I requested Precision Door Service to raise a door and slip a cable back on the spool that lifts the door. I was told that I could save $10 because the business was listed in the Yellow Pages and that the service call would be $39.98. The service man came the same day, raised the door, put the cable back on track and re-set the torsion on the one spring. He did not use parts. He performed labor and used pliers and an adjustment tool to fix the problem. He charged $199 to raise the door and $199 for re-setting the tension on the spring, plus $39.98 for service call. He also slipped in a $9.98 fuel surcharge. The total bill came to $434.18 for less than one hours work. The service technician justified the charges by saying that it is very dangerous to work on garage door springs and that I was getting a bargain, because to lift a door would normally cost $399. When I complained about the cost he said: "I don't own the business" and proceeded to give me the usual song and dance about hazards involved in the work and the promptness of service, etc. The company never mentioned fuel surcharges when I set up the service call; did not mention $400 to "lift" a door. Once the man was there, I had little choice as I needed the capability to close your garage for the night. It was a weekend and late in the day. I got stuck with exorbitant charges given the circumstances. The man worked on the door less than one hour. - Months earlier I'd had a spring door replaced, a door serviced, inspection, lubed, etc. The bill in Olympia, WA was just under $200. I expected even less charges, given that no parts were used. The axiom "buyer beware" applies, as there is corporate greed here and unfair business practices to say the least. There is no way to justify charges of $400 an hour by a "low tech" labor technician.
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