Replacement windows

Replacement windows.

Best Windows and Doors

1611 N. Magnolia Ave., Suite 302

El Cajon, CA 92020

In April 2001 we ordered three replacement windows from Best Windows and Doors...(Then called American Reconstruction.)

We had done considerable shopping, looking mainly for quality, and settled on Anlin brand windows. We ordered them, and the original invoice states that the windows are to be Anlin.

When the windows arrived, I told the crew that they did not look like the windows we had ordered. The response was the manufacturer had made some slight changes, and that they were the correct windows.

The installation was not very quick. I did most of the finish work inside and out. One young installer had to borrow my power grinder to remove the metal bars from the outside. In doing the grinding he let a red hot piece of a screw go into the house and burn a hole in the carpet.

When they got to the stage of installing the screens I again insisted they were not correct. Anlin frames are metal with very neatly mitered corners. They stopped and re-ordered screens. (I later learned that they did get the second order of frames from Anlin. This caused another problem. They were very difficult to install, and I have never been able to remove them to replace the screening) We had to call repeatedly to get the whole job completed and necessary adjustments made.

In about four years we began to see the material that separates the layers of glass moving, and in lots of places, protruding into the window area. Very unsightly!

I called the Anlin factory, hoping they would take care of this instead of having to have any more contact with BWD.

Anlin people quickly and politely told me the windows were not their brand, but that they did have on record an order for window screens for our address.

At about the same time, we began to notice the almond color was bleaching out to an almost brilliant white.

When I called Best Windows and doors about the problems, I was told that our windows were Atrium brand, not Anlin. (First time I had heard that.)

In future contacts with them I indicated that the only thing that would totally satisfy us would be a total refund of our money. They absolutely refused that. Then I tried to make it very clear that we did not want Atrium brand, but would consider some other brand if they had something that would be of a higher quality. We finally went to their offices and looked at the display. We chose another brand (unmarked), and agreed to accept those....and emphasized again, that we did not want Atrium.

When the crew of young men arrive to change the windows I insisted on seeing the new ones unwrapped before they started removing the old ones. One window was enough. They were Atrium. (The same black, rubber-like spacers between the panes of glass.) Also, the workers had no idea that I just might understand them. One was quickly pointing out to another that they could do the whole job by just slipping out the windows, and putting in the new ones, without any actual installation. (Changing only the moving parts, not the outside frames)

I told them this would not be acceptable.. the bleached plastic would still show, and besides, we would still have Atrium windows, and probably the same problems in another four years.

I talked with the supervisor a bit and told him those windows would NOT be acceptable.

A short time later Mr. M__C__ Sr. called me, and gave me the most florid cussing out I have ever heard.

We tried complaining through the Contractors License Bureau but were refused any consideration because of time elapsed. (The company did plenty of delaying, I now suspect that most of it was just to get past the time limit of the Contractors Board.)

In summary, I don't think we have ever had such an unpleasant contact in the business world.

Jim B