Complaint Review: Crestline Windows

We built our home in 1999-2000 and purchased Crestline Windows through our local lumber yard. They had a lifetime warranty for the original homeowner. They arrived with so many problems, I have 4 pages of single spaced notes regarding them. After a year of complaining (and paying a carpenter to make necessary fixes in order to get the house dried in,) a rep finally came out and did make most of the additional repairs.

As I was re-varnishing the casement windows, which are upstairs, I noticed one of the cranks fell apart, the window would no longer operate, and the edges of the vinyl trim were cracking off of all of the windows. 

So, I found my warranty papers, receipts, notes, etc., and called (per warranty instructions) the dealer whom I bought the windows from. They told me they could no longer carry Crestline, and that Menards now had exclusive rights to sell Crestline windows. I called Menards. They told me to call Crestline. I called Crestline. Seems WeatherShield bought Crestline 8 years ago. They transferred me around, and had me on hold, and called me back days later. They told me to contact an outfit who handles their warranty work who was an hour and a half away from me. I did call them. They called me back. They were very nice, but they could not help me. They told me to call Menards. Menards told me to call WeatherShield. I did. They sent me a form to fill out.

I tried to fill out the form, but it required photos, info that was non-existant on the windows, info that I did not understand -- it looked as though a professional window expert was supposed to fill this out. So, I took photos of the window problems; I took photos of the notes from 2000; I took photos of the receipts. I emailed them all of this info, and asked what else they needed from me.

Their reply? Basically,... sorry, your not covered. They said wear and tear, etc., etc. I'll bet I opened that window 5 or 6 times total in the last 17 years. They also said my windows were too old, and that even current windows wouldn't be covered for longer than 1-5 years. That IS NOT what the warranty says. The warranty specifically states the vinyl is covered for life for the original owner from cracking, peeling, etc.

Their email stated, 'Even warrantied parts can not be provided for that window line as that vintage is no longer manufactured.  All of the reserve assets used to  satisfy claims on "old-style" parts have been exhausted.'

They sent me a list of businesses that may or may not have parts for my windows. I asked if they would pay for the parts if I could find them. They said, 'Sorry, no.'

After realizing I was hung out to dry, I started looking online to see if I was the only one who's been screwed by Crestline's so called warranty. It seems as though everyone who writes anything about their windows, even the new ones, have the same problems I've had, and nobody has been helped out by their warranty.