Complaint Review: Erie Construction Mid-west

Erie Construction came to our home, door-to-door sales, I know now, big mistake! with a flyer for windows claiming sizzlin' savings. Says his company has been in business for 47 years, claiming professionalism of his company.


FOUR THOUSAND DOLLAR WINDOW!

The salesman gives his demonstration with a sample model window. Tells us that this window is only manufactured by them and cannot be reproduced by any other window manufacturer, that they cool their glass on a bed mercury, which is why it is so durable, scratch resistant, energy efficient, etc. Uses a simulated sun lamp to prove that no heat will go in or out of his window. Uses the sun lamp on our picture window, and proves to us that heat escapes from our window. My husband asked him if it was like Low-e coatings, and he said "No" it was nothing like Low-e, it was better.

The sales demonstration also stressed on the tech welded frame of the window, that it was the best on the market, and the weather stripping around it, claiming it to be the best for wear and tear, won't peel off, etc.

The salesman called this window R10TK glass. The Cost: $4,413.00 for 2 double hung windows(27 x 54) and 1 picture window(42 x 54) for our front room. He said, we are getting what we are paying for because of how the glass is made. This is like one big window, connected with mullions, picture window in the middle, doulbe hung on each side. We paid $700.00 down payment, at signing of contract, July 15, 2004. Salesman said we should be getting the window 1st or 2cnd week of August.

The salesman says a crew of 3-4 men of their personal installers would show up and install the windows in a maximum of 4 hours, Erie Construction would supply everything needed to do this job: building permit, tarps for mess, all supplies, etc. all we had to do is sit and watch this great window being installed.

After numerous phone calls to the company, them promising someone would call every time and nobody would call, after threatening this company that we would be over to Fort Wayne to get our money back if someone didn't call us to get this window installed, after having an installation date set, then canceled by them, they finally showed up with the windows September 28, 2004!

(1) One man shows up to do this job at 8:a.m., begins his work by asking if we had a tarp to put down in our front room to catch the mess, also ask for an old sheet to hang up over a doorway to help catch dust, because he was cutting the opening in the wall bigger.

He unloads his truck of his tools, etc. works a while, claims he has to load everything back up because he needed to go get nails, he ran out. My husband took him to the local hardware store, just to save on some time. While he is working, he proceeds to tell us that he is only making $165.00 for installing this window, he says it is bull@###! He said he was going to his the company up for more money.

At 4:30 p.m. he wraps up to leave, the window is in, he removed all stickers from the window before installing them. he has to come back the next day to finish the trim on the outside of the house. He left the wood trim for the inside for me to stain.

He came back September 28, 2004, to finish outside of the house, I told him I thought something was wrong, I felt heat coming through the window when I checked it that morning. He instantly got on his cell phone, called the company, talked maybe 5 minutes, and tells me new glass is being ordered as we speak, that the new window would be here in 2 weeks. He says that the big picture window should have been triple paned, that it wasn't, it was only double paned.

The installer said he would be back in 2 week to install new glass, and hang the inside trim for me. It took 3 weeks for him to call me. In these 3 weeks I learned alot. What we got installed in our home was basic glass, with Low-e coatings and Krypton gas filled dead air space, that you can buy from almost any window manufacturer for half the price.

When we discovered this, we told them that we were paying that much for the product. They offered us $486.00 off the price, which still left us paying $3,927.00. We said no way, take the whole thing back, we don't want any of it. They told us that wasn't an option, we ordered it. We said we didn't order low_e coatings and gas fill. We ordered special glass cooled on mercury. They said it was. We explained the sales demonstration, and they reminded me that my contract states that no verbal promises would be enforced so to speak!

Today is November 19, 2004, they called yesterday, the 18th, with a threat to put a lien on our home. I have contact a lawyer, the Federal Trade Commission, Indiana Attorney General Steve Carter, the Head Company, Erie Construction located in Toledo, Ohio. I will not let this company get away with deceptive consumer sales, fraud, and unconscionable contracts!!

To anybody out there buying windows, Get whatever they say in writing, signed and dated!!! I will keep you posted if any new information comes up. If anybody can offer any information to help me, I would very much appreciate it!!

Virginia
Rochester, Indiana
U.S.A.