'I was so shook up': Ontario senior says she was charged nearly $3,000 for replacement garage door opener

An Ontario senior has a warning for homeowners after she says a contractor overcharged her, demanding thousands of dollars to replace her garage door opener.

“I was upset, I was surprised and I was worried because I had no idea it would cost that much and I knew it shouldn’t cost that much,” Marie Nelson of Oakville, Ont. told CTV News Toronto Wednesday.

Nelson said her garage door opener quit working in June and that she needed it repaired right away to allow access for other ongoing renovations.

"I was in a bit of a panic because they were coming to do my driveway. They were coming the next day and they asked if I could open my garage door, but it wouldn't open," she said.

Nelson said she went on Google and searched ‘garage door opener repair,' garnering several quotes, but one company that claimed to be in Oakville said they could come that day and do the repair for about $300.

However, when a contractor arrived, Nelson said he was there for just over two hours, replaced the garage door opener with a new one, and presented her with bill of $2,915.

"He charged me almost $3,000 and I was totally shocked," Nelson said, adding that the individual “had a payment machine and demanded that I pay with a credit card right away.”

On top of that, Nelson said the contractor did not give her a contract, invoice, or receipt that gave a breakdown of the cost of the labour and the cost of the opener.

“There was no itemized statement whatsoever and I never even thought of that at the time because I was so shook up at the amount," she said.

The contractor who installed the new door opener placed a sticker in her garage indicating their business is called Lux Service and their website luxgaragedoors.ca indicates they are located in Vaughan, Ont.

CTV News contacted the company with several emails and phone calls that were not returned.

CTV News also went to the address listed on the website for Lux Service which was for an industrial mall. It did not have a unit number, there was no signage for the company and we were unable to locate the business.

Nelson has sent a registered letter of complaint to the same address and it was returned to sender.

According to Consumer Protection Ontario, when hiring a home service contractor, residents should seek recommendations from family and friends, deal with a local company, confirm the cost of work before it begins, and ask for an itemized contract or invoice.

Nelson still wants a refund but is concerned as the company appears to be nowhere to be found.

"I’d like a reasonable refund and I don't want this to happen to others because I think he really, really overcharged me,” she said.

Nelson said she was told later by another company the cost of the garage door opener she received was worth about $300 and it may have been another $200 to $300 in labour costs to install, but that it should not have been anywhere near $3,000.

A basic garage door opener including installation will cost between $400 to $800, depending on the type of opener and the complexity of the installation.

If you're getting one for your home make sure you know the total price before allowing work to begin.