I’m Chris Hansen with Dateline NBC.” That’s certainly not the greeting any reputable garage door company wants to hear, especially when discussing a customer’s bill.
The Reality of Shady Operators It’s a fact: numerous investigative reports across the country have exposed unscrupulous garage door companies. This is a significant issue. It’s a fact: “fly-by-night” operations will simply attach a sign to a truck and, despite limited experience, claim to prioritize your best interests. It’s a fact: dedicating time to research is time well spent. Always seek out reputable garage door companies. Understand what to watch out for, whether you’re dealing with large corporations or single-person businesses. It’s a fact: choosing a trustworthy company like Distribudoors can save you time, money, and, frankly, a lot of stress.
“Hi, I’m John Kocher, owner of Distribudoors. We’ve been a family-owned business for over 35 years. We’ve put together this brief instructional video to help you, our customer, make an informed decision when purchasing your new garage door.”
Distribudoors was founded in 1985 in Kent, Washington. From the very beginning, customer service has been our central focus and driving force. We quickly learned that by prioritizing the customer through meticulous attention to detail, high-quality installations, and superior service, we would be rewarded with repeat business and referrals. This creates a win-win situation. From your initial contact with us to the final installation of your garage door, our team collaborates to provide you with the best possible experience.
To me, customer service means treating every single customer as if they are our only customer. When we answer the phone and help address your questions, often we can resolve problems right over the phone in just a few minutes. My favorite part is simply guiding customers through the issues they are experiencing. They call, they have a problem, they don’t know what to do. Sometimes they’re quite frantic, and helping them through that, calming them down, is something I truly enjoy.
For me, service means accompanying our customers throughout the entire process, whether it’s the purchase of a new door or a simple garage door service for their home. Customer service signifies providing the best possible experience with our company. Distribudoors is committed to making your interaction with us an exceptional one.
Whether it’s for your home or business, our mission is to assist you in a comfortable and professional manner, ensuring you make an informed selection without any undue pressure. We are proud of our new showroom, which displays a wide selection of quality options. Our experienced and knowledgeable team members will answer all your questions to aid in your decision-making process. If you are unable to visit our showroom, that’s perfectly fine. We have talented design consultants who will gladly come to your home with samples and pictures, making the decision-making process convenient and easy for you.
Our technicians often represent the face of our company, so we ensure we have the best working on your home. It won’t take long for you to understand why Distribudoors is the popular choice for commercial and residential garage door service in the greater Seattle area. For one thing, our work is never subcontracted. You need to feel comfortable with the individuals working in your home; it’s important. When you call Distribudoors for garage door service, you will always get our own experienced, highly trained, and background-checked technicians working on your door. We also recognize that price is important and frequently a key factor in your decision.
With Distribudoors, you can trust that you will always receive a competitive quote. We will provide you with a fast, free estimate that you can rely on. You will never receive a bill at the end of the job for more than you were quoted.
Thank you for watching this short video. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of conducting your research before you choose a garage door company. From the entire team here at Distribudoors, we eagerly anticipate providing a seamless and comfortable experience for all your garage door needs. Thank you for watching.
Unmasking Garage Door Scam Companies
“Garage Door Services”—also known by aliases like America’s Choice Overhead Door, First Choice Overhead Door, Discount Garage Door Services, and over 50 other names registered by its parent organization, Global Development Strategies, since 2009—has been one of the most notorious garage door scammers over the years. This company deliberately overcharges customers and employs scare tactics to coerce homeowners into paying for unnecessary services.
This fraudulent scheme has become so pervasive that the company was featured on a 2002 episode of Dateline NBC and was branded “the worst garage door company in the nation” in the Fall 2015 issue of DASMA’s Door + Access Systems magazine. Yet, they persist. By frequently altering the names of their local operations and mimicking the names and advertisements of trusted local garage door companies, they have managed to remain operational and continue to defraud customers nationwide.
Unfortunately, GDS is not the only company known for its deceptive practices. Small local companies can emerge and vanish within months, frequently targeting homeowners with promises of inexpensive emergency services. In 2011, Dateline NBC revealed that two out of ten local businesses contacted attempted to frighten and overcharge homeowners for parts they did not require.
Indicators of a Garage Door Scam Company
Whether you are dealing with a branch of GDS or a small, localized scam operation, it can be challenging to discern who to trust for your garage door repair or replacement. After all, no dishonest company will openly advertise that its services are illegitimate. However, there are common red flags you can observe to determine whether a garage door company is trustworthy. Here are eight signs that a garage door company may be a scam:
- Constantly Changing or “New” Company Names: Many garage door scammers, such as GDS, manage to stay in business long after their deceptive practices have been exposed. These con artists can deceive homeowners for years by simply altering their company’s name. They typically use generic names like “Garage Door Repairs” but may also piggyback on the reputation of established local garage door companies by adopting similar names and logos. If you notice a new garage door company appearing and disappearing every few months, or advertisements with misspelled or confusing company names, it could signal a fraudulent service.
- Lack of a Real or Permanent Address: A physical address denotes stability and a commitment to a company’s industry and client base. Most scam companies do not operate from a physical location, which can indicate inexperience when evaluating a garage door provider. Many legitimate garage door companies maintain a showroom, which can reassure you that you are dealing with a reliable professional rather than a company operating solely from a vehicle and a local P.O. Box. If a company avoids welcoming you to a physical location or attempts to evade questions about their office or showroom, they may not have an actual building at all.
- Prices That Seem Too Good to Be True: In 2013, Door + Access Systems magazine exposed “Run Local Garage Door” for charging a mere $29 for initial service calls—significantly less than the fees of any reputable service provider—only to later inflate the price for unnecessary additional repairs. Scammers like this often lure desperate homeowners with promises of surprisingly low initial bids, but then subsequently escalate their fees. While many companies offer free estimates, if your repair or replacement quote appears too good to be true, it likely is. Most trusted technicians charge $100 or more for local service calls, and reputable garage door providers do not offer “one-day only” discount pricing.
- Unprofessional Attire or Work Vehicle: Trusted garage door service providers operate company vehicles with the company name, address, and phone number clearly displayed. Technicians should arrive professionally dressed in a uniform that typically features their name and company logo. Any garage door technicians who arrive at your home in an unmarked vehicle without professional clothing are generally not affiliated with reputable businesses.
- No BBB Rating or History: If a business is accredited by the Better Business Bureau, it signifies that the company meets stringent accreditation standards. The BBB continuously monitors these companies to ensure they uphold the organization’s high standards. While a high rating does not necessarily guarantee exceptional workmanship, BBB accreditation often implies that the company is genuinely striving to advertise honestly and cultivate consumer trust. A business that is not BBB-accredited or has no established history is most likely not a reputable source.
- Nonexistent or Extremely Vague Website: In today’s digital age, any trusted garage door company will maintain a functional website to promote its locations, products, and services. Businesses without a website should generally not be trusted to handle your garage door repairs. Simultaneously, the mere existence of a website does not automatically imply trustworthiness. Anyone can create a free website quickly. Numerous fraudulent garage door repair sites have surfaced over the years, many of them targeting Seattle and hundreds of other cities in their domain names and descriptions. However, a reputable website requires time and effort to build. Trusted garage door companies will list products and service locations on their site, and many feature blogs or news feeds to establish themselves as industry leaders. Poorly designed sites will become evident when compared to the website of a reputable company.
- Absence of Third-Party Reviews: Many company websites feature a convenient list of reviews and testimonials, but you should not solely depend on these for guidance, as scammers can artificially generate them. Third-party review sites such as BBB, Google, Angie’s List, and Yelp are crucial for gleaning insights into a company’s quality and reputation from genuine customers. A lack of external reviews for an organization is a concerning sign. This could indicate that the company recently changed its name to perpetuate a local scam operation.
- Excessive Advertising: Scammers excel at rapidly disseminating information about their businesses. With an abundance of purchasable internet ads targeting local consumers, it is easier than ever for garage door scam companies to seemingly materialize out of nowhere. Whether you encounter physical advertisements like billboards or online ads on Google, be attentive to any excessive advertising techniques. If a company you have never heard of is suddenly promoting outlandish deals everywhere you look, they are likely attempting to acquire as much money as possible quickly, with the intention of cashing out swiftly.
How to Locate a Trusted Garage Door Company
Fortunately, finding a trusted garage door company for your Seattle home’s garage door replacement or repair does not have to be an arduous task. Continue reading to discover where to search for a garage door company, what qualities to look for, and how to double-check their reliability and reputation.
Where to Search Utilize the following tips when seeking a legitimate garage door company:
- Check for a Google Guarantee: If you are still searching for a reputable business to service your garage door, Google Guarantee can assist you in finding a trusted provider. The Google Guarantee badge appears on search results for Google-backed home service ads. If you book a Google Guarantee-protected service through Google’s Local Service ads and are dissatisfied with the quality of the work, Google may refund the amount you paid, up to $2000. All businesses that have acquired this guarantee have undergone a rigorous screening process, instilling confidence in your decision. Simply type “garage door repair services near me” or a similar query into Google, then browse through the Local Service ads for the Google Guarantee badge.
- Consult Trusted Third-Party Sites: Review platforms such as HomeAdvisor, Angie’s List, Yelp, and other third-party services can immediately present you with the top-rated garage door companies in your area and their standing among customers. A simple search for “garage door repair” will furnish you with much of the information needed to make an informed choice. Just be mindful that scammers can sometimes manipulate reviews, so pay attention to any comments that appear exceptionally repetitive or poorly written.
- Examine Their Website: Once you have identified a company you are interested in working with, visit their website and cross-reference all logos, phone numbers, and addresses on the site with their advertisements to ensure consistency and detect any discrepancies. You should also pay attention to the site’s content and overall quality. Most reputable companies will list reviews and accreditations somewhere on their site, allowing you to cross-check information and guarantees with an external source. Another professional tip: especially quality-minded garage door companies will invest time in maintaining an informative blog section on their site. You should not only verify if a garage door company has a blog but also check how long they have been consistently posting and read a few entries to assess their quality. A scam or low-quality garage door company will not dedicate the effort to write original blog posts containing valuable garage door information.