I am creeped out - think someone is trying to break in later

[RoxMonster]

Deleted so it isn't searchable. You can figure out the gist of what happened from the thread.

[mich1]

You're looking at someone who was recently locked out of the house because our garage door in this particular car went screwy just like this. We left and it opened, came home from dinner and were locked out. At 9 pm, the 24 hour locksmith was not answering the phone or messages, and we discovered that all of the windows that could be broken and climbed into are of unbreakable glass.

So we drove 100 miles to SO's mom to get her spare copy of the key.

It does not take much to screw up the communication between the remote and the signal.

[RoxMonster]

May 23, 2015 18:16:31 GMT -5 mofongo said:

I think it would be stupid of someone to change your code (knowing you would realize) with plans to break into your house. I vote accident. I probably wouldn't do anything more than change the codes again. Do you have a house alarm?

How would it be an accident though? (Asked honestly, not snarkily because hearing it is an accident would make me feel better). My H had to take a screwdriver to it to get the code to change in the garage door opener. He couldn't do it with his finger even when he was purposely attempting to. This is what freaks me out.

And no alarm except our dog lol.

[RoxMonster]

May 23, 2015 18:20:39 GMT -5 mich1 said:

You're looking at someone who was recently locked out of the house because our garage door in this particular car went screwy just like this. We left and it opened, came home from dinner and were locked out. At 9 pm, the 24 hour locksmith was not answering the phone or messages, and we discovered that all of the windows that could be broken and climbed into are of unbreakable glass.

So we drove 100 miles to SO's mom to get her spare copy of the key.

It does not take much to screw up the communication between the remote and the signal.

But the actual buttons in my garage door opener had been switched. H was only able to do this when he deliberately took a screwdriver to it.

[RoxMonster]

This is the best pic I could find of what the code on the inside of the opener looks like. It is recessed so you cannot deliberately move the buttons with just a finger.

[rosiebear]

I'm lost. Why would someone change the code so that it will not open your garage if he is planning to break in later?

[thinkofthesoldiers]

Weren't you the one who was concerned about something with your garage before?

[nsl]

Are you certain it's your opener? Could yours have been accidentally swapped with another customer's?

[RoxMonster]

May 23, 2015 18:41:16 GMT -5 rosiebear said:

I'm lost. Why would someone change the code so that it will not open your garage if he is planning to break in later?

The code was only changed in my opener. Changing the code in my opener does not change the actual code - you have to change it on the garage door itself for that to happen.

[RoxMonster]

May 23, 2015 18:46:30 GMT -5 thinkofthesoldiers said:

Weren't you the one who was concerned about something with your garage before?

Yeah, the issue with our garage door was fixed - we called a repairman.

This was the actual buttons in my opener being pushed by someone so that they were changed.

[rosiebear]

May 23, 2015 18:47:15 GMT -5 RoxMonster said:

May 23, 2015 18:41:16 GMT -5 rosiebear said:

I'm lost. Why would someone change the code so that it will not open your garage if he is planning to break in later?

The code was only changed in my opener. Changing the code in my opener does not change the actual code - you have to change it on the garage door itself for that to happen.

But didn't you say when you got home, it wouldn't open the garage? How does that facilitate a break in?

[mala]

I would assume the opener was switched with another of the same model before I would think it was deliberately or accidentally recoded. Whether it was stupidity or deliberate I would be freaking the f out.

[RoxMonster]

May 23, 2015 18:47:06 GMT -5 nsl said:

Are you certain it's your opener? Could yours have been accidentally swapped with another customer's?

That is possible but not super probable. The technicians should have had no reason to even remove my garage door opener for my car since it was an oil change. Not only that, but my opener has no clip on the back to hang it from the visor and most openers do. It would have had to be the exact same opener too.

So it's possible, I guess, but I would think very unlikely.

[RoxMonster]

May 23, 2015 18:49:05 GMT -5 rosiebear said:

May 23, 2015 18:47:15 GMT -5 RoxMonster said:

The code was only changed in my opener. Changing the code in my opener does not change the actual code - you have to change it on the garage door itself for that to happen.

But didn't you say when you got home, it wouldn't open the garage? How does that facilitate a break in?

Because you would take the code you wrote down, code that into your own garage door opener and then open the garage. You can buy any garage door opener and put your code into it so that it works with your garage door.

[slcjess]

But wouldn't they then need to have the opener in their possession to break in? How would it help them to change the code to the opener that is now sitting in your car in your closed garage?

[RoxMonster]

May 23, 2015 18:51:23 GMT -5 slcjess said:

But wouldn't they then need to have the opener in their possession to break in? How would it help them to change the code to the opener that is now sitting in your car in your closed garage?

Because you would put that same code in your own Genie garage door opener.

H has since changed our garage code on both the actual door and in both of our openers. But it was literally as simple as him pushing the buttons on our openers to mimic the new code and voila! Door opens. So that could easily be done with someone else's opener.

[RoxMonster]

May 23, 2015 18:52:34 GMT -5 @licia said:

Just change your code if you're that concerned.

We did, but wouldn't it bother you too if someone at your car dealership did this?

[slcjess]

May 23, 2015 18:52:34 GMT -5 RoxMonster said:

May 23, 2015 18:51:23 GMT -5 slcjess said:

But wouldn't they then need to have the opener in their possession to break in? How would it help them to change the code to the opener that is now sitting in your car in your closed garage?

Because you would put that same code in your own Genie garage door opener.

H has since changed our garage code on both the actual door and in both of our openers. But it was literally as simple as him pushing the buttons on our openers to mimic the new code and voila! Door opens. So that could easily be done with someone else's opener.

But they wouldn't need to change your code to do that, right? They could just mimic the code in their own opener? 
It is definitely weird. I'm glad you guys figured it out and fixed it.  

[rosiebear]

I feel like I'm taking crazy pills.

How does changing YOUR opener help them? You said your H had to use a screwdriver to do it.

I can see how writing down the numbers would help them, but what does that have to do with deliberately (because you can't do it accidentally, you said) changing your opener?

[hbear]

May 23, 2015 18:51:23 GMT -5 slcjess said:

But wouldn't they then need to have the opener in their possession to break in? How would it help them to change the code to the opener that is now sitting in your car in your closed garage?

This. I'm confused.

[RoxMonster]

May 23, 2015 18:54:05 GMT -5 @licia said:

May 23, 2015 18:53:04 GMT -5 RoxMonster said:

We did, but wouldn't it bother you too if someone at your car dealership did this?

Then call the dealership and complain.

We will but they are closed now.

People on here complain about far less, but I guess it is unrealistic for me to complain that I am freaked out this happened? Oh well.

[RoxMonster]

May 23, 2015 18:54:40 GMT -5 rosiebear said:

I feel like I'm taking crazy pills.

How does changing YOUR opener help them? You said your H had to use a screwdriver to do it.

I can see how writing down the numbers would help them, but what does that have to do with deliberately (because you can't do it accidentally, you said) changing your opener?

I know, that's why I said in the OP I don't know if someone did this just to screw with us, which is still disconcerting, if they changed it to screw with us AND plan to break in, or what. If H hadn't compared the codes, we would have been none the wiser, bought a new opener since we would have figured this one stopped working, and plugged in the same code that they could have had written down.

[thinkofthesoldiers]

I feel like you need to settle down abiut your garage. Really. is it attached to your house? If so do you lock that door? I've never put this much thought into anything being potentially stolen before.

[slcjess]

May 23, 2015 18:54:42 GMT -5 hbear said:

May 23, 2015 18:51:23 GMT -5 slcjess said:

But wouldn't they then need to have the opener in their possession to break in? How would it help them to change the code to the opener that is now sitting in your car in your closed garage?

This. I'm confused.

I think what she's saying is- if her code is set to 1234, they can take the same kind of opener, and set her opener code and the code f their opener to 5678, and then both openers would open her garage. I don't know if that's accurate though because at some point you would need to tell the garage that the code has changed. 
I don't know if any of that makes sense. Lol. Maybe they are just bad criminals? It seems the correct way to do it would be to get their own opener and program the code on it to 1234. 

[slcjess]

Also, you should get an alarm system. It's good for peace of mind. Mine even has a creeper cam so I can take a pic of the downstairs at any time from an app on my phone if I get creeped out. Hahaha

[mrsjuleshs]

We just bought an opener for dd's car today and Dh had to climb up a ladder in the garage to use the learn button and had to use a paper clip in the opener to program it. I'm not getting how changing your code could allow them access if it doesn't even open your garage. I've never seen an actual coded opener except for the one on the wall outside the garage. Ours are a 1 button push to open.

[polarbearfans]

Are you sure it was your opener? Could someone have switched them and didn't actually change the code? I can see someone wanting to break into your house not knowing that the codes are changeable, so they just switched the opener.

Changing the codes to something new was a good idea. I would call the dealership when they are open again.

[kellykapowski]

This is very clearly a case of "you read too many suspense novels."

[Deleted]

You might need your head checked.

[elleblue]

Whether the code was changed accidentally or on purpose, the good news is you noticed and altered the code on your garage door and opener. So even if someone planned to use your code to get into your garage/house, they're won't be able to anymore.