Alside Window Warranty a JOKE
I am a contractor that sold 5 twin alside casement windows in 2001. These windows have leaked water for years and I constantly caulked and they still continued to leak water.
I squirt tested the windows and the water came in under the window and that usually is not a window problem but a caulk problem. So we caulked more. It only leaked of course when there was a strong hard rain against the window. Maybe twice a year, but that is to many.
I decided to tear out the drywall around the window and squirt test the windows. The water was coming in the center of the twin casements; this is called the mull. I ordered the windows factory mulled so obviously I would consider this to be a factory problem. The homeowner wanted to file the complaint so I had the Alside factory rep come out to see the problem, take pictures, and get the warranty complaint going.
The rep agreed the problem was the center mull. Leter came back to homeowner claim denied. No phone number, no address and no signiture on the leter. So I called and talked to an engineer.
He said it sounded like a mull problem so he sent me a new center mull strip and told me to take out the old strip, recaulk, and install the new strip they sent. Gave the part to the window installer and he said no way he was going to be responsible for removing a factory installed part.
Homeowner called the warranty department and they said claim denied, claim denied, claim denied.
Location: Overland Park, Kansas
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My contractor installed 13 Alside windows in my new addition. I wanted to use American Craftsman windows from Home Depot that I had in the rest of the house and who I knew (from experience) would honor the warranty.
The contractor told me the Alside windows had a lifetime warranty and I confirmed this with the multiple warranties I found on the Alside site. I experienced a sever failure in a lower sash and was told I would have to pay $95 (75% of the cost) because it is prorated after 5 years.
Yet I can find no warranty on their site that shows anything but 100% lifetime for seal failure. Buyer beware dealing with Alside, consider going with a reputable company.
send in for new slash, under the warrenty,follow their instructions and they came thru,never delivered the slash
I have used their warranty few times due to glass developing spots, and cracked glass. Every time they provided excellent customer service, found my 12 year old order, and sent replacement part free of charge. Not sure what you are talking about...
Your right I don't know what I am talking about. Why are you looking at pissed consumer.
I think your on the wrong website or your an employee of Alside. Alside finally did replace all the windows free of charge because they were bad windows. But guess who got to put the windows in a second time for free... ME; the contractor.
Guess who got to remove the bad windows for free; ME, the contractor. And guess who replaced the consumers carpet for free. Me, the contractor. And guess who will never ever use ALSIDE windows; ME, the contractor.
I know nothing is perfect but no consumer should ever have to go through what my customer went through with Alsides Warranty department.
It took them 2 years to finally do the right thing. I absolutely know what I am talking about.
I don't think you do. You were contracted by your customers to install windows.
Those windows were defective. It happens to everyone at some point. It's not like you were singled out in particular.
And then you complain that you had to redo the work you did the first time because the windows that you sold to these customers were defective and you were held responsible for the work, labor and damage caused by windows you sold and installed? Please tell me the name of your contracting business so that I can make sure to never hire you!
I am the original owner of my Alside replacement windows which were installed 06-03. I filed a warranty claim because of an 8x10 section of the window developed spots between the panes, and the entire window, frame and all is only 14x20 slider.
They sent me a Homeowner Parts Cost Estimate which stated that there would be a 50% prorated charge.
As I understand the Lifetime Limited Warranty, the prorated schedule only applies to a subsequent owner, should I ever sell the house and transfer the warranty. Can you send me anything to help my claim?
To all the pissed off people presently reading this, I can explain all of the problems in one statement:
Over 75% of all the AMI 'Alside' employees, at least at the main (Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio) location, are foreigners. Mainly "Mexican", or from some other spanish speaking country.
And to date, I still haven't figured out why that is. I don't know if the temporary hiring company "Select Staffing" that Alside uses, has an illegal worker human trafficking ring, or what is going on. But they keep hiring Mexicans and other foreigners, not locals.
They workers they get don't even try to build a quality window. They just push them out as fast as they can, regardless of the issues that keep plaguing customers. They'll show Fernando or Marรญa how to do something once or twice, then make them do that as fast as they can if they don't screw up too badly. The end result is a production line full of people who can't build a decent window, not to mention the fact that they aren't even trying to in the first place.
On a sidenote: (Yes, it really does bother me.)
They keep routinely hire foreigners, a lot of them come over on illegal visas. They'll use up their own legal visa time, go back to Mexico, and come back on a family member's visa, using that name for the hiring paperwork. (I have witnessed that firsthand on numerous occasions. But nothing has ever been done about it.)
I have been dealing and installing alside building products for over 35yrs and the guy's in the northeast are the best!!!
Have we ever had issues or problems?? *** ya!!
Bad runs of glass bad extrusions,you name it we have had issues with it at one time or another. But I must say they have always and I do mean always stood behind there products and furnished replacements and also the labor to go with it.I had a major issue with a 16 window job just last week and not only are the replacements being made as we speak,and the originals are being sent back to the quality dept. in Ohio for inspection. They are also reimbursing me for time spent trying to fix the problem.
As for your post of hiring foreigners, that is exactly what i thought!!! The overall quality since the new corporation purchased Alside a little over a year ago, has been way less than what there standards were just a couple of years ago.I have been personally doing a lot extra to the windows to make them right for the customer and up to my standard.I have just submitted pic's to my sales rep and after looking at the pic's he agreed with me.Keep in mind a lot of the issues that are existing are cosmetic and don't hinder the performance of the window. I have been calling what i have been doing finishing the factory's job,and i don't get paid to do it.
In sumation I would like to emphsize the fact that that the supplier has replaced all and any faulty product and reimbursed me for labor as well. To me the company is A++++ They just need to get their production line on track because they do have a great product and stand behind it !!!
You are getting Alside to pay labor? Please tell me who to talk to Please.
I spent $2,000 removing there faulty Alside windows, Installing there new window they sent the customer, & replacing the homeowners carpet because the old faulty windows leaked. My customer had to sign a release saying that Alside was not going to pay for any labor or damages due to there faulty windows. So if your customers are signing that form & your still getting Alside to pay your labor please tell me who to talk to.
To be very honest with you I think your an Alside Employee.
Brenda, just keep fighting. You are right they will and they are very good at the run around.
I am a contractor & I tried to talk to them for my customer & they ignored me as well as my customer. Anyway my customer wrote a 3 page letter to the President, all the VP's, the warranty department, the local branch managers, & everyone he could find who was of Authority. He chose 13 people to write to.(Only 1 letter was written & sent that same letter to 13 people) He sent the letters Certified Mail, Regular Mail, & proof of mailing. Each person got 3 letters.
He spent $60 in postage. The head service guy was at his home within a week. My customer asked me to be there and my customer screamed at him for 4 straight hours. It was really bad.
Alside ended up replacing all the windows but guess who got to put the windows in for free the second time? Me the contractor. Alside would not pay for labor. My customer told the service guy he was going to go to the local branch and follow an installer who had a bunch of windows to install to the home where they were going to install windows and tell his story to the homeowner.
My customer explained to Alside that he was not going to contact a lawyer because a lawyer would charge $5000 to take the case and if he did win he would not get his legal fees back.
He told the service guy he was never going to keep quiet until he got all new windows. He did get all new windows.
Had 22 Alside Excalibur windows installed on 6/2004. Had an upper sash window seal fail this year.
Filled out the on line form, took pictures of the window and sent it on 10/10 certified mail. Called the warranty department today (800-489-**** option 2) and they stated that my window was shipped on 10/31. Just picked it up and installed it today.
Only other problem I have had was with a window "weight" which they sent to me with no problems. If you get these windows save all of your paperwork (install date, installer info) and keep the labels on the window as you need these numbers.
In the DC area (NoVA) here. I had pretty much the same experience.
Also had 22 Excalibur windows installed, in 2011. In 2015 had one window lower sash seal failure, just recently one upper. After reading all the bad experiences, that's sort of what I expected. Here just looking around, not to tell the pissed customer they shouldn't be pissed, when service is bad hopefully you can get resolution.
Especially if you've gotten bad service as a contractor! In my case the contractor had gone out of business so I thought I'd really be SOL. But bad isn't everyone's experience. I called and spoke to a warranty rep who emailed a claim package.
The warranty package required proof of home ownership, installation, and photos. I was concerned but it wasn't hard to put together. And I emailed it all back to them for one window. I got a call that my claim was approved.
The window was delivered to a local Alside distributor (who never called, that was the only glitch). I called warranty who said the window was at the local distro. Picked it up without issue and installed it in minutes. The second window was much easier, warranty only wanted a photo and used the original claim number.
Picked the window up today.
Since it was a simple sash replacement no installer was needed. Good luck with your windows.
My father bought all new windows for his large cape cod home. He got the Alside Excalibur lowE argon windows.
17 out of 25 windows had seals that leaked and fogged up within a year. I had that happen in my own home...had no idea what it was until it happened to my fathers home.
I thought my windows were just really dirty..turns out I have the same windows in my house! I got some replaced under warranty a couple of years ago...but more have fogged up due to bad seals between the panes of glass...I WOULD NEVER BUY ALSIDE IF I HAD THE CHOICE!!!!
I had 11 Alside windows installed in my home 4 years ago and I have not had any problems with them.
Just wait... Ours were installed by APEX Energy in Indianapolis in June 2003 and we have now had 5 of the 18 windows with issues and NO RESOLUTION.....
Alside and Apex Energy SUCK!!!!! It appears from the timing of many of the comments that the positive ones are being written by an Alside employee.
:x your an *** Ben. Seal failure only comes from poor crafstmanship not the install.
In the Fall of 2010, we had many Alside window sets put in. When Spring came, we opened all but four of the windows 1/4 to 1/2 way. We never fully closed and locked the windows until late July/early August when the hurricane was due to come up the east coast. When we tried closing the casement windows they wouldn't close - they had sagged to such a point that even using a lot of force wouldn't get them to back into the frames. Initially, Alside indicated that the contractor was at fault however, the contractor had two experts look at several of the windows and stated to Alside that the windows were defectively made with at least some of the problem appearing to be that the glass inset was shimmed improperly. Giving Alside this information back in August and September & filling out a warranty claim form, we still don't have a written response from Alside nor do we have an explanation from Alside as to why these windows have failed.
Has anyone else had experience with Alside's casement windows including bow windows? I'm considering hiring a structural or civil engineer to look at the windows and report on their structural integrity which seems like something Alside should have done before they made these windows and certainly after they failed.
Has anyone pursued Alside legally for not honoring their casement window warranty?
Had an Alside patio door installed in 1996 with lifetime warranty. Started getting moisture between panes and called Alside, they sent a form to fill out and wanted pictures.
We filled out form sent pictures, no response. Called them, they would get back to me. This has been going on for 2 years!!! The last they told me was that I needed someone to come out and inspect the window and I would be responsible to pay someone to do this.
Called the company they suggested and they wanted $125 to come out. Told them to forget it. I next sent a complaint to MN Atty Gen. Now the latest from Alstate is that their warranty only covers 50% and I have to pay the other half.
Never in all my conversations with them have they ever told me that. They have always said that they would replace the door but that I was responsible for any additional materials needed and for the labor. Never any word about only covering 50%. They just seem to be very good at the run around.
I even asked for them just to send me a check for the amount so I can buy my own door and not have to have one of theirs so I don't have to ever deal with them again. They told me that wasn't possible. My husband wants to just buy a door and be done with it, but to me it's the principal of it all. I feel that's what they are trying to do, make someone frustrated enough that they give up.
Noone wants to be accountable anymore in this society. I can remember when " the customer was always right".
Installation can be an issue. But how about their warranty service?
I have been waiting for three months for a new lock for my window. The fact that it broke in the first place tells me the window is poor quality. Every time I call to ask where my new lock is, they said they sent it. THREE MONTHS AGO????
The fourth time I called they said they cancelled my order. They said they'd call me back when they figured out why that happened.
I'm still waiting for a phone call back. Stay away from this company!
I had Alside windows installed in my entire house about 10 years ago. Through the years, we had to have at least 6 windows replaced because of buildup inside the window due to a bad seal.
They said I must have received a bad bunch since this should not have happened. I had no problem though, getting them replaced. Now, another window has the same problem. I was told they have a new procedure for handling warranty claims.
I had to fill out paperwork and send photos which I did.it has been way over a month. Every time I call to check on the status, they say they will call me back. I have left at least 3 messages with the same woman and never a return call. One person even told me if the other woman would not call be back that day, she would.
I am still waiting. I wish I had not purchased alside windows now.They can at least make a quick call telling me they are still looking into it.