Window & Door Specialties of South Charlotte Reviews (%countItem)
Window & Door Specialties of South Charlotte Rating
Address: 2905 Westinghouse Blvd Ste 300, Charlotte, North Carolina, United States, 28273-6491
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Warranty replacement window was broken during installation and has been left like this since July 2018. Owner is no longer responding.
I ordered a warranty replacement window and had Window and Door Specialties install it in July 2018. While using a mallet to install the trim on the new window the installer hit the glass and broke it. First Steve, the owner, wanted to blame me for forcing the installer to install the window, although I was not there yet when he took the old window pane out, said the glass was cracked, and was in general not interested in owning up. After a few weeks and many emails and phone calls he said he would take care of it, but could not order the window pane from the same place I got it as they would not sell him the window pane. I kept on trying to contact Steve and every now and again got a reply, but the process did not move forward.
On November 11 I went to the store and spoke to Steve in person, he agreed he could order a window from a different supplier if he got the measurements. I told him he could have the old pane as that was still in the garage, which the installer who broke the pane picked up that afternoon.
I received a text from Steve on December 5 inquiring about the color if the inside trim, and that was the last time I have heard from him.
I have sent emails, text messages, and phoned him but all go unanswered.
I even went past the stone on more than one occasion, and although the open light is in there, never seems to be anyone there.
Replacement and installation of the broken window pane.
We were originally called by his wife to ask whether we could assist them in installing a piece of glass not purchased through us. It was a warranty piece they got from the window manufacturer. I was told it was a "normal sized" window. I explained that we typically do not install stuff we did not provide because we have no idea the way it has been handled up to this point. It could easily have a fisure in it that is hard to see from shipping, and it could crack easily. I agreed to have my guy go out for a service fee of $89 and look at it and possibly help. My guy called me and told me that this piece was a very large extended half round and it was a 2 man job. I am not sure if the homeowner helped him or not but I believe my guy attempted to get it installed per the homeowners wishes. After setting the glass succesfully, without breaking it, my guy was putting the vinyl glazing strips back on with a rubber mallet, which is normal practice. Again, because this was not our glass, I am not sure if there was an issue with the glass or what, but it cracked. The only way an insulated piece of glass cracks like that is if it has a fisure or hairline crack already in it. No way for the glazing strip or rubber mallet to crack it. When made aware of this, I apologized and suggested that the homeowner call the warranty company and explain that the glass they sent, which was wrapped up so no one had inspected it, had crack in it. They would have sent him a new one. He refused. I tried for 3 weeks to call the warranty company and the place that got him the glass, and they would not deal with me. I suggested that I just purchase a new one through my glass supplier, but the grids would be nowhere near matching. The pattern and size used by this window company, I could not match. I still believe he should just call the company that supplied him the glass and explain that there was an issue with it when it was unwrapped and noticed. But by now it might be too late. I never charged them the $89, and if they did accept a replacement by one of my glass suppliers, even though it would not match anything else on the house, we would charge $275 for a 2 man install of glass that size.
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
From the beginning (31 July, 2018) of me contacting Mr., after the installer broke the pane, I was given the runaround, all the same excuses that have now come up in the reply. The installer was very apologetic when he broke the window with the mallet, however the owner kept blaming everyone else, and obviously still is today.
Let's look at the arguments:
"I explained that we typically do not install stuff we did not provide because we have no idea the way it has been handled up to this point." But Mr. did agree to install it.
"My guy called me and told me that this piece was a very large extended half round and it was a 2 man job. I am not sure if the homeowner helped him or not but I believe my guy attempted to get it installed per the homeowners wishes." I was not at home when the installation started, but when I got home the old window pane had already been removed. If it was to big for the installer to do, why would the installer take out the old pane. That the pane was too big was never communicated until after the window was broken.
"Again, because this was not our glass, I am not sure if there was an issue with the glass or what, but it cracked. The only way an insulated piece of glass cracks like that is if it has a fisure sic or hairline crack already in it. No way for the glazing strip or rubber mallet to crack it." Once again none of this was communicated in advance. The glass was still wrapped in its factory shipping material when the installer took it out. I am pretty sure if I hit a glass pane with a rubber mallet it will break. The installer could have also inspected it if this was an issue.
"When made aware of this, I apologized and suggested that the homeowner call the warranty company and explain that the glass they sent, which was wrapped up so no one had inspected it, had crack in it. They would have sent him a new one." The glass manufacturer made it quite clear to me, and so did I to Mr., that their responsibility stops at the handover of the pane. They would not send me a new pane if the installer brakes it. Once again, there was not crack in the glass when the installer took it out of its shipping material and could have inspected it then.
"I suggested that I just purchase a new one through my glass supplier, but the grids would be nowhere near matching. The pattern and size used by this window company, I could not match." I did not have a problem with this, and communicated this to Mr. on November 11, 2018 after I when I went to his shop as he stopped communicating by phone, text or email, although I tried multiple times over many weeks. The last communication from him was on December 5, 2018 asking me again about the grids.
So after giving me the runaround for 7 months Mr. wants to charge over three times as much for something his company broke.
Not sure where to go with this from here. We have installed thousands of pieces of glass all over Charlotte with no issues. If my guy tried to appease the customer, who really pleaded for it to be put in that day, he did so in error. I will accept responsibility for the breaking of the glass. I am not charging 3 times anything. The glass is going to cost me over $400. I am charging what we would charge everyone to put a 3' x 5' piece of insulated, double pane of glass in, with 2 guys and 2 ladders. It can be very dangerous to install annealed glass this large off a ladder. There is also the real possibility it breaks in transport, which would mean Im out $800+. The install price is very fair for this type of job.
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
All I see are excuses, none of which would have come to play if the installer had not broken the glass.
It is quite obvious by the actions of Mr., looking to blame the customer, the glass, breaking off communication,... the that he does not want to take any responsibility.
I hope this is a warning to other potential customers out there that if something goes wrong Mr. will gladly leave the customer with the mess.