When 79-year-old Phyllis Anderson noticed her garage door making strange noises, malfunctioning, and eventually crashing shut, she knew she needed help. What she didn’t expect was that a simple repair job would cost her an arm and a leg, threatening her financial stability.
Anderson, a retiree living alone in Fountain Hills, Arizona, reached out to a company called Garage Door and Gates Service after her garage door failed completely. The technician diagnosed the issue as broken springs and faulty metal drums, a relatively common problem in aging garage door systems. Given the urgency of the repair, Anderson agreed to proceed.
But when the invoice was presented at the end, Anderson was floored. The total? $4,911.88.
“I’m stunned. I didn’t know what to think or what to do,” she told AZFamily News. “It’s like a panic situation for me because I have no other money coming in, and it hurts.”
Although it’s not clear where Anderson found the company, stories like this usually start when consumers search garage door repair companies online, and don’t bother with making sure they are legitimate.
Anderson’s case serves as a warning for many older Americans, especially those on fixed incomes, who may be at increased risk of exploitation in high-pressure situations, particularly during emergencies when their garage door won’t open or close.
The company that serviced her garage door did not return calls for comment, and Anderson, already rattled, felt too intimidated to confront the repairman while he was still inside her home.
Adding to the confusion in MSN’s reporting is the citation of Angi (formerly Angie’s List), which claims that the average garage door repair costs $263, with most jobs ranging between $155 and $378. However, Angi is not a reputable or authoritative industry source. It operates more as a call center and lead generation company, and has faced multiple lawsuits for misleading practices, manipulation, and dishonesty.
Once again, it proves unreliable by providing inaccurate information in this article regarding garage door repair costs. It is unclear why any journalist or publication that considers itself credible would cite Angi as a definitive source for pricing, garage door repair standards, home services, or any factual matter.
In reality, the cost of repairing garage door springs and replacing drums on a standard residential garage door typically ranges from $700 to around $1,000 when performed by a certified and reputable garage door company. This price may increase for heavy-duty, wooden, or custom doors due to additional labor and specialized parts.
The nearly $5,000 bill Anderson received is not just an outlier, it’s a likely example of predatory pricing.
Just when things seemed bleak, consumer advocate Gary Harper stepped in to help Anderson contact her bank and dispute the charges. While the bank has temporarily refunded the money during its investigation, the emotional distress and sense of betrayal are not so easily forgotten.
Her story serves as a reminder to consumers to thoroughly research companies before reaching out, and to never feel pressured into making immediate payments without complete clarity.
If you live in California, you can verify the legitimacy of a garage door contractor through the CSLB (Contractors State License Board) website. Search by the company’s business name or license number. If the company isn’t listed, it’s best to avoid them altogether. For step-by-step instructions on how to verify a company on the CSLB website, click here.
