Genie Garage Doors

He wanted to know where I was, I explained I was at work, he told me I have to go home and troubleshoot the garage door and then call him back. I was unable and very confused on why I had to troubleshoot when I explain originally the belt was broken. His resonance was "we need to know why it was broken, and we need to test it". THE BELT IS BROKEN AND HANGING DOWN! I questioned why I had to test it? IT WAS BROKE! After 45 minutes, I felt this was going absolutely nowhere. I stated this was a terrible customer service. For what we spent on the product and installation, should have listen to friends advice and not buy a Genie!

Instead, they wanted to provide the less costly optical encoder. Refused to listen that if the entire unit was void of any electrical response, it had to be the circuit board and that the "opto" speed control was irrelevant. Pretty clear to me they don't intend to honor the warranty and were simply acting in a preconceived bad faith manner to cause me to give up and go away. Rude, condescending and arrogant customer service representative. I suggest consumers take their business to a better quality company. Suggest you read other reviews regarding Genie. My experience is apparently not unique.

I ask repeatedly to speak with a supervisor and was told, someone would call me back within 48 hours.... No call back. I'm really upset that I have to spend more money to make this complete. My keypad really isn't that old. It was more the screwing around for 3 1/2 hours and then having to spend another $60.00. Then having to screw around again to get it to work. I'm more inclined to remove the new unit and return it to the store (that the instructions tell me not to do) and take it up with my credit card company. Then go buy the CHAMBERLAIN unit I wanted in the first place. Signed, A LONG TERM - REALLY UPSET CUSTOMER.

So we went through the whole checklist as I was on the phone with the rep. Was told it was the circuit board. I then ask the price, when I was told what it would cost I said I thought they should at least give it to me for half. Well they said they couldn't. I wasn't too pleased, but I needed an opener. I did go and purchase another Genie, just to save time on the installation. Well now it's March 2019 and another circuit board has failed.

Called the customer service to see if they would do anything. I asked again about covering at least half the cost of the opener, but was told parts are only covered for 1 year. I told them that I was through with the Genie opener and would be making sure to let everyone know how bad their openers are. All I was told how sorry they were. So I want to let everyone know to stay away from buying a Genie garage door opener... I am totally disgusted with them.

I ask if he just listened to what he said. Sure with NO LOAD the thing works fine... Place a load on it, and it fails. I advise him that I can get on an 8 foot ladder, grab the carriage (pulled the emergency release of course) and open the door myself with little effort, HOW CAN IT BE THE DOOR? I ask, "Is it not possible that the motor controller, that holds the force openings is not weakened after 14 years," "NOPE, NOT POSSIBLE, IT'S THE DOOR." I hang up, call a local garage door company and speak to them, they advise that if I can indeed open the door by hand from the carriage, it's the operator. I call Genie back, and the next first level tech has me tear the front coupler out and check it. I do so and call back, clean as a whistle, I get the first, first level tech again, still must be the door.

By now I am a tad bit annoyed, he elevates me to a second level tech. Guess what he says... Must be the door and here is why.... blah blah blah... He wants me to put it all back together and call back, sure I say, don't mind spending a few more hours on the phone. I failed to mention that when I was taking the coupler out, I unplugged the operator... Can you see where this is leading? I call back after getting it all back together, plug it back in and while waiting, I try the door again... and a miracle happens, IT WORKS!!!

Now the second second level tech gets on the phone, we chat and I tell her that it is now working after I unplugged it and plugged it back in. "Well, you see, the circuit boards are kind of like computers and that will often fix some issues." WOW, maybe the first first level tech could have lead with that instead of insisting that the door was the problem. She apologized and acknowledged that I seemed to have spent most of the day on this (no kidding). She also acknowledged that if I need to do this with some frequency that the board could be at fault (NO WAY!). I am so over this... Lifetime Warranty my butt... If this is what I have to deal with again, I am ripping that blasted thing out and tossing it in the trash and buying another manufacturer's product. I lost four or more hours of my day because some tech reading from a script couldn't think for himself.

As a one time courtesy she offered to send me the parts needed to fix the issue. A very nice gesture. I was provided the new parts she determined that I needed. I received the parts a few days after the call and installed them. The parts didn't help as it was later determined that the device sustained bigger problems from the surge and needed to be replaced altogether. November 17, 2018 I went to Home Depot and bought another unit for $250. This time, as instructed by the Technician I sent the receipt for this purchase to Genie Support. I installed the unit and everything worked as intended.

January 2019, we experienced a cold snap (15-17 degrees). I pressed the wall mounted door opener to open the door, the door opened half way when I heard a loud pop. The loop on the carriage cracked and broke, halting the progress of the door and sending the arm falling down from the track, narrowly missing my brand new $65000 truck. Whew! Ok, That day I reached out to Genie with the expectation they would send me a new carriage. The representative I got this time was very short and curt with me over IM. After my explaining the situation, she told me that I would have to call in...then abruptly ended the conversation. I was a little irritated by that, but ok...my experience from the first two people was good so I let it go.

February 4, 2019, I was out of town on business for two weeks and upon my return finally found some time to address the garage door. I called Genie Support as I was instructed to do from the prior conversation and Spoke to a gentleman. I couldn't understand his name... He asked whom I was and I gave him my information. He ran me through opening the door and a few other diagnostics which clearly showed the door and the unit were correctly installed. I explained my situation from before but I could tell he wasn't listening to me. He told me that their parts distribution system was down but I could obtain a new carriage locally...to which I asked under warranty? He said no. I would have to buy it. I politely told him that I had purchased this unit in November of the prior fall and that this unit carries a 5 year warranty. Why would I need to buy a failed part?

At this point I was met with what I would call a passive confrontation, with no benefit of the doubt. He told me that they had given me a one time courtesy once before and that was all they would do. I politely told him that I had purchased a new unit since that one time courtesy and as instructed, submitted the receipt to Genie via their designated email address... I later received a confirmation that they had the receipt. I could tell his patience with me was wearing thin. As one guy to another I told him that I wasn't BSing him. I was telling the truth and if he wanted I could send him a copy of the original receipt, as well as a copy of the confirmation from Genie. I don't think I was being confrontational in any way...and neither did my wife, whom was in the room listening to the conversation. But at this point the Rep interrupted me asking me to remain Professional.

I was taken aback. OK so...I started to say something and he cut me off. I felt I had held my composure up to this point... I had had it. He wasn't listening to me, He completely discounted me, inferred that I was lying to him and now was telling me to remain professional? Wow. A textbook example of what not to do when representing your brand. A very bad experience on that call and I can tell you that I did this nature of work early in my career for Moen Faucets for 6 years...so I know What to do and not do when representing a product.

Since the call was escalating and I was getting nowhere with this guy, I hung up. I then re-sent a copy of my original receipt from November 2018 along with the confirmation from the original attempt. I once again received another confirmation that they received my documentation...so I'm under the hope they do the right thing and support their product as the warranty states. Judging from this last experience I don't feel it's promising. We will see, and I will update this post with how things pan out.