Garage Door Sales and Service - Tips for Consumers 2008

Better Business Bureau of Minnesota and North Dakota

• Be wary of business phone lines that are simply answered “service”, “door service” or similar.  Some businesses operate under many doing-business-as names and they have to answer the phone in a generic manner.  Ask the company for their business name and business address.  If they cannot easily answer this question, you may not have called a local, reputable business.
  
  
• Keep in mind that you may be calling an out-of-state call center, even though you dialed a local number.  Any business can buy multiple phone lines.  Do not believe that local numbers always mean “local” business.
  
  
• Ask several companies to come to your home to evaluate your needs and provide solutions and answers to your questions.  Comparison shopping in this manner allows you to consider differences in price and opinions on what should be repaired or replaced.  Ask a business if they charge for their time in coming out to evaluate your situation.
  
  
• Ask for an estimate before agreeing to any service and sign an authorization form after you approve the estimate.  You should review and understand the services, products, costs and disclosures before any work is done.
  
  
• Request references with name, phone and address, from consumers who have recently had work performed by the company.  Don’t forget to actually contact the references. 
   
• Good garage door companies come in all sizes.  Large marketing campaigns or big company ads do not always mean a bigger company, stronger reputation or provide better service than what another company can provide.  Check out individual company reliability reports at the Better Business Bureau online www.thefirstbbb.org or by phone at 651-699-1111.
  
  
• Take note of marketing techniques such as advertising discounts or promoting lowest price claims.  Remember, the only way to know if you are getting a fair price is to comparison shop to see what several businesses can offer you.  Take into account that a cheap price does not always mean good value. 
  
  
• Some companies state that they can provide service in short time frames.  This may certainly be a benefit to you; however, you may need to weigh convenience with waiving your ability to shop around.
  
  
• Any advertisement that makes any type of rating claim (i.e. rated #1 in customer service) should also list the independent third party that provided the award or designation, along with the date received.
  
  
• When purchasing a new garage door, be sure to request a manufacturer, brand and model number of all door components (door sections, hardware, track, springs, etc.).  Also, request a warranty card and owner’s manual and read these thoroughly.  You may need this information if you have questions about the warranty or product liability.
  
  
• Question any claim that seems “too good to be true.”  Always check for details, limits and exclusions.  If a company promotes a “free” offer,  unfortunately, the company may be accounting for the cost of the free item by adding the cost back into the overall price of the product or service.  The only way to know if the overall offer is a good deal is to comparison shop.

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