Entry Point Exteriors

I began my journey with EP Exteriors in January of 2014 when trying to get the door glass on the front of my house replaced for privacy. I have a front door with glass in it - two sidelights at the front - a transom above and a front facing garage door with glass in it and a transom above it. At first was very friendly and accommodating - I met him on Saturday, 11 January at his office to discuss and we looked at glass types on his website together. I selected one I liked and he came out a few days later (January 13) to the home to measure for sizing as some of our glass is custom sized. I ordered the Pembroke style from Western Reflections with satin nickel caming [the metal between the glass] (considered a custom option) but was told it would be fine. For two custom transoms, two full-length sidelights, one full-length door glass insert - and one 48" insert door glass we were quoted $4420. We didn't know much about pricing so that sounded fine to us. We were told 6-8 weeks for completion and install because the custom transoms would take the longest. On January 13 my boyfriend wrote him a check for half - $2,357.00. I was told I'd have to sign off on some paperwork in a week or so for the transoms since they were custom. This never happened. I emailed asking about it on Feb 3rd. Brian said he would provide them Feb 6th. Nothing. On March 4th I emailed him for status. He said weather delays. On Mar 13th he emailed saying he'd like to do install on either 27th or 28th of March. I said ok. On the morning of March 27th he emailed and said nothing was right except the transoms and the blinds so he rejected the entire order. I was furious about having to wait longer and he said he'd call to see what he could do - it was already about 10 weeks and we'd been quoted 6-8. I informed him I at least wanted the blinds which he did come and install that same day and spoke to my boyfriend saying how sorry he was for our troubles and how he was going to try to make it right asap. By the end of a long email exchange over the next few days he finally said his supplier said they would try to rush it in 2-3 weeks and give us a $200 credit. I heard nothing and on April 17th - three weeks to the day I emailed. He said he would call for status and get back to me. On the 18th of April he informed me that we would have to cancel the order because they wanted him to open a "supplier" account. He said he would give me a $500 rebate at the end from his pocket if I went with ODL (another glass manufacturer) due to my troubles. I was furious and sent an email to their (Western Reflections) corporate office. I forwarded the email so he was in the loop. I spoke with a rep there who said she'd like to talk to Brian directly to figure out the issue and try to help. She tried to call him at my request; he never answered or called her back. I then provided him her number asking him to call her, he said he'd call; I asked a few times if he did, he never did. I asked directly two weeks later. Bad news. During this time of my questions as to the issues EP informed me that he had some agreement with them (Western Reflections) under the table or something without a supplier account while they were getting set up between Western Reflections and ODL which were seen as two diff companies though they are under the same roof and make much the same product. We exchanged quite a few emails back and forth on April 18th about his having to pay restocking for the transoms which were custom; they were made by someone else and were correct which I didn't see as our fault. His backdoor arrangement without the proper supplier account failed him. Not me. He pushed ODL on me and said he suggested the Paris glass. On April 24th I informed him I would go with the Paris though I never really loved it. On the same day - a few hours later - I emailed and said "Hold off on orders. I am looking at Western Reflection and ODLs websites right now at the same time." He did not respond. I again emailed on April 25th asking if he got my email to hold off on orders while I reviewed my options. Nothing. Finally, on April 29th he said he got them and would call ODL to place a "hold" and it "should be no problem" my new order was for standard, no customization at all. I inquired about another glass called "London" I had found and wanted pricing. I was out of the country from 28 April - 05 May in Jamaica for my birthday but emailed him a few times and he informed me he was going through the process of being set up properly. On 14 May he informed me he was now set up to order either glass and could do either the Paris or London. At this point I was jaded. I took a long time looking online, looking at other websites, going to Home Depot, etc. Finally, on May 28th I emailed with a request to order a glass called Paragon from RSL which is shown on his EP Exteriors website as a glass he sells. I also said I no longer wanted to cut into our doors for full length door glass and sidelights on the front door. I now only wanted to replace the glass as it was with decorative glass same size as what is there now. At this point I requested an invoice with in-depth pricing (we NEVER got that from him at all only an overall total) so we could decide if we really wanted to do the expensive transoms. On June 2nd I emailed him and he said they didn't make the size I needed. We went back and forth and I realized he hadn't read my email about no longer cutting into the door for full length glass. I informed him of this on June 4th after he said they didn't have the sizes and I went to their website and saw it. He said sorry he'd have pricing that day. Nothing for two days. On June 6th I emailed him again asking for pricing. Nothing until June 10th when he said he'd have pricing for me that day. I replied and again said I wanted a cost breakdown when he provided it so I could see how much everything costs as I knew the transoms were probably going to be the most and we may decide not to do them. On June 11th he emailed the following: "OK, everything is a yes on the Paragon glass. The transoms will take 3 to 8 weeks but they will be through ODL and usually we have been getting custom glass in 3 to 4 weeks. The other glass will take 2 to 3 weeks for us to get. It will be $685 less that the contract price. RSL is more than ODL (only because I cannot buy it directly from RSL) but I sharpened my pencil everywhere that I could. I have everything prepared so that I can send the orders over as soon as you say the word. There will be CAD drawings that you will need to sign within a couple of days." Clearly, this is not an in-depth cost breakdown despite my asking specifically for it twice. I called and left a voice mail and emailed a follow-up indicating that I wanted to know the specific breakdowns for it based on cost and why and I was wondering if this included our credit he mentioned. He replied same day he would review his costs, this was still June 11th. On June 16th I emailed and asked if he was avoiding us. I was upset and reminded him that the issues with the glass being wrong the first time was not our fault nor was his backdoor deal with Western Reflections which was the cause of our door glass issue to begin with, that this had already been going on for nearly six months at this point, that I had requested in-depth pricing and hadn't gotten it and that he took a week or more to answer emails every single time I asked for something and I was getting mad. I informed him I felt he didn't want to work with us anymore and the feeling was becoming mutual but that at this point we were invested so I just wanted the cost breakdown and an invoice or something official with pricing. On June 17th he responded by saying that he doesn't share his costs on materials with customers. He said he would not go lower than $3700 on the price and with our down payment of $2357 we would still owe $1343 and he would basically make nothing after paying a restock fee on the Paris glass order since we cancelled it from April 24th (again - not our fault or problem). On June 18th I informed him that I wanted a refund of our down payment minus the cost of the glass with the blinds he had installed on March 27th which he had quoted us between $200-350 (no exact as he never gave us exact numbers for anything). I told him we were over it at this point and wanted a refund. He finally emailed me back (after I emailed him another two times) on June 23rd saying he was out of town but would be back in town on Wednesday (the 25th) and would review how much money he had in and send a refund "per our agreement". I have not heard from him since, today is 08 July. I don't know how much money he could "have" in this as we haven't gotten anything except the glass with blinds and I know his issues with his ordering system are not my fault or problem. He indicated he may be charged for the "hold" on the Paris glass from April but I tried to cancel same day and have emails showing I emailed him 3 times to cancel and he took 4 days to respond and even said then it was no problem. A restock fee on that is also not my fault that he doesn't answer emails for days or weeks and doesn't return phone calls. No one answers the phone at his business and he no longer responds to emails. It is important to point out here that while I was upset I have at no point cussed him out. I do hope to get my $2000 refunded. I wouldn't do business with him if I were you. He failed to provide paperwork, rarely answers calls or emails, and is not timely in anything he does. That is not who I prefer to give my money to. It has been weeks since he last emailed me back and I have heard absolutely nothing. I am hopeful he will return our money (minus what we owe for the one door glass with blinds out of the seven pieces we were supposed to get) before 01 AUG. I have over 80 emails from him and in none of them, despite being angry, have I cursed him out or lost my temper aside from being blunt an honest about my frustration. There is no reason for this man to refuse us a refund or have any attitude with me at all. It is simple unacceptable behavior from a business professional and absolutely disrespectful and dishonest.