The Window Store Home Improvements, Inc.

I would give the window store negative stars if possible. I've had the worst possible contractor experience with them on a kitchen refacing project. They came out to work on the project with the install timeline of a week. They guaranteed that everything needed to complete the job was in stock and available. Unfortunately, by the end of the week, they said my style of countertop wasn't available and asked if I'd accept another style. The lazy Susan door was also incorrectly ordered and had holes drilled in the opposite direction that were needed. After accepting the timeline for a new door and agreeing to a new countertop style, they brought out the countertop/embedded sink the next week and promptly snapped it in half during the install. Fast-forward a couple weeks - still no countertop and sink in the kitchen. I discussed this with the install coordinator, and he assured me that they would get another one out the next week. Fast-forward another couple of weeks and they finally installed the countertop/sink. Unfortunately, there was gaps in multiple places between the countertop and cabinets. We also noticed some sub-standard work on trim pieces and paint runs in other trim pieces that were used anyways to save them money.

I discussed these items with the countertop installer, and he assured me that the install coordinator would be in contact with us to get these fixed. We never heard anything from him and had to follow-up with a call. When I was able to discuss with him on the phone, he said this was the first he heard of it, and nothing had been ordered for the repairs - including the lazy Susan door. Fast forward another 6 weeks and we're 3 months into the project. Another installer came out to make all the repairs. Unfortunately, the lazy Susan door still had holes drilled in the incorrect place. We would have had to wait another 3 weeks for the correct door or accept them filling the holes with wood putty and drilling new holes. We choose that route to finish the project with the understanding that they would discount our project for all the hassles that they caused over the past 3 months.

The installer collected 90% of the remaining balance with 10% outstanding. However, they sent us a bill in the mail for the remaining 10% and pretended that nothing happened, and delays are normal - essentially trying to gaslight us into believing that this happens all the time and it wasn't their fault because of supply chain issues. This might have flown if they didn't cause all the problems in the first place by using substandard installers and material to increase their profit margins. As you can see - using this company is fine if you want lots of hassle, slow delivery, and poor workmanship. They are unwilling to correct what they did wrong by offering a discount as they promised and insist on us paying the full amount - even saying that they offered a discount upfront and won't provide any more discounts no matter what happened.

In 2018, I purchased $28,000 worth of windows and a new front door. The products sold seemed on the cheaper side of windows I had purchased in the past but I went with the company because our sales woman, Kim, had guaranteed warranty coverage on breakage. She told me that even if our kids had kicked a ball through a window they would fix it. After purchasing windows from many companies in the past, I went with the Window Store because of this promise.

I had a window crack overnight, for no apparent reason, and the "warranty for breakage" I was sold in 2018 is apparently not true. We spent over $28,000 on windows for our house because we were told that breakage would be covered "even if a ball went through it from our kids", only to find out breakage that occurred was not covered by our purchase. The company that produced the windows, Alside, indicated that we didn't have "breakage" on our warranty and the Window Store emailed me to tell me that they would not honor their sales warranty either, and then stopped answering the phone.

I have held off lowering this rating on the company waiting for a reply or an answer on how I would go about fixing the window and there has been none. I am now considering what type of legal action I would be able to take due to this complete lack of service and dishonest business practice. The sales woman who promised the warranty mentioned above, Kim, is no longer with the company.

In addition, the windows purchased have had other issues like plastic pieces that lock in the double hung's popping out over regular use. The service from this company had been good until there was a question of warranty coverage on what I was sold and since then they have completely flaked. Julian is the only name I have from the service department, he doesn't answer the phone, and there has been no other attempt to help me out.

It's been three weeks now since I have been trying to work with The Window Store to fix the window that broke, and they have done absolutely nothing to cover it by the warranty they promised, fix it, or sell me a new one. They have completely left me hanging. Stay away from this company, use an actual company that makes windows and stay away from these people that have no intention of fixing what happened to the product they sell.

I would not recommend The Window Store as it relates to their bathroom division. The initial sales person was very pushy from start to finish. When asked what I wanted to spend on a bathroom I gave him a number and he laughed. I tried to discuss shower remodel with tile and he threw this aside. We did end up finding something we liked for the shower enclosure, but there wasn't much help for the rest of the bathroom beyond that. When it came time for install, the communication from the office was very poor and inconsistent and we were left wondering what the status was on our install. Our contractor would show up some times during the project, but not others. There was also very poor communication with the plumber and when it came time to install the shower head and faucet, he sent an apprentice to do the work alone. Once completed, I shared my concerns with our original sales person about how I was under the impression the panels for the shower enclosure should go all the way to the ceiling and he replied that they have tried this and it 'just doesn't look good.' We've moved beyond that and we do like how our shower turned out, however, now we're challenged with installing a shower door when there is no block or stud backing. I brought this concern forth and since it wasn't written in my initial contract, it wasn't done. We feel misled because although the new shower enclosure replaced a previous fiberglass one, the new dimensions are somewhat different and there is not enough support to place a 'decent' shower door. When I discussed this with them, they re-iterated the contract and said maybe I should go to the Sentral website and see what shower doors they recommend for the product. Overall, pushy to make a sale and mediocore work and communication.

I went to a home improvement show specifically looking for cabinet refacing. They were the only vendor at that show that had real wood cabinet refacing, so I called them the next day to schedule my "free in home estimate". It got weird right away when he started asking if my husband would be there. I shared that he was very busy and was not sure if he could be there or not. He basically said they don't like to give estimates unless both decision makers were home. So I scheduled it Saturday, as I was 90% certain he would be home, but his mother was in the hospital the weekend I was at the show and so it was possible that he would need to be with her. Since that call on a Monday, I have arranged for 2 painting companies, 2 tile companies and another cabinet refacing company to come to our home, and these appointments needed to not conflict with this one. Craig from the Window Store just called me (Thursday) and when I could not confirm 100% that he would be there, basically said the owners policy would say they have to cancel. The bottom line is this company is like a high pressure time share sales persons presentation and they want both people their so they can throw made up discounts at you and pressure you into signing. When I told him we would not be making a decision on Saturday as we had lots of bids we were getting, he basically said we should get those bids and if I was more solid in wanting a bid from them I could call back. He said lots of people "puff their chests" claiming they can make decisions but they find that not to be true. Sorry, Craig but I am certainly capable of getting a bid. Your tactics are not reputable. I wish I had read more about their door to door sales techniques prior to contacting them. Who argues with their potential customers and then cancels on them two days before the appointment. BUT for anyone wondering he did tell me (without my asking) that each door would be approximately $350-$500 so there is your free estimate, thanks Craig! I appreciate your not wasting our time.

If I had a do over I would. My headache starts with the guy going door to door. He says we'll get a good discount for using our home for advertisement. Next we get an appt set up for The Window Store to come and show their products.
Next the salesperson Kim Fuhrmann calls to cancel appt and still shows up about an hour after the appt time to apologize she cancelled the appt. She then ask if she might still talk with us. My wife and didn't object but I really didn't want to deal with her then. Anyway she's here for about an hour or so. When Kim arrives for the schedule appt the following week. She shows us siding and window samples. Gives us a quote for around 43,000. We know we cant afford that amount at this time so shw quotes us for just the windows. The quote is around 11,400. I didn't want to sign anything paperwork and that I wanted to get more estimates. We had one from Anderson Renewal but wanted more estimates. She got upset and said the quote was only good as long as she was here. She said she would just give the discount to the next appt she had that night and began to pick up her sales materials. I again said I wasn't signing anything today. She continued with the attitude. She then told my wife and I to discuss the quote and went outside. My wife said to do it because .we needed windows, I sided with my wife and when Kim came back inside a agreed to the quote. After the 3 day cancellation clause on the sales agreement, a guy named Tom called to schedule a measurement. When he arrived he looked a couple of windows and said they would cost more. Then he asked about the trim work. I told I would probably finish the molding because we are painting and updating our home. Then he goes to out bedroom and that's when I find out the these window are just inserts. I didn't know what an insert was so when the wife got home I told her they were inserts. She said that's not what we were told. Both her and I assumed we were getting new windows and frames. Kim never said they were inserts, she just kept saying windows. Anyway I now I have signed a sales agreement and will accept my responsibility and pay for something I didn't realize I was actually receiving. Guess I should of read the agreement. My fault thats why I will pay for the windows. Next my wife receives a call from Kim wanting another 260 some dollars. Jolene told her no and any other contact talk to her husband. Kim calls me and I say we are not paying anymore. She tries to explain about the different type of window I needed. Told her I didn't care and wasn't paying anymore. She finally tells me she will pay the extra out of her pocket. I told her I didn't care it was her fault anyway for the added charges. She goes on to explain about her health issues which I really don't care about. She then says since I told Tom I would finish trim I had to sign a production change. This woman Kim Fuhrmann is a high pressure salesperson and just keeps talking in circles. Stay away for her forked tongue. I told her I'm not finishing the trim because it was her fault and I not paying or doing anything extra. Anyway she sends me a production change in the mail and it states that The Window Store will install buck and jamb on windows and I will do the trim. I returned the change with a letter stating I would only agree to the buck and jamb. Based on our sales agreement it says The Window Store has no "hidden cost" and the contract price includes "tax,labor,materials,cleanup,haul-a-way,permits and warranty. Back side of agreement says I understand there are no oral agreements". Nothing can be changed.
Today I get a call for Kim Fuhrmann threating lawyers and court. I yelled at her and said just come put the windows in and we are done. She still says we cant do anything because I won't sign the production change. I told her to send it back with just the buck and jamb change and I would sign it. She said no, I told told Tom I would do it. I would of done it but not now. The Window Store employee Kim Fuhrmann miss led me. I am going to follow the sales agreement as it is written. So now I sit waiting for a summons from the court. As stated before I have no issue with honoring my sales agreement it just appears The Window Store does.

Buyer Beware! Stay Away! Poor quality work, poor communication, extremely poor service. Worst contractor we have ever experienced.
The Window Store List of Issues that were poorly executed on our project:
1. Schedule – we were told 3 days for project installation it has taken 3 weeks, this is a small galley kitchen
2. Internal communication between Window Store staff is extremely poor, we get many conflicting pieces of information from different people.
3. The finance person has called multiple times to have the completion documents signed and sent to him because he has been told the job was finished and it has not been finished yet.
4. The original installer, installed the cabinets too high for trim to be installed and all the cabinets had to be removed, lowered and reinstalled.
5. The original counter top was brought to the house was damaged from being dropped by Window Store Staff.
6. When arriving on the first day the original installer damaged the grass in the yard attempting to back up his trailer into the driveway.
7. It seems like a second time the counter top was dropped and broken at the office because it is taken a long time to get the new counter top delivered and installed
8. The original veneer had several pieces that were mismatched to the cabinet doors and had to be removed and replaced.
9. There were not enough shelf holes in one cabinet and when we asked to have it evened out the installer stated “nobody uses the top shelf anyway” and did not drill a new hole
10. Plastic poly was supposed to be hung to keep dust from traveling out of the kitchen and all over the house, however, what was hung up was poorly done and when installer moved in and out of the kitchen it was left open. Large amounts of dust traveled all over the house
11. More communication issues…the last installer for the counter top was scheduled to come out on Wednesday afternoon and he called us personally to reschedule because nobody checked with him to see if he could make the time the scheduling office established with us
12. The entire process has been very frustrating and seems very clumsy and disconnected…there is very little that has gone right or been completed smoothly during this project.
13. The final counter top has a ridge on the front and is not even where the top meets the front.
14. One wall of cabinets is about an inch short on both ends of the wall.
We would like to know how the Window Store is going to financially compensate us by reducing the cost of our project for all that has really been a poorly executed project. $250, obviously they don’t care!