Am I being unreasonable? Need feedback

wfd1008

Member
So my wife and I deceided to purchase new entry doors and after shopping around, we deceided to pay extra and went with Pella over Lowe's. The reason we did this was because we wanted better installers and service. Well, when our salesman came back to get the deposite, we never went over the order like he said we would do. Instead, he just tested the jambs for lead, told us to sign, and give him a check. We didn't think that there would be a problem with the doors cause the initial meeting went smoothly, we were WRONG!!! When they came to install, the first thing they did was rip our old doors out, then they had to pound the basement door jamb into place and sawz-all part of our wall to get the door to fit, in the process knicking the corners of our door. Then on the front door, it wasn't even the right door. It came in unfinished on the inside, we wanted a pre-finished door. Since I had no door in the front, I had to let the installer put it in. I called Pella and talked with the sales manager, explained to him what was going on and he said that he would contact our saleman. (So on the initial install date, a manager knew of the problem) While the installers were putting on the lock plates, they split the door. I SAW this happen and all the installer said was oopps. The salesman called at 4, and I tried calling him back at 4:30 and he was gone on vacation for a week. I called the sales manager and his response was that I'd have to wait till my salesman got back in town so we could discuss the problems. So right off hand, the installers split the door, the front door was the wrong door, a screw on the hinge of the back door was about ready to blow out the side, they left their staple holes unfilled, and they left unfinished wood in the jambs. On day while I was showing the doors to a friend, I notice that where the weather-stripping and the threshold meet, there was about a 1/4in. gap. Finally, a week later I talked to the rep and set up a meeting for that Wed. morning. Well, Wed. gets here and no word from the rep. I call, no answer, left a message. Called again, no answer, left a message. So I called and spoke with a manager, then the salesman called back. He said that he talked to the project manager and was told that the problem was taken care of. The same project manager that when he came out to measure the doors asked about the doors being unfinished, and I told him, No, they are to be finished inside and out. He said that he would make a note of it and that my salesman would contact me. Well, one of the doors were still wrong. Anyway, the salesman came, saw the doors and said I'd probably need new ones and left. A couple of days later I get a call from Pella and the lady on the phone says "Mr. Thompson, I just got to looking at the notes about your door from the installers, I think we can just touch up the doors." By this time it was two weeks later. I asked if she talked to Scott, and she said no. I told her what he said, and she said I had to set up an appointment with the install manager and he would deceide. So, one night my wife and I were enjoying our firepit in the back yard. She goes in to get something and I hear a scream. I come up there and she said there's a SNAKE in the house. I look and yep, there's a 8in. baby rat snake on the floor that came under the door. When the install manager comes, I show and tell him everything, He fixes the treshold, and says I need new door panels. I tell him that the front door was to be finished on the inside and he said ok. Wait three weeks later and the doors come in. Back door was fine and they finished painting the jamb. The front door was unfinished AGAIN so they would have to came back and paint it. The next day, they did. So far, I have had to misss 4 days of work for this. I talked to the General Manager of Pella in Cincinnati and explained to him that the reason we paid more when we could have gotten the same doors for almost $900 cheaper was for the "Superior service and installation" that our salesman told us we would receive over Lowe's which IMO we did not get and asked that he honor the quote we received from Lowe's. He said no, all he could do was either order a new door, or hel told my wife that he would give us a $800 credit on any future pruchase from Pella. I talked to him today to get that in writing. He sent an e-mail to me saying that depending on the job, he would give us a credit depending on the amount of the job. So I asked, and he said the job had to be of a certain amount before he would honor the credit, that he would not give us the credit if ithe job was under $1000. Said he was not going to pay his guys to come out and install something that he was not getting paid on, and thay we were not going to get anything for free, so the amout had to be above $1000, or he could order a new door panel. I told him to order the new panel, and make sure it was pre-finished from the factory, and that there better not be anything wrong with it. He calls back with his install manager on speaker and says the doors come in unfinished and they finish them at install. So if we are happy with the way it looks, then there's no need in ordering in a new door. I called Pella in Iowa to find out if this is true and was told that if it is ordered pre-finished, then it leaves Iowa ready to install, no painting at the house.
So I need to now, am I being unreasonable wanting them to honor the quote from Lowe's, am I being bull-headed with the "credit" he was going to give? Am I being a Jack-ass??? Thank you for whoever takes time in reading this and responding. I need feed back. Thanks-John
 
As a small business owner myself, I think it's completely within your right to ask for them to meet that quote. If you wanted to be REALLY fickle, you could probably go at them for lost pay from work, breach of contract, and a number of other minor things for all your trouble that they explicitly caused. The trouble is that Pella is a huge national corporation that does millions of dollars a year, and in their eyes, your little "$2,000" project isn't worth their time, because I'm guessing they assume that no matter what happens, you would never use them again anyways because of the mess you have been through. So they are probably thinking "why give him back $900 at this point, cause we'll never get his business again."
My suggestion would be to call or email their corporate offices, and calmly but firmly explain your situation to them, and how terribly disappointed you have been with the whole experience. Tell them you feel like a number, and not a customer, and that you can't believe you paid more for their "Service and installation". I would also tell them you were planning on doing the rest of your houses doors and windows (even if you weren't) so at least they feel like maybe if they make this right, that you'll stay with them.
For me, being small and local, I would do just about anything I Could to right a wrong, but sadly these big corporations don't play by the same rules. Especially in a bad economy where they literally need every penny they get.
Best of luck
 

wfd1008

Member
Thank you for the response. I feel exactly like you discribed, but atleast now I know that I do have a ligit complaint. I have talked to their corparte office in Iowa and waiting back to see what happens next. I'll post on here if and when something happens. Thanks again--John
 
S

saxman

Guest
Oh heck no!!! I'm going through renovations and feel your pain. I've recently gone to corporate and the BBB over stuff. I'm tired of crappy service and fallen promises.
Get what you were promised..... if they don't settle it adequately, report to the BBB and credit card company. It may be a pain in the butt to do it, but it's worth it in the end.
 

fishtaco

Active Member
Sounds like you where very reasonable and are still being fairly civil to these people even though at this point it is pretty clear you are getting the run-around.
Fishtaco
 

btldreef

Moderator
I'm with Saxman. I've been going through hell trying to get my house finished so I don't have to live in a 500sq ft apartment with a ton of tanks.
Contractors take advantage, be firm. I've come to the conclusion that my contractors will all be paid through my Am-Ex from now on, and if I'm not happy, I make one phone call and they don't get paid.
 

monsinour

Active Member
you are well within your right to ask for money now. There is no reason why you should have to spend more with them to get anything in return. Getting things in writing is rather dificult nowadays so just hook up a recorder for your telephones and besure to let the other party on the line know that they are being recorded.
If it were me, Not only would I have the door arrive exactly as it should, finished on both sides, installed properly, and the installes smile the entire time OR I just tell them to take the replacement parts with them back to the store and ask where the nearest home depot is. If they dont bring exactly what you ordered, you dont have to accept it. Once you sign something, somewhere it will say that all is well and you approve it.
 

fishtaco

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by BTLDreef http:///forum/thread/381434/am-i-being-unreasonable-need-feedback#post_3322619
I'm with Saxman. I've been going through hell trying to get my house finished so I don't have to live in a 500sq ft apartment with a ton of tanks.
Contractors take advantage, be firm. I've come to the conclusion that my contractors will all be paid through my Am-Ex from now on, and if I'm not happy, I make one phone call and they don't get paid.
One thing I have found is if you find a contractor who is honest and does not take advantage, ask that person to recommend other contractors. I can't guarantee it will work everytime, but recently I had what I will call a garage door disaster and I called a contractor who is pretty darn honest and nice and asked if he knew of anybody who would be a good person to come and fix it.
I called the person he recommended and let them know my contractor had given me his name and he came out and pretty much rebuilt my entire thrashed door for 120.00 dollars which was an extremely fair price considering it was two guys working for about an hour and a half.
Fishtaco
 

btldreef

Moderator
Can you ask them if they'll travel to NY? Trying to find a good, honest contractor here is lik trying to find a needle in a haystack.
 

fishtaco

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by BTLDreef http:///forum/thread/381434/am-i-being-unreasonable-need-feedback#post_3322715
Can you ask them if they'll travel to NY? Trying to find a good, honest contractor here is lik trying to find a needle in a haystack.
I wish I could send the contractor I like to use out to you, this guy builds stuff like an old world craftsman and is very honest. He built our greenhouse addition onto our house and added an addition to my garage, both turned out awesome and he did everything from the cement pour to the wiring. His son works with him and he prefers for the homeowner to go to the building supply store and buy the materials with him. Since the housing bubble burst and the economy took a dump he is working as a janitor.
Fishtaco
 

darthtang aw

Active Member
It has seriously taken almost a month to get new entry doors installed? Dude, get your money back....and go with someone else. If that is not an option I would be on the phone to their corporate office daily.
 

wfd1008

Member
First, THANK YOU ALL for the responses. I did call their corprate office yesterday on a fact finding mission. The GM told my wife that he would give us a credit on our next purchase from Pella. I asked to get it in writing and he changed his story saying we had to purchase x amount for him to honor the credit. I told him to order the new door just like we wanted in the first place. He call back with his install manager saying that the doors come to them unfinished from Pella, Iowa and they finish them at their factory. I called Pella to find if this was true and was told that if I was to order a door pre-finished, then it leaves Iowa the way I ordered it. So I asked the rep on the phone "who's the liar?" His response was "Mr. Thompson, I have nor reason to lie to you." He was then going to call the store in Cincinnati to see what he could do. So I'm waiting for a response from the GM. We did tell the GM that we would be writing a letter to the BBB, and my wife is an architect and that she will stop specing out their products, that and also the other architects at her firm have been following the story and they may not use them as much, He really didn't care. So the kinda person I'm dealing with it seems is someone who cares more over a small amount of cash, then future jobs that can range in the thousands. I know my neighbor deceided to go with someone else for his windows which cost him $15, 000 cause the salesman (who was the same as mine) wouldn't call him back to make an appointment. So I guess with those two things, I can sleep easier knowing they will lose business, But like someone else said on here, they are a national company and really don't care about a small job.
 

reefraff

Active Member
This is why I pay for everything by credit card. I can dispute the charges and Visa will pull the funds back pending the investigation. I learned the hard way when I had my place in Montana built. It took months to get the slab in the garage right. Once it was done I never did pay the general the 3800 and change we still owed him and he never had the guts to ask for it.
 

darthtang aw

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by wfd1008 http:///forum/thread/381434/am-i-being-unreasonable-need-feedback#post_3322793
First, THANK YOU ALL for the responses. I did call their corprate office yesterday on a fact finding mission. The GM told my wife that he would give us a credit on our next purchase from Pella. I asked to get it in writing and he changed his story saying we had to purchase x amount for him to honor the credit. I told him to order the new door just like we wanted in the first place. He call back with his install manager saying that the doors come to them unfinished from Pella, Iowa and they finish them at their factory. I called Pella to find if this was true and was told that if I was to order a door pre-finished, then it leaves Iowa the way I ordered it. So I asked the rep on the phone "who's the liar?" His response was "Mr. Thompson, I have nor reason to lie to you." He was then going to call the store in Cincinnati to see what he could do. So I'm waiting for a response from the GM. We did tell the GM that we would be writing a letter to the BBB, and my wife is an architect and that she will stop specing out their products, that and also the other architects at her firm have been following the story and they may not use them as much, He really didn't care. So the kinda person I'm dealing with it seems is someone who cares more over a small amount of cash, then future jobs that can range in the thousands. I know my neighbor deceided to go with someone else for his windows which cost him $15, 000 cause the salesman (who was the same as mine) wouldn't call him back to make an appointment. So I guess with those two things, I can sleep easier knowing they will lose business, But like someone else said on here, they are a national company and really don't care about a small job.
Contact your attorney general....
 

darthtang aw

Active Member
Oh, and the reason they are stating the come unfinished is it saves them cost to finish them. a finishsed door can add about 20% to materials cost.
 

flower

Well-Known Member

What a pain in the butt. Report it to th BBB, and I will tell you what...I will avoid Pella and I will tell everyone I know to do so as well, so their nasty behavior at least lost them any business from me too. I have to hire others because I can't do the work myself...folks like me is where they make thier fortune.
 
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