Soundproof Windows, Inc.

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The Owner of this shop was very rudeWhen I arrived I was in a big hurry because I had just bought an RV up the road from his shop and my truck trailer lights or connection was not working when we hooked it up to my new RV; Being that the truck is under warranty and is a I bought it brand new and paid over $56,000, I was very frustrated when I showed upI had also been to two (2) other shops that couldn't help me today being that it was 2:pm on a Saturday in a small town, so that added to my frustration Anyway, when I came in the shop he was very rude and told me to wait outside, he then came out and said I seem nervous and that made him uncomfortable and that it was my problemHe was unable to help me with my electrical issue and really did not attempt to fix the issue, he told me just to take it back to the RV dealership, When I asked him what I owed him he told me to get him a pizza as if I'm not in a big enough hurry trying to find someone who can fix my issue in a hurryIf you like not getting anything fixed and paying in pizza come here

I purchased what were supposed to be soundproof windows from this company. The claims on their website say that the windows will reduced noise from 75-95%. This was repeated to me in emails by their sales reps who claimed I would get a 95% noise reduction equivalent to a brick wall. I was offered either 1/4 or 1/2 inch windows and chose the thicker ones, so my sound reduction should definitely be on the upper end of the advertised range. When the windows were installed, there was virtually no reduction in noise. I can hear birds chirp, people closing their car doors, and certainly the sound of trucks, sirens, etc. Furthermore, the way they installed the windows, I am not able to open them so my bedroom windows are sealed shut. When I told them of this, they had their installers come to the apartment. They did no checking, testing or diagnosis. They took out one of the small window panes, and then a few days later put it back in which made no impact on the noise problem nor the ability to close the windows. I called a competing firm, [redacted] to look at the windows and see if they can fix them. They said the materials and installation were of poor quality. They did not use common soundproofing materials during installation. Unfortunately [redacted] was not willing to fix the windows - they only install their own. I told Soundproof Windows about this and they offered to send me soundproofing materials, however this is of no value since the windows are already installed. I would have to have another company come in, take out the windows and then reinstall them which would cost thousands of dollars. They have not been willing to take any further actions to settle this matter with me. In America you are not allowed to make false and misleading ad claims to get people to buy your product under false pretenses.Product_Or_Service: WindowsOrder_Number: NAAccount_Number: NADesired SettlementI do not want them to come into my apartment again since they had the opportunity and they did nothing. I do not trust them to fix the windows. I want them to reimburse me for the windows and installation plus I want them to remove the false and misleading claims from their website so others won't be cheated like I was.Business Response October 19, 2015To Whom It May Concern: On July 22, 2015, [redacted] placed an order with Soundproof Windows, Inc. On July 22, 2015, Soundproof Windows, Inc. received a signed purchase agreement from [redacted] authorizing Soundproof Windows, Inc. to charge her card. The purchase agreement discloses that the products are special order merchandise and are non-refundable.Per the purchase agreement, [redacted]'s order was shipped to [redacted] on July 30, 2015. [redacted] claims that "the windows were not installed correctly, the noise was not reduced." Prior to placing her order, the customer was made aware that she was purchasing only the windows from Soundproof Windows, Inc. and separately, she would need to contract with [redacted] regarding measuring and installation of the windows.On August 24, 2015, [redacted] contacted our independent sales representative, [redacted] and stated that she was unhappy with window performance but was willing to work to find a solution.[redacted], worked with the customer and [redacted] to resolve what the issue might be. On September 15, 2015, with the issue still unresolved,[redacted] referred [redacted] to our company for further assistance. After collecting photos and information from the customer it did appear that the windows were properly installed.On September 23, 2015, [redacted] emailed our company and stated that she had one of our competitors out to inspect our windows. The competitor would have no reason to say anything factual about our product or how it works, as they are a competitor. As a result, the competitor, lead [redacted] to believe that there needed to be a material placed in between our window and that we are making false claims about our products.In the same email, on September 23, 2015, [redacted] stated that she does not want [redacted] to come in and do the alterations that the competitor suggested. As a result, we offered to send her the acoustical caulking and sound isolation foam that she requested. We told her that this is something she is able to do herself or that any handyman is able to do. [redacted] replied that she was not willing to accept this solution after previously stating in the August 24, 2015 email that she would open to something that could fix the problem. This proposed fix would not entail removal of her window and could be done easily.On September 30, 2015, we received notification that the customer began a chargeback on her credit card. In the addition to the previous claims shown in the charge back, the customer states that she cancelled. At no point during Soundproof Windows, Inc. communication with [redacted] did she attempt to cancel her order. As previously stated the purchase agreement states that the order is special order merchandise and is non-refundable. In addition to the purchase agreement that [redacted] signed and returned, the invoice that [redacted] received states, "After 72 hours, this Invoice shall be binding and non-cancellable contract for the purchase by the Customer of the goods described in the Invoice and shall constitute the entire agreement between Soundproof Windows and the Customer. No oral terms or representations shall be considered a part of this Invoice or binding on Soundproof Windows."[redacted] also references Soundproof Windows, Inc. webpage in her claim. Our website contains case studies, showing that our products do work as advertised in real world situations. We have a section on "Noise Reduction Comparison" that discusses how percentages can be misleading. There is a page on STC ratings which explains that results can vary depending on the primary windows the customer has and that we are not able to guarantee a 100% noise reduction. These quotes are directly from our web site. "Noise reduction percentages can be misleading, and like statistics, can lie." "As the environment gets quieter, the ear becomes more sensitive to noise." "Soundproof Windows can reduce the current noise levels by 95% or by 75%, and both statements will be true: one is the instrument measurement, while the other is the perceived noise reduction."Soundproof Windows, Inc. has operated in good faith with [redacted] attempting to resolve her noise problem. However, [redacted] does not appear to be interested in resolving her noise problem.Sincerely,[redacted]Soundproof Windows, Inc.

I purchased a soundproof window for a recording studio from them. It came with no instructions. The installer they referred me to installed it wrongOn June 3, 2015, I bought a $3,050 soundproof window for my recording studio through a rep from this company named [redacted] and paid via my personal credit card. When the window arrived, I asked the company for a referral for a qualified local installer who had done installs for them before. I made it abundantly clear to [redacted] before I ordered the window that I was not construction inclined and needed them to provide me a local installer that would install the window to their company specifications. Out of a list of 3 people [redacted] sent, only one responded to my calls and agreed to come install the window to their company specifications. [redacted] indicated that their installer, [redacted], had done lots of jobs for them before.The window arrived at my house in a crate without installation instructions or diagrams, and the installer had to actually call the company and get the owner out of a meeting to conference with [redacted] and the installer to be told what method the company specified the window to be installed in to minimize sound transference from room to room. I paid the installer $750 in a check to install the window and jamb, and he assured me it was up to company specs and at that time there was no way to test the window's soundproofing ability at the time due to the fact that sheetrock hadn't gone up at that point.3 months later, on September 10, 2015, when walls went up, wiring was complete and my studio was finally finished, I had sound control guys and my acoustician come in to put a trim around the window and test sound transference, they noticed the installer made a critical mistake - the individual panes are supposed to sit on separate frames instead of sharing one frame to minimize vibration transference. There was supposed to be a 2-3mm cut around the inside of the frame he mounted the window on, which was not done. In addition, the wood furring installed with the gasket is over compressing the gasket, causing vibration problems as well. Essentially the 65 STC window they marketed to me as their best and thickest is only working at about 40% of their touted specifications causing major sound leakage into my control room. So now I have to find someone last minute to pay to remove the window trim, come remove the window, make the cuts in the frame and re-install the window and window trim (all without instructions still) while I was supposed to be opening my business next week and had several clients already booked.I think the fact that they did not include installation instructions, that I used their recommended and purportedly experienced installer, that a conference call was made during the morning of the installation between the sales rep, the owner and the installer to make sure nothing was misunderstood should be enough to highlight their negligence in standing behind their product and its proper installation. I paid a premium for their service and I did not get premium customer service. Most consumers don't install these windows themselves - they need a professional, and I relied on Soundproof Windows for that and they failed me. Even though the installer doesn't work directly for their company, I was assured that he had done lots of installs for them in the area and was assured I was in good hands. Obviously I was wrong and I am suffering greatly because of it.Desired SettlementA refund of at least $750 to my credit card - the price I paid their referred installer to install the window, which he did incorrectly. Business Response September 11, 2015Complaint Case # [redacted]Consumer: [redacted]On September 11, 2015, customer [redacted], contacted Soundproof Windows, Inc. and stated that he believed his studio windows were incorrectly installed. This was the first time Soundproof Windows, Inc. was notified that the customer was unhappy. Up until the customer was stating that he was happy with the product and the installation.The customer stated that he was referred to an installer. On average, 50% of our customers install the windows themselves, some customers choose to have someone else do the installation. We are unable to refer our customers to specific installers, since we are manufacturers and not installers. However, we are able to recommend independent installers that previous customers have used and been satisfied with. This is what occurred in this situation. The customer was given a list and free to choose from the list or any other installer he wished. All Soundproof Windows Inc., order are shipped with instructions. The instructions are included with other materials that are necessary for window installation. If the instructions are lost or left out, we have them available electronically and can send them almost instantly via email. In addition, we always have someone available via phone to assist with installation questions during the installation process. We have confirmed that the windows are installed correctly. However, there are several places that acoustical caulking needs to be applied to prevent sound leakage. Per our website, our windows are an STC of 60-63 if properly installed and all other components of the studio are up to this standard. Soundproof Windows Inc., has spoken with the customer's acoustical consultant and he has openly admitted that he has no experience with our products and is not familiar with it. This has resulted in some basic misunderstandings, such as the type of glass and frame that are being used. We have arranged for the acoustical consultant to speak with the owner and chief engineer on Monday, September at 12:00pm PST to go over the product in detail. We would recommend that the customer not make any alterations to the product prior to this meeting as it could negatively impact the sound reduction.Soundproof Windows, Inc., was only notified of this issue on September 11, 2015 and is working in good faith to make sure that the product is working properly.Please feel free to contact me with any questions or if any additional information is needed.Sincerely,[redacted]Soundproof Windows, Inc. 775-829-8900Consumer Response (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)[redacted] response to my complaint is almost unreadable, because it is so full of mis-statements and contradictions. The rep, [redacted], openly admitted to me on the phone that the windows were not shipped with instructions, requiring the installer to conference call with the sales rep and owner on the morning of installation, even though [redacted] states in her reply "ALL SOUNDPROOF WINDOWS ARE SHIPPED WITH INSTRUCTIONS". That's her first untruthful statement.Of course I was initially happy with the product because I had no way of testing it until the walls went up and the studio was completed. Her assertion that I was happy until 9-10-15 is laughable - I had no way to test the sound transmission of the product. She is actually the one who has misunderstood the meaning of "window pane" and "frame", and is trying to shift blame due to her blatant lack of knowledge as to what parts of the window and wooden window frame the installer built we are referring to. As to her claim about the company not endorsing installers - they provided me a list of 3 people, two of which had quit the construction business. So, as to choice, I had no "choice" at all but to go with their highly recommended installer,[redacted] Butler. In point of fact, when discussing this matter with [redacted], the sales rep on the phone yesterday, he claimed that if it was determined that[redacted] installed the window improperly, they would send out one of their "expert installers" to remedy the situation. How do they employ or have "expert installers" if they don't associate themselves with installing the product? The claim that they don't "refer" but "recommend" installers is simply a matter of semantics and is, at best, dishonest. I have email correspondence clearly showing their "recommendations/referals".My acoustician and noise control consultant are both highly regarded in the industry, with a combined experience of over 45 years, and have done everything from [redacted] in [redacted], many facilities done with the [redacted], to [redacted] studio in [redacted]. The assertion that they are unfamiliar with these brand of windows or soundproof windows at all, is laughable because no matter the brand of window, basic acoustic principles apply and I can and will provide independent third party testing as well as STC tests of the window's performance. My consultants were both absolutely shocked when the companies response yesterday after seeing the pictures sent to them was "the installation looks absolutely fine, it just needs acoustical caulking". [redacted] statement that they have "Confirmed that the windows were installed correctly" is an absolute lie - how can they confirm that from 800 miles away when we are here on the ground witnessing major noise transmission? My acoustician is conferring with respected well known associates in the industry this weekend, and looks forward to the conference call on Monday where he can hear the justifications of why there are holes in the gasket around the window, why the wood framing doesn't have any separation as my double stud walls do, and why[redacted] Butler built the wood furring so high as to compress the bottom gasket, causing noise transference.After the conference call Monday at noon PST, I expect not only Soundproof Windows to correct this issue and make the window truly 60-63 STC as advertised, but a personal apology from [redacted] for her libelous and misinformed response to my complaint. She clearly has no concept of the project, no regard for honesty or truth, and no respect for the end customer. A professional liar will always take part of the truth and twist it to their benefit. I expect this company to own up to their mistake, the following defense of their mistake, and make this window right as advertised. It's clear she needs a lesson in customer relations as well as basic acoustical principles before trying to deal with any more customers.Final Consumer Response (The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.)Company has admitted fault and negligence in not providing directions nor proper installation materials. Company has admitted the windows were indeed installed incorrectly as I claimed from beginning. Company has reimbursed me $385 for labor in fixing the window and materials not included with window kit (acoustic caulking, proper gaskets). Will never use this company again. Final Business Response Complaint Case # [redacted]Consumer: [redacted]We have worked with the customer to settle all concerns regarding this issue.We consider the issue to be resolved.Please feel free to contact me with any questions or if any additional information is needed.Sincerely,[redacted]Soundproof Windows, Inc.775-829-8900