More than 80 complaints filed against Menomonee Falls window company for failure to deliver after payment

 

WAUKESHA COUNTY, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Imagine paying thousands of dollars for something and then never receiving it. That's what a Waukesha County couple says happened to them after ordering new windows for their home.

It's been more than a year, but Bryan and Lynne Scharpf are still waiting for the 24 windows they ordered from a company called Window Select.

The couple says in March of 2021, they were looking to replace the windows on their home that had been built in 1994. They say a rep came out to give an estimate and they signed a contract for the work to be done.

The Scharpfs say they paid the down payment on a credit card and financed the rest of the amount through the finance company used by Window Select.

"I believe the total was $23,000," said Lynne.

After numerous promises to install, the couple says they were given excuse after excuse, but Window Select never showed up to install their windows and still have not confirmed any delivery dates.

The Scharpf family is just one of dozens who have filed complaints about Window Select with Wisconsin's Better Business Bureau.
"I can tell you that the current letter grade for Window Select is an F and that's BBB's lowest grade," said Lisa Schiller, director of investigations for the Better Business Bureau of Wisconsin.

Schiller says most complainants state that the consumer ordered windows or doors and were provided a delivery date range, but in most cases the products never came. In October of 2021, the BBB revoked Window Select's accreditation for failure to adhere to BBB standards. The reason for that action is largely due to the lack of response from the company to its many complaints.

Since 2020, at least 87 complaints against Window Select have been reported to the BBB. "We have received 24 complaints so far since January 1 of this year," said Schiller.

The BBB has notified Window Select of the concern and says the company has responded to some complaints, but there are more than a dozen complaints they have not responded to.

"As far as the complaints the company has responded to, the company places blame on the manufacturer," said Schiller. She says some jobs have since been completed, but most have not.

"It’s one thing to have supply and demand issues. It’s one thing to have errors, they happen but...how you handle them," said Bryan Scharpf.

The family says the situation has left them frustrated and exhausted. "We went through this winter and it was cold, and heating prices were high, which is the main reason we wanted to save money with new windows that were more energy efficient," said Lynne.

The Scharpf family says they have since found the manufacturer that Window Select uses and were told that their windows are ready but that Window Select has yet to pay for them.

"They're taking people's money early on before the windows are even in, so they have everybody's money," said Lynne. The family says attempts to resolve the issue with Window Select have been unsuccessful thus far.

The couple has since disputed the charges for the windows they never received with their credit card and finance companies and they now have a lawyer involved.

The family says they also noticed that even though they signed their purchase contract, Window Select never signed it.

The Scharpfs say they have been in touch with many other families who are having similar issues with the company. The BBB encourages anyone who has not filed a complaint, to do so.

CBS 58 made multiple attempts to reach Window Select for comment but our requests have not yet been returned.