do not buy custom blinds from Hunter-Douglas

[solarbird]

Skip if you don't want to hear whinging about petty first-world problems.

We ordered a custom blind (singular) from Hunter-Douglas on April 9^th. The store, Linens N Things, said it would take 2-3 weeks. We really need this for the summer, so we're ordering it early; our bedroom window faces east, so the mornings in the summer are PHOTON CANNON time, and we tend to wake up around 5am as a result.

Three weeks later, we have no blinds. So I call Linens N Things, and they call Hunter-Douglas, and after a few days, we discover that Hunter-Douglas hasn't even started working on the blinds, because, as is documented nowhere in this process, they want a butcher-paper template made of the window itself, and not just the exacting measurements I made. So they put it aside, and told no one about this.

It takes me a week to make the template, because I need help from two other people at the same time, and I have to get the exact right kind of paper they want, or they'll reject the template, and it takes a few days to get down to the art supply store that stocks it, even if it's not actually the right width and I'll have to tape two pieces together. Regardless, a week later, I ship off the template, 2^nd day delivery.

They get it; I have delivery confirmation. They claim they don't have it. The delivery confirmation is mentioned. Two days later, they go, "ooooooooh, this template." That's May 21^st.

Linens N Things is now spontaneously checking up on them, and hears back, "Oh, the measurements don't match exactly (one ¹/₈^th" difference in height, which is irrelevant, it goes up and down, we can deal with the ¹/₈^th of an inch) so we haven't been working on it." I presume it could have sat there another few weeks, so I'm glad Linens N Things called. They confirmed the template is correct. They promise to "expedite" the job.

Two weeks later, I call again, since they've apparently decided "expedite" does not mean "do quickly." They've in fact decided that they'd rather do the job in Renton, rather than California, so they've shipped everything (including my template) back up here for no very clear reason. This took a couple of weeks, since writing a new label is, you know, hard. You have to get out a pen and find some tape or maybe buy a label, and who the hell has time for that? Anyway, that took a while, but the ship date is now June 20^th. But they say they have finally started making it, which means it's too late to cancel, so HA HA FUCK YOU YOU'LL GET IT WHEN WE DAMN WELL FEEL LIKE IT.

So. We may get it sometime in late June. It'll still be useful to have this year, assuming we get it then - it'll help keep light out in July, and heat out and July and August - but I will not be buying anything from Hunter-Douglas any time again soon.

Comments

[flashfire.livejournal.com]

That...ought to go to the BBB.

[firni.livejournal.com]

Damn, too bad you can't just cancel it and get blinds elsewhere.

[backrubbear.livejournal.com]

I'm shocked they didn't.

[solarbird]

The only other option I can find is a Canadian company who makes a much cooler kind but which costs 3x as much. :-(

[backrubbear.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure exactly what you were ordering, but I managed to get some reasonable room-darkening cell blinds ordered through Home Depot for a pretty reasonable price. They had to be actually dark because Bob (my ex) worked second shift.

[solarbird]

We need a retractable semicircle, not a rectangle. Home Depot does rectangles that move and other shapes that are fixed (non-retractable), but not so much retractable half-circles.

[emmacrew.livejournal.com]

Do you have a pool going for if they will actually fit once they're done?

[kathrynt.livejournal.com]

Oh that's a good idea. A pool for when they'll arrive, and for the degree of fit.

[banner.livejournal.com]

If you haven't paid for it yet, cancel it. If you have, demand your money back. I'd also tell Linen and Things you want some satisfaction, IE MONEY out of them to pay for your troubles (And see what they do to make things right).
Then just go to Home Depot and have them cut the shade to shape on the spot. (I mean this is just a rectangular window, right?).

I'd also see about registering the 'Hunter Douglas sucks ass' website to recount your troubles, and maybe write a letter to the president of the company to let him know just what a crappy business he's running.

But I wouldn't get the shade from them now unless they PAID me to take it. No way, I'd rather duct tape a sheet over the window. People who screw me over don't get my money or my business and I'll pay someone else twice as much for the item then.

[kathrynt.livejournal.com]

It's not rectangular, it's semi-circular. That's the problem.

[flashfire.livejournal.com]

I like all of these ideas and suggestions.

[solarbird]

I know, but... urgh. They're the only US company I could find making semi-circular ones that raise and lower. The Canadian company that makes one has offices in Vancouver, which is certainly no problem, but they cost three times as much because it's a very very cool but much more expensive opening and closing mechanism where it fans out like a Japanese fan. (Man it's cool.) This one just raises and lowers. But neither Bali nor Levilor make ones that do that, and we really kinda severely want that option. Unfortunately.

Tho' I have to admit I was ready to cancel the order anyway. But damn those Canadian company's blinds are spendy.

Re-post (not sure why that last one was annon)

[epawtows.livejournal.com]

Hmm. I just got an openable semi-circular cellular shade this spring, and it was a Hunter-Douglas. Didn't have any problems at all, really.

We ordered from an interiors store in Lynnwood. The store knew that a template was needed, though. They sent one of their people to the house to make it; I guess that eliminated some of the potential trouble.