Window Universe

The process started off well, but has continued to decline to the point that I wish I would have selected one of the other vendors I received quotes from. My contract was signed and 50% deposit made to Window Universe on October 15, 2014. As of the date of this review I have not had the installation of my windows scheduled. Although the windows have been ?in for several weeks?. Dan and Will came out to my home to provide an estimate. Both were very professional, answered all of my questions and I was very pleased with the overall sales experience. They explained that the quote is for 4-6 weeks, but I should expect the full 6 weeks before installation. I was told the installer would contact in 3-5 days to schedule measurements. Just based on the initial sales pitch and discussion with Dan and Will, I would rate Windows Universe an A. However, the experience after has been increasingly poorer. After signing the contract for 5 windows, and providing the 50% deposit. I did not hear from Windows Universe. I called after 1 week and requested that the measurements be scheduled. I was told that they had lost the Richmond installer and were sending someone from Northern Virginia. They would call the next day to schedule. They did not call. I called back, they offered me one time slot the next day that I could not accept and stated they would call back. They did not call. My third call we were able to agree on a time. The installer came on November 7th (over 3 weeks after contract signed), he was very professional, measurements were quick and easy. On December 15th, I called Windows Universe to check on the status. I was told the windows had arrived a ?few weeks ago? and they would call tomorrow with installation arrangements. They did not call. I called today and was told that they are having trouble with installation in Richmond so they are back-logged. I would not have an installation until after the holidays. Someone will call me today to discuss installation further. I will update this review once my windows are installed.

Order was placed on 3/31. A few days later a representative came out to measure the windows to be replaced. On 5/8 I notified the salesperson that I had not been receiving weekly email updates as stated on their site. This was corrected a week later. Their site indicated that the entire process typically is 4-5 weeks. Installation did not begin until late August. The installers were not prepared for the installation of the specialty window due to the height and size of the window. lt was later discovered that window had been measured incorrectly and 1 window had not been ordered. The second installation took place in mid September. I discovered that a storm door had been stored in may garage that was for another job. The specialty window installed and missing window was installed but missing the outside trim. I asked if a supervisor come come out to inspect the work. Jason came out and agreed that their was some touch up work to be done and wanted the original installers to complete the work. I agreed and ask if there would be some type of compensation due to the length of time to complete the work. Jason said it couldn't be done but he would give us restaurant gift card. As of today, I have emailed Jason to get some notification of when the work would be completed and the name of the restaurant we would like the gift for and have received no reply and they have closed out the job. Granted I did not have to make any payments until the work was 'completed' but the frustration felt throughout this entire process would not allow me to recommend them.

I evaluated many products and met many companies when choosing my window company. Overall, I am very happy with my final choice of going with Windows Universe. Here is why: 1) Product: I did quite a bit of research on products and Berkshire Elite seemed to be a quality window, especially compared to some of the many other brands out on the market. BE offered their windows in "architectural bronze" (quite close to the black that I wanted), while other companies were not able to do this. Also, most importantly, the windows had relatively thin frames, which was one of the most critical selection factors for me. Overall, it is difficult to truly understand the differences between all the leading brands in the market but at the end, I was very happy with what I received. 2) Selection and design: I found the WU salesman, Ted Twardy, to be affable and intelligent. He especially listened well - he understood what I was looking for and responded with some very good complementary suggestions. For e.g., he suggested placing a frame/capping around the window, which no one else I did - looks very stylish! In comparison, a couple of salesman from other companies I spoke with were suggesting, and almost pushing, product options that I didn't really want to go with. 3) Pricing and transparency: One of the things I was most impressed with was the level of transparency in WU's pricing. There was no haggling involved and definitely no sales pressure. All of the pricing was pre-determined and given to me very openly on a worksheet. In contrast, I met with Wheaton Windows, a peer of WU, and after they quoted a relatively high price, I basically had to haggle them down to get something more reasonable - once I did, the salesman made a pathetic attempt to try and get me to sign a contract immediately - all very cheap. I definitely appreciated WU's approach here - it was very professional. 4) Professionalism: I felt I was dealing with a set of respectable professionals. Jennifer Litty at WU's installation department seemed intelligent and quite responsive in working with me to get the windows installed. For the price, I think I received excellent value. The downsides were relatively minor - WU had said they would work hard to get me the windows on the very quickest end of their timeline (4-5 weeks) and when that didn't occur (we were in the busiest season) they generously provided a bit of compensation. There were times when sales and installation needed a follow-up or two to get back on questions, and also the installers had a cranky attitude, but these were minor inconveniences in relation to the great, overall experience I received. I'd definitely go with Windows Universe again. PS. the approximate "cost of service" I quoted included a discount from a great coupon that WU offers through Angie's List. Definitely worth taking advantage of.

The crew that came to do the actual work were wonderful, did a great job. It took a total of 6 months to get job done. Scheduling was difficult after the first week, the "office" kept overscheduling the crew. It did not appear that the extras we ordered were noticed even though they were on the order form, several of them had to be done at a later date, upgraded locks, foot locks on sliding doors etc. Two items came in damaged, which happens, but then it again took several weeks of waiting to get them replaced.

We had called several window companies about replacing our windows many of whom couldn't accommodate our schedule. However Window Universe was one of them that could. Upon coming out they addressed all of our concerns and advised us on the windows and what the process would be like. Ultimately we selected them because of how easy they were to work with and how confident they made us feel in their work. The windows are fantastic, we love them, and the whole process could not have been easier. We highly recommended them. A+++++

Love these guys! They were knowledgeable, friendly, and professional. Our windows look great. I would definitely use them again.

After contacting Window Universe for an estimate, a very knowledgeable salesman came to my house and thoroughly discussed all the available options and products available. These are absolutely high quality, custom doors and it was approximately 6 weeks from the time of ordering the doors to the installation. Very solid construction and in my opinion, higher overall quality than the doors you'd see at the big box stores. You can select and customize basically every element of the door. The installation was very well done - quality workmanship. Same day installation and they removed the old doors and all waste material. Very professional, arrived on time and really did a good job (the work included minor adjustments to the exterior siding and some internal framing - one flat rate cost for installation). Very happy with the doors and the overall experience and value with this company - highly recommend. Very professional and responsive during the entire process, even emailing me regular updates while the door were being manufacturer. Their website: http://www.thefutureofreplacementwindows.com/

It went well. I was very pleased. They were on time and they did a very quick job cleaning up. It was to my expectations and I will use their services again. They honored the coupon price. I would have paid 7000$ to a competitor compared to what I paid to them.

Window Universe has great customer service. We had them replace a 2L slider window in our master bedroom bath. Although we had some initial concerns about a broken tile and gaps between the new window and tiles, our concerns were addressed by management coming out to review the installation, followed up by polite and skilled installers to make the necessary repairs. We would use Window Universe again without question.

Purchased the Angie's List coupon for 125 dollars for 250 dollars credit towards windows. Salesperson was great, running a little behind schedule due to traffic but called me when he was due to arrive to let me know how much longer he would be. No pressure sales tactics and a good presentation. I had a 50 dollar referral discount and the salesperson offered me an additional 50 dollar Facebook review discount. Total for two windows was 1169 - 250 Angie's List Discount (which I paid $125 for so add that back in) - 50 referral -50 Facebook discount for a final total of $944 incl. tax. I am happy overall, but to give a full review here are the two things that weren't so good about Window Universe: 1) Had to book a separate appt. for someone to measure the windows. These were two standard ground level windows, why don't they train the sales people for basic measurements? A week later the guy they sent arrived in a huge box truck. I am sure it cost them a fortune in gas and he literally was in my house for 2 and a half minutes, for which I had to take time off of work. Measurer was also not on time, and I had to call to find out where he was. 2) There was a minimum window order of 3. The additional fee for orders of only 1 or 2 windows was $200 for one window and $100 for two windows. (minimum 3 - 2 that I purchased = 1 x $100). For one window it would have been (minimum 3 - 1 purchased = 2 x $100). I might think this fee was understandable as they do have to cover the overhead to send the sales person, measurer (see comment above) and installers, but they also charged a site set up/disposal fee of $175.00 per job in addition to the $60 per window for old window removal and $65 per window for installation. I did give them a B for the overall rating because of these two things. Overall the windows were installed 6 weeks from order and the installation team was on time, neat and very polite. I am very happy with the workmanship, the windows and the service I received. I am not sure about the overall cost, I think I would shop around a little more the next time.

I was very impressed with the professionalism of this company. Weekly emails were sent to keep you updated on your project. The installation were terrific. They were efficient and no mess was left behind. Very professional

We had several issues with this company. I will list them below: -Product sold stating job would be complete in 6-8 weeks. Actual time from order to completion was around 13 weeks. They also stated it would be a 3 day job. -Windows were delivered on Monday and installation began. They placed the windows against walls, antique table, and on our wooden floors with no regard to our property. They also did a terrible job cleaning up to the point I had to call and speak to the installation POC Julio. -They installed on Tuesday and Wednesday and on the last day, my wife was extremely upset with the lack of respect they showed our house. She called the installation manager Jason and was pretty much told that "you get what you pay for". He made the point that this was a $30,000 job and we did not pay for the white glove treatment. He was rude and disrespectful so I sent him an email stating that my review would reflect their quality of work. He called me and stated that their workers expect the homeowner to tell them when they don't like what is going on during installation. Extremely poor customer service. At the end of the day Wednesday, they told us they would come back Thursday to finish. My wife told them that the windows were filthy, there was caulking everywhere, and they did not clean up well. - Thursday they finished up and left. They tried to get my mother-in-law to sign for windows without us looking at the work. We found numerous issues on Thursday. While they cleaned up the windows, there were obvious gaps in the caulking seams around window on the inside, and several window sills had gaps from placing windows on sills (pictures attached). I sent pictures of our issues and the manager Jason actually stated that this was not their issue as it may not have been caused by the installation. - Friday I walked around the inside, found same issues and then decided to look at the outside of the windows. I again sent him pictures (attached) and he stated he would have them come out to correct. - Following week they came out one day and stated all issues were fixed. Not the case and finally, I was home when they arrived and pointed out all the issues we had. The installer was very nice but having to point out obvious issues should not be a requirement. I finally signed off windows after walking around and pointing all that needed fixed. While we are happy with the windows and they have made a huge difference with outside noise and maintaining temperatures. The company has no customer service skills and they are missing one huge piece, quality assurance. NOBODY came out to inspect their workers quality of work and it was just someone coming back and fixing a little at a time until we were satisfied. As I promised the installation manager, this is a fair assessment of their work. We are happy with the windows but the rest of the experience was terrible and all because the workers have no respect for the home they have nobody checking their work. Although I like the windows, I would not use this company for installation again. I upgraded my review based on the follow up by the company. They stated they have used my review as a training tool to update their processes and to ensure that their company improves their customer service. As I stated, I am happy with the windows and feel that the company made the extra effort to resolve my issues.

I think everything went very well. Window Universe was responsive from my initial appointment to get an estimate until installation day. Having received several quotes for various window qualities from different manufacturers and installers I think Window Universe gave the biggest bang for the buck. Once I got to play with the fully installed windows on my own I think the quality is actually better than I had thought it was. No more heavy, rotting, drafty wooden windows and no more cheap bent-up screens (the Window Universe frames for the screens were actually quite beefy). Now I have to save up to get some more.

I had no problems scheduling the estimate. He was running a bit late but he called me to let me know which I appreciated. He gave a decent presentation with low pressure and answered my questions. I do not have anything bad to say about them.

The salesman (Nate) was extremely knowledgeable and answered all questions and guided us in the selection of various options including glass, grid and exterior trim. He readily accepted Angie's discount coupon ($125 for $250 value) and also let us know about their additional Facebook discount of $50. Their prices were very reasonable for the quality of windows. Their office kept me informed of the progress of my order through weekly e-mails, and called to schedule installation once the windows were received. Originally the installation was scheduled for July 7th. However Julio called in the morning and re-schedule because the installer's truck had broken down that morning. Another installer Mario showed up on time on July 10th and completed removal of the old windows and installation of new windows quickly, efficiently and professionally. He also pointed out that the external trim we had selected did not quite match our aluminum siding and helped us select an alternate trim. He then agreed to return the next day (after completing another job) with the new trim and install it. All in all we were very pleased with the installation by Mario.

We had to wait for 2 months; but it was communicated at the beginning and we got headsup and there was no surprise. Once scheduled the job was done professionally and we had a good & satisfactory experience with the installation and quality of the windows. One side note: We could've hired them for our sliding door & front door projects as well. But the sales manager at that time wouldn't honor for a small sliding door discount (it was in print) and we went with another company. They would've got more of our business had they been a little bit more flexible.

The in-home estimate went well. The representative from Window Universe was on time, friendly, professional, and helpful. The timing of the installation was pushed back several weeks later than expected, apparently due to a busy summer season and delays at the manufacturer. It would have been helpful to receive phone updates about this. For the installation, I was given a 2-hour window when the installers would arrive. That timeframe passed and I was not notified by Window Universe. I had to call the office myself to find out what what happening. The installers arrived about 30 minutes late. Not positive developments. I'm sort of a clean freak, so I was not thrilled with the mess left by the installers. There is plaster left on my patio, as well as miscellaneous metal and plastic scraps on the patio and where they parked their truck. I think a better-quality business would have its workers clean up after themselves. The glass doors were also left smudged and dirty. I had to use Goo Gone to scrub off dried-on plaster and other tough dried-on things. Again, a top-flight business would probably leave the customer with a clean finished product. I'm no expert on the protocol for when workers are in your home, but I was a bit dismayed that they needed to keep using my bathroom sink to do something with plaster. It seems they should have had their own water on hand, since they knew they'd be preparing plaster for this installation. All in all, there was a lot of cleanup that I had to take care of. It appears that the door was installed well. I won't really know the true test until that first cold winter night. As of now, the end product appears well done and attractive, so I am pleased.

I spent $4800. It was a pretty good sized project. I checked them out on Angie's List and got quotes from several others, they ween't the absolute lowest in price but they actually served me the windows they told me they would install and they were good quality. The overall job looks gorgeous.

I notified the vendor of the coupon and gave them the coupon number and they immediately applied it to the balance owed them and sent me a new invoice with the deduction included. No problems at all!

The process worked exactly as promised. A sales rep came out and we agreed on the work to be done and the price. They called to schedule an appointment for the installer to come out and do the measurement for the windows so that the correct replacements would be ordered. The order was placed for the windows and I received weekly emails updating me on the status while waiting for the windows. Once the windows were in, they called me to schedule the installation and agreed to come out on the date that was most convenient for me. They arrived a little early (which was not a problem for me) and completed the job VERY professionally. I knew that there was some wood-rot that would have to be fixed before they started, but once the windows were out, they showed me that it was more extensive than was expected. They told me at that time that they would have to replace more wood than expected (this is my only negative...) but we did not discuss what that would mean in price until I talked with the office after the job was complete. They worked around 3 rose bushes and many small flowers in the beds in front of the windows with VERY MINIMAL damage to the small flowers (which I expected) but did not hurt the beautiful roses at all. When the job was done, they did a wonderful job of cleaning up both inside and out. When job was complete, I talked with the person at the office and they informed me of the cost of the extra work which was much more than I expected. However, after we went back and forth a couple of times (i requested pictures and they sent them), the office realized that the total feet of wood that was reported to them was incorrect. Once we all agreed on the actual amount of extra work that was done, then the additional price was well within the amount that I expected it to be. All-in-all, I was really impressed with the team and the company did an excellent job on the project. I would definitely recommend them to other customers. Just remember, if they need to do extra work, you should consult with the office before they do it so that you will know what to expect for the cost.

After soliciting multiple quotes and researching door replacement companies, I settled on Window Universe. I had three main reasons for selecting Window Universe over the other copanies I evaluated. 1. They had received wonderful reviews on Angie's List, as well as other ratings websites. 2. They offered the fasted project time estimate (4-6 weeks from order, as opposed to the 6-8 weeks I was quoted by the others). 3. They were competetively priced - not the lowest, but right in the ballpark. It is important to note that all (4) of the companies I evaluated worked with same door manufacturer - Provia. So it was kind of surprising to see the range in quotes given that all parties were sourcing from the same place. If you're in the market for a replacement door, definitely get multiple quotes (one company was 3x as much as they wanted to perform unnecessary work). In my situation, speed was of the utmost importance. My old door was basically held together with duct tape and band aids (not quite, but close enough). So the combination of the faster proposed timeline and slightly better reviews than the competition pushed me to Window Universe. Unfortuantely, my experience did not live up to expectations. Understand that my experience is in the minority when compared with other reviews, but needs to be reported nonetheless. I placed my order on March 20th. According to the project timeframe I was initially quoted, I expected my new door to be installed by the end of April or the beginning of May. Installation finally completed on June 30th, almost 15 weeks after I placed my order. There were several variables involved in the delay, some directly related to Window Universe and some related to the manufacturer. Here is the timeline I experienced, as well as corresponding factors for the delay: March 20: Order Placed April 1: Final Measurements taken April 15: I was notified that final measurements differed from initial measurements - one door I originally selected was not available in the size that was required. I responded on the same date approving a similar door. April 17: I receive a confirmation email stating my order has been placed. May 7: I contact my sales person for an update as I have received no updates from Customer Service - no response. May 12: ORDER ACTUALLY PLACED WITH MANUFACTURER. May 16: This is where it gets fun. I contact customer service via phone to get an update as I have not heard from anyone for a month (last contact was April 17 at this point). The customer service rep informs me that the order has been placed and that it should be complete within 10 business days. I ask her to confirm when the order was placed, and she tells me it was placed on May 12. I lose my cool. I email the location manager, who happens to be on vacation - he responds immediately despite being out of the office and says he will address this when he is back. May 29: I write an email to the manager asking for an update, unfortunately no response this time. May 30: My wife calls asking for an update and speaks with the manager. He informs us that the batch of glass used to make one of our storm doors did not pass the QA process and that a new batch will be needed. From this point on, further delays are on the manufacturer, not Window Universe. June 16: I receive an update from that manager that they are still waiting for the order to be fulfilled. June 30: My doors are finally installed. So, in the end, I lost one month because Window Universe failed to submit a timely order to the manufactuerer. And I lost another month due to quality issues with the glass used by the manufacturer - at least they were caught and I ended up with a good product. Not much you can say about the issue with the glass other than it is unfortunate. However, taking a month between confirming an order and submitting it to the manufacturer was inexusable in my book. As for the job itself, I am mostly happy. The caulk used to seal the extremeties was not applied correctly in a couple locations which causes a minor inconvenience. There were also a couple minor parts that were missing from the installation (two of eleven brackets that hold the window in place on the storm door simply weren't installed and were not left behind - they are minor and don't have significant impact on the door overall). Unfortunately, I did not notice these issues while the installer was still on site. My last issue is that I have not received any follow-up from Window Universe to close the loop on the project overall. They simply charged my credit card for the remainder and have apparently moved on. For other work I have had performed on my house, I have always received a final follow-up from the companies involved to discuss satisfaction. I would have liked the opportunity to review my project after the installation was completed. Personally, I would not hire Window Universe to perform additional work after this experience. There are simply too many other companies that offer the same type of services at nearly the same price point. That said, when I conducted my initial research, I chose Window Universe because of the overwhelmingly positive reviews. While my experience was enough to ensure I will not use their services again, it was not horrible, not a catastrophe. They did not steal from me, they did not give me a bad product and they expedited the work when the product was finally available. They simply set high expectations and did not live up to them in this instance. While the service I received was less than satisfactory overall, it was not "Bad" which is why I have rated them a C overall.

I had some 15-year-old vinyl windows that I needed replacing because they were bowing and I could see light coming in through some of the gaps. I found Window Universe at a home and garden show and scheduled an appointment for a salesperson to come over. The sales pitch was rather pleasant, low pressure, and lasted less than an hour. I was very hesitant to get vinyl windows again due to the bowing problem and I was assured that it was only because I had builder grade vinyl windows so their windows would not bow due to the higher quality vinyl. There was a pretty significant dip in my dining room window opening and I asked if this would be straightened and I was told that it would. This was the 2nd sales pitch I'd listened to and the estimate came in at about half of the first. My decision was between them and Andersen which was twice as much but I had used Andersen before and was very happy with the final result. After thinking about it for a few days, the price and the lifetime transferable warranty was what made me decide to go with Window Universe. The installer came a couple of weeks later to take measurements. He was in and out pretty quickly and right before he left, I realized that he hadn't asked about the garden window so I asked him if he needed to know which one it was and he said yes. This concerned me because it really looks like there's either a lack of communication or the installer just didn't go through the order carefully. The word I would use to describe the installation would be sloppy. At the end of the first day, I looked at the bay window that they had replaced. I noticed that there was masking tape right where they caulked which I had put on the old window to cover the gap and he caulked right over it. I asked him why he didn't remove it and he said it was too much trouble so I ended up spending the 15 mins to remove it and asked him to recaulk that the next day. I then had to go on vacation so I had someone be at the house while I was away during the rest of the installation. The installation ended up taking 3 days instead of the 2 that I was originally told. It could be because my installation was postponed a day due to rain so that's understandable. When I got home from vacation, I went around the house to look at the work and was just disappointed. The bowing that was not supposed to happen with this "high-grade" vinyl was already there. My dining room was a mess with a left behind drop cloth and debris on the floor. The dip in the dining room window opening was not touched. As I went around to look at the windows, a lot of the caulking was very messy with clumps everywhere and other areas where there was not enough caulk and gaps had already opened. Some of the trim had been damaged and they just tried to put it back together and slap more caulk on top. There were gaps in the exterior capping that I was concerned bugs would get into. There was absolutely no attention to detail here. I contacted them and they sent a couple of people over with the installer to examine my complaints. They offered to fix dip in the dining room window which the installer once again said was too much work to fix. They said there was a rubber seal that accounted for the dip which appears to be the case for now so I decided to wait on fixing that. For the bowing, they sent someone to basically stick rubber shims inside the frame to make it less bowed. That guy actually told me that my installer was one of the good ones who knew what he was doing. I asked them to check every window for caulking and the installer fixed some of them but he clearly did not check thoroughly or just didn't care because I still have some bad caulk lines. I was told that the gaps in the capping are normal although he caulked a few of them. He also ended up replacing some of the severely damaged trim. Personally, I would never use them again or any vinyl window company for that matter unless I were selling a house and looking for a cheap upgrade. The one thing that has some genuine value is the lifetime warranty which can be transferred and is pretty thorough in what it covers, although I have not made a claim yet so we'll see what happens when I do that. Emails often took several days to get a response. If you are looking for a high-quality window with a quality installation, look elsewhere.

Arrived promptly, the scheduler kept me informed via e-mailof any updates. Top notch company that I would not hesitate to use.

Excellent job. No sales job, and a professional installation. A experience from start to finish.

I only received a quote from this company - no actual work was done. Even though they quoted me the lowest price of all the windows companies that I had stop by my place, I decided not to go with them since I didn't get a great vibe from the company - the salesman seemed pretty slimy. Also, apparently this company gives its customers discounts if they write them a good Angieslist review which made me feel like I can't trust the positive reviews that have been posted for them.