ComplaintsforThe Front Door Co Inc

• Initial Complaint

  05/10/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We purchased this door in July of last year and were told that they were very busy it would take a while. Waited until January of this year. The door was the wrong color, but that was minor in relation to the rest. The door was installed and after installation it had numerous water filtration from any rain. Water would come in through the glass, the handles and from the bottom. The seller came out and sealed the glass, but rubber inside the handles and then told ** there were unwelded holes in the frame that were causing water intrusion. They had someone come out and patch the holes with Bondo and paint over it-which is now peeling. That did not resolve the issue. Water comes in from the two sides and the middle. The owner of the company is "Mr. ******* and makes up reasons for the failure of his product- doors are not leak proof and it is common for water to come in, your hose faces west, your overhand is too high, the water came during hurricane conditions..... The water comes in every time it rains. When I told him the doors we had previously NEVER leaked and they had been there since ****, he told me that my husband went into their showroom and told the employees that our doors leaked. None of ** have ever been to their showroom. All transactions were done online and they came to the property. The water intrusion resulted in ruining a portion of the floors and all the moldings had to be removed. After long battles the owner deducted $1000 for some damages caused. The problem is what do we do with such an expensive door that does not do what it is suppose to, prevent the intrusion of the elements.At the same time, we also purchased a rear door ($5491.50). That door was installed crooked and is warped and does not lock in place. He sent someone out to straighten the frame out but ignores the rest. the most problematic is the water intrusion. After discovering that they did not manufacture the door I was shocked to find out it came from ******.

  

  Business response

  05/15/2023

  On Monday, May 8, 2023, we agreed to allow ***************** to return her iron front door and refund her money once we have picked up the door and verified it is not damaged.  This door is a custom product which is not returnable, but in an effort to appease her and resolve this matter weve agreed to do so if ***************** provides ** a written quote and guarantee from a local door supplier that will offer a warranty against water intrusion regardless of weather conditions. 
  
  We are sorry ***************** has had an unpleasant experience with **.  Our ultimate goal for every job is to provide our customer a beautiful quality door and a great experience. I feel weve provided a beautiful quality door and have been timely and responsive to her concerns.  The door was ordered in our Antique Caf finish which is a Caf (brown) color with hand applied copper Antique highlights which can vary. The door was painted the Antique Caf color, but the Antique highlights were not to the customers liking.  We were glad to apply a heavier Antiquing and have since then repainted the door to her liking.  The front door did have small holes along the seam where the threshold and frame meet in which the welds could not reach; this subsequently allowed water to work its way into the threshold and onto the flooring in the foyer.  ***************** notified ** of the issue on March 3, 2023, and we sent out our lead installer that same day to investigate and determine a solution.  We sent a representative out on March 8, 2023 to perform work on the door.  Our store manager let the customer know we would be following up to do a water test within a week so the product that was used had time to fully cure.  On March 12, 2023, the customer performed their own water test to which water did come into the home.  On March 27, 2023 we sent a representative back out to apply bondo body filler to the area of concern.  At that time we also replaced the damaged floor at no cost to the client (she provided the flooring planks which she had left over).  On April 3, 2023, we sent our lead installer back out to perform a water test with ***************** present.  Upon the initial test that day, water came in around the pull handles.  We corrected this and performed a follow up water test in which our door kept out all the water.  A test like this is intended to resemble a strong storm, so we were confident at that time the door was sealing and performing well within industry standards. 
  
  On April 28, 2023, the weather reports support the fact that the area received large amounts of rainfall in a very short amount of time with winds around 60mph coming out of the West, which would have been blowing directly at the ****** front door.  This was a storm which is far more severe than the average rain storm, and an inswing double French door is simply unable to prevent 100% of water under those circumstances.  It is extremely unfortunate that this storm happened within such a short time span to the original issue when the door first leaked.  It is understandable that ***************** did not have much confidence in our door given the circumstances and timing, but we are confident after our repair work the door is performing well within industry standards. 
  
  In regards to the back door, we sent our lead installer out on April 20, 2023 and it was determined that one of the jamb legs (part of the door frame) was out of plumb.  This caused the top of one door to stick out slightly toward the interior.  On April 27, 2023, we sent a technician out and corrected this under warranty at no charge to the client.  The claim was then considered resolved and closed out.  If ***************** feels this is in error, we invite her to have a third party go out to perform an assessment and we will be happy to meet the third party on site.

  Feel free to contact me with any questions.

  Thank you,

  ************
  

  Customer response

  05/15/2023

  Complaint: ****1546
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN.
  
  First and foremost, the front  door was never painted Antique Caf.   They sent out a person that added some accents to the door handle and design on the glass.  However, they never tell you that those accents lasts only months and it is not a permanent accent.   Thus, they sell you an antique caf where the antique wears off in a short time. You know ****************** is not being forthcoming when you look at the photo they provided for your review,   which they apparently took on the day of installation without permission.  You will see that the door has no antique coloring or applied copper.   It is painted their caf color only and in fact, you can notice the markings and shadows of the poor paint job on this 7k+door.  Please see their color chart that they advertise which I have attached. .
  
  Second, the frame of the door was defective and improperly completed by failing to properly weld the seams. The holes along the seams of the frame which were supposedly filed are now chipping away after only a couple of months leaving a white residue.
  
  Third, ***************************, the presumed president of the company,  continues to misrepresent the facts and information.  The door has leaked EVERY TIME it rains, and not just in one storm.  The one particular storm ****************** repeatedly indicated that there were 60 mph winds is false.  At our location the winds were less than 10 mph, which is documented by the weather data. The storm lasted for ten minutes and was a typical ***** thunderstorm.  ****************** fails to advise that that was the third storm we reached out where water came in.    This past weekend we again had a thunderstorm and the winds were similar, less than 10 mph,  we have to be diligent all night to collect the rain from the front door so that our indoor floors dont get ruined.  Is this what door owners are subjected to?    The amount of water that comes through this door merely depends on how long it rains. The longer the rain, the more water.   The door does not do what it is intended to do, it does not prevent the elements.  ****************** nor any of his employees ever stated prior to talking our money that the door would not prevent water from rain coming in or limit any performance relating to the  exclusion of water based on mph or any specific weather conditions. 
  
  Irrespective of who he has sent out  to look at the doors or how many times, they obviously have no idea what they are doing, have no understanding of their own product  and are incompetent in their industry because the problem persists.   
  
  Although I repeatedly told ****************** that the previous door that had been there since **** had never leaked, ****************** came up with story after story to excuse the inadequacy of their product.  He told me that the home faces west and that are overhang is to high.  I explained that we have  four sets of French doors which have gone throught he same storm without leaks.  He then told me that the French doors in the home were the kind where one side was stationary.  This was not true.  Then he told me   that my husband had been to their store and told the employees that our front door leaked. That was a direct lie and misrepresentation  since no one from my family has ever been to his store, all transactions were by phone and email with me.  No one ever told anyone from his business that our front door leaked, because  it never did. All comments and representations by ****************** are  excuses to avoid the responsibility of their underperforming defective product. 
  
  Furthermore,  the Front Door Company misrepresented their product and never indicated that this product with a manufacturers warrantywas coming from ******.  We have no way to verify whether the proper insulation is included in the door or whether the manufacturer used the proper materials.  All   representations and communications with the Front door indicated and  inferred at all times that they and their own  local manufacturer were completing the work.
  
  The photos we have provided  show how water easily  intrudes into the home  at three different locations and that is not industry standard.  
  
  Finally with regard to the back French door, one door  is warped and  the second door, which is supposed to lock in place, moves and plays, making it insecure and a safety risk.
  
  The product and performance of the doors is below industry standards, the front door is defective and it is the Front Doors responsibility to correct the issues.  We expended over 11k for two doors and the quality and performance are not in accordance with the quality, expertise  and representations the company makes.   
  
  Further,  we do not have to seek a new door subject to Mr. ******** conditions and subjective determinations to return our monies and take their doors back.  Actually, his words mean nothing and the uncertainty is of great concern.  ****************** needs to solve the problem or refund our monies.
  
  Regards,
  
  *************************

  

  Business response

  05/18/2023

  No matter how we respond, ***************** will call me or our company liars.  She has used her being an attorney to intimidate ** and make derogatory statements about me personally and our company.  We have over a dozen emails going back and forth prior to this correspondence through the BBB.  We are truly sorry she is unhappy with our product and experience, but my goal here is to provide a resolution and I feel we have. After the repair work we did, she has only provided photos of the door leaking once which was on the evening of April 28th. Regardless of what she says the storm had extremely high winds (see articles listed below.  We also have a supplier rep that lives in ************ that corroborates this).  Respectfully, we do not believe she is being honest about it leaking since then, but we have offered to come back and take additional steps to help.  While it is raining or while a water test is being performed is the best time to determine the issue and make corrective actions.  When we proposed a logical solution to add a small 1/8 water dam on the cap of the threshold, she responded that it will not correct the problem.Your fix makes no sense and is an increased trip hazard.  An 1/8 piece of flat steel is certainly not a trip hazard.
  
  Articles referring to April 28th storm:
  **********************************************************************************************************************************************************
   ****************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
  *******************************************************************************
  
  The vast majority of wrought iron doors sold in ***************** (and *****) are manufactured in ****** or *****.  Its simply false that all representations and communications with the Front door indicated and inferred at all times that they and their own local manufacturer were completing the work.  There is no evidence that we said or implied her door was being made locally. We provided several quotes for fiberglass front doors which are built in *******.  I do not believe that fact even discussed, but if it was perhaps she misunderstood our sales representative.  And the statement made by ***************** implying the proper insulation and materials was not used is unfounded and conjecture. 
  
  We stand by our offer that we will refund the money and pick up the door if she can find another local door supplier that will offer a warranty against water leakage.  According to ***************** this should not be a problem, as she has already told ** that she had spoken with several companies that have indicated their guarantees and will provide the documentation. Alternatively, we are happy to meet someone on site to perform a water test and perform repair work if any water comes through.  If it is a possibility, we invite someone from the BBB to meet ** on site and serve as a neutral third party?
  
  In regards to the back door, weve offered to meet an independent third party and investigate Mrs. ******* concerns, as we respectfully disagree with her findings.  Perhaps one of the multiple door companies ***************** has spoken to could meet **?  We also have a supplier rep which live in the area who may be willing to meet on site. He represents a different wood and fiberglass door manufacturer which is a competitor of the manufacturer of the doors currently installed, so we feel he could serve as a neutral unbiased party.

  Thank you,

  ************
  

  Customer response

  05/19/2023

  Complaint: 20041546
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  Unfortunately,  ***************** is very apt at re-directing the issue from the true issue, their underperforming product.     My profession is irrelevant. The water that comes into our home from their product is the issue, the quality of their services and the misrepresentations of the business are the issue.   The water intrusion is not one small leak,   the door leaked from the glass, from the handles and from the bottom.   They made repairs to the glass area and the handles, which stopped leaking for now.  The bottom continues to be a  problem.  Just look at the photos provided previously.   That is not normal and not acceptable.
  
  I like how ****************** ignores the fact that his web site or sales people do not tell the customers:
          1.  Doors are not leak proof for doors facing west or where the overhand is too high.
                  However,many of the pictures in their gallery of photos have minimal overhang.
          2.  The antique coloring on the door will fade quickly,within months.   
                  Additionally,as proven by Mr. ********  own photo  produced to the BBB, the door was not  the correct color when installed. In order to resolve this issue,  they added some                        after the fact     antiquing to the decorative panels and the door handles.  However, the fix fades right away.
                  Conveniently ****************** avoids the fact that he misrepresented to the BBB in his previous emails that the door was originally painted the correct color antique caf  and I                           just demanded more of the antiquing. That was an actual intentional misrepresentation to the BBB   which was proven by the photo he provided on the date of install.  Mr.                               ******* does not explain his misrepresentation to the BBB or the fading of their door coloring.
          3.  The doors are manufactured in ******, but The Front Door is the one that responds to the  manufacturing isues, not the manufacturer, and they fail to inform the public that the             manufacturer is in ****** and strategically manipulate the information to avoid disclosure of the   fact. This is a deceptive business practice.
  ****************** further fails to address his previous misrepresentations and false excuses in response to evidence of the failure of performance of their product:
          4.  The existing other French doors in the home do not leak.
          5.  The previous French front door never leaked.
  Clearly once Mr. ******** excuses are disproved, he just moves on to a new one.  He previously stated.
          Email of May 4, 2023
          A few reasons your upstairs patio doors are sealing better.
           The balcony doors which face West are one fixed/one active door units where one door is permanently stationary, essentially making it a single door which is much more resistant to              water penetration.
            The West facing balcony doors have a much more substantial overhang to protect them than the front door.  They are 8ft high x 7ft deep (depth is ****% of the height) vs the front                door 16ft high x 6ft deep (depth is ****% of the height).
            The East facing doors have very little overhang, but the winds were coming out of the West so  these doors were protected.  They also have only one operating door
  
          Email of May 5, 2023 ****************** states:
            Additionally,you saying the original doors we replaced did not leak, is also misleading.  When      your husband visited our showroom to get information he informed ** that you                     needed new  doors as the ones you had were leaking.
  
          None of these excuses are accurate or true which was previously pointed out to the BBB.  ****************** does not explain his misrepresentations to the BBB. Instead, now he just turns to calling me a liar without any viable or reliable evidence.   Photos do not lie,and the weather for the true location of the property cannot be changed.
  
  ****************** keeps referring to the April 28th storm to excuse their faulty product.  We do not live were the storm hit the hardest.  We had a typical ***** thunderstorm.  We reside in the outskirts and did not have 60 mph winds.  Attached is the storm information for our area for the evening in question.   We do not live near **********.  Now that his contention is disproved, what is the next excuse.  
  
  The fix they proposed, a copy is attached.  In essence  would result in two strips one after the other. This will not fix the area where the water is coming from and will only add additional issues.   Additionally, the mickey ***** diagram does not indicate  as to how it will work or how it will be attached to the existing threshold.    We know how well their fixes work, since their previous fix of the holes  they negligently left  in the threshold prior to installation  is now chipping away and looking like a  cheap piece of garbage.  See photo attached, where the white is coming through the corners.  If  that strip  is just glued on to the existing threshold,that is unacceptable and two uneven surfaces create an unforeseeable change in surface level which IS A TRIP HAZARD.   This only confirms that there is something wrong with their door and/or framing and their fixes create additional issues and problems.
  
  
  Further, ****************** claims that the vast majority of doors   sold  in ** are from ****** or *****.  This is just a conclusion unsupported by any information other than Mr. ********  delusional excuses for the fraud they perpetuate on the public.    Actually, there are numerous door companies that make their own products in ****** and the surrounding areas.  The representations made by the sales people  for The Front Door indicated and inferred to me that the company manufactured the product and that they were involved in the manufacturing process.   If it was not a secret and not intended to be deceptive practice,their web site would disclose  important information that the product is imported from a foreign country for the public to determine the products reliability.  This is further true for a product that is supposed to be part of the family home and should be durable.  Once I found out that they were not involved in manufacturing the door, I had to repeatedly demand that they provide the name of the manufacturer. (Emails of 5/3, 5/4, 5/5).  I have tried to communicate with the manufacturer  of the iron door to find out their manufacturing process and materials,  they never answer the phone or reply to any communications.  Perfect situation for the continued deception imposed on the public by The Front Door Company.
  
  Finally, Mr. ******** continued agreement for the return of the doors subject to his subjective  conditions and determinations is not acceptable.   
  
  
  I dont understand how the BBB will continue to back this company.  The Front Door Company are supposed to be experts in front doors.  They are not.   Their website specifically states:
                  Wrought Iron doors provide strength, security, and durability, with virtually endless design   possibilities. .
  This unconditioned representation is false and misleading in light of the product they provide and the excuses made by ******************.  

  Furthermore, I did not misunderstand their employees in there representations and inferences as to their manufacturing of the doors and their intent to deceive as to the manufacturing of the door.   Even their web page states:
  

        Our hand-forged wrought iron doors are available in nearly any size and offer a variety of finish, glass, and hardware options.  Each of our doors are made per order and given the care         and attention to detail our customers expect. 
  
          It is not our doors its the doors we get from ******. Its not our hand-forged wrought iron doors... Its the manufacturers in *******  hand forged doors.  We know now that The Front Door Company has nothing to do with the manufacturing of the door although it is unclear what it is they do to the doors other than installation. The Front Doors representations by the sales personnel and their web site are deceptive and misleading.
  
          Also, they do not take responsibility for the failures of their product.  Consider all of the time and energy that I have had to devote to this issue.  I have been dealing with this company since July of last year.  Excuse after excuse and to date the issues are not resolved. Unfortunately,  it is clear that the general public  gives up after making a complaint to *****************  because of the repeated excuses made by him and manipulation of informaiotn as well as his art of avoidance of the issue.   The time, energy and resources exhausted as a result of the the conduct and actions of this company is beyond the average available resources of  a customer from the general public in order  to hold this company responsible.    
  
  Regards,
  
  *************************

• Initial Complaint

  08/16/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Sometime in November 2021 we went to the door company and we ordered and customized a front door.we received a call that the door would arrive on march 24 2022 ,The Door wasn't what we asked for the glass panels were to close and the glass was damaged! also the door was not put in correctly the frame around the door was sticking out with nails showing and a opening between the middle had a big opening gap( double doors)where little creatures could go through,our Saltillo tile was cracked and damaged and broken off and the techs tried to cover it up and paint it BLACK!! IT WAS SO UGLY! I have called several times asking to speak with ****?and he will never come to the phone/dose not return messages we are very very unhappy with the DOOR IT WAS NOT WHAT WE WANTED OR WHERE TOLD THE DOOR WOULD LOOK LIKE! THE GLASS IS DAMAGED AND IT HAS MARKS ON THE WOOD AND SMUDGES AND YOU CAN SEE THE NAILS THIS COMPANY SHOULD REFUND OR DISCOUNT THE AMOUNT OF THE DOOR ,WE ARE NOT SATISFIED WITH THE WORK AND HAVE TRIED SEVERAL TIMES TO GET IN TOUCH WITH THE MANAGER WITH NO LUCK PLEASE HELP US

  

  Business response

  09/03/2022

  Hello, we always strive for delivering a top quality product and service and take complaints seriously and do our best to make things right.  We are very sorry to hear our client is unhappy, but all the issues he mentioned in the complaint have been corrected except for the glass.  It has been difficult to coordinate scheduling with the customer.  We had the replacement glass appointment scheduled last month and it was cancelled last minute by the customer.  He asked to reschedule to August 12th, but we did not have a technician available that day.   We have not heard back on new possible dates that work for him. 

  The photos the customer provided were taken around the time of the install before we went back out to correct the issues, which is very misleading.  We sent out a company representative to fix the issues relating to the installation on both 3-29-2022 and 5-24-2022.  In regards to the claim that the door is not what they wanted or were told it would look like, this complaint is the first mention of that.  The customer was provided a drawing of the door style which was approved prior to the doors being built.  Please find the attached current photos of the completed job, as well as the approved drawing.  The job was completed in a good workmanlike manner.  The customer was warned about the possibility of breaking the Saltillo tile prior to the install because of how the tile was originally installed against the existing door trim.  We also stated in our bid that our installation does not include repair work to items outside our scope of work, including tile and mortar.  However, we hired and paid for a third party contractor to fix the cracked tile (see attached supporting photo).

  I cannot speak to the correspondence of phone calls between Mr. ******* and ****, but we have text messages and emails with Mr. ******* that support we were responsive to him.  I'm scheduled to meet with the customer today, Saturday, Sept. 3rd, to look at the glass and see if there are any other concerns which need to be addressed.

  Thank you,

  **** *******
  

  Customer response

  09/21/2022

  Complaint: 17687764
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  This is totally fabricated on their side ,we had to complain several ,several times about the door and the glass ,and our tile that was broken! They never warned us about the Saltillo tile ,that it could get damaged! never,it was not mentioned at any time or place! we had to call the office several times to let them know about issues with the door ,like nails popping out of everywhere,the door having a big gap in the middle that you could see outside,the trim around the door that was hanging off ,the stains all over the door with it showing the nails popping out! the door not closing correctly ! the glass being broken and stained the door being painted wrong!!!we were showed pictures of a door that i described to them what we wanted and were promised that the door would look the way we wanted ,not the way they wanted it to be! also the door did not close tightly or lock securely!we called the company so many time and we were always ignored no one would return the calls or answer the phone when we were directed to there voice mail.we had to practically beg them and keep calling them to fix the Saltillo tile because they broke it and did not let us know and then they do a crappy thing as to paint it black as if we would not notice this ugliness!  we had to beg them so many time to come out and see for themselves what a crappy job they did!for them to say what they are writing in response to our complaint is FALSE AND LIES!!we had to beg them to to do something about the mistakes they made! we take a lot of pride in our home and want it to look nice and to have a ugly door is not acceptable!I had to go out and spend more money to cover up the mess that they left behind! SO WE DO NOT ACCEPT WHAT THEY ARE SAYING AND WANT OUR MONEY BACK.!!!!

  

  Business response

  09/21/2022

  I went out to the customer's home Saturday, September 3rd, to review their complaints and figure out a resolution.  I have been awaiting a response from the client on if Friday, September 30th works for us to come out.  The items listed below are what was determined to be the final punch list (and I understood to be agreeable by Mr. and Mrs. ******* at the time).  Other than the items listed below which can be easily corrected, we found nothing wrong with the work and would happily meet someone from the BBB at the customer's home to inspect job.
  

  -Clean the putty on the trim (upper right hand corner on exterior and interior)

  -Adjust deadbolt (keyway is not turning smoothly)

  -Provide customer a wood polish to help maintain the door (no charge)

  -Replace 3 pieces of glass (2 of which have small blemishes, 1 of which the customer simply does not like the look) - as an alternative solution, we offered a $500 refund for the customer to keep the existing glass the way it is.  The customer was not happy with the amount, so we offered an additional 10% for a total of $550 refund.
  

  We have not received a response back in regards to the $550 discount/refund or whether September 30th works for us to take care of the punch list.  Attached is the signed copy of the order which warns of the possible damage to the tile, as well as the approved drawing of the door design and the inspection report filled out by our installation manager from the initial site visit.  But again, we have already hired and paid a contractor which replaced the broken tiles.

  I am happy to provide copies of our email correspondence from the past few weeks if it will help in this matter.  Please let me know if I can answer any questions or be of any assistance.

   

  Thank you,

  **** *******
  

  Customer response

  09/21/2022

  Complaint: 17687764
  
  I am rejecting this response because:we are rejecting this amount because we paid alot for this type of glass and we also were told that we could take a chance at the door being damaged if we decided to replace the glass.we dont AGREE AND REJECT
  
  Regards,
  
  ******* *******

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩