Penguin Windows

Good: nothing. Bad: they sell under false pretense. No bank is going to try to guess how much a window is worth. It is a scam, and don't take the bait. Then they have a crock about some 11 percent off discount story!. Improvements: close them down. more

Last night my wife and I sat through the presentation for the windows. Our house is only 9 yrs old and when we were approached at BJ's Wholesale, we were really only interested in a sliding door for our room that goes out onto our deck. The woman said that would be ok, and the presentation would last 60-90 min, so we made the appointment. We got a call to confirm the appointment, not once but 3 or 4 times. This began to annoy me. One more time and I would have canceled. Well anyway, the salesman show up and right from the start we told him that we were only interested in the sliding glass door with screen. He seemed put out because we weren't interested in replacing all our windows. I also told him that we wanted to learn about the slider and not to go into all the info about the company, in order to save time. Again he seemed insulted because we didn't want to spend time, learning about the company. He had a hard time trying to cut his presentation. I could go on and on, but to get to the chase, I found that the windows seemed to very good but the price was overly expensive. My wife left the room and we were already over the 90 min time frame. I also told him that I wasn't going to sign any contract, no matter what the price. Again he was insulted because I wouldn't agree on a slider that started at $6700 and after all kinds of discounts, ended up at around $4500. I actually compared him to a Time share salesperson and that's the type of pressure he came across with. Don't they realize that people don't have a money tree and that most of us need to compare before we sign an agreement. Maybe the product is a good one but the salespeople with their pressure tactics just turn people off. They say that out of 10 presentations they get 3 that are interested and 2 sign and 1 is on the fence. Maybe they should work as fair business people and follow up after a first presentation. They don't do that because the price is so expensive and they try to show you that you will make up the saving on energy costs, then they try to nail you. I'm sure you will save on energy but maybe over a much longer period of time. I have no experience on the actual windows performance or the installation. My final word to all: BE CARFULL and DON'T GET TAKEN IN more

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 more

I feel disgusted and violated, not to mention stupid. We had the free inspection and estimate promised by the salesperson at K-mart, followed by an unexpected demonstration by a very personable salesman...who would not take no for an answer! He was in our home from 7:00pm to 11:30pm!!!! We were all exhausted and just wanted to go to bed. Needless to say, we got talked into buying $18,000 worth of windows(which started out at $22,000, but decreased with "discounts" with every no answer). Thank God for Massachusetts Law, We are backing out after hearing about several bad installs in our area causing thousands of dollars worth of damage to local homes which, of course, weren't covered under the warranty). Don't fall for it!!!! Great windows, bad sales tactics and bad installers. more

I've had several kids knock on my door trying to sell window appointments. I'm not in the market for windows right now, I explained. These kids continued to pressure over and over to the point that I had to just close the door on them. It's disgusting when you are pushed to be rude, we have enough rudeness in the world. There were several kids infultrating the neighborhood. High Pressure is not going to sell me windows! I'm turned off and when I am ready for windows I will not allow Penguin to quote. more

You can tell a lot of these bashing reviews are from competitors... They say things like " I threw the guy out of my house," and "they use subcontractors" but how would someone who said "NO" know anything about that. For the record they do not use subcontractors. I don't work there but I used to. I think these negative reviewers are mostly industrial saboteurs out to hurt their rival. They're fakes. more

DISGUSTING APPROACH! I have never been treated so poorly. In addition I was told they did NOT use sub-contractors. THAT IS A LIE!!! BLATANT LIE!! Don't worry though it appears to be the theme of this company. When in doubt lie. Then when cornered on a specific question lie some more. This seems to be the approach these people employ. EXTREMELY HIGH PRESSURE!!! I would not recommend this company to my worst enemy. The window is a decent window but not for $1600 a piece. I found MANY similar windows in the Boston area for half as much and some even less. I'm still so upset from last night I can't see straight. They told me they didn't use subcontractors, but apparently that's all they use at the DANVERS office. In my opinion this type of lie is unforgivable and I also will NOT be shopping at Kmart any more since they support this type of company. The presentation was 2 hours past what I was told on the phone when I set the appointment. When I said I wasn't prepared to give up over $32000 for 20 average sized windows, the salesman became extremely rude, and threw the papers on the floor like a 3 year old throwing a temper tantrum then stormed out. I will be sending a copy of this review to Kmart as well so they know whats happening to their customers. more

I would like to thank the sales reps for coming out last night and showing us the Penguin Windows. We have decided that we want Penguin Windows installed in our house. Here is the one thing that we have a problem with. When you came you said that there was no High pressure sales, but when you left my wife felt pressured. If we wanted a good deal then we needed to buy the windows last night. this was not fair as you knew we had not eaten. I do not buy a car on an empty stomach. So seeing that we are looking ar your windows, how long do we need to wait to have you come back and get offered these discounts again? If I wait a year can I get the 22% discount that you offered again? Thank you, Dave Harrington 3-5-08 more

So the "sales pitch" is a little long... Would you rather be educated or not? Do you want to put a quality product into (probably) you biggest investment?? If you want long lasting quality, then buy penguin. If you want cheap price, get a sub contractor, it's as simple as that. You get what you pay for, especially in home improvement. I am a general contractor of 22 years and I have seen what goes into houses now-a-days. I sat through the pitch and paid top dollar. I know one thing, my home has great windows and I'll never spend another dime on them!! more

I recently had an appointment with Penguin Windows. I reluctantly filled out a card in Kmart, and the next thing I knew they were at my house. I never really thought about changing my windows, and made it perfectly clear when we started the presentation that I would not buy anything. The salesman said "that was fine, but I'll show you some information anyways". The 60-90 min presentation I was promised turned into 3 hours, which was mostly due to us joking around. Gary and Mickey were very funny and entertaining. They were extremely knowledgeable, and very persuasive. When everything was said and done, we decided that it was a good idea to buy the windows. At first, it was way too expensive, but after the discounts and financing, it did fit my budget. It's been my experience that most things that are demonstrated in home tend to be more expensive, but I have yet to see any product that comes close to this one. I am a pretty good negotiator, and managed to get a stellar deal for an incredible product. I love my new windows, the presentation did take a while, but all of our questions were answered. A couple weeks later, we had noticed a problem with out trim, we called them and they came out and fixed everything, without a problem. more

I was one of the unfortunate who got suckered into their "one and a half hour" sales presentation. It actually took no less than 4 hours!!! When we made the appointment, we had asked for ONLY a price to replace 2 broken windows we had. When they confirmed the appt., we again expressed that we didn't want the whole presentation and just bid for 2 broken windows. When the salesman arrived we AGAIN explained that we didn't need or want his regular presentation but just a quick bid on the 2 broken windows. "Sure. No problem," he said. But then he somehow still managed to rope us into the full presentation before we realized what was going on. After 45 minutes, we realized he was going after the entire presentation we just figured we'd let him continue. After all, they said it would be only 1.5 hours total. Throughout his entire presentation, he said several times that at the end he just wanted a simple YES or NO from us - no pressure. We agreed that was fair. I must admit, the information he was providing on heat loss, my current windows, their company, and their windows was intriguing. But soon dinner was ready, the baby was crying, and this guy wasn't even closed to finishing up!!! 3.5 hours into the presentation, we finally started to talk price. It was $48,000 to replace all of our windows with their "energy saving" windows. FORTY EIGHT THOUSAND!!!! We again explained that we weren't interested in replacing all of the windows and definitely less interested, with that price tag. That's when his tone changed sharply. He then became increasingly demanding, offering us all sorts of financing deals and explaining how the deal paid for itself in energy savings. Despite his continued demands, we kept saying NO. We simply weren't interested, but apparently he was only interested in hearing YES. He persisted and tried another 10 times to convince us we needed to do this deal - and do it TODAY! There were HUGE incentives if we acted RIGHT NOW. But tomorrow it would be back to full price. And the demands turned into downright rudeness. We were more than polite. But once we emphatically made it clear we weren't interested in anything from him - including the 2 windows, be became downright condescending and rude! He turned from a nice gentleman into a rude jerk! I couldn't believe it. Don't let these guys in your front door!!! more

I can't believe that the other comments are about the same company I am doing business with! I attribute their experiences to the representatives and would NOT say that it should be a reflection on the company as a whole. As an employer over the years I have found that good help is truly hard to find, but really the product speaks for itself, and the representatives I had at my home were not only prompt, but courteous and polite...not to mention extremely well trained and knowledgeable not only about the Penguin Window, but most everything else on the market (which I could verify from personal experience having installed lesser windows in various family homes over the last decade (beach and mountains). Grant it, it was a longer presentation than I expected, but well worth the information since it answered all my questions up front. My representatives actually apologized for taking up more of my time, but I did not notice how much had actually passed until they were leaving, her manager even called the house before she called them to make sure she was alright. Talk about FULL service…everything was taken care of down to the financing in my home. I was shocked to read the other reviews as I stumbled across this website looking for the company as a referral for friends…and to the one cynical buyer….you WILL get your full warranty in the mail…I received mine about two full months after my windows were installed. Final note: Don’t let these cynics stop you…they probably think that hybrid vehicles are a phase too, and that gas prices will drop soon! Who will be laughing in ten years??? I love my Penguins!!! more

Last night we had a Penguin guy and his sidekick give their presentation. We were impressed by the windows themselves and their quality. But when it came down to giving us the price of our 11 standard size windows and patio doors it came to about $27K. We nearly fell out of our chairs! After explaining that we were in the process of getting quotes from other companies and that there was no way that we would be making a decision right then and there, he still pressed on. He suddenly came up with discounts (where were they before??) and even called his manager for approval on additional discount. (Though I doubt that he really called anyone) Again, we stated that we would not be making this huge decision right there. He continued his spiel and even tried to make us 'understand' the actual cost of the windows over the next 5 years. I'm certain that he didn't understand Finance because it didn't make any financial sense. We felt like we were dealing with a car salesman (for that money we could by a decent car). He finally figured out that we weren't going to sign and packed up to leave. Before leaving he called his manager to 'check in'. He, very rudely, proceeded to talk to his manager about us....which reminded me of being at a car dealership. I should have grabbed his phone to see if he was actually talking to anyone. As he walked out he was pouting and tried to show me his 'hurt' look on his face. He mumbled a thank you and gave the weakest, most insincere handshake I've ever received. Penguin may be great windows, but a 3-hour high-pressured pitch by a sleazy guy is not needed. Even after the sticker shock, I considered that the windows may be worth it. But, certainly not after this guy's attitude. I felt the need to shower afterward. We're still laughing about the whole experience. more

Yesterday I had the Penguin salespeople out here. The guy that first came to the door to set up an energy estimate said that I would receive 30% off. The windows are fine quality, and that is the reason I wanted an estimate. After sitting through the most boring sales talk about their company which I don't really care anything about, I finally got an estimate for about $2,000 a window. Just average sized windows. They didn't listen to anything that I said, tried to keep me and my wife captive in my own house. When I told them about the 30% discount that they offered me, he just brushed me off. I told them I wasn't going to buy them that day from the beginning, but he didn't seem to understand that. When I told him again I wasn't making a $33,000 window decision today, he immediately turned from an ok nice but pushy salesperson to a complete jerk. Wouldn't even look at me, walked outside, and let his trainee take over. Horrible experience, ruined my day. They know if they can't push you into making a purchase right then and there, once they leave and you get to thinking about it, you will never, ever buy a window for that amount of money. Penguin, I will never buy any product from your company. Furthermore, I will be sure to warn everyone I know about your company's sales tactics and what a terrible time wasting experience it is. more

WHAT WAS TO BE A 1 HOUR SALES PITCH TURNED INTO A 4 HOUR SALES PITCH WHICH i FELL FOR. SAT THERE EATING DINNER AND DRINKING UNTIL ABOUT 12 MIDNIGHT. 5 DAYS LATER THEIR SIGN WAS IN MY YARD. TWO WEEKS LATER THEY TOOK THE FULL BALANCE OF THE WINDOW OFF MY CREDIT CARD. IT WAS NOT UNTIL A MONTH OR MORE LATER THAT I GOT THE WINDOWS. IT IS NOW 5 1/2 WEEK SINCE THE WINDOWS WENT IN AND I HAVE YET TO GET THE GUARANTEE. AND THE SIGN IS STILL IN MY YARD. LIES AND MORE LIES AND BROKEN PROMISES. PEOPLE BEWARE....DO NOT DO BUSINESS WITH THIS COMPANY.. SHAME ON K MART FOR LETTING THEM IN THEIR STORE. THEY LIKE SIGNS SO MUCH THAT I AM PUTTING ONE OF MY OWN IN MY YARD LETTING PEOPLE KNOW JUST HOW BAD THIS COMPANY IS. more

After a 31/2 hr. sales pitch I rate the penguin salesman as the best of the worst. Even compared to car, time share, and insurance salesmen that I have had to listen to in the past 50 years. He started out at $30 thousand for the 15 windows in my house, average size 2 ft. by 4 ft. That is 2 thousand dollars for a window that you can replace yourself for $ 150.00 I agree that the Penguin window is a quality window but $ 1,850.00 more for a single window is crazy. So I saved the $ 30,000.00 plus interest (which they gloss over) at 7 % . I really feel the salesman was right up there with David Coresh in the ability to brainwash, our Gov. could really use him in Guantanamo . Lies, half-truths, gimmics, phych techniques, extremely high pressure tactics. The other negitive reviews are right , don't walk, "run away" before you are beaten down and brainwashed into something you will kick yourself for the rest of your life I think the "positive review people are either in denial or they are " fake" reviews. more

Must say while I was quite impressed with the Penguin window itself, the manner in which this product was presented and marketed is quite misleading, manipulative and downright aggravating! Not to mention that it is extremely overpriced (four times our quote from Home Depot) and complete with bogus "science" experiments, phony "suddenly discovered" discounts (which continued to be offered even after we had signed with another company!), and high sales pressure. By the time we asked this salesman to leave our house, we would not have bought a cup of coffee from him, we were so annoyed and had no confidence in anything, including the supposed quality of the window. Wise up Penguin. You've got a decent product but you need to stop treating customers like they are idiots and let the product market itself at a decent bottom line price! more

My experience with penguin windows has been nothing but 100% positive! The Sales person was friendly and funny, but most of all answered all of my questions. When he first came I had no intention of buying any windows, and in fact knew very little about them. After the energy audit and safety inspection my eyes were opened to the quality of my current windows. Most importantly, he was able to show me how his window compared to everything else in the market. Since my windows have been installed I have cut my heating bills in half! Some of my other friends went some other companies and found them to be of similar or higher price and ended up with an inferior product and warranty. I love penguin windows! I could only see two reason why people would not buy penguin windows. Either they do not have the money to afford the windows (even though they helped us finance!) or they just don't understand how putting quality in your home is an investment. As for me, I am more than happy with my decision. do you all enjoy spending 50% more on everything, or just your heating costs? more

I feel violated. I just went through a 4 hour grind with probably the rudest salesperson ever. Stupid sales tactics, and aggressive sales tactics. They made calls to their "manager" to give fake discounts for advertising and a "sign in my yard". I live on a dead end street with only 1 other house on the block. $2000.00 for a sign in my yard. That is ridiculous. What a farce! This company should be turned over to the BBB and the Attorney General for the claims they are making and tring to provide. Part of the presentatioton is that they will save you 40% on your energy----this so-called guarantee is up to $500.00. Yet during the "pitch" they claim they will save you over $18,000. It was just a lie after another lie and false representations. What a terrible way to try and "get people's money". more

The business practices of this company are a total joke. They charge an outrageous amount for their product. High pressure sales techniques; phony discounts; rude salespeople. It felt as if I were buying a car from a sleazy salesperson. I know the "True" cost of these windows and you that are buying from a company doing business this way are paying up to 5 times the actual cost of the window. All the salespeople care about are the massive commissions and bonuses paid them for getting you to buy from them. I will NEVER do business with this company. more