Consumer Construction, Inc. - BEWARE !

[slipuvalad]

This is to inform home owners interested in purchasing replacement home windows about one couple's experience with a Northern Virginia firm, CONSUMER CONSTRUCTION, INC.

In June 1999, Consumer Construction, Inc., Woodbridge, VA 22191,

703-491-0745, furnished and installed 13 ea. replacement vinyl windows, Carefree brand, with Low E glass and argon gas. Cost: $4,200.

Initially my wife Robin and I were generally pleased with the product, however one double-hung unit toally filmed over within three years on the inner (sealed) surfaces. Those surfaces cannot be cleaned.

We left several phone messages with Consumer Construction, Inc. (hereinafter called the "company') but received no response. In June

2004, we sent the company an e-mail mesage via its e-mail response line. A male from the company phoned and agreed to inspect the window, but never showed up.

We subsequently contacted the Better Business Bureau (BBB) of Greater Washington, D.C. (202-393-8000,

which made contact with the company. A company representative came to our house in May 2005, and found that nine (9) windows had some degree of filming due he said to "inner moisture."

The company agreed to contact the manufacturer to obtain an on-site inspection, but a few weeks later, it was determined by the company that the manufacturer of Carefree brand windows had gone bankrupt and out of business. The company subsequently told us that it, therefore, would not replace at no cost any of the filmed windows, since the manufacturer was no longer in business. "I am at a dead end," we were told by the company manager, Mr. Mitchell.

We went back to the BBB with this information; the BBB agreed to try to arrange for arbitration of our case, but were met with silence on the matter. The case remains in an unresolved category.

To summarize my wife's and my position, we believe that, at a minimum, Consumer Construction, Inc. should be willing to replace at no cost the two windows that are completely filmed over, especially since the company's own inspector remarked, "You don't need blinds for these [filmed windows]."

Consumer Construction's position is unacceptable to us, as customers, and we believe it fails to meet standards of responsible business practice as well. Consumer Construction SOLD us windows that failed; THEY bear primary responsibility for resolving this case to our satisfaction. The company's position is like a food market telling a customer to go to the farmer who raised the steer from which a spoiled cut of meat was originally obtained!

(It would be interesting to know how many of the company's other customers have incurred problems such as ours.)

Ken Spalding Dale City, VA

[KenSpalding]

This is to inform home owners interested in purchasing replacement home windows about one couple's experience with a Northern Virginia firm, CONSUMER CONSTRUCTION, INC.

In June 1999, Consumer Construction, Inc., Woodbridge, VA 22191,

703-491-0745, furnished and installed 13 ea. replacement vinyl windows, Carefree brand, with Low E glass and argon gas. Cost: $4,200.

Initially my wife Robin and I were generally pleased with the product, however one double-hung unit toally filmed over within three years on the inner (sealed) surfaces. Those surfaces cannot be cleaned.

We left several phone messages with Consumer Construction, Inc. (hereinafter called the "company') but received no response. In June

2004, we sent the company an e-mail mesage via its e-mail response line. A male from the company phoned and agreed to inspect the window, but never showed up.

We subsequently contacted the Better Business Bureau (BBB) of Greater Washington, D.C. (202-393-8000,

which made contact with the company. A company representative came to our house in May 2005, and found that nine (9) windows had some degree of filming due he said to "inner moisture."

The company agreed to contact the manufacturer to obtain an on-site inspection, but a few weeks later, it was determined by the company that the manufacturer of Carefree brand windows had gone bankrupt and out of business. The company subsequently told us that it, therefore, would not replace at no cost any of the filmed windows, since the manufacturer was no longer in business. "I am at a dead end," we were told by the company manager, Mr. Mitchell.

We went back to the BBB with this information; the BBB agreed to try to arrange for arbitration of our case, but were met with silence on the matter. The case remains in an unresolved category.

To summarize my wife's and my position, we believe that, at a minimum, Consumer Construction, Inc. should be willing to replace at no cost the two windows that are completely filmed over, especially since the company's own inspector remarked, "You don't need blinds for these [filmed windows]."

Consumer Construction's position is unacceptable to us, as customers, and we believe it fails to meet standards of responsible business practice as well. Consumer Construction SOLD us windows that failed; THEY bear primary responsibility for resolving this case to our satisfaction. The company's position is like a food market telling a customer to go to the farmer who raised the steer from which a spoiled cut of meat was originally obtained!

(It would be interesting to know how many of the company's other customers have incurred problems such as ours.)

Ken Spalding Dale City, VA

[Berkshire Bill]

Was "CareFree" the chosen brand of you or the Construction company? By the way, both messages point to the same user and ISP.

Happy modeming, Bill

[CBHVAC]

Bankrupt? Hardly.

Care-Free

150 Westside Drive Asheville, NC 28806 Phone: [phone]

Thats the closest one to you, and they are far from bankrupt.

[Bob]

Were the windows installed according to mfg specifications?

[Dr. Hardcrab]

Try "7 On Your Side". A company doesn't want the publicity....

wrote

[m Ransley]

You have a claim against your installer only if windows were installed improperly. That is installed out of warranty which happens if they are installed out of manufacturers specific guidlines which for Pella and Anderson and all others I know is no more than 1/8" out of Plumb, Level or Square. Get a good level and measuring devices and go to work. It is very common in the industry for manufacturers of windows to not honor warrantys from" Improper Installation" Therefore new windows can be out of warranty from day 1, and often are. The BBB is a toothless joke without the enforcement powers of your Court system. You may possibly have a claim against Carefree under their new operating name or the owner, previous owner, do your homework. Talk to the atty general , they are free, no charge.

Look at the glass, Cardinal in Minnesota? Wisconsin? makes 83%? of US glass sold, call them without revealing your intentions to see if there is a way to identify them as the manufacturer. With that many bad windows improper install is a real possibility.

[jismquiff]

Ken:

The company's response, aside from being slanted against the consumer, strikes me as having come from a small businessman. Perhaps fly-by-night. Certainly a "screw-the-customer" type.

If you were not out $4,200, you could write the loss off as a business lesson. But the fact remains, Consumer Construction, Inc. HAS yout money, and you're stuck with the bad windows they FURNISHED and INSTALLED. Maybe you can easily kiss off $4,200, but those of us on a strict budget would find it tough.

relations, the company at least might have offered to replace the most badly filmed-over window; we're probably talking about $250 installed. I might even have accepted a reconditioned used window

You might gain some solace from the thought that you are part of a probably growing list of disgruntled, one-time customers of Consumer Construction, Inc.

The fact that the company's response to you came only after your complaint was registered with the Better Business Bureau tells me that, unfortunately, you placed your faith in a company that takes a pass on customer service.