Its not unknown for companies to take on contracts with equipment they can't look after and then immediately recommend refurbishment but it sounds that may not be the case here . if so he would have more likely blamed the controller and claimed it was obsolete . As a customer you are within your rights to ask to see a photo or some other evidence of rouging on the ropes . ask if there is any splintering of the ropes etc.. It may be that the tech is genuinely concerned for the condition of the ropes in which case he did the right thing .If the previous company knew they were losing the contract they may have chosen to ignore the rouging or written it off as worn but serviceable .