Penguin Windows review: FRAUD---CHEET---WASTE OF MONEY---LIE---LIE---LIE. 49

i admit some of the sales rep are sleazy. but most of them are honest people who are just trying to make a living. the only reason they are pushy is because penguin windows trained them that way. pw also have a policy where the sale reps have to close the deal the same day or else someone else will come and do a re-hash (pretty much come lower the price and steal the sale)

33 monthly is impossible because that would mean a project worth 3000, which is impossible because Penguin won't even consider a project less than $6, 000. For a 6 month Deferred monthly my rep told me Penguin foots the bill because the bank requires 9% either way, so they don't ever do that unless its an extreme case. Rates for projects btw are anywhere from 0.012 to 0.0175, depending on the size of deposit, which ranges up to 10% of total project cost. if anyone thinks the penguin window is a rip off I was sold on these features alone, consider this friends...

What other window company uses triple pane with 98% krypton, quad layered soft Low-E coating giving an R-value of 10 in glass to a beefy frame using 5-6 times more titanium oxide in the 100% newly composited vinyl frame weighing 2-3 times more than any other competitors frame and insulated with special r-23 insulation and fiberglass reinforcement I-beams?

Also an installation crew with all AAMA certification, every crew paid by the hour to maintain consistent quality, double checked by foremen. In installation they take out your rotted wood from your crappy windows and replace those parts of your wall that have rotted away with fresh wood free of charge, then use the most expensive caulking and silicone to seal your windows.

How else does a company guarantee lifetime transferable warranty against accidental and intentional damage/breakage from glass packs, leakage, frame, everything, without running themselves out of business? Quality that's in their best interest? What do you think? Do you think that they'd do everything in their power to have the strongest float glass in the industry, and the most impeccable frame in the industry as to avoid excessive warranty claims? This company has flourished for 26 years and growth has multiplied. Folks, when do you ever see any company scam their way through 26 years?

How else does a company guarantee 40% minimum energy savings and pay the difference without literally throwing money away?

If you realize that Penguin is not a business set up to fail, you'll see why all these posters are unfortunately misinformed, or working as industry saboteurs.

Companies like Milgard and champion are the ones scamming innocent homeowners. An easy example we look at window composition process. Chalk is used to color Vinyl. Its cheap, but brittle. Companies like Milgard dump vinyl into their mixes and create a very cheap product, and you'll notice the random breakages you see after 8-10 years. These reps take a heat lamp and tell folks during presentation that their Low-E double panes are just as good as Penguin's quad soft coat Low-E triple pane by using a lamp and a BTU meter. Results come out the same and they say the Penguin is overpriced and a huge ripoff. What those reps scam you about is that Low E shows reflectivity of light, not the transference of heat, which is why your energy bills are high. The penguin window uses roughly 3 times the weight in vinyl, and this is 100% virgin vinyl (virgin vinyl is made of little interweaving fibers), not 40-60$ ground up recycled vinyl, and this vinyl is a sunlight proof acryllic hardened vinyl, giving it long lasting structural integrity.

What's a bigger ripoff, investing twice as much for a product that lasts 50+ years 100% fully warrantied and giving you full equity waiting for the day you move places, or replacing your 8-10 year window 5 times and having a warranty says lifetime, but covers nothing, not even wear and tear from normal use.

You folks are the jury.

Look up builder's grade, homeowner's grade, wood windows, superior vinyl windows, cost out the aggregate expense over 50 years and you will see why Penguin's composite Uniframe is a competition destroyer.

I use to have Milgard vinyls for a while and after a few years, I felt drafts and my house was getting colder and colder every month with my furnace on max! it turns out that window expansion and contraction broke the seals around the edges. Anyways...

I had a Penguin appointment last night. They did not come off like rude salesmen at all, more like a window consultant. Everything he said did point towards penguin, but he had evidence from cross sections of other windows, glass differences, etc. bottom line, it has an insulating factor of 10, my drywall is 12 so this is pretty good. Any other window on the market is r-4.2, and I've done my research! The PVC is the same vinyl as any other windows except that they extracted the petroleum and mixed acryllics and hardeners into it. The same material they use in the windows is boeing 747 fuselages, thats nothing to laugh about. The insulation in their frames is the same in your refrigerator. This window is no joke. They guaranteed me 40% minimum energy savings or pay the difference, and in the course of 10 years i'm set to save over 20k. I called my real estate agent today, he checked with his office and did comfirm that with any new gas filled window the price of the home will increase 118% on average, depending on the consumer reports expected lifespan on the window. So for a Milgard builder's grade window 8-10 year shelf life, 110% will remain until that shelf life expires. The penguin window will retain the 118% for 50+ years. With all the evidence I've gathered and reserach I've done, I am completely convinced I have just purchased the best product on the market today. I also know why Penguin gets alot of flak.

Penguin, has a product that costs about 5-6 times more to make. The only way people will buy is if there are sales people doing door to door appointments. This makes lots of sense. Would the majority of people going to Lowe's pick up a 2, 000 window, or would you go with the 150 window? At a hardware store, no financing and no custom sizes. The reason why BBB has complaints with Penguin is because they are one of the only window people who do in house demonstrations. Folks they are selling you on an home investment, not a cheap vinyl window that you will complain about. These windows dont break and if you do happen to break them in any way from now until the end of your life and the next houseowner's life, they have their AAMA certified team replace it in 72 hours. No other window company does that. No other window company promises 40% energy usage reduction with a 55% reduction average. No other window company has an R value higher than 4.2, which Penguin has 10. No other window company uses krypton gas, which is 160 times heavier than air, argon is 40 times heavier than air. Some brands carry krypton/argon mix which makes no sense because if argon is lighter won't it rise to the top and doesn't heat rise to the top as well? Krypon is expensive, the amount of frame material on Penguin is second to none, and if it wasn't absolutely the best, they wouldn't be forced to do in-home sales calls to put up 60m a year figures with 4 offices. Many times when one house had their windows put in, i've seen other houses get them too because they do look unique in quality. They have a slight greenish reflection from the outside.

I got a 25$ gas card but thats just a gimmick to get an in-home demonstration right away. I asked the rep the average person that buys and he said it was around 1/4. That's a damn good pitch/sales ratio.

I also did the math, Price wise, Penguin windows costs just as much as a 8-10 year milgard window over the course of 50+ years. Additionally, with all the extra comfort, beauty, safety features, and energy savings, I'm literally on a path to make money.

Every sales based company has its bad salesman, and so every sales centered company is going to get more flak than a Home Depot supplier. No balls, no glory. If you got a bad rep, you didn't see the true potential of the Penguin.

In respects to this claim, he is completely misinformed. Maxus 10 is the glass pack technology, just like "flex fuel" for Ford. Penguin is also in partnership with Great Lakes Windows, they are the exclusive supplier of their Uniframe line nationwide. Without Penguin, Great Lakes Windows probably would not survive. So no they are not a rebranded window, nor is Penguin a distributor.

In respects to the energy inspection, the rep showed me alot of very subjective information, he ran a thermo through the areas and found the leaks. I thank him for that.

The measuring sheet has 2 inches added to account for a 1 inch frame border on each side, and I watched the guy measure.

The only thing he is right about is the appointment, which took 3 hours for me, but that was with me asking lots and lots of questions and talking to him along the way. Even though they do mislead saying its only a 90 minute appointment, I would have to admit I would never agree to a 3 hour appointment. SO this is a canvassing tactic, not the sales rep's fault. Every sales person lies about appointment times though, remember the last time you went to the bank, and everyone there told you it would only take 10 minutes to get your new credit card...ended up taking an hour and a half. So that's sales, what can you say.

Penguin is a solid company, and every sales company has a few bad apples. They're probably kicked out after a few weeks anyways. I hope everyone gets an appointment atleast.

I will tell you this much that the man tha wrote this original commett was in charge of a divison where he was let go due to Tardiness and also lack of motivation and where he is now going out to his old customers and he is now working for West Coast Vinvyl on 19th in lakewood, wa. It is easy for an ex-employee to say something bad about a company after they are let go at that point.

Agree! One star is too many. They will over sell, over measure over price and cheat you every time. Read other reviews & check with the BBB for complaints. Positive reviews are written by the company employees.

WASTE OF COMPANY TIME, AND MY TIME.

I was at P.W. for a job interview!?
I was not greeted at the front door when I went in.

Many(6-7) people were scurrying around from door to door, office to office, laughing, giggling, and just being unproductive as one could be. I was there for 12 minutes before a young lady(sara?) about 18 years old came by and said: "what are you here for?" I said I had an interview scheduled at ____pm. She said: "oh...just fill the app out and sit down". I did. I then waited another 16 minutes. Nothing happened, no one checked on me.
I left after spending almost34 minutes there waiting after my Appointed time. Rude, inconsiderate, childish, unprofessional, lackadaisical, unkept personnel is what I encountered. I certainly did not want to waste any more of my time at this place!

My question is: After seeing this company first hand how they handle their staff, and prospective staff members, why would I recommend them to anyone to do a window replacement? CAN You say UNPROFESSIONAL ?

I agree with the poster. We had a Penquin window rep come by and
asked it we wanted to have a sales rep come by and he would give us
a $25 gas card. we said ok. No harm listening to a guy for 90 minutes
right? WRONG WRONG WRONG the Salesman who worked out of thier
Lakewood, WA Office, He did his song and dance and when we said no
thanks when We were told the price, then came the High pressure sales
he even called another saleman in the area. When He told us that he
could help us finace it for 1% intrest, 6mos no paments and no intrest
we told him he could measure one window and give us a quote. When
he came back with the price it was $ 3, 000 for just one window. But,
he said over and over again, " Your payent will only be $33.00 per month. My wife was still saying no way but like a fool I believed his
quote. Turnes out not only did he lie about the price but the part on
the contract where he was supposed to put the Finacne code ( they have may finace plans) it was left blank and no description of the
plan. After three months we started getting bills from GE Credit and the Payments were three times the agreed upon amount. When we
complainded to Penguin Windows, Lakewood, they said the contract was fine and nothing wrong. After many calls and complants we filed
a compalint with the State Attorney General. They wrote a letter to Peguin and then the manager for Penquine came to our house to give us "thier copy" which was the one the salesman had falseafied. Long story but the end result is that Penguin window salesmen lie lie lie don't belive a word they say.

As a current Sales Consultant with Penguin Windows, I am going to stick my neck out and try to give a fair view of our company and product, and address a few of the complaints stated. As a pastor for the last 8 ½ years, now taking a break from ministry, my wife and I wrestled with the decision to enter the world of sales because of the exact things that are written in some of the negative reviews. I can now say, almost a year later, that I have nothing but praise for this company. I have seen very few companies that emphasize integrity, honesty, delivering on what is promised, customer satisfaction, and excellence like Penguin does. I am very proud of this company! From the classiness and sincerity of our owner, the quality of leadership in our top management, the superiority of our product, to the “go the extra mile” mentality and the supremacy of our installation department—this company is 2nd to none! Please understand that we are a HUGE company! As the 2nd largest window replacement company in America, we employ just under 600 people out of 4 offices nationally. We have earned the business of over 21, 000 clients in just the last 5 years (and have been in business for 24 years)! We were just featured in Remodeling Magazine as one of the Top 50 Movers and Shakers in the remodeling industry nationwide. As of April 8th, 2008, we have zero (0) unresolved cases with the BBB. That is astounding! I have reviewed every website that I can find, and read every customer review, and have found an equal amount of praise to the complaints. What we know about praise vs. complaint ratios is that those who are satisfied/happy are far less apt to crow about it than those who are upset. Meaning, there are multitudes who could write in and set the record straight, but don’t feel the need to do it. We often get these praises as personal letters sent directly to the office, directly to the consultant and/or installation team involved in the project. For those of you who have been the victims of the pushy, sleazy, rude salesman/woman, I apologize on behalf of them. These types rarely last more than a month or two with our company…just long enough to tarnish the reputation of our company and of all the great reps that we do employ. These types do not characterize the vast majority of our sales force. For those who have sat through a presentation that was longer than expected, I again apologize. We are working to reduce the amount of information that we know is necessary for homeowners to make a solid, informed decision about such a large investment. In all fairness to us, a fair portion of the time spent in many of our visits is in interaction that is stimulated by homeowners who have questions, sad stories of other remodeling projects, etc… Finally, regarding the price of our windows…we will never be your lowest bid. We make that clear from the outset. But, cost for value, you won’t get a better window anywhere. Period! You get what you pay for, and there is a lot of snake oil in this industry. Knowing what I know, I can say unequivocally, there is not another window that I would put in my home, despite the cost...and there is not another company that I would trust more to install, guarantee and service my windows. I trust that these sincere judgments of our company will be a help to someone contemplating a window project with Penguin Windows. Russ De Vos Penguin Windows Sales Consultant
Published 9 months ago by Russ D. Less