Window Universe
About us
Window Universe is a major window and door replacement company with locations serving the entire Washington, DC area, Fredericksburg and Richmond. Alexandria phone is 703-595-4499, Fredericksburg is 540-907-4960 and Richmond phone is 804-441-8060. They are licensed, bonded and insured in Maryland, Washington, DC. and Virginia. Additional Contact Jane Malasko. Services include replacement windows of all types (including bay windows, bow windows, casement windows, sliding windows, double hung windows, etc.), energy efficient doors including French doors, patio doors, entry doors and storm doors. All installers are extensively trained and certified to perform their work. As a result, all windows and doors come with a lifetime warranty.
Business highlights
Services we offer
Energy efficient windows, doors, gutters and trim., siding (including James Hardie siding)
Amenities
Free Estimates
Yes
Accepted Payment Methods
- CreditCard
| Number of Stars | Image of Distribution | Number of Ratings |
|---|---|---|
| 75% | ||
| 12% | ||
| 7% | ||
| 3% | ||
| 3% |
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.
"That's great feedback! We're thrilled to hear that you're enjoying the quality of the new windows. We always review all of the products on the market to make sure we're offering the best to our customers. Thanks for taking the time to write"
"Thanks for taking the time to write. We're glad you enjoyed the experience!"
"Thanks for taking the time to write! We're glad to hear everything is looking great and even more glad to hear that you got exactly the right trim for your home. We appreciate you sharing your experience with the other members and please do let us know if there is anything else we can do to help."
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.
"Thanks for taking the time to write and we're thrilled to hear that you were satisfied with the results. You bring up an interesting point relating to pricing and coupons. We try to be absolutely as transparent as possible about the pricing. We clearly list out what everything costs and we’re as upfront as we can be. However, we find we still need to offer some kind of coupons or specials or folks will never look at us. We could be offering the absolute best thing in town, but if people don’t see it we’ll be out of luck. So we occasionally offer discounts or coupons to Angie’s List members, but they’re very specific. Right now we’re offering various packages for windows. They’re for specific windows with specific options. If you’d like something else that’s fine, but it will likely cost extra. It is our absolute goal to offer the best value in town period. We could try to do that with specials or coupons, but we find it’s much easier for all involved when we just offer a written best value guarantee. We even give a printed copy to every person we meet with. We do this to make things easier to navigate. With us you don’t need to worry if a company is offering “buy 2 get 1 free” or “half off installation until Presidents Day”. We ALWAYS have the best value in town and if for any reason we didn’t we’d refund you 110% of the difference. The point is to help folks sort through all of the junk out there to find what they’re really after, a good value. We’re sorry to hear that you went with another company for your sliding door. We hate to lose any business. In this case it’s especially difficult because you paid more to buy a comparable product from another company after we already did a good job for you. That hurts. With the best value guarantee we can be absolutely certain that we would have been able to save you money on the project, coupons or not. We’ll keep working hard to make sure folks get great deals every single day. We ask any future customers to please talk to us about your order if you think you found a better price. It just doesn’t happen and we hate to see folks pay too much because they don’t understand our system. We do appreciate you sharing your experience with the other members and hopefully everyone can keep on getting great deals!"
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.
"Well, there's not much to respond to here. I see a B for price which is strange since we have a written best value guarantee. We guarantee in writing that there is no other company in town offering these products at better prices. It's hard to beat a deal like that! Thanks for taking the time to write a review and we do appreciate your business. Don't forget you have our complete transferable lifetime warranty so we'll always be here to help if you need us!"
"Gorgeous is the goal and we're thrilled to hear we achieved it! Thanks for taking the time to write and please do let us know if there's anything else we can do to help."
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.
"Thanks for the great feedback on your experience. That's about as good of a review as we could hope for. Please do let us know if there is anything else we can do to help. Don't forget you now have our complete transferable lifetime warranty so we'll always be available!"
"No problems at all is the goal and we're glad to hear we achieved it! Thanks for taking the time to write!"
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.
"Thanks so much for taking the time to share your experience with the other members. This customer is a great example because she lives in a very nice part of town. Many window companies will see a fancy zip code and automatically raise their prices. Our great prices are the same all over town and our written best value guarantee ensures there is no better deal no matter where you live! We're thrilled to hear that you're enjoying your new windows. Please do let us know if there is anything else we can do to help."
"That is a fantastic example for folks to read. We worked closely with this member to make sure he was satisfied with the results. We know that folks work with us because they're confident that if they do have a concern about anything at all we'll happily address it. In this case we got the chance to prove it and we're glad that everything is now looking fantastic!"
"That's the shortest review ever, but we'll take it. We're glad to hear you had an A rated experience!"
"Thanks so much! We're glad to hear that you were happy and that you would use us again. Let us know what we can do to turn your B into an A!"
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.
"We always hate to hear from any customer who isn't 100% satisfied with their project. We certainly always try to provide a great experience for everyone. This is a project that we completed over a year ago and as far as we were aware everybody was happy with the results. Service calls do happen from time to time and caulking can separate as it cures depending on the weather conditions as it cures. Regardless of the nature of the service call we try to be pretty easy to deal with. Just give us a ring and we take care of it, whether it's just after an installation or years down the road. We certainly wish this customer would have let us know that he had any concerns, we really are only a phone call away. It's makes us sad to see something like this pop up a year after the fact. We do offer wood and clad windows along with several different types of vinyl windows so if he wanted something other than vinyl that certainly would have been available. Since this review was posted we have reached out to the customer to ask if there is anything he would like us to do to help. He does have our complete lifetime transferable warranty so there's no worries about that. So far we haven't heard anything back from him. For other folks considering a window project I would ask you to remember that we have something like 250+ total reviews including several great ones just below this one. We offer TONS of options and we have a 110% Best Value Guarantee that ensures we're always the best priced company on Angie's List! Thanks for checking us out here and you can find a lot more information on our website."
"Thanks so much for the great review. We're glad you were happy with the project and please don't hesitate to let us know if there is anything else we can do to help out!"
"Thanks so much for the great feedback. You have our written 110% best value guarantee so you can be sure you got the best deal in town! Just let us know if there is anything else we can do to help!"
"Thanks so much! That's a great review and we certainly appreciate you taking the time to write. Just let us know if there is anything else we can do to help in the future!"
"Thanks so much for the great review! We're glad we could help and please don't be shy about spreading the word. If any of your friends, family, neighbors and coworkers need new windows just send them our way!"
"Thanks so much!"
"We thank your taking the time to write a review and we certainly apologize for any confusion. We do try to be as clear as we can with all of our paperwork and I'm glad to hear that we were the best deal you found from any company on Angie's List. Please do let us know if there is anything else we can do to help out and don't forget that you now have our complete lifetime warranty!"
"We hate to hear that you didn't move forward with your project. We do always have the best prices of any company on Angie's List and we try our best not to be slimy, I promise! It looks like you met with one of our reps who has been here a long time and who has been mentioned in more than 25 great reviews. We know we can't please everyone so we hope your project went well. Regarding the coupons, we certainly don't offer any discounts for Angie's List reviews, as I think that would offend people, but we do offer a Facebook based discount. You can see what our 2800+ fans have to say about their experience at Facebook.com/WindowUniverse. When I looked up this member in our system I discovered 7 of her neighbors have worked with us as well!"
"Thanks for taking the time to write! We LOVE hearing from folks who are thrilled with their new windows. Don't forget you now have our complete lifetime warranty so we'll always be here to help. If there is anything else we can do just let us know!"
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