Ray M.
Zero stars for RbA
Zero stars! We have beautiful wood windows since 1996. The south-facing windows needed replacement. In March, 2024 we contacted RbA. The job was mostly completed by September, 2024. Composite was sold to us as being zero maintenance and lucky for us, we were told, one of their composite colours was a close match. It was dark outside--we were shown the colours on an iPad. We trusted that the salesman, Cody knew his product. We were given a price but it was only for this evening.These are very expensive windows, about $30,000 for five windows so this “discount” was significant. We felt like we were in a time-share sales-pitch and Cody laughed and said he had heard that before.This is where we made a very big, out-of-character mistake. We normally obtain at least three quotes.But this sales tactic of offering a price tonight (at 9 pm) that is not valid tomorrow worked on us. We signed a contract without other quotes. We should have declined immediately and shown Cody the door. Once you sign, you have no recourse.The windows are custom-made. Anything you did not consider and any trust you put in the salesman and the company are on you. Several days after the contract was signed, Dustin came to measure. He brought up many details that were not even discussed by Cody. If not for him, we would have even more problems. The windows were to be installed on July 9. When the installers got here, we were shocked to see the colour was a lighter brown with reddish tone—not even close to the dark chocolate brown windows we currently have. We were dismayed.The installers were reluctant to install them, due to the obvious colour mismatch.There is a colour on their brochure that is a very close match to our current original windows, Dark bronze. We assume this is the colour Cody had referred to in his sales-pitch, but wrote down the wrong colour, Coco Bean. We had not memorized the names of the colours. We trusted the company would make it right as it was clearly an error. We called RbA and the install was cancelled while they decided what to do. They referred to the signed contract and said they delivered what was signed. We spoke with the salesman, Cody who reluctantly admitted that this was “not the best colour choice”. That’s as close to an apology that we got from anyone in the company. After much discussion, “out of goodwill”, they offered to pay to have the five windows painted on the exterior. They referred to this “gesture-of-goodwill” repeatedly. The window installation was delayed until Sept. We are shocked by RbA customer service, they took no responsibility for the advice given to us by their salesman and referred to the signed contract over and over again. No one from RbA came to our home to meet with us or actually look at the windows. We were bullied on the phone by everyone we spoke with. They promised they were on our side but gave us nothing other than painted composite windows which will now require maintenance. They say they want “respectful” communication which is a hard pill to swallow when this company holds all the power and you as the customer have none. Needless to say, interactions with them became contentious. Being consistently talked down to in a patronizing manner created a very unpleasant experience. Being told too many times to count, that we signed the contract and we should be grateful for them paying to paint the windows, is crazy-making. We have had many dealings with many contractors and businesses over the years. We have never had any interactions like this. But with this company, our frustration got the better of us and some conversations became hostile and out of our nature. I used some strong language. I take responsibility for that. It would be nice if the company took responsibility for their part in creating this defensive, uncompromising, legalistic and bullying approach which created the problem in the first place. Our experience with RbA has been negative in all ways.If anything goes wrong or there is a mistake,it will be your problem.There will be no accountability on their part. We will never let anyone from this company walk through our doors again.