Window World of Columbia

very well great install crew

The initial installation went well. The installer, who according to Window World contracts part time with them, did an excellent job installing the windows he was able to install. One of the master bathroom windows arrived broken, so it had to be re-ordered. The other bathroom window was overlooked during the initial ordering process and also had to be reordered. I was told by the Window World representative that they would do the installation of the 2 remaining windows in a couple weeks. They asked me to pay the balance that day on September 8, 2016, which I did. It has now been 8 weeks and 4 days since the initial installation. Window World has scheduled 3 times to come back out, and 3 times they've either canceled or did not show. My wife and I have taken off work and changed our plans to work with them and even though they assured me that I'm a priority, it's clear that I am not. My wife and I have tried to call and email them and have gotten poor or no response. Communication has been extremely bad from their end.

We purchased these windows for added insulation and ease of cleaning.  We have seen neither.  The saleslady assured us the windows would be installed from the outside since the house had recently been pained inside.  They installed them from the inside, resulting broken window trim and a ruined paint job around the windows.  They left caulking all over some of the frames that will not come off and looks dirty.  When I first cleaned the windows, the felt like stripping came out of the windows when I opened them.  After trying unsuccessfully to put it back in, I called the company to ask if someone could come out and look at them.  I was told they would get back to me.  After two weeks, I called again when I heard nothing.  I asked to speak to the owner and was told she was out.  I asked to leave a message for her and was told she was gone and they did not know when or if she was coming back.  I explained to the lady my problem, she said she would have one of the installers get back to me.  After another two weeks or so, I called again, and was told she was on her way to the warehouse to check to see if the stripping had come in and would be back in touch in the next half hour.  Three days later I called and the owner answered the phone.  I explained to her about my ordeal and she was apologetic and came out that evening to replace the stripping.  I informed her of everything we had been through with the windows and with the people we had spoken with who never got back to us.  I began to clean my windows this week and the stripping is out again.  When I tilted the window in to clean the outer panes, they wouldn't stay level and it was difficult to clean it.  I finally managed to get it done, or so I thought, and there is an area in the pane that looks dirty.  I tilted it in again and cleaned it again. There appears to be something between the panes of the window and it looks like it is not clean.  After that, I stopped trying to clean them and emailed the company.  I have not heard back from them, so I will be calling to speak with the owner if I can reach her.  One of my windows will not stay up unless the lock is on, so that window cannot be opened for fresh air at all.  I am very unhappy with my windows and the work that was done on our house.  These windows have a lifetime guarantee, and we are very dissatisfied with them and the service we have received from the company.

unknown

We ordered the windows and 2 doors at the end of September and due to many oversights, did not get the install finished until end of December.  Gosh.  But honestly, they did such a better job than Champion, who had done the upstairs windows the previous year, that I probably would use them over Champion.  The windows are really very nice, work well and the wrap job is really nice.  I guess you cant have everything.  As far as price, they were competitive if slightly higher.

When I was interviewing several potential window replacement companies, i asked a lot of questions and after they told me how great their product was, I would ask what compalints customers had.  Window World told me their common complaint was that the new windows blocked out the sounds of outside!  The compalint is correct, and I love it!
My experience with the salesman, receptionist and especially Kim the owner was the best.  I've had the windows for close to 3 years and I could not be more pleased.

We have a 40 year old 2 story colonial style home that still had the
original single pane double hung windows and aluminum storm windows . 
I've seen replacement windows in the past and was not impressed with how
poor the installation looked and how much of the original opening was
lost in the process.  We visited a friend's home in Aiken and i was
extremely impressed with the quality of the new windows and the price. 
They told my about Window World so I scheduled an appointment for an
estimate. Janet from Window World of the Midlands came to our our home,
carefully measured the existing windows, and quoted a price with several
options per my request.  A couple weeks later my windows were ready and
I scheduled the installation for May 8th.  I was told the installation
would probably take about a day.  The morning of the 8th Frank showed up
at my home with my new windows by himself!  (his coworker couldn't make
it)  I was concerned that the project would drag on for days.
Wow, was I wrong!  Frank was fantastic - extremely professional and
efficient - he finished the entire job by himself by 6:30 that evening. 

This was the worst experience that I have ever had with a contractor. What should have been a one day job is still not completed satisfactorily 4 weeks later. Day one, the installers showed up after 10 AM. They did not finish the job and left at six PM. Said they would return the next day to finish. they asked me to pay the balance and complete a survey saying I was satisfied with the work before they left even though the job was not complete. They did not show up the next day (Friday) but they did call to say that they would return Monday. No show or call Monday. The local store called to check on the progress and when I told them the contractors had not been back, they had to track down someone to come out and finish the job. A different crew showed up three days later (Thursday) to complete the job. The quality of this crew's work was not acceptable. One window was noticeably not level and would not lock and the wrapping of the exterior wood was mediocre. When this same crew returned to redo the exterior wrapping and try to correct the bad window I was told that was the best they could do and there was a problem with my house. My old window was perfectIy level! I would not accept that response. They said there was nothing more they could do other than to order a new window and they didn't sound like they wanted to go to all that trouble! A new window frame was ordered and finally installed Monday June 4. The new frame solved the problem with the window! Throughout this ordeal I have been constantly harassed about paying the balance before the job was completed. I was called this morning by Annie, the owner of the Columbia store insisting that I pay the balance by noon today and said I should have already paid the balance. The caller was crude, rude, belligerent and demanding; taking no responsibility for the problems. I hung up on the caller. She called right back and asked what happened, did you hang up on me. I replied yes, she asked why, I told her that she was not going to talk to me like that. I cannot imagine what would have happened if I had payed them before the job was completed. I did pay the balance this afternoon and will get someone else to finish the job correctly.

They were wonderful. They were done in no time.

When you call the office the person working there can get very rude with customers.
We like the window but the hassle make us wonder if it was all worth it.

In a nutshell: Over seven months after signing a contract, the job is not complete. For five of those months no one would take responsibility for mistakes, delays and oversights.  Poor management and customer service.  Window World said they can't tell the factory what to do, corporate said they can't tell individual Window World stores what to do; makes you wonder why there are so many levels of management if no one is in charge.  Read below for details.

Signed contract for four windows in November 2010 to get the tax credit.  As of 6/16/2011 we are still waiting to have the job completed.  We were told the windows would be installed in about three weeks.  On Dec.10, the day the windows were to have been installed, we received a call that only one had come in.  I was assured they would make everything right and we would get our tax credit.  We had already removed storm windows and frames so we were left in very cold weather with very thin single pane glass. It was almost a month and a half before someone called back.  When I asked why our order hadn't been expedited since it was their mistake, they said they can't tell the factory what to do.  I wonder then, how they can even give delivery dates?  When I asked about restitution for having no storm windows in the dead of winter, the office manager basically told me we were out of luck. 

On the morning the remaining three windows were to have been installed (2/2/11) we got a call that one was broken.  After leaving a couple messages for  the salesman, he called me back (2/18/11) and said they wanted to install the broken window since the break was on the outside.  The window was actually shattered and should not have been removed from the warehouse for safety reasons, but they had a contractor put it in, nonetheless.  To make it worse, it was not the window we had ordered.  So over three months after placing our order, the wrong window was installed.

I had written Blair Ingals, the president of the company.  I received a call back from David Maston who said they can't tell their franchisees what to do, but he had spoken with the salesman and would have him call us that day about to go over issues and discuss resitiution.  When he called, he did not know why he was calling, so there is a definite breakdown in communication somewhere.  When I told him we just wanted out of the contract, the salesman said Window World could reduce the price by $100.00, but could do no more.  

At the end of March we received a threatening sounding message from Annie, a co-owner, saying that we "need to" have the last window installed in 72 hours so they could collect the balance of the contract and, "I can see you went through corporate.  It doesn't matter, ma'am...". She ended the call ironically by telling me to have a blessed day.  I have a recording of the message.

Finally, and only after contacting the BBB, Kim, the president, understood that we had lost most of our planned tax credit, making the windows not such a great deal, so she did not charge us for the final window which still needed to be replaced.  So on April 21, 2011, the correct window was installed, but no one thought to order screens.  Then on May 12, someone called to install the screens that afternoon.  He showed up on time, but the screens did not fit properly.  He called me the next day (he was very nice) to tell me he had ordered new screens which take a couple weeks to be delivered.  And today, June 16, we're still waiting to have screens that fit installed.  I was also told by the salesman (2/18/11) that someone would fix a screen that was installed with a small puncture, but that, it seems, has long been forgotten.  I did not want to submit a report until the job was complete, but I just can't wait any longer.

I've left out all the little annoying things like phone calls not returned; calls made unsafely while driving down the highway during which I had to yell to be heard and during which the salesman admitted he had a hard time hearing on a good day, let alone while driving; the too many times I left detailed messages or questions only to have someone call back and have no idea why they were calling, let alone information or answers; the lack of drop cloths over our furniture after we were told the crews would do so; the sharp aluminum shards left on the ground to be stepped on and other debris dumped in the hedges; the check I regret writing to the contractor who installed the broken window because he said he wouldn't get paid otherwise; or even the incorrect and misleading tax credit information we received and the NFRC stickers the salesman said we needed for the tax credit but which were lost by the company and which the office now says we don't need.  I don't know who to believe.

A caveat to all:  A business may make a deal look great by taking the tax credit total off the entire order, but the IRS specifically states the tax credit is for the windows only.  This makes a huge difference in your credit.  We were extremely misled in this sense. And because the 2010 tax credit states that windows must be installed in 2010, we were only able to get the credit for one window.  Our tax credit went from their estimated $755 (entire order) to $105 (one window).  As far as I know, the same holds true for 2011.  Be careful whose advice you take.  Window World at first told us to submit for credit for all the windows since the contract was written in 2010, but the government says otherwise.  Corporate told us to consult a tax lawyer.  

Another caveat: If any business uses a contract that states what you owe them and when you owe it, yet it does not state when they will finish or what rights you have it they fail to follow through in a timely manner, do not sign it.  Get a finish date and consequences for them in writing before you sign anything.  Window World uses such a contract which left us basically powerless.  Do not be afraid to stand up for yourself.  It will save you trouble, time and money in the end.

They were very good and upfront with their pricing. I was very satisfied with their quality of work. I had windows installed by another service provider a couple of years ago and I thought that they were very expensive. I was very impressed with Window World as they were very upfront and competent. They were in and out in a couple of days and they did a great job. Their price was very good.

Went well, though the guys did not replace window hardware or paint over caulking on the outside of the house. Painters who came later for another job did that. One window somehow cracked during the winter.  See comments above.

Excellent job

Excellent.

Same as above.

I saw their ad in the Columbia newspaper. I visited their showroom and the salesperson came out to the house to give an estimate for 2 tall windows. These windows are custom measured and built. I was given a long list of references. I recognized one reference as someone I knew from work and was pleased to hear of their very good experience. The price was higher than I had hoped due to options such as UV sun block. There was also a set-up / clean-up fee which was the same for any number of windows. It was worth it though for they were in & out quickly with a very nice installation job. I am completely satisfied and would recommend Window World to others.

In July 2007 I was shopping around for window replacement companies and was very disappointed in most. Not only the outrageous prices by some but also the high pressure sales. I called Window World after a friend recommended them after he had similar work done. I told the girl on the first call not to even send anyone if they were going to try to pressure me into making a decision that day. She assured me they don't work that way. I can now say that she was right. What a pleasure that was. The guy comes to give me an estimate and measure all windows. He was on time and thorough. He explained the windows would be made to my specs and they would call to install when they arrived. They arrived within 2 weeks. The father/son team that came to install them were EXCELLENT. They were very professional, courteous, and knowledgeable about their product. It took one day to install them and they cleaned up everything after themselves. I could not have asked for a better experience and the price never changed from the original estimate. I absolutely love my windows.

The crew arrived on time and finished fast.