Pacesetter Story: Total Breakdown
Ima Myself
go away. Most are good reads.
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Total Breakdown
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Wow, after reading your experience and the others we don't feel like
the lone stranger anymore. Here is our little to-do.
December 14th, 1994 we moved into our home on the 29th a Pacesetter
Sales Representative came over to show us their wares, (this was
unsolicited out of the blue) he had brought his wife out with him,
this was OK with us (we were excited about our new home and wanted to
show it off). We were talked into purchasing (7) 6000 series vinyluxe
double hung windows to be installed February 1st 1995. Windows in,
look great. The following winter 95/96 they started to fall apart. (We
were watching the tube when all of a sudden twing one of the windows
started to fall apart, counter spring went flying pulling the mullion
off of the window plastic pieces falling (they informed us that it was
not plastic but virgin vinyl, (they weren't that either those windows
sure screwed us).
We contacted The Pacesetter Corporation continually about the problem,
finally after we consented to getting a new front door they would fix
the windows.(we started having more problems the top windows would
start falling or when the bottoms were pulled down the top would
follow and the latches wouldn't lock)(they told us that that was
because our house was settling, its been in the same location since
1925 with foot thick basement walls) They put the new door in.
A short time later, a couple of days a Pacesetter technician came out
to fix the windows, boy did he fix them (if interested have photos) he
took drywall screws and screwed the upper windows shut. I was hot !!!
At this we wanted the windows out and our monies refunded, we
repeatedly called Pacesetter and got answers like: on vacation, out to
lunch, will call right back etc. They told us days that they would
call and my wife or I would take a day off of work and wait, no calls.
We thought that maybe if we stopped paying on the windows and door
that we would get some attention wrong, they informed us that they
took out a lien on our house and that they would foreclose on us. We
had to take out a loan to pay off Pacesetter.
Finally in July 1999 Bill Bowden (General Manager) came out and put in
new windows, the door had by then been replaced(it had been falling
apart). During the winter of 99/00 the windows started falling apart
again. Each time a sales person came out we showed him the windows
that were falling apart we got responses like: I've never seen
anything like that happen, I'll contact the company, if you buy more
windows or siding Pacesetter will fix them. Each and every salesperson
told us that they would contact Pacesetter about our problem and get
right back to us. We were even told that Pacesetter no longer made
vinyl windows that they were all fiberglass now.
After the windows were exchanged (we still just wanted them out and
our money back) we got a letter from Stanley M. Edelstein (Executive
Vice President) stating that.(postmarked 08-17-99 16:15)
1. Pacesetter will remove and replace all of the 7 vinylluxe 6000
windows on your home at no charge to you. If you are not satisfied
with the new windows, I will refund all amounts you have paid to
Pacesetter.
2. Subsequent to the installation of your new windows, you will have a
new warranty period during which the products will be covered by our
10 year limited warranty.
3. To compensate you to some extent for your inconvenience thus far,
Pacesetter will make the next 3 monthly payments to Federal
Diversified Services(FDS) on your behalf. In other words, a credit in
the amount of $482.31 will be applied to your account.
As promised in my letter of July 19, a credit in the amount of $321.54
already has been applied to your account with FDS, which represents a
credit for two monthly payments.(We had already paid Pacesetter in
full prior to this letter whose pocket did that money go in, not
ours?)
After the windows started falling apart and we showed the first
salesperson the problems, my stepmother suffered a stroke, we needed
to go down to Milwaukee WI and were afraid that the broken window
would fallout (winter 99/00 Northern WI) I was forced to make
modifications in the house to lose one window.
Friday July 19th 2002 I called Mr. Edelstein he wasn't in and would
call back Friday July 26th Mr. Bowden called and spoke to my wife and
that he "Mr. Bowden" would call back on 7/29 or 7/30 no calls 7/30 I
called "Mr Bowden" the morning of 7/31 (1-800-666-8581) his secretary
said that Mr.Bowden would call me right back. At approximately. 4pm I
got tired of waiting and called Mr. Bowden back he said that would be
out to pick up the windows and refund all of our money.
Friday August 2, 2002 approximately. 11:30 am Mr. Bowden called and
said that they weren't coming over to take back the windows and that
he wasn't in a position to refund our money that Pacesetters legal
obligation had been met.
We got legal counsel and they advised us to get in contact with the
Wisconsin Attorney General. So we sent them copies of all of our
correspondences and now we are waiting. Is it worth while to contact
the BBB?
We will be happy to send copies of all of our correspondences if you
would like.
Editor's note: This post has only been altered from the original
version to remove the sender's name and e-mail. Spelling and grammar
have not been corrected.