Rip Off Report: Bad Bob’s give Residential Garage Door Companies a Bad Name

Posted Monday, February 6th, 2017

For years now, some dealers have discovered a way to make big money in the residential garage door business. Many of their schemes are deceptive and some are down right illegal. Unfortunately, these dealers don’t care about that. And, they are giving reputable dealers a bad name.

If you are curious about who might be a Bad Bob and who is not, look for the following:

Bad Bob’s will often execute the following strategy:

1. Locate to a Large Metropolitan Area
2. Buy Premium Advertising Space in online directories like YP.com, Yelp.com, Angie’s List, HOUZZ, Google, Yahoo, Home Advisor, and more.
3. Promote: #1 in Customer Service
4. Use fake photos of clean-cut men in logo shirts or logo vans. None of which are likely real.
5. Use location based URL’s like www.garagedoorseattle.com.
6. Use keyword based URL’s like www.247garagedoorrepair.com.
7. Use multiple company names.
8. Focus on service work.

Beware of these rip off schemes:

1. Bad Bob’s promise a quick response time.
   Bad Bob’s promote “24-hour service” and “emergency service within the hour.” They want to access your job fast, before a reputable dealer can give you a quote.
2. Bad Bob’s give massive upfront discounts.
   While Bad Bob’s may give you a discount up front, they will charge you exorbitant fees for parts, sometimes as much as 5 to 20 times the price.
3. Bad Bob’s use subcontractors as technicians.
   Bad Bob’s hire subcontractors who have their own trucks and tools. He also gives them big commissions on each ticket motivating them to rack up large charges.
4. Bad Bob’s have no storefront.
   While a storefront adds credibility, Bad Bob knows it is an unnecessary expense. They often run the scheme out of their own home. Bad Bob simply takes hundreds of phone calls per day and sends them onto subcontractors to complete the work.
5. Bad Bob’s have no warehouse.
   Since most of Bad Bob’s income comes from service, he has no need for a warehouse. He will not stock garage doors.
6. Bad Bob’s recommend garage door replacement when a simple repair is needed.

Be careful when choosing a dealer to service your garage doors. Be on the look out for Bad Bob’s. And if you are still unsure, here are some great questions to ask before you hire anyone.

Note: Some of the above tactics can be used in an appropriate marketing strategy. The problem is when these tactics are used to deceive you.