The Good
Felix the salesperson was great at the beginning. We opted for triple glazed and went through each window, how it was to open, in detail.
The price was negotiated to one we were happy with and we liked the quality of the windows. A key selling point for us was the fact our California shutters would be reinstalled on the new windows. As Felix said, Ecotech are one of the few companies that do this.
On the installation day, the installers were very good. They worked hard and were very friendly. The framing work done around the windows was excellent.
The bad
1. One window was broken in transit. Well, It happens and in fairness it was dealt with well. Straight forward construction of a new window. The broken one was still installed on the day and made watertight. The new window was installed a month later as scheduled.
2. The kitchen window opened a different way than we had ordered.
3. We realized at the final inspection that all of the California shutters that were reinstalled, had been cut to fit the new windows. This had been done without asking or telling us it would be done. They hadnt been cut symmetrically, and were basically ruined.
Some of the cuts made to our shutters were truly appalling. In fairness to Ecotech , they eventually- eventually being the operative word- compensated us for this by removing the cost of new shutters from the final payment but here comes the fugly.
The fugly
Following the above issues we phoned the company at the earliest opportunity which was 2 days after the installation. (Windows were installed on a Saturday)
We were told to send an email with our issues. No one seemed at all concerned with our issues. So we sent an email which included photos. I thought it strange no one wanted to speak directly to us about it. So I called the sales rep and he said this was normal procedure but suggested another email address, as it would be looked at sooner. When told of the shutters being cut, he sounded genuinely surprised and said he would inform his boss. So a manager was likely told 2 days after the installation, what had happened.
What followed was pretty much 6 weeks of being ignored. In 6 weeks we received one phone call. We called weekly but no one was available when we called. Our messages, left each time with an employee, went unanswered.
We emailed 3 separate times with pictures of the windows. No response.
A month went by and then someone turned up at our house, completely unannounced-no call, no email-to look at the shutters.
Almost 7 weeks after the installation someone called Maris called. And over the period of a week a resolution was finally reached. We were compensated for the replacement of our shutters, after an initial low ball offer, but our kitchen window still opened the wrong way.
I know what we asked for,
I know what we discussed with sales and the guy who came to measure the windows.
I know how the window was supposed to open, prior to signing the contract.
But it still opens the wrong way.
Ecotech informed us- 7 weeks after the installation- that all window openings drawn on the contract should be viewed from the outside and it was pointed out to me that this is written on the contract pages. And so it is. In nice tiny writing at the bottom of the page above the company logo. So tiny I hadnt spotted it before when repeatedly reading over the contract. And no one mentions this to you at all, when they discuss openings with you from the inside of your house.
From a positive beginning with Felix to a positive-ish end with Maris, this whole experience left a really bad taste in our mouths and caused unnecessary stress for what is a large purchase.
The customer service truly sucks.
All our issues could have been resolved with a little communication and a site visit within a week. Instead it was dragged on by Ecotech for many weeks, which is a real shame, because the product itself seems really good and other than the issues mentioned above, we are very happy with them. If only the customer service matched the product.
