It’s been a little over a year since we first told you about some of the garage door scams being perpetrated by shady installers.

Unfortunately, the garage door installation business is a good one for unscrupulous operators to take advantage of. It is unregulated. It is easy to find suppliers. And it’s something homeowners don’t need very often.

Perhaps best of all for the ‘fly-by-night’ operators, even the least expensive garage door available, hastily installed, will work for at least a few years. That’s more than enough time for them to change business names so they don’t have to be responsible for their shoddy work.

It all adds up to mean that, among all the other decisions you must make when buying a new garage door, you have to be on the lookout for garage door scams.

3 More Garage Door Scams to Watch For

In addition to the scams we told you about before, here are three more going on right here in Toronto and the GTA.

1. Low-Priced Service Calls

This is one to look out for if you need garage door repair or maintenance. That’s often when you need emergency work and most vulnerable to a scam. We found one recently for a “100% Guaranteed” $19.00 24-Hour garage door repair service. The Google listing gives you the impression that your garage door service will only cost $19. But when the service person gets there, he will ask for more money before starting any work.

2. Discount Coupons

Many garage door companies will offer online coupons for reduced prices on doors. But they don’t tell you that the coupon doesn’t cover installation. So you go to them to get a good price on the door, and end up paying it all back, and maybe more, in the price of the installation. Always ask every garage door company you call to itemize everything that’s included in any quotes they give you.

3. Masquerading as Another Company

Unfortunately, we’ve been victims of these sorts of scams ourselves. We are well known in Whitby as a reliable garage door installer. Other companies will make it look like they are Whitby Garage Doors to make you think they are us. Take a close look at web addresses, paperwork, business cards, etc., and make sure they are all consistent with the company you think you’re dealing with.

Or you can skip all the checking and contact us here at Whitby Garage Doors. The one and only!