PUNTA GORDA GLASS RIPOFF OF HURRICANE VICTIMS BY PUNTA GORDA GLASS TAKING ADVANTAGE OF HURRICANE VICTIMS PORT CHARLOTTE Florida

My first experience with this company was with "Jackie" a very nice, competant and professional lady in the office on 5-16-2005. We explained that we had suffered a problem by another company who had assured us they could customize a shower door but because the salesperson that measured the area had not measured correctly the frame could not be fabricated and the job was cancelled. We were assured both by Jackie and an elderly gentleman (that did not appear to even be working for PGG) that it can certainly be customized and will only be one week to 10 days to obtain the materials. The price was $800+ and the order was then written up on a 5"x4" yellow note. We paid our deposit without question, confident that we had found a local company that would stand by their work and reputation.

Obviously I was very much mistaken. After 2 months of waiting we called and left messages.. no return calls..when we did get a real person we were told..."be patient..we will call you back" . No return calls other than when we called back again we were told "we are so busy"..."I am so exhausted"... "a death in the family".."the kids off school".. Since they said they keep a log of all calls they may wish to to check and see the 'Guinness World Book of Lame Excuses' that their staff are giving to the customers.

They obviously deleted the message I left the week of July 4th, that stated I would try the owners home number after the 'voice' stated "we will be closed for the week" but the owners response to that message was "I don't answer voice messages". This leads me to question why they even have an answering machine. He states the staff was actually in the office that week but there was certainly nobody there the two times I drove there to see if I could reach anyone during business hours. Once at 9.30 am July 6th and again at 2.15pm on July 8th.

The next excuse was that I gave his clerk the impression that it was a "slight incline" on that is what they based their sales pitch on...what happened to the supposedly "precise measurements" that their technician came out to assess prior to even ordering the pieces?

The first sign of their 'competent' work was when the first "installer" came out to install the enclosure, climbed in to my brand new bathtub with footwear on and promptly dropped one of the frames. My mother rushed in there after a loud clatter of aluminum came from the bathroom.. followed by a curse. In the tub with him were two pieces of chrome framing that he declared "I can't make fit"..I repeat ....so much for precise measurements.

Also one cannot lose sight of the fact that on the day of that "installation" the PGG., Inc license was on hold with the Charlotte County Licensing Dept....under those circumstances they were operating without a license....In fact, I was the one that contacted his insurance agent and notified him of the hold after he faxed proof of insurance to me.

The next attempt was a month later when a young man showed up on a Saturday (at my request), opened the packaging and in no uncertain terms refused to use the framing he had been sent with, due to it's derelict condition. The excuse for the this incident was that the parts had to go back to have a "re-fitting" even though he had the glass and the frame with him. Remeber.. it was laid out in my hallway. My husband and I were both standing with on the front porch with him when he notified the owner on his cell phone that he was bringing it back to the shop because of its condition.As he put it to us ...we were "lucky" it was one of the few times he was even in the office, albeit that it was a Saturday.

It started to become apparent to me that they did not plan to abide by their "custom" work but had every intention of making a cheap fitting at a custom price. Since I did not appear to be getting any response.. I took the only other option as I saw it... I filed a claim with his Insurance Company under the "Property Damage Liability" coverage since by then I was stuck with 6 holes drilled in to my brand new $2,000 tub surround and a chip in my recently replaced bath tub. The adjuster who was sent to validate the claim agreed the area was damaged, that it was not "Professional Liability" but "Property Damage Liability" he advised us to obtain estimates of repair for the walls and the tub and also mentioned we may wish to file with the Department of Business & Professional Regulation as well.

The claim was ultimately closed because he volunteeered to pay for the damages..I recently recieved my deposit plus $75.00 back along with a very nasty letter stating I was "way too hard to do business with". I am stunned and amazed at this company's "ostrich" attitude toward their customers, I understand they may have survived in business for 30 years in Port Charlotte but I think it is only due to the fact that work here was comparatively slow until there were 4 hurricanes in a row and all the re-building the community has had to contend with.

They obviously joined the "greed bandwagon" with the assumption that customers will pay top dollar and put up with shoddy work and un-professionalism just because they are a local company and the customers may feel they have no choice. Believe me, we do have choices.. we have re-built our home using many local contractors for many different trades all with no problems ... This company is absolutely the worst company we have had to contend with in the last year and half of hardship and if anyone knows a reputable glass company that stands by their work and reputation I am very interested in hiring them.

Susan
PORT CHARLOTTE, Florida
U.S.A.