Window Universe

They are the best!!!! This is the second time we've used them. The first time, which was several years ago, they replaced all of our first floor windows, which included a custom window they designed for me in my kitchen that is to die for! They are very professional and just pleasant to work with. And the installers that completed the basement windows went above and beyond, as far as insulating. I can't say enough about them.

The installation went smoothly. Both exterior doors fit snugly, and have reduced the heat loss from our home due to drafts and conduction. The doors are of high quality, and are Energy Star rated. Visitors to our house have commented on the attractive appearance of the doors as well. The quality of the installation was good, but some very small details could have been improved. A small stretch along the base of the door's interior was not caulked-- it looked like it a 6" piece was forgotten. A mark in black marker was visible on the interior door frame, and as we did not noticed this until after they departed, we had to scrub it out ourselves. Additionally, protective plastic was left on the interior of two of the brass hinges-- this is pinched between the hinge and the wall, and can't be removed without un-hanging the door. I managed to cut most of it away, but a little is still visible. These are minor details, but for the price of the doors, we "expect the i's to be dotted, and the t's to be crossed". The team was very polite and completed the work promptly. The work areas were left clean, and they handled the disposal of the old doors.

The overall experience was good.

After reading many reviews and doing a great amount of comparison shopping, we narrowed our choice between 3 companies. A Window Universe sales rep came to our house with samples and knew the products very well. He was not pushy and presented detailed information, fully answering all of our questions. Other company reps told me that their low price would rise within the next few days if I didn't contract them right away. Window Universe assured me their low prices remain the same across the board, every day, no bait and switch, no high-pitched sales hype. After only 30 minutes, we felt confident that this company would be the one we would contract. We were advised that it would take 4 to 6 weeks to produce the 22 new windows. They were finished in only 5 weeks and over the Christmas holidays. Installation took place in only 2 days; the second floor was completed on the first day and the ground floor was finished on the second day. The installers, brothers Daryl and Mark, arrived on time, were polite, courteous, removed the old windows and installed the new windows quickly and efficiently on both days All extra materials were cleaned up and hauled away at the end of each day. I would like to add that both our sales rep and our installers have been with Window Universe for many years and their dedication to customer service was evident. It is amazing how much warmer our house is now, with no more frosty morning window panes and no loud cracking wooden frames when the temperature rises.

Based on the Angie's List reviews and after reviewing 2 other contractors, we decided to go with Window Universe to install two new Provia entry and storm doors. Someone came out for a measurement in December. Since that time, this has been a stream of errors. In January, only after I inquired about the status of the order, I was informed that there had been an error in the order and that the storm door could not be manufactured as ordered - this was notified to me a month after the order was supposedly placed with the manufacturer. Thus there would be a month delay in receiving the doors The doors were finally "ready" the week of February 18th to be installed in about 10 days. 3 days before the date of install I was informed that the glass in the rear door was not as I had ordered and would have to be swapped out "at some point" Finally, on date of installation, the installer came out, took a look at the doorways and stated that there was no way he could install the doors, that the drywall and baseboard for front door had be removed to install the door and jamb as ordered - which was a specific question that the initial installation consultant was to inform Windows Universe of to ensure door was sized correctly and the installer would be prepared with tools and materials on day of installation. None of this happened. So 3 months after ordering - still no doors and trying to work out with Window Universe to address these failures. We shall see.

Windows Universe ordered the custom size (which took about 6 weeks) and installed it with no problems in about an hour.

Window Universe are great. They were on time and professional and the windows look great. The crew showed up and put them in. I was amazed at how fast they got all seven windows and a door in. It was good. They didn't have the right door with them at first, but that's a minor deal. I think it cost me $150.00.

Great work. Salesman was scrupulously honest. Told us exactly how long it would take to get windows and was off by only a week. Install crew was fantastic and very helpful. Highly recommend to anyone!

Overall, the experience went really well. The sales person who provided the estimate was very knowledgeable and efficient. He wrote it all out and figured everything out at my kitchen table! The estimate was what I paid. They did a great job!

We broke a small piece of tempered glass side panel to a front door so needed it replaced. I called on a Sunday & they wanted a 50% down payment before they would even come out. Since this was a minor job & relatively inexpensive, I am unsure why they wanted such a large deposit. The lady seemed surprised when I told her I had never had to pay such a deposit like this for such a minor job. I would not use them nor would recommend them to others- poor customer service.

Sales Representative Ted showed up on time on 11/26/12 and gave us an estimate. We were good with the estimate so we called him back to actually place the order on 11/27. During this process we ran into some unusual issues but order was placed. We even had a visit from the manager. Seemed to be a nice guy. My concern with this company was how unresponsive they were about the installation. I personally called Ted on several issues and he seemed to stop returning my calls. So sale was made and we felt as if we were no longer a priority. Is that the right kind of customer service guys? We waited till January to ask when the windows would be installed. I first called the office. I was transferred several time until someone could tell me about the order status and all she could say was she had to contact the factory and she would call back and let me know. She didn't call back. So I emailed Kayla. Hey! She did at least respond. To make a long story short, the windows finally were installed on January 24th. The guys we nice and polite and they got the job done. No major issues with the installers so I would give them an A. Windows seem to be the quality we were told they would be at least for now...

The salesman came out in Oct. 2012 and gave me a good estimate. They measured in early November. The salesman told me it would take between 3-4 weeks. I kept getting e-mails that they were working on it. I gave a 1/3 deposit. I called several times and finally they scheduled the installation and delivery Dec. 27, 2012 at 8 am. I had moved everything off of my walls and 4 feet away from the work area. By 10:30 am they were not there. I called and the office said they would check. about an hour later i was called and was told that the truck broke down and could they reschedule for the 31st (New Years Eve). I told them no, I was leaving on a trip. So, we rescheduled for Jan. 15th between 9-11. Again I got up & waited. I was called at 9:30 am and told that it was raining and they wouldn't be able to get the doors. At that point, I told them, no more excuses, if they don't show today, they can forget the job. They called back and had another driver go to Baltimore to pick up the doors and had 2 installers show up in the early afternoon. The job was finally completed. I am happy with the job, and cost, but not the service I received. My house is warmer with the double pane doors.

The doors are great, like nothing at Home Depot or Lowes. Great installation. It was on an old house with unexpected proplems, that only old houses can present. But it came out beautiful and the doors look great. There was some communications problems, they could not remember that the work is on my second house and not on my home. Everyone was pleasant to work with.

I had a single basement window in a townhouse replaced with a larger window in order to meet Section 8 Egress Requirements for the purpose of renting or reselling the property at a later date, as I live in it now. The window area (hole in the wall) had to be enlarged in order to make the new window meet the requirement, which including cutting the concrete into foundation. The project was estimated to be a one day in and out job, but due to concrete crumbs falling between the drywall and the concrete below, it became a two day job since some drywall had to be replaced. Due to my schedule and theirs, the second day was three weeks later. Due to the problems encountered, there was more communication and coordination that had to occur to make this work smoothly. Everyone I dealt with at WU was professional and cooperative. We had a few other problems, but they worked with me and in the end, I am satisfied and will call them in the future if I have the need. The price was in my opinion, exceptional. The crews were friendly and the window is of great quality and appearance.

Today we had our in home meeting with Window Universe and the whole process was fast, professional and easy. We signed the contract right on the spot!

We looked at many window vendors and were impressed with the quality and price of Window Universe. All the staff were very courteous and professional. It was a very smooth process from the sale to the installation. We were impressed how much terrific customer service we received. We are happy with our windows! Thanks!

It did not go well. The installer showed up late to start. He cut one piece of wood glued it into place for one window. When they came to replace the windows, they ripped them out instead of taking their time and doing it professionally. I feel that they misrepresented their services.

They did good work at a reasonable price. They were professional while in my home and cleaned up well after themselves.

Initial estimate was done on 10/1/12 (with an expectation set that the work would be completed in next 2-4 weeks). Was informed at that time that they would be scheduling an install specialist to come out and measure the window in the next week before they order the replacement window. Install specialist took a little bit longer to schedule than I was expecting but he came out on 10/12/12 to measure the window (at that time he also reiterated the expectation that the window should be ready in 1-2 weeks, and then they would schedule the install). On 10/18/12, I received a weekly (mostly form) email update from the Installation Department suggesting that my order was in production and once it was done; I would be contacted shortly to schedule the install. On 10/25/12, I reached out to the same contact that sent me the email the week prior and asked for an update (as I had not seen the form email for that week), and she suggested that she had just left a message with the manufacturer looking for an update, and that because it was a larger window and tempered that it may have a longer lead time (this was the first head's up that I may be in for a longer than normal wait, which the wait time unfortunately was a factor in my decision in choosing the vendor because my wife was expecting on 11/14/12). I was told they would call me as soon as they heard back from the manufacturer. On 11/1/12, I was sent another form email (note that I never received any contact via email on phone on the latest status from the manufacturer), that said: "Everything is currently on order. Once the order has been received and inspected, we'll be in touch to schedule your installation." So, I responded to that weekly email update suggesting that I was very frustrated that I had no real update and that the timeline was turning out much longer than I was told (and also suggested I would have gone with someone else had I known it would take this long), and requested it be expedited if at all possible. I received no reply. On 11/8/12, I received another weekly form email stating: "Everything is currently on order. Once the order has been received and inspected, we'll be in touch to schedule your installation." At other points during this first month plus, I would call in looking for an update, and requested to speak to the Installation Department Manager, and received the same response. I kept calling, and finally on 11/15/12, I received the following email message: "Great News! Everything is here and ready for installation. We will contact you within the next few days to schedule your install." Install confirmation was sent to me on 11/16, scheduling the install for 11/19 between 3 and 5 p.m. I rearranged many things on my work schedule that day (boss was in town, etc.) so that I could be home that day (my wife was already home with a newborn). Install specialist arrived, and it turned out the glass was not smoked/frosted. Keep in mind, practically every weekly communication I received stated that "once the order has been received and inspected, we'll be in touch to schedule your installation. As you might expect, I was not happy. I spoke to the "Manager" again, and was told that they would make this right, and get me the right window right away, and suggested that we could work something out to compensate me for my inconvenience. I was told the order would be put on rush, and should be available in 1-2 weeks, and that they would be in touch on updates. Foolishly (in retrospect), I agreed to continue to work with them. On 11/29/12, the weekly form email came stating: "Everything is currently on order. Once the order has been received and inspected, we'll be in touch to schedule your installation." I promptly called the "Manager" again asked for a "real" update. She told me that she would call the manufacturer and call me right back. Never happened. About a week went by (sometime the week of 12/3), and I called her back, and she suggested that she had just received an update, and that it would be ready no later than end of next week (12/14). Incidentally, on 12/6/12, I logged a complaint on Angie's list about the situation, and received a response on 12/7/12 apologizing I was having a bad experience, and suggesting I write a review once the service was complete. Not for nothing, isn't that the reason you pay money (and these days more and more money) to use this service to vet providers, and not to mention that Angie's List touts they have the power of their membership behind them to remedy situations (did not happen). On 12/13/12, the weekly form email came stating: "Nothing new to report this week. Everything is on order. Once the order has been received and inspected, we'll be in touch to schedule your installation." I responded to the email requesting an explanation and received no reply. I called back to the Manager again, and was given the same story. Finally, on 12/17/12, I wrote an email to the sales rep who put together the original estimate outlining the delays, not meeting expectations, and bad customer support/responsiveness, and told him that I would cancel the order (and expect a full refund) if this wasn't taken care of immediately. Within 30 minutes he responded, and apologized, and suggested he had passed my note on the "the owners", and that they would be in touch shortly. I did receive a call that afternoon from one of the owners I guess (apologetic but not overly, suggested the issue was with the manufacturer not them, he would cancel the order if I really wanted, blah, blah,blah). I told him I had a contract with him, and that the fulfillment of our contract is with him (not his manufacturer). I asked if they could deliver the window or not. He suggested they could. Later that evening (on 12/17/12), he sent me an email suggested the window would be ready on 12/26, and that they would install at any time after that. I was out of town until 12/30/12 for the holidays so the work was scheduled for 1/2/13 (95 days after the contract was signed). The install specialist came out and completed the work to my satisfaction (he was on time and did a good job). The install specialist asked about the remaining balance on the contract, and I told him that I would work something out with the Installation Dept Manager due to the significant inconvenience (per my prior conversation on 11/19/12) so he left. On 1/8/13, the Installation Department Manager sent me basically another form email including the final invoice, and they had already charged the credit card I used for the deposit for the remaining balance. In this form email, it also included the following statement: "The word of mouth that we generate from our many satisfied customers is critical to the continued growth of our business. In an effort to ensure this continues into the future, we offer a $50.00 referral bonus to our past customers when someone they referred decides to work with our company. Please keep us in mind when talking about your recent home improvements with your friends, family, neighbors, and coworkers. Again, thank you for your business and please do not hesitate to contact our office if there is anything else we can do for you in the future." No call after the work was done to make sure I was satisfied (given the circumstances), and no attempt to walk through the final billing (again taking consideration of the circumstances), just charged my credit card for the remaining balance. This was the worst customer support experience I can ever recall with any vendor for anything. And I am disappointed in Angie's list, and really question the value of what I pay for the service.

I did not feel like what I got was advertised in the special, the quality was less than anticipated.

I chose to use Windows Universe after doing much research on window replacement. I chose them because of their competitive price and the warranty they offer on parts and labor. My experience was very good. They emailed me each week to give me status updates on the progress of my order. They said the it would take between 4-6 weeks before my windows arrived at their shop and they were on point with that timeframe. They called me as soon as they were ready to set up a installation date. They replaced 8 windows and one sliding glass patio door. The installers (Kenny) arrived around 10:30 or so and stayed until it got dark, around 5 or 5:30, but they had to return the next day to finish the outside wrapping which took a couple of hours and he also replaced one of the locks on the window which was broken. Experience was very pleasant and I love my new windows!! I will use Windows Universe again in the Summer/Fall 2013 to get 1 additional sliding door replaced and maybe siding replacement as well. Thanks for the excellent service Windows Universe!!

The windows are more energy efficient. We appreciate having operational windows.

Will let you know when they actually contact me and do the work

I was very nervous about putting new vinyl windows into our old (1890) home, although I knew we needed them. I read so many stories online about nightmares people had with installations with the company we were going to use, so I looked on Angie's list and even though that company had good reviews on here, I found Window Universe whose reviews were stellar!! I cannot express enough how happy I am with the whole experience! We got a very good price for 27 windows, they were very professional and kept us updated every week leading up to our install. The installation guys were awesome, and there was absolutely no mess or damage when they were done. There was one small problem with a few windows not staying open and they came back the next week and fixed it in about 10 minutes. These windows look beautiful, they are a great product and I really couldn't be happier!!

I had initial contact with A.J. for an estimate a couple of months prior to replacing the door. I took a good deal of time comparing several companies and their estimates. Although theirs was not the lowest bid, we found their pricing to be competitive. A.J. could not have been more patient with all of our questions concerning manufacturers, materials and warranties. It was obvious that he is well-acquainted with various products and because of that, was able to advise us to the most appropriate door for our needs. There was no high pressure for a sale and in fact, he was pleasant and professional with our follow-up questions throughout our decision-making process. He actually came by on two occasions which was followed by a final estimate by another employee after the contract was signed. A deposit of half the cost is required up front with the remainder due upon project completion. They were thorough regarding details and careful to note everything ahead of time so there would be no mistakes. The process went fairly smoothly although it did take 3 weeks for the final measure to be taken after the contract was signed. Other than that, the door was ordered and installed quickly. I was pleasantly surprised that the work was completed in a half day and that everything was exceptionally clean by the time they left. The installer was very pleasant as well as detailed in his work. We were very pleased with our experience and will contact them first when we have our windows replaced later.