Snake oil is an expression that originally referred to fraudulent health products or unproven medicine but has come to refer to any product with questionable or unverifiable quality or benefit. By extension, a snake oil salesman is someone who knowingly sells fraudulent goods or who is himself or herself a fraud, quack, charlatan, or the like.

Eric Minkiewicz is the owner of Renewal by Andersen of Eastern New York (previously known as Huff N Puff). He has been advertising on TV, radio and newspaper extensively for the past year. Because of his misleading marketing and name change, you might think you are dealing with the manufacturer. YOU ARE NOT. You are dealing with a franchise.

Why is this important?

When you order thru RBA Eastern NY you are ordering thru Eric Minkiewicz, not directly with the manufacturer.

At other retail Andersen outlets ( Home Depot, Erie Materials, Curtis Lumber, 84 Lumber, Williams Lumber and more) you can purchase two other Andersen replacement windows (made by RBA).

1) The Andersen 100 Replacement window (with some slight style differencies) is identical to the franchise window. The price for The Andersen 100 is 75% lower than Minkiewicz's window. So, a house of 20 windows would cost you thru Minkiewicz approx. $30,000 while The Andersen 100 would cost you approx $7,500.

2) The Andersen Woodwright Replacement window is stronger (solid wood frame with fibrex veneered to the outside) and more attractive than the franchise window (100% fibrex). The price for The Woodwright window is 50% lower than the franchise window. So, a house of 20 windows would cost you thru Minkiewicz approx $30,000 while the Woodwright would cost approx $15,000.

So:

if you need replacement windows do NOT go to Eric Minkiewicz.

If you are a past RBA Eastern NY customer, you may want to consider legal actions

If you are an employee of RBA of Eastern New York understand that you, like all of us, have free will just like the Nazis

If you are a friend of Eric Minkiewicz, you should reevaluate your ethics.

If you are ErIc Minkiewicz's family (especially his parents who started Huff N Puff} my condolences.