August 26, 2024 Day 1 of installation. They were ready to begin about 10:00 am, and I had a brief meeting with the supervisor in the kitchen. I spent the day at home doing yard work, confused about why the exterior trim was still on the windows that had been replaced. My inquiries were met with a response of “it will be wrapped”. By the end of the day eight windows had been removed and the new ones set in place. The crew left about 3:30 pm. At 4:27 pm I called the Pella salesperson and told him this is not what I expected and that he needs to come over. He said he will come the next morning.
August 27, 2024 Day 2 of installation. Crew members arrived around 9:00 am. The crew supervisor arrived around 9:30 am. The salesperson arrived about 10:30 am. My concerns were not addressed. I was repeatedly told I just don’t understand. I believe we talked for about 30 minutes before it was clear we weren’t going to have a productive conversation. The situation was getting increasingly heated, and I finally relented. Realizing I had lost control of what is happening to my house and feeling quite distraught and ill, I left about 11:00 am. I arrived back home about 6:00 pm.
August 28, 2024 Day 3 of installation. Early the next morning before the crew arrived I took photos of every window from the exterior and interior. All the new windows were in place by the end of the day, with work on inside trim beginning. I stayed at home and did yard work, positioning myself where I could view what was happening to my house. I documented each window at the end of the day.
August 29, 2024 Day 4 of installation. Work continued. I stayed at home and did yard work. I documented each window at the end of the day. The work was remaining at the end of the day was staining the trim on the set of front room windows, replacing the back door, and doing the aluminum wrapping on the exterior of a few windows.
August 30, 2024 Day 5 of installation. I left for work about 9:30 am after the crew was on site. I realized I didn’t have anything in writing stating this was to be a full-frame replacement or why my full-frame replacement turned into an insert replacement. At 11:02 am I emailed the Pella salesperson for an explanation. At 12:29 pm I received a voicemail.
Hey Melissa, it’s [name] with Pella. I hope you are doing well. The easiest way you could explain that to your mom is full-frame replacement doesn’t always mean that all the trim gets replaced, even though we did all your trim on the inside was replaced. But full frame means that you are taking out the whole two window sashes and the guts and putting in a new window and new guts. And a pocket fit would mean that we would reuse your existing guts and just replace the sashes. So hopefully that will explain it. Just call me if you have any questions. Thank you and have a wonderful day.
I also received an email reply with similar information at 6:52 pm.
At 3:39 pm I received a text message saying the installation was complete.
September 2, 2024 At 1:15 pm I received a voicemail from the salesperson saying the installer was trying to get hold of me to sign off on the job and to pay the second half. (I didn’t realize I received this voicemail at the time because I was deep in documentation to meet the 7-day deadline for Pella.)
September 4, 2024 I received a text message from the installer wanting me to sign a “copy order completion form”. I did not respond because I felt I needed to deal directly with a Pella authority.
September 5, 2024 At 12:04 pm I called Pella Customer Support to ask how to report the problems in my installation. I received an email that I was instructed to reply to.
September 6, 2024 I replied to the email from Pella Customer Support with a link to a Google Drive folder of documentation. This included a huge number of photos and the explanation of problems that I later used to create this website. I stated in my complaint that I am asking for a refund and will be hiring another company to re-replace the windows.
September 9, 2024 I learned that I have a colleague who is suing Pella over her window situation. Same branch, different salesperson.
September 10, 2024 At 3:09 pm I received a voice message from a supervisor at the corporate office saying they have received my information, it will be forwarded to the local branch, and the branch will assist in getting a resolution.
September 12, 2024 At 2:13 pm I received a voicemail from a sales manager at the Lexington-Louisville branch asking me to call him. I also received the message at my office voicemail at 2:32 pm.
September 13, 2024 I called back the local sales manager at 2:53 pm and left a voicemail. He called me back at 4:36 pm and I answered. He said he had not yet read the documentation I submitted. I said that is the first step that needs to be done before we talk.
September 17, 2024 I called corporate Pella customer service at 11:44 am. I was very clear with the customer service representative that this is not a minor complaint. I verified she had access to the link to the Google Drive folder. I asked to be escalated to whatever division takes calls when shitshows happen. I was put on hold briefly. My call was forwarded to the Louisville showroom (Central Kentucky Pella). I asked for an update on my complaint. I was given the contact information for the production manager and told he is very busy. I wrote back to the corporate representative who emailed me on September 5 to inquire about their process for handling complaints to ask if this is solely the responsibility of local branches. (Apparently it is.)
September 18, 2024 At 11:26 am I received a call from the production manager from the local branch. He was apologetic. We arranged for him to come see my home.
September 26, 2024 I sent an email to Pella to opt out of the forced arbitration clause in the contract. Receipt of my email was confirmed on September 30. (There was only a short window of time to opt-out of this clause.)
October 2, 2024 Two representatives from the local Pella branch visited my home to see the installation work.
October 22, 2024 I wrote an email to inquire as to the status of the situation. I received a response saying “I apologize for the delay in getting back to you. I was in Iowa at a conference for the last week. I can appreciate your frustration. Ultimately, what we would like to do is order the correct materials, have our most experienced installation team install your new windows, and make everything right. I understand the frustration and I am terribly sorry that we failed to meet your expectations. I can assure you, we can and will make everything right.” I replied to state once again I am asking for a refund. (There is no way I am letting anyone associated with Pella back into my home to do anything to my house. I knew the project was not being done correctly on the second day of installation. That is when Pella should have stopped and brought in their most experienced team.)
October 31, 2024 Green Gables installed a ProVia door and un-installed the Pella disaster. Thank God I have a normal back door now.
November 8, 2024 I received a message from the local branch saying, “We are working on a solution that works for everyone. We just need a little more time to get everything together. I will keep you posted.”
November 20, 2024 I received a message from the local branch saying, “Just wanted you to know that we are still trying to work out a solution. We appreciate your patience while we resolve this issue.” (I wrote back to say that I am not really being patient, but just extremely busy with other matters at work. And that I hope that a refund will be issued soon so that I do not need to take the time and effort to escalate this matter in December.)
December 26–27, 2024 I created this website and filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau.
January 6, 2025 I received this message from the Better Business Bureau:
Thank you for your recent correspondence. I am writing to follow up with the concerns presented regarding [Melissa’s] sales and installation experience.
As the manufacturer, Pella Corporation provides our products to independently owned and operated Pella Window and Door stores. The sale and service of Pella products in her area is provided by Pella Windows & Doors of Louisville, KY. This location is responsible for addressing all sales and installation concerns generated by their team and/or warranty related concerns for their customers.
Pella Corporation is not a party to the purchase contract that [Melissa] entered with Pella Windows & Doors of Louisville, KY.
I have contacted the local sales team and learned that they have been in direct contact with [Melissa] and are close to reaching a final resolution to share with her. Should [Melissa] have any further questions or concerns, we encourage her to continue communicating with the local team as they are in the best position to assist her. They can be reached by calling (502) 240-5822.
Thank you for the opportunity to review this matter.
So I filed another complaint naming the Louisville branch.