Budget Blinds of Towson

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I am very pleased with the way my new window treatments look!  Should have done it years ago!  The initial appointment was in early Dec13.  I was told it would take about 5 weeks to have all the materials in (plantation shutters take at least 3 weeks since they are made in China and have to be shipped).  Kevin was great to work with, very knowledgeable and not pushy at all.  He answered all of my questions about the types treatments, benefits, etc.

The livingsocial deal I purchased is why I decided to use them (after reviewing them on the BBB) since I got a great discount.   Otherwise, it would have been more money than I would have spent for 3 windows.

I would highly recommend Budget Blinds!

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Mr. Barnett came out, measured, waiting for install date. Already had an idea of what I wanted because my sister had already made a purchase and I loved her end result. Will finish review after installation. 7 windows, 1 back door blind. To be continued.......

This is the continuation of the previous review made 11/10/13. Well the installer Dwight arrived exactly at 9:00 as scheduled. There were 7 shudders to install. Took approximately 7-8 hrs to complete. I had odd windows, I purchased a rehabbed house and some frames were off. The installer fit the shudders and answered all of my questions along the way. He even pointed out some issues with my windows which I wasn't aware of. He was personable. I'm very pleased with my purchase. I would recommend. I didn't compare prices because liked the job that was done at my sister's home and I normally check around. Once the order is placed it takes time for it to come in. I had time and patience.

Excellent service from beginning to end.  I would highly recommend them.

I came across Budget Blinds when Mr. Barnett (the local proprietor) was canvasing the neighborhood with door tags.  Having just moved into a new construction house, I desperately needed blinds as soon as I had room in the budget! 
Mr. Barnett came with his sales materials (catalogs and briefcases showing the various types of shades available) and took very detailed measurements of our windows and two sliding doors.  He spent a lot of time with us talking about options and trying to make sure our needs were met. Later that evening we received a quote based on the options we had selected (honeycomb style shades in a variety of colors and dimensions, including two vertical honeycomb shades for the sliding doors).
A few days later, after getting a quote from a competitor that was quite a bit lower, I thanked Mr. Barnett for his time, but told him we were going with a competitor.  He responded quickly that he would like our business and so over the course of the next few days, we worked to negotiate a price that was more in line with my budget.  He also helped me think through some difficult design challenges, providing the personal attention and profressionalism that ultimately led me to select Budget Blinds.
The shades were supposed to take about 2 weeks, but it was actually almost 4 weeks until the shades were installed.  That said, they look very nice and I am pleased with them.  They absolutely help keep the room cooler, they provide good coverage and are easy to operate (even the ~10' wide triple shade). 
Some minor quibbles:I believe Mr. Barnett is a more or less one man show when it comes to selling for Budget Blinds in the Towson area - He will do your design appointment, take your measurements, install your blends and all of the communication.  I can't imagine how much work that is, but sometimes it meant he was a few minutes late or wasn't as timely with updates as I would have liked.
Along those same lines, he of course has the Budget Blinds marketing materials, but his personal materials, such as price quotes, were very plain.  While I appreciate not having to pay for frills, it might just look a little more professional to have the estimate on a nicely formatted worksheet.
When he came to install my shades, they were initially installed on the exterior of the window frame which was incorrect and resulted in having to patch a few screw holes. Mr. Barnett patched them, but I will still have to repaint those areas - This was something that could have easily been avoided (his assistant had walked out on him half way through the day so I know he was having a rough morning!).
Those were relatively minor flaws in an overall positive experience.  Mr. Barnett is a very hard worker and I was impressed with his willingness to negotiate and earn my business.  While I could have saved some money by ordering similar products from an online retailer, having Mr. Barnett work with us through the design process, install the shades and provide warranty service certainly adds value to my purchase. I would recommend him to others in the future.