Scammers are everywhere, taking advantage of consumers across almost every industry. Garage service and repair is no exception. When you come home after working a late shift to a garage that won’t open, or you wake to a damaged door after a night of storms and bad weather, you’ll want the fastest Irvine garage door repair to fix your garage door. It’s situations like these that scammers are looking for. Here are some garage door repair scams to be on the lookout for and some tips to avoid them.

How to Spot a Garage Door Repair Scam

The first way to detect a scam is in advertising. Garage door repair scammers often have several advertisements with different company names or different phone numbers. Another sign of a garage repair scam is excessive charges. Some advertising scams include big discounts. Then when your repair is done, you get overcharged for basic repairs or your final invoice is way off from the original estimate. The final way to tell that you may be dealing with a scammer is ill-prepared, unprofessional people. Do technicians arrive in marked, company vehicles, or do they arrive in unmarked vehicles without the right parts and tools?

Tips to Avoid Garage Door Repair Scams

Here are some practical ways you can avoid a scam.

1. Make sure the company has a local office and phone number. Make sure it matches what’s on file at the Better Business Bureau. Also, get references from customers in your area.

2. Get estimates from other garage repair contractors. Make sure that the company’s estimate and final invoice are in line with the standard charges of other local contractors.

3. Always get a name and phone number from the service technician. If they are in a non-marked vehicle, take note of the type of vehicle and license plate.

Garage Repair Done Right

Use these tips to avoid getting scammed the next time you need fast, reliable garage door repair. Remember to get more than one estimate and beware of too-good-to-be-true advertising. With a little due diligence, you’ll get the repairs you need at the right price.