aluclad window problem

gordon029

I bought aluclad / ecotherm windows in 2012 from an large well known Irish window company and for me they were a lot of money and I did expect them to last for many years . Unfortunately I noticed a stain on the pine frame inside recently which indicated a leak which allowed moisture to get inside which caused the stain I contacted the firm by e.mail over a 10 days ago and did get a voicemail a couple of days later asking me to contact their customer service.When I did I was told that I would have to pay 70 euros to have a service man come out to inspect the problem. I told her it was a structural issue and not a service problem and she gave me the number of the rep who sold them to me. I got on to him and he told me it was a customer service issue and to ring the number I had already been in touch with .
I suppose my main question is ,Is it legal to expect people to have to pay to have their windows looked at when they are guaranteed and if I refuse to pay on the grounds that it is a structural and not a service issue are they legally entitled to ignore me or give me the run around ?. Has anyone else had similiar problems and if so how did they resolve them?Thank you for reading.

L1011

A refundable or deferable charge to verify it wasn't misuse is quite common. Check if this is the case

davo10

Op, I bought aluclad windows from Marvin in 2009. They were absolutely insistent that the wood on the internal surface had to be sealed with varnish immediately on fitting to avoid any staining which might occur if a leak occurred and to seal up the corners. When the fitters came back after 3 months to inspect the windows for defects, that was the first thing they checked for. Did you varnish the wood to seal/protect it?

If the varnish got onto the rubber seals, it causes them to harden and crack so you have to be careful when applying it. Is the leak on a corner? Are they sash windows? Check the rubber seals for tears or gaps.

gordon029

This is a bay window. The inside of frames are prefinished pine and yes the problem appears to be in a corner of a middle section with no openings involved.I am not sure what the first response means. Thank you all for replies.Anymore thoughts out there on this?

davo10

gordon029 wrote: »

This is a bay window. The inside of frames are prefinished pine and yes the problem appears to be in a corner of a middle section with no openings involved.I am not sure what the first response means. Thank you all for replies.Anymore thoughts out there on this?

All aluclad are prefinished, but the wood still needs to be varnished/sealed to protect it from external water and internal moisture. My windows are also pine internally.

The first response means that you pay for the call out until cause of problem is assessed, if it's found to be a manufacturing problem the call out fee is refunded.

gordon029

Thank you for the clarification 're payment for a callout. There was no mention of it being refundable and if there had been I would not be so annoyed as I consider this to be a fitting or manufacturing problem. As to the question of finish and varnishing the inside. There is no amount of varnish on the inside will keep out moisture if there is a leak from the outside. All the varnish will do is keep the surface dry while the moisure stain will just spread below the surface and eventually rot the frame. I had this experience with a velux window and this is similar. So are there any other people out there who have had the same problem or similiar and did they get it sorted out in some way that they are happy with.

davinlarkin

Hi Gordon,
Their warranty guarantees the product and ironmongery for a given amount if time. Their small print clearly states that labour is only guaranteed for one year. Your product may still be guaranteed but you cover the labour to rectify the issue , the cover the parts.
A good rule of thumb is they have to repair, refund or replace if it is a factory issue.