My experience with The Shutter and Blind Factory:
I first ordered my shutters on 7/12/03. The order was sizeable 154 square feet for 7 windows. I paid 50% of the total cost based on my measurements. The company came to my house on 7/22/03 and took the measurements. Per contract stipulation I paid an additional 25% at that time. On 8/13 I signed a final estimate that was faxed to me and returned by fax. Late September I received a call requesting the balance of the bill which needed to be made prior to delivery of the shutters. I personally hand delivered the check on 10/2/03.
The shutters were delivered the second week in October. One of the shutters was broken and returned to the factory. I made arrangements with the installation company for the first available Saturday 11/8/03. The repaired shutter was not delivered until 2 days before the installation and I had to call to get that done. We stripped all the window coverings and hardware off the windows.
The installation company could only install one small window in the family room. The installer re-measured and wrote up what was needed to make the installation including the sizes for the remake. He turned this into the shutter company. I was out of town on 11/10 and 11/11 and called the company on 11/12 and was told by the representative that she would be working to get the order redone.
I asked how long this would take and was told approximately 9 days. I told the rep. That I had the Friday after Thanksgiving off work so I could work for a Friday or Saturday installation. She assured me that they could work with the installers to get this project done. Other than a call requesting a next day pick up I never received a call back during the next 2 weeks.
On 11/25/03 I called the company and received a voice mail message that my shutters would be delivered on 11/4. I attempted to contact the representative and left a message on the general customer service line. I did not receive a reply until 12/2. I begged the installation company for an installation date and was given 12/6. The new shutters were delivered.
On 12/6 the same installer from the previous installation attempt returned and found that they did not deliver enough material to install the panels and many of the remakes weren't done, they simply redelivered the same shutters. He was able to install one small bathroom window. I faxed the correct measurements to the representative on 12/8 and she received an identical copy from the installer on 12/9. I was promised a return call the next day which I did not receive.
I finally called and left an ultimatum stating that I wanted the shutters in my house by 12/16 and that I would take a day off work for the installation. I received a call from the representative stating that they were making sure that the measurements would be just right before beginning construction. I told her I needed to request the day off work Monday 12/15 right away which I did. I placed a call to her on 12/11 and 12/12 with no response. I even left work a little early on Friday and went to the Shutter Factory in person but she had left for the day.
On Monday, the day I took off work I received a call stating they were still working on the measurements. I said I just wanted to know when the shutters would be installed in my house. She said she would call about 4 PM and let me know. There was no call at 4 PM or the next day. My daughter called on Wednesday morning and they told her the shutters might be delivered next week. She told them that we had just had enough and wanted our money back. She was told they would not refund the money because that was part of the contract. She told them that we were going to get legal counsel. They said this was a threat and hung up on her.
To sum this all up I ordered shutters in July and won't even have them by Christmas. They messed up twice on their product (plus the broken shutter) and one would think they would put my order up front on production to right their incompetence. They have had my money for several months and are telling me I have no choice but to wait for whatever time they want to take to make it right. They must figure they can go on collecting more money from others so there is no hurry. They avoid, avoid avoid! I have lost a days work. I have to run the heater constantly to keep the house warm since the windows are bare and it is cold and I have a 5 year old asthmatic child living here.
I have since pulled up information from the Better Business Bureau stating that there have been complaints against The Shutter Factory and that the company won't even address these complaints. How can these people continue to do business? They are negligent and incompetent. From what I have been able to gather in the past few days this is one company that just keeps changing names but you can link them with a few names or their 800 number. This isn't just a bad business it needs to be investigated by the authorities.
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