A Lift Garage Doors encouraged me to get a product (two garage door springs) that was more than twice the price of the original product I hired them for. Fort Worth, Texas

On December 30,2024, I noticed my garage door opener wasn't working properly, so I contacted a company to come out after New Year's.  For comparison, I checked two more providers and chose an online company listed as localservicesplus.  They sent technician to my home. He gave me a quote of $599. for a Chamberlain 1/2 HP, rubber belt garage opener with battery backup, two clickers, 2 sensors, and a 10 year warranty. Labor cost would be $125, and I'd be given a 5% senior discount. The garage door opener could be put in now January 2, 2025.  This was the most reasonable and prompt offer of the three providers, so I accepted. It was a verbal agreement. The technician said he had forgotten the sensors so would come back at 5 PM.  (I later confirmed that the sensors should have been in the garage door opener box.)

The technician arrived at 5:35 PM and started installing the garage door opener.  I noticed he was wearing a tee shirt with the name Local Services on the front and phone number on the back.  (This led me to believe that he worked soley for this medium-priced company.)  After the opener was installed and demonstrated to be working well, he told me the rollers on the garage door were cheap and recommended 7 inch rollers.  I recalled that a handyman had put in new rollers one year ago that had cost $20.  7 inch rollers would help my garage door not come off the track, this technician told me.   I had told him that the door had come off the track in January 2024.  I figured the set of 7 inch rollers would cost five times as much as the $20 current ones, which would come to $100.  I agreed to the new rollers.

Next the technician asked if I wanted to keep the old wire or get new one.  Since my old wire was hanging loosely on the side nearest the kitchen door, I requested new wire.  

Next he said that my current springs were put in in 2011 and would be expected to last until 2026.  If he put in new ones today, I wouldn't have to pay a labor cost.  Labor would be included in today's work, he enthusicastically told me.  I agreed thinking that the cost of springs would be in line with the cost of the Chamberlain garage door opener, i.e. a medium price.  The tech had put in heavy duty springs he told me, after they were in place.  He took pains to show me the technical details of safely installing springs - measuring, number of turns.  

After that I went inside the kitchen, but he called both me and my husband into the garage holding samples of drums.  He stated that one cost $179 per set of two and the other, from the same company as the springs, cost $279.  Which did I want, he asked.  I chose the $179 set.  (Later I thought is was a calculated move to show two options for drums and ask me to choose.  He hadn't given options for springs or given a price.)

Then he showed me a broken hinge and asked if I wanted to have it replaced.  Of course I did.  It turned out there were three hinges replaced.  

Lastly the technician lubricated all rollers and joints with WD40.  (A side note is that I had been told not to use WD40 but a lithium lubricant. Later I wondered what level of expertise the technician had.)

Done with his installations, the technician came in and sat at the kitchen table, asking if he could write in my notebook.  He listed the parts and labor.  Shockingly, the total price was $3025 + fee!  The two springs cost $647 and $695!  Drums cost $179.  

I felt mislead, bamboozled, hoodwinked.  Of course, I was responsible for agreeing to each item installed.  The technician wrote his first name only, David, in my notebook, along with his personal phone number.  In my opinion, he was in the wrong not warning me of the price of the springs.  The company I contacted to find him, and the price of the garage door opener plus labor, was mid-range while the price of the springs was high.  Moreover, a reputable technician would have told me upfront what the price for each part was.  

As far as the 10 year warranty goes, I did tell him while he was working that I needed the details of the warranty in writing.  He told me he would email it.  The next day, January 3, I texted reminding him about sending the warranty.  He texted back that the company was closed but would reopen on Monday.  I would get these warranty details.  I have not received this email about a 10 year warranty.  

After paying that evening, I had to split the cost between two accounts, I did receive two receipts.  The company listed was not the one I'd contacted initially.  The company on the receipts was A Lift Garage Doors.  No street address was given.  I couldn't find a physical address for either this company or localservicesplus. So far I have not called either of the companies to complain.  I don't want to agree to anything they may offer.  I want to see what recourse I have in reporting them as disreputable companies.