seeking what they believed would be routine service, and consumer advocates say their experiences reflect a common scam involving inflated repair costs and questionable business practices.
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Debbi Thompson of Woodland Hills responded to a text advertisement offering a $97 garage door tune-up. Instead of a basic maintenance visit, she said she was sold extensive repairs and replacement parts, leaving her with a bill that was four times the national average for garage door repairs.
“I cannot believe that I fell for this scam, because I went just to get my garage door maintained and I ended up out with $4,000,” Thompson said. “And so it just hurts my heart that this happened and that these people are out there scamming.”
Thompson said the experience left her embarrassed and frustrated.
“My heart sinks,” she said. “I just can’t believe that I was scammed like that.”
Paul Wexler of San Clemente said he faced a similar situation after seeking repairs for a garage door at a rental property. The 89-year-old said he called an 800 number he found online after the garage door stopped working. According to Wexler, workers replaced nearly every component except the door itself, resulting in a five-figure bill.
“They did a great job fixing, but it wasn’t worth 12,000 bucks,” Wexler said.
Consumer advocates say overcharging for garage door services and supplies is a common complaint, particularly when customers deal with illegitimate providers.
“Once the quote is given to you, a lot of times unwritten quotes, the prices keep climbing,” said Steve McFarland, president and CEO of the Better Business Bureau of Los Angeles & Silicon Valley. “So what you thought was maybe an inexpensive repair for a hundred bucks or whatever turns out to be two, three, four, five hundred dollars.”
The Better Business Bureau said it receives garage door-related complaints every day. According to the organization, both Thompson and Wexler made the mistake of agreeing to repairs without first obtaining written estimates detailing all charges. Both later attempted to challenge the bills but were unsuccessful.
“My thoughts were well the credit card company didn’t protect me, I know that 7 On Your Side will fight for me because you are on my side and that was my thought,” Thompson said.
Thompson said the text promotion came from a business claiming to be a local garage door repair company, but the invoice came from a different company. When contacted, that company said it was a call center. Thompson said she was ultimately billed by 24-7 Garage Door Service, the same name that appeared on Wexler’s invoice and credit card charge.
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Wexler said he attempted to take the company to small claims court but discovered the listed business address was fake and that there was no license number. Thompson said she encountered the same problem and was unable to identify a legitimate business against which to file a lawsuit.
The Better Business Bureau identified several warning signs consumers should watch for, including generic business names, fake addresses, businesses that provide only a phone number or email address, unusually low advertised prices and high-pressure sales tactics used to upsell more expensive repairs.
Both homeowners said they are sharing their experiences in hopes of preventing others from making the same mistakes.
“Do your due diligence, don’t be hasty. Do your due diligence, get a handful of things you need to do before you get in trouble,” Wexler said.
Thompson urged consumers to be cautious before authorizing repairs.
“I would like people to be aware of these types of scams. It’s not just garage doors,” she said.
“For me to fall for this was just really humiliating. But I would say that it can happen to anybody, and the biggest word of advice would be don’t agree to anything until you have it in writing.”
Consumer advocates echoed that advice, urging homeowners not to rush into repairs, even during emergencies, and to research companies before agreeing to work.
They recommend obtaining written estimates and checking businesses through the Better Business Bureau online before committing to repairs.
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