Designer Window Fashions Inc. Home And Design Centre No Longer In Business

Money well spent !! Lyle was incredible . Let me preface this review by saying that prior to Designer Window Fashions I had 3 other companies come in and give me a "free in home consultation." Apparently I must have saved the best for last . Lyle was not only the most professional but most product knowledge based rep I had ever encountered . He arrived on time for our appointment with literally hundreds of samples in his arms and thousands of design ideas in his head ! His expertise and eye for interior design made me feel like I was working with someone from a Interior Design company instead of Window Treatments. Lyle took the time and patience to naswer all mine and my husbands concerns and desires . He paid attention to our lifestyle, our furniture and general decor and then made his recommendations . The end is result is nothing short of Spectacular and has far exceeded our expectations , and as if this all wasn't enough. Delivery and installation was a breeze !! Right on schedule and Tony and Stephanie came into my home , like Santa's workshop elves , because magically they had transformed my living room in what seemed like mere minutes . They cleaned up their mess and left no trace of their presence except for their work when it was completed . Tony even made a point of spending a good 15 minutes straightening the drapes so that they would hang nicer .
Understand this was no small project . I required blinds AND custom drapes for a beautiful room with 14 1/2 foot ceilings , the draps had to be at least 12 feet long , I didn't ask the measurements ...I did not have to , Lyle does everything for you .
I am thrilled beyond belief with Designer Window Fashions and will recommend them to anyone and everyone I know and will for sure be using them in the future .

John was very helpful to us, and was by far the most knowledgeable sales person to provide us with a quotation. We selected the high-end Hunter Douglas blinds, and are quite happy with our choice...

Their pricing was excellent, but the delivery took a long time. That being said, John was kind enough to come to our home to install temporary blinds (paper ones) to hold us over.

Would likely use them again!

Hunter Douglas products are sold by many different dealers, I would most certainly try another one than deal with Designer Window Fashions again. We've just finished a complete renovation of our house, and dealt with over 20 different vendors to get the job done. Our experience with Designer Window Fashions was by far and away the worst.

This is the second but unfortunately the last time I do business with Designer Window Fashions. I have referred them to friends and family in the past, but will never do it again. John (the sales rep) was great. Patient, friendly, helpful, understanding. He was able to rush our order and get the bulk of the work done before our big Christmas party, which was a bonus. The positive experience ended there. Lyle and the team back at the office appear disorganized, incompetent, and oblivious to customer service. The phones often go unanswered. Voice mail and email take days for response - if one is ever sent at all. Orders for a couple of our windows went missing and ended up being delayed by two months - strange considering the initial order was delivered in under 2 weeks. Worst of all, they took payment from my credit card for the final installment of $2,000 twice (in error). It took several emails and phone calls, 2 faxes of all the back-up "proof", an official dispute claim through Visa, and 2 months of waiting to get our money back. There was no apology either. Is that how a customer should be treated?

People and systems make mistakes and problems do happen. How companies deal with problems reveals the heart and soul of their operation. We have seen how this company works, and it's ugly.

Designer Window Fashions showed care and attention to detail with my recent purchase. I am so pleased with my new luminettes, they look amazing, so beautiful. This is the second time I have chosen to work with Designer Window Fashions and I am very impressed with the products, the service, and the installation.
Lyle, thank you so much for your patience and professionalism.
I will not hesitate to recommend Designer Window Fashions to others.

John came and helped us design our windows. Very professional and a good eye for design. We bought in and made 50% deposit. That's where it went downhill. We were promised the window coverings in 2.5/3 weeks. They came in to the showroom late. We were promised a call by the installer (after I called in to inquire about the order) on tuesday but did not receive one. Then I called wednesday and was promised a call. same thing on Thursday and Friday. I asked to speak to John and promised a call back but still no call from him either. Finally on Friday night the installer called and said he cant do anything until end of next week at 10:30am. No ifs and buts since we are supposed to be on his schedule and we dont have a job or anything.

Bottom line he is coming in on the Friday of the week after at 10:30am to do the install. Overall it will be 6 or 7 weeks (instead for the 2.5/3 weeks as promised). No calls from the sales staff and I still have to worry about the installation issues that people have mentioned in the comments above.

Finger crossed but if the installation is as bad as the after sales service then its going to be the small claims court route for me.

AND THERE IS MORE...

The installer showed up to day on time and was a very nice guy. These guys "overlooked" the order for the living room window. First the installer said that sales has a signed copy of my invoice stating that I did not order that window which was quickly changed to "We overlooked the windows and you will get that in 2 weeks" which is 4 weeks in reality from this experience.

I was told by the installer that I will get a call from "Sales" which of course I have not. I have called and left a message but no response. I am reducing their customer service review to a 4 from a 6.

The installer also said that they want me to pay part of my balance owing and the remaining after installation which I have declined to do. I want everything completed before I pay the second half. I am also awaiting a "call" from them which I have been waiting for for 3 weeks now.

very very very disappointed.
They want me to pay

BUYER BEWARE

I met one of the owners, Lyle, at the Interior Design show earlier this year. He was very slick and promised to beat any price that we had already been quoted on the Hunter Douglas blinds we wanted for our new condo.

He came to do a quote and beat the price we had been quoted by The Bay by $50. This savings was hardly worth the stress, follow up calls, numerous installs and general annoyance that this company caused.

We were told that installation would take between 2-3 weeks, but it wasn't until 4 MONTHS later that my blinds were finally installed.

Getting an answer from Lyle is impossible as he never returned my phone calls and was brushed off by the office staff. Once these people get your money, they don't care about their clients.

Read other similar reviews and you'll see I am not the only unsatisfied client.
http://www.n49.ca/p/to...

The principals of this company, Lyle and John, have way better than average design skills when it comes to making recommendations not only for types and colours of window coverings, but also for fabric selections for more elaborate window dressings. They also make headboards, duvet covers, cushions and pillows so that one can coordinate an entire room or rooms. They might not be the cheapest window covering company in town but the product they provide looks like 10 times what was paid! In addition, they are personable, professional and their client service is great.

What was supposed to take 2 weeks took about 5 1/2. (They said it was a sudden influx of orders which may in fact be the case.) That said, the installer was great, did a great job, and the blinds themselves look fabulous. As long as you're not in a huge hurry to get the blinds installed, I would recommend them.

I found out about them and Lyle from the Home Show in 2006--we called them for an estimate on exact products (Hunter Douglas) and I got him to negotiate with me on the final price for our project. We had exact products in mind so we weren't so concerned with selection, but the installation was excellent, even in our older home. I notice because I've seen blinds installed in other homes and notice when blinds haven't been installed properly!! And we were quite fussy about selecting this company--we went 6 years in our home without any window coverings at all until we found just the right company to work with. We're very happy with our blinds and love the look.