I contacted Precision Garage Door because we needed to replace one bracket on our garage door. I…read moreexpected the technician to evaluate the repair and explain our options. Instead, he opened his tablet, made a beeline for my husband, and spent about 20 minutes giving him a sales pitch. It was as if he had found a kid on Halloween with an empty candy bag; once he identified who he thought was making the purchasing decision, that was where all of his attention went. Before we knew it, the conversation had shifted from replacing a single bracket to placing two brackets across, installing a new belt-drive system, and a new garage door opener.
The technician told us they could not repair the broken bracket because of the type of motor we had and stated that California law prevented them from working on the garage that did not have a backup battery. So our perfectly working garage opener needed to be replaced as well. That explanation played a significant role in our decision. This is not true: in California, if your garage door predates the law, you don't have to replace it. (see link below). He also spewed something about how our garage door was really heavy, we needed new springs, and a commercial motor. California Senate Bill 969 (SB 969): https://legiscan.com/CA/text/SB969/id/1820753
The proposed cost was about 3000.00. In our family, we almost always obtain three to five estimates before making any major home repair decision. Before this techinician came to my house. I obtained two additional estimates from highly rated companies (both with 4- and 5-star reviews), and those estimates ranged from $425 to $499. The price difference was substantial and reinforced my concern that we may have been sold far more than we actually needed. I have to admit, either this technician was an exceptionally talented salesman, or my husband experienced a very brief lapse in judgment, or a small TIA .In all seriousness, in 25 years of marriage, we have always made important financial decisions as a team. If one of us says, "Let's slow down," the other listens. That's exactly why this experience was so disappointing; it completely disrupted the way we've always made decisions together, not the technical faults, He was just an excellent salesman.
As I repeatedly asked my husband to slow down so we could discuss the proposal privately, I felt the technician continued pushing the sale instead of giving us the space we were asking for. Rather than treating both homeowners equally, he focused almost exclusively on my husband, whom he apparently he believed had the purchasing power.
The pressure became so uncomfortable that I eventually walked away from the conversation, again a first and last in my marriage; it was that or let my Latin- perimenopausal side out, and I just knew it was not going to be pretty, so I just left. Looking back, I truly wish my husband had simply paused and allowed us to do what we have always done: research the issue before making a major financial decision. Had we done that, I believe we would have better understood what California law actually requires and would have sought a second opinion before agreeing to such an expensive replacement. After some serious conversation, I understood this was a defining factor for the impulsive decision, as the technician made it sound like this was a fact, and he was an expert on the subject.
The installation itself appears to have been completed competently, which is why I gave credit for that one start. Well, to be honest, I think I have to at least put one star to place the review. However, good workmanship does not excuse poor communication, aggressive sales tactics, excessive pricing, or information that I later questioned.
If you're considering Precision Garage Door, my advice is simple: slow down, get multiple estimates, and do your own research before agreeing to any major repair or replacement. I also encourage you to read the company's negative reviews along with the positive ones. While every customer's experience is different, I found that some of the concerns expressed by others closely mirrored what my husband and I experienced.
On a positive note, my husband's major purchase decision-making privileges were temporarily revoked by a unanimous family vote of 3 out of 4. (Yes, the kids got involved.) He served a five-month probationary period, completed his retraining, and has since regained his privileges. Looking back, we can laugh about it now. The garage door works, my husband has fully recovered from his temporary lapse in judgment, and our family has an even stronger rule than before: no major purchase gets approved until we've had time to research it together and come to a common ground. As expensive as this lesson was, the value of the experience has been priceless. Thank you, Precision Garage Door. I would rather open the garage door by hand than call you, after all, the door is not that heavy.
