I write these because nobody told me half of this stuff when I started, and a customer once paid $1,800 for a spring that costs us $48.

That sentence is the reason this blog exists. The customer was a 72-year-old widow in Riverdale. Her late husband had always handled the house stuff. She googled "garage door repair Richmond" at 7:30 on a Sunday morning in February 2024, called the first sponsored result, and a man in a white van quoted her $1,800 for a torsion spring replacement. He said it had to be done today or the door would fall. He said her opener was also unsafe and would be another $1,400 to replace.

She paid $3,200 in cash. He took it.

Two weeks later her neighbour mentioned the family company on Moncton — my dad's shop. She called us. I went out. The "new" spring he'd installed was a used spring with paint sprayed on it. The opener he'd "replaced" was the same opener with a new branded cover bolted on. I have photos.

We refunded her out of our own pocket and reported the operator. He moved on to another city under a different name within a month. This is a pattern. I have watched it for six years.

Here is the field guide. Print it. Keep it taped inside the cabinet by your phone.

Scam One: The Fake-Cost Spring Quote

How it works. You call about a broken spring. The technician arrives, makes a face, and tells you it's a "high-cycle commercial-grade" spring because "your door is heavier than normal" or "Richmond's air requires special springs." Quote: $1,400 to $2,400.

The truth. A standard residential torsion spring wholesales to me for $42–$68 depending on the wire gauge, the inside diameter, and whether it's IPPC-90 coated. The most expensive residential spring I install, the 25,000-cycle corrosion-coated upgrade for waterfront homes, wholesales at $94.

A pair of springs, installed, with proper winding bars, balanced and lubed, takes me 35–55 minutes. My fully-loaded shop cost on that job (labour, truck, insurance, overhead) is around $180. We charge $385–$625 for the pair. That is a fair Lower Mainland 2026 price.

Anything over $700 for a residential pair is a red flag. Anything over $1,000 is a scam.

I want to be very specific about that range. I'm not lowballing. There are legitimate jobs where the price goes higher — true commercial doors, jackshaft conversions, side-mount industrial springs — but those are obvious from the door type. A standard 8-foot-by-7-foot or 16-foot-by-7-foot residential sectional in any Richmond neighbourhood gets the pair for under $700 in 2026 dollars.

Scam Two: The "Your Opener Is Unsafe" Upsell

How it works. Technician comes out for any reason — a spring, a cable, a noisy roller. After completing the original repair, he inspects the opener and announces it has "failed the federal safety test" or "doesn't meet UL 325" or "is missing the required photo eyes" or "has a cracked logic board" that he can show you on his phone. He produces a quote for a new opener: $1,200 to $1,800 installed.

The truth. UL 325 is a real standard. It's enforced for openers manufactured after January 1, 1993, and it requires either photo-eye sensors or a contact reversal mechanism. If your opener was made in 1995 or later, it has photo eyes. They might be misaligned. That's a 5-minute fix.

There is no "federal safety inspection." There is no "annual recertification." In Canada, residential garage door openers are governed by CSA C22.2 No. 247 and the manufacturer's own UL 325 compliance. Neither requires a third-party annual inspection.

A new opener installed in 2026 in Richmond costs: - Basic chain drive (LiftMaster 8160W or similar): $725–$975 installed - Belt drive smart (LiftMaster 8550W or Chamberlain B6713T): $895–$1,295 installed - Jackshaft (LiftMaster 8500W for high ceilings or side-mount applications): $1,295–$1,795 installed

These are honest market prices. They lean high. Anything quoted in the $1,800–$2,800 range for a residential opener is either a scam or a wildly over-spec'd install that you didn't need.

The diagnostic test: if a technician tells you your opener is unsafe but cannot point to a specific UL 325 violation by section number, he is selling, not diagnosing.

Scam Three: The Bait-and-Switch Ad

How it works. You see an ad: "$29 garage door service call" or "$59 spring replacement." You call. The tech arrives, performs a 60-second inspection, and tells you the job is actually much bigger — the "$29 service" doesn't include diagnostics, the "$59 spring" wasn't the size you needed, and now you're looking at $850–$1,600 for what was advertised at $59.

The truth. A legitimate Richmond service call in 2026 starts at $95–$165 for diagnostics. A real spring replacement is $385–$625 for the pair. Anyone offering meaningfully less is using the ad as bait to get into your garage. Once they're there, the upsell starts.

This is the most common scam right now. Google ads from 2024 to 2026 have made it explosive. The companies running these ads usually have no Richmond office. They sub-contract to whoever has a truck nearby. The "technician" gets a commission on the upsell, not the original service call. He is financially motivated to find expensive problems.

The tell: any ad promising garage door service for less than $95 is a bait price. There is no legitimate way to run a service call truck — gas, insurance, technician wage, dispatch — for less than that in 2026 Lower Mainland.

Scam Four: The "Cash Only" Truck

How it works. Technician arrives in an unmarked or generic-branded white van or pickup. Quotes the job. Insists on cash. Won't take e-transfer or credit card. Won't provide a written invoice with a real company name and BC business number.

The truth. Every legitimate Richmond contractor takes e-transfer at minimum. Most take credit cards. All provide written invoices on company letterhead with a real BC business number you can verify on the Corporate Registry.

Cash-only is not about discounts. It is about disappearing. If the spring fails again in three weeks, there is no one to call. If the spring fails and damages your car, there is no insurance claim to make. The "company" doesn't exist.

The tell: ask for a written quote with a company name, address, and BC business number. A legitimate operator gives you all three within 60 seconds. A scammer leaves.

Scam Five: The Phantom Damage Claim

How it works. Technician arrives to fix a stated problem. While inspecting, he finds "additional damage" — usually to expensive components like the opener motor, the torsion tube, or the door panels. The damage is real-looking. Sometimes he caused it during inspection. Quote balloons from $400 to $2,200.

The truth. I have never, in 1,240 service calls, "discovered" damage that wasn't visible from the doorway before I touched the door. If you're hearing about new damage after the technician started work, ask to see it, take a photo, and pause the job. A legitimate tech will wait. A scammer will pressure you to decide now.

The tell: scope creep during the call. The price keeps going up the longer he's in the garage.

Scam Six: The Fake Brand

How it works. Technician installs a "LiftMaster" or "Chamberlain" or "Genie" opener with branded stickers. The stickers are real. The unit underneath is a generic Chinese-import opener with a 12-month life expectancy and no warranty support. When it fails in 14 months, you call LiftMaster, who tells you the serial number doesn't exist in their system.

The truth. Real LiftMaster openers have serial numbers that LiftMaster customer service can verify on the phone in under two minutes. Real Chamberlain has the same database. Real Genie has the same system.

The tell: if you can't read the manufacturer's data plate inside the motor housing (not the outside cover sticker), the unit isn't what it claims. Real openers have an embossed metal data plate with a manufacturer ID, a model number, and a serial number that follows the brand's published format. Ask the tech to show you the data plate before he leaves. He should not be offended. I show mine every time.

Scam Seven: The "Special Order" Delay Tactic

How it works. You call about a stuck door. Technician arrives, says it needs a "special order Richmond-spec spring" that won't be in for 2 weeks. He'll prop the door open or closed in the meantime. Two weeks later he returns, replaces the spring with a standard part, and bills you for the "special" component.

The truth. There is no Richmond-spec spring. There are no special-order standard residential parts. The four common spring sizes (1.75" inside diameter, 2" ID, and the corresponding wire gauges) are stocked by every supplier from Surrey to North Vancouver. Every legitimate operator carries them on the truck. I have 12 springs in mine right now.

The tell: any technician who says he doesn't have a residential torsion spring on his truck and needs to "special order" one for your standard door has either run out (call someone else) or is running a scam (definitely call someone else).

How to spot a real Richmond operator

  1. They answer the phone with the company name. Not "hello." Not "garage doors." The actual name.
  2. They give you a price range over the phone before they leave the shop. Real operators have done this job 500 times and can ballpark the cost from your symptom description.
  3. They show up in a marked truck with a real company decal and a BC plate. Not a rental. Not unmarked.
  4. They wear branded clothing or at minimum carry ID and a written estimate pad.
  5. They walk you through the diagnosis before they quote the repair. "Here's the spring. Here's the gap. Here's what we'd replace and why."
  6. They write the quote down with line items: parts, labour, taxes, total. They give you a copy.
  7. They accept e-transfer, debit, or credit. Cash is optional.
  8. They give you a warranty. Mine is 1 year on labour, 5 years on spring parts, 3 years on opener parts (LiftMaster's own warranty terms).
  9. They have a real address. Not a P.O. box. Not "service area."
  10. They don't pressure-close. No "this price is only good today." No "I can't leave until you decide."

The three things that should never happen

  1. A price that quintuples once they're in your garage. Quote $250 over the phone, then $1,800 once they're there. That's the playbook.
  2. A claim that the work has to happen right now or the door will collapse. Springs don't collapse. They break. Once they're broken, they're broken. You have time to get a second quote.
  3. A demand for cash up front before the work is done. Half-up-front on parts is reasonable for special orders. Full-cash before any work is a scam.

DANGER The scam-pressure tactic that frightens me most is the one where the scammer tells you the spring "could go any second" and you need to stay out of the garage. Most of the time that's a lie. But occasionally — and this is the genuinely dangerous part — a real failing spring can let go during the conversation. If someone has told you the spring is failing, do not stand directly under it. Step out of the garage line of fire while you make your decision about the quote. This is just sensible regardless of who's giving you the quote.

Cost reality check (2026, Lower Mainland CAD) — what fair looks like - Diagnostic service call (applied to repair if you proceed): $95–$165 - Pair of residential torsion springs, installed: $385–$625 - IPPC-90 corrosion-coated upgrade: add $120–$220 - Cable replacement (pair): $215–$345 - Photo-eye sensor pair installed: $165–$245 - Basic chain-drive opener installed: $725–$975 - Belt-drive smart opener installed: $895–$1,295 - Single residential door, new, installed: $1,950–$3,650 - Double residential door, new, installed: $2,950–$5,650 - Insulated R-18 upgrade: add $425–$925

If your quote is materially above these ranges and the technician can't explain why with a specific reason (commercial-grade door, special clearance issue, custom width, electrical work required), get a second quote before you sign.

What to do if you got scammed

  1. Don't be embarrassed. Scammers are professionals. You are not the first. You won't be the last.
  2. File with Consumer Protection BC. They have a Richmond-area complaint form online. Even if you don't get your money back, you keep the next person from getting hit.
  3. File a Better Business Bureau report. It builds the paper trail.
  4. Call your credit card company if you paid by card. Dispute the charge. You have 60 days under most BC card agreements.
  5. Call a real Richmond operator for a second opinion on the work. Get an honest assessment of what was actually done. Document it.
  6. Post the experience publicly. Google reviews, Reddit r/Richmond, Nextdoor. Name the company. The next neighbour will read it.

A specific story

A retired couple on Francis Road in Broadmoor got hit in March 2025. The wife answered the door for a "free garage door safety inspection" — a guy going door-to-door in a high-vis vest. He talked his way into the garage. Twenty minutes later he produced a quote for $4,650 to "bring the door up to current code."

The husband called us before they signed. I drove out. The door was a 12-year-old Wayne Dalton 9100 single-layer, in perfectly serviceable condition. It needed: nothing. The springs had three to five years left. The opener (a Sears Craftsman from around 2011) was older but working. The photo eyes were fine. The cables were fine.

I told them: $0 of work needed today. Recommended scheduling a real maintenance visit in October for $185. They thanked me. The wife cried a little. The husband walked me to the truck and said, quietly, "She would have signed it. She just didn't want to bother me at work."

That's the part of the job that gets me out of bed.

That's the post.

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