(BPT) – A nationwide garage door repair scam has prompted the garage door industry to issue a national consumer alert. The industry’s warning includes four short videos that describe the scam.
‘We believe that hundreds of garage door and opener customers are victimized by these scammers every single day in America,’ said Bearge Miller, president of the Door and Access Systems Manufacturers Association (DASMA).
He said consumers who have a broken garage door spring are particularly vulnerable. The scam artists typically perform unnecessary repairs and charge extremely high fees, racking up a bill for hundreds of dollars more than necessary.
Metro areas are targeted
‘These scammers primarily operate in metropolitan areas,’ added Randy Oliver, the president of the International Door Association (IDA). ‘When they scam 100 people in a population of a million, hundreds of thousands of people are still unaware of their tactics.’
Oliver runs a garage door dealership in San Antonio, an area that has had its share of scammers. He said the scam is now operating in dozens of metro areas from coast to coast.
Four online videos
To warn the public, the garage door industry has produced a series of four short videos that provide advice for consumers, including how to detect a scammer and how to fix minor problems.
To see the videos, click on the ‘Consumer Alert’ tab at www.garagewownow.com. This is a non-commercial site that also includes a Dealer Locator to help homeowners find a qualified professional door dealer.
The videos were produced and approved by IDA, which represents garage door dealers, and DASMA, which represents the industry’s manufacturers.