Pella Windows Consumer Reviews

FALL RIVER, MASSACHUSETTS -- Gene ** came to my house in November. I picked out a door with milk glass and mahogany stain to be install by the end of December or Early January. Pella kept delaying the install date and couldn't get the door. On the day of the install after taking a day out of work they called and canceled yet again. It took another two weeks to finally get the door from them and it wasn't a low quality door. It wasn't stained and had the wrong glass installed. The stain was only inside the trim. Gene ** refused to take any responsibility for the door mistakes. The door itself doesn't close or seal like Pella doors I've purchased 15 years ago. The quality of the door and certainly the customer service is much lower.

BOTHELL, WASHINGTON -- This is indicative of a $100k Pella project with 41 new windows. Our painter refused to paint over this smearing of caulk. Letters to Pella's CEO and to Pella's Retail Project Coordinator have given NO replies. Cost of re-dos on this job are in excess of $3200.00 now. Our local Pella salesman is livid, and very apologetic. But he can't get any action. Cornelius, Oregon.

Tom

TORONTO -- We recently upgraded our windows. After much research, we decided to go with Pella, despite the fact that they were nearly double the cost of the cheapest quote. Almost all of the reviews were positive. The sales process was fine but rather long but once we had signed the deal and paid our money the games began. We had a deadline to meet as we were having visitors from overseas and we didn't want construction going on while our guests were with us.

Without going into a long winded summary of the day to day issues we had with trying to get a response from Pella, I will tell you that we had our installation date changed 4 times and delayed nearly a month. We called everyone we could at Pella but got nothing and no one seemed to know what was going on. No one could help.

As a result we decided to call the CEO, only to be told he doesn't talk to customers. To me the only reason a business exists is to satisfy customers. If that's not happening then the CEO had better be involved. This to me is the height of arrogance and is where the lack of customer focus begins. This company is on the slippery slope. We then wrote a very courteous letter to both the CEO and the Chairman. To date we have not had the courtesy of a response. This was more than a month ago, so there is no excuse.

The installation was fine and in fact the installer was exceptional but he is an independent and doesn't work for Pella. The windows look great and come with a great warranty but I can tell you that we would never recommend Pella to anyone. They are too big, too arrogant and too impersonal and their service is no better than Rogers. The interesting thing is that we have told a lot of people about Pella's terrible service but almost no one about the windows. My wife tells anyone who will listen.

I have read that angry customers tell 10 times as many people about their experience as do happy customers. I guess this item is proof of that. Think very carefully before you go with this company. I believe that management has lost sight of the customer and that can never be a good thing.

PELLA, IOWA -- DON'T use Pella. I purchased eight windows and three patio sliding glass doors from Pella for over $17,000 (before discounts), which were installed in November 2014. When the black PVC trim on the patio sliding door warped, I found out that Pella had knowingly installed a defective product. According to a Pella Senior Logistics Supervisor, “When PVC is painted brown or black, it was [will] absorb so much heat that it will warp...” Pella knew the PVC trim would warp and installed it anyway.

After I made a warranty claim in November 2016, it took over six months for Pella to complete the repair. They brought the wrong part to the first appointment, and after a month, when I contacted them to inquire on the repair's status, I was told that it “fell through the cracks” and the matter would be escalated.

Pella then canceled the second repair appointment because they did not have enough material, and the third appointment was canceled because not all the repair material was painted. Pella finally installed a replacement material on the fourth appointment, but the material did not work. So a fifth appointment was scheduled to repair the trim, and then a sixth to paint the repaired area.

When I contacted the General Sales Manager of the Pella store where I purchased the windows and patio sliding doors to discuss some of these issues, he was, in my opinion, adversarial, disrespectful and rude. His responses gave me the impression that Pella was not going to take any responsibility for its numerous mistakes.

In summary, (1) Pella knowingly installed defective material; (2) Pella's customer service on this warranty repair was atrocious; (3) I had to take personal time off work numerous times (which I can never get back) trying to get this repair completed, which was delayed over and over due solely to Pella's errors; and (4) it took more than six months for this repair to be completed as a result of Pella's mistakes. Pella's marketing materials state that "At Pella, we're committed to doing things right..." However, my installation and their customer service was not "done right."

KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE -- We purchased a house with Pella Windows. First of all, forget about buying parts, in my case, it was a simple hand crank and plastic base, which was cracked. AND you cannot get parts ANYWHERE but Pella. Wanted me to wait 3 days for service to call me back about what I needed. We're talking about a $2 cracked piece of plastic. Would not send me to service, I had to fill out a form. Second, one of our windows had been broken. It was going to be 2 weeks for a service call, 2 to 3 more weeks for a replacement window to be ordered and installed. It was a kitchen window! What do you do for 5 weeks? We called a local window dealer, ordered the window and replaced in in ONE week. I have the PRO line. They are covered with aluminum.

When the "aftermarket" window guy came to replace the glass, he showed me massive rot that was already happening in the bottom sash of the window. I assume this is happening to every window in the house. There's nothing to divert the water away from the sash, it just soaks in behind the Aluminum. The windows are only 10 years old, they are very nice and very expensive, but they are poorly constructed. Not to mention the worst customer service I've ever experienced, just to get a service call....or parts.

PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA -- I purchased Pella Windows to enclose my porch last July - a $22,000 project. The hardware on one of the windows is missing or defective so the window will not remain in place. The installer has been told by Pella many times that the hardware was on the way, went to wrong address, and many other excusing. Now in February, Pella wants me to send them a picture of the missing hardware. (How does one take a picture of something that is missing?) So they want to schedule a call to determine what that might be - next available slot is 2 months from now. What a joke. Never buy from Pella.

WINNETKA, ILLINOIS -- We recently had new windows installed at our home. We chose Pella due to the high quality product and warranty - thus paying a premium for the new windows. The product turned out great - however the installment caused a number of collateral damage on the inside of our house. Fist sized holes punched next to the trim surrounding the windows. It took Pella 3 months to respond to picture and service request to fix. We were only looking for the walls to be repaired - as didn't think or was made aware by Pella salesperson this might happen.

Again, going with Pella - premium player in the space thought we were covered and would be serviced, however, Pella service center would not fix the problem resulting in the responsibility of the homeowner. I just wanted new windows and paid a handsome price - but now I need to find a drywall provider to fix the issue. Not something I had planned for and surprised as well as very disappointed in Pella. Bottom line, don't have Pella install windows as they don't stand behind their work!!!

ROGERS CITY, MICHIGAN -- We had 8 windows and 2 doors replaced. 3 of the windows came as wrong size. Pella salesman did the measuring. He said that we couldn't anything about it. Called Pella management. Got results. They replaced and returned the wrong sized windows. Also, windows showed up with broken weather seals, missing weather seals, the piece where the jamb extensions attach to on the sliding door was not connected. I had to attach it so the the jamb extension could be put on. Workmanship on these so called top of the windows is terrible. When I called the sale person that the windows were the wrong size, he said and I quote "This is why I don't like dealing with homeowners". That there is really bad for the Pella company.

ROCKY HILL, CONNECTICUT -- I purchased the Pella windows because they were toted as being fiberglass and the best thing on the market. I had a Pella installer put them in. This year I noticed the actual fiberglass frame of the window was separating at the corner. I called to inquire if someone could come out to take a look. I wanted to give them the opportunity to resolve this issue. Unfortunately for me, the windows are just over the warranty so they will not help me. I also called the company in Monroe CT that installed them and they redirected me to corporate. In this day and age where reviews mean so much, I was surprised they were totally willing to blow me off, which is what they did.

NORTH CANTON, OHIO -- We built our home 15 yrs. ago. All the windows are Pella and all the windows are now rotting. We have sanded and refinished 3 times, and have just realized the wood is rotting from the inside because all of the windows were improperly sealed.

We went to the local Pella store today and it was locked up tight. We called and no one answered. We left a message and no one has even bothered to call us back. We also called the Akron store and got no answer. You shouldn't have to replace all of your windows after only 15 yrs. Not only do you have crappy merchandise, your customer service is even worse. Needless to say, we will never purchase anything from you again.