I figure this will be a multiple post topic, so I’m calling it “Part 1″ from the start!
I’m window shopping. Literally. I had the Pella Salesman here yesterday. I have the Gilkey and Andersen people coming tomorrow. There are a few folks I haven’t heard back from. I cancelled two appointments this morning.
I took a bunch of window quotes at the end of 2007, but we decided not to buy at that time. Can’t really remember why, but that’s the way it is. Since the government is giving a $1,500 tax credit to people who buy new windows, it doesn’t hurt to go ahead and do it this year.
I typically try not to name names in my posts when I don’t think that it is necessary. However, in order for my ramblings to be possibly more helpful to other people, I have decided to go ahead and use the company names. I don’t think it will hurt anyone.
When I took quotes back in 2007, I talked to Exterior Soluntions (the local Gilkey distributors), Champion, Eagle Windows & T. Smith Windows. I kept all of their literature in a drawer and was able to pull it out this week and lo over it again.
- I liked the Eagle folks last time, so I decided to give them a call this week. “The number you are trying to reach is no longer in service. “ Glad I didn’t go with them! Warranty’s aren’t any good if the company goes out of business!
- I looked at the T. Smith stuff. I don’t recall my thoughts about them from last time. I remember looking and not finding their showroom! They’ve moved it, so maybe I should go out there and look again. I don’t currently have an appointment set with them. Haven’t decided if I will or not.
- The Champion sales person came out last time and basically turned me off from Champion forever!!!! They make you think that you are getting this awesome sale price, but their sale price is in the same range as anyone else’s regular price. They may have a good window, I don’t really know. I’m not fond of the way they do business- pushy sales people with deceptive sales tactics. No thank you.
- I also talked with the Gilkey representative, John, too. We worked with Gilkey on our windows at our Londonderry house, which we now currently rent. At that time, we saw some other really crappy windows, so it was an obvious choice! Since they served us well in the past, I am giving them a fair shot at winning our business again. Maybe better than fair because if it comes really close between them and someone else, I’m going to go with them.
Of course, I have not decided anything! I need an updated quote from Gilkey to line them up with everyone else.
My mom recently bought a door and window from Pella. She chose Pella because she wanted wood & a lot of places don’t offer wood. She told me not to bother with Sears because she didn’t like their people and they were expensive. I cancelled my appointment.
I talked with the Primax people. They will only come out if both Bill & I will be available. I told them that everyone else is working just with me and they can too. Nope. It’s “company policy” that both homeowners be present. Oh well. Their loss. This “policy” sends up a little red flag in my brain that they will be pushy and try to get us to sign something at that time, instead of presenting the numbers and options and leaving it at that- which is what many of the other companies do. I don’t like pushy. Who does? I told Primax, “no thank you.”
Today, I am doing my research! I’m searching the web for information about window shopping! I’ve discovered what all of the numbers on the lables mean. I understand how the tax credit works. I’ve even been enlightened about the pros & cons of various window types. Bill joked and said that after all of this, I will be prepared to be a window sales person! LOL
In an upcoming post, I hope to explain some of these tricky things to you. Don’t you know that you can never find the information you want in one place?!?! You may not care about everything I post, but it’s the stuff I was looking for & not finding easily.
