Atrium Corporation Atrium Windows and Doors Refusal to honor warranty on defective windows Dallas, Texas

Their warranty is written to maximize marketing value (they call it a "transferable lifetime limited warranty") yet the fine print contains a variety of loopholes and procedures that customers must follow to keep the warranty valid. If you don't follow the steps to the letter, they refuse to honor the warranty.

In my case, they provided a highly defective product. I have dual pane windows. Between the panes there is a rubber seal around the circumference of the window frame. This seal is failing and is drooping down into the windows, obstructing the view through the window panes. The defect is present in 35 windows in my home, all of which will need to be replaced.

The windows were installed in 2004 (8 years ago, when the home was constructed). I purchased the home from an investor who built the home and never moved in. The warranty terms cover 100% of replacement costs for defects that are discovered within the first 15 years, so my windows should be fully covered.

However, Atrium claims that I am not the original owner of the home and that I did not follow the appropriate procedures to transfer the warranty from the original owner to me, and they therefore have refused to honor the warranty.