Gorell Replacement Window Warranty Update - Dealers

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JaxSAH
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Gorell Replacement Window Warranty Update - Dealers

#1 Post by JaxSAH »

Hello,
I had Gorell windows replaced in my home November 2011. While reading this board in the first few months of 2012, I read where Gorell was being sold.

I see recent questions on the message board about Gorell windows.

Could someone please give me an update on this company? I was a bit worried about my warranty when I heard the company was being sold.

SA

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Windows on Washington
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Re: Would Appreciate Gorell Update

#2 Post by Windows on Washington »

Gorell was acquired by Soft-Lite and they are now producing the window via the parent company.

Not sure about the warranty.

fridge2020
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Re: Would Appreciate Gorell Update

#3 Post by fridge2020 »

Any other update on this?
Last edited by fridge2020 on Wed Oct 24, 2012 1:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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HomeSealed
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Re: Would Appreciate Gorell Update

#4 Post by HomeSealed »

My understanding is that it will vary by dealer. You could try contacting Softlite directly as well for some clarification on that.

JaxSAH
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Location: NE Florida

Re: Would Appreciate Gorell Update

#5 Post by JaxSAH »

Here is what I found on the Gorell website:

For products sold prior to February 14, 2012, there is no warranty. Please contact the dealer you purchased the product from for help. If your dealer is no longer in business or does not support Soft-Lite Gorell LLC, replacement parts may or may not (very few product lines were retained) be available at a cost. If you are interested in receiving a quote for replacement parts, please call 1-330-528-3400 extension 4004. There is a charge of $25 to research the old Gorell Windows & Doors, LLC records to determine the parts needed and the cost of the replacement parts to you. The $25 will be refunded if you purchase the replacement parts.


Since I purchased my windows in November 2011, I have no warranty. :cry:

My next step is to call the dealer from where I purchased the windows and see if they can help (not that I have a need to use the warranty right now).

TommyJ
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Re: Would Appreciate Gorell Update

#6 Post by TommyJ »

This is bad news.

I have heard about this and am concerned that Soft-Lite is not going to be honoring warranties on past Gorell products.

Apparently they are only buying the assets and not the liabilities in this case.

I know of a past Gorell dealer than is doing close to $100,000 in business with them this year and his warranty "allowance" was $200. He is already looking at farming out remade glass because of all the Gorell glass issues on one job where he has a bunch of triple pane krypton units on his dime.

There are going to be a bunch of Gorell customers that are going to be left out high and dry with the Soft-Lite purchase.

JaxSAH
Posts: 26
Joined: Wed Oct 05, 2011 7:59 pm
Location: NE Florida

Re: Would Appreciate Gorell Update

#7 Post by JaxSAH »

TommyJ wrote:This is bad news.

I have heard about this and am concerned that Soft-Lite is not going to be honoring warranties on past Gorell products.

Apparently they are only buying the assets and not the liabilities in this case.

I know of a past Gorell dealer than is doing close to $100,000 in business with them this year and his warranty "allowance" was $200. He is already looking at farming out remade glass because of all the Gorell glass issues on one job where he has a bunch of triple pane krypton units on his dime.

There are going to be a bunch of Gorell customers that are going to be left out high and dry with the Soft-Lite purchase.
I haven't had a chance to look at the paperwork from when I had them installed. I want to look at that before I contact the company that installed them.

My only saving grace (I hope!) is the company I used has been in business in my city for many years (31 years), and prides themselves on that fact, and the fact that they use their own employees to install windows. That was one reason why I chose them. I have hopes that they will work with their customers should something be wrong with the windows. BUT, I have not spoken with them yet, so that is only my hope.

fridge2020
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Re: Would Appreciate Gorell Update

#8 Post by fridge2020 »

I just can't fathom how you can buy the assets without any liabilities. Talk about have your cake and eat it too. All while the installers/dealers and consumers are left high and dry. :x

TommyJ
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Re: Would Appreciate Gorell Update

#9 Post by TommyJ »

I hope you are right about the installation company eating some of the warranty. The reality is that they may not be able to accept that expense if they were one of the customers that got batches of bad glass.

That is the way that the transfer worked. Soft-Lite was very clearly excused from any of the liabilities of Gorell's past products.

Here was the letter that my buddy sent me (he is a Soft-Lite dealer). FYI, this is not confidential.

The judge approved the sale of certain assets of Gorell to Soft-Lite Gorell at a hearing on March 29. Soft-Lite Gorell did not assume any liabilities of Gorell including warranty liabilities. Soft-Lite Gorell did not make the windows in question, and Gorell itself was the cause of its own financial decline, which resulted in its receivership.

Nevertheless, as previously indicated publicly we are committed to covering warranty claims for loyal customers who have met their obligations to Gorell and continue to purchase from Soft-Lite Gorell.

Here is how it will work:
1. Product made on or after February 14 (the date the letter of intent was signed) is fully covered by Soft-Lite Gorell as outlined by the warranty in force at the date of sale.

2. Product made before February 14 will be dealt with as follows:
(a) You must have paid any outstanding amounts owing as of February 13, and not default on future obligations to Soft-Lite Gorell to be covered for warranty. If your customer and payment relationships are acceptable (we will be pleased to review this with you) then coverage for pre February 14 product will continue. If there is any valid legal reason, in your mind, why you have not paid please contact us immediately so we can try to help you resolve it positively. If you do not have a valid reason, then if you have not paid what you owe old Gorell there is no warranty on any product made before February 14. We have to hand these uncollected balances over to the receiver for collection after a certain period and may lose our ability to help you after that happens.

(b) We want to reward those customers who remain loyal to the brand and continue to purchase from Soft-Lite Gorell by defraying the cost of their warranty claims.

We believe the best way to do this and be fair to everyone is to advance each loyal customer a credit on their purchases to cover pre February 14 warranties. The credit will be predicated on Gorell’s warranty claims to sales over the last five years. At the beginning of each quarter, we are going to advance you a credit, consistent with your individual warranty to sales ratio over the last five years, on purchases you made in the previous quarter. You may use such credit to apply to pre February 14 warranty claims. The percentage used will be reviewed annually. The first credit will be issued to your account by no later than April 15, 2012 and will be based on your product purchases from January 1, 2012 through March 31, 2012.

Please understand, this credit can only be used to apply to pre February 14 warranty charges and has no other monetary value. Any unused credit will be rolled forward for future use against pre February 14 warranty claims and will never expire as long as you continue to be a loyal customer of Soft-Lite Gorell.

3. In both 1 and 2 above you will continue to receive the service parts you have been accustomed to for Gorell products. If a part is no longer available we will supply an equal or better part up to and including a whole new window.

I must stress that we do not want loyal ongoing customers to get stuck with warranty claims and are trying to come up with the most fair and efficient way to achieve this. We will also run an analysis to show you what your historical claims to sales have been to ensure the proposed system works for you.

I thank you for your loyalty and ongoing commitment to Soft-Lite Gorell. We are thankful for every order you send us and are committed to giving you the best products and service in the industry. We are already working on the next generation of products to keep you ahead of the curve.

If you have any questions that your sales or customer service representative cannot answer please contact Greg Irving at 330-***-**** or me.

Kind Regards,
Roy Anderson
President


So it appears you need to keep buying to be covered and are afforded certain warranty coverage based upon purchasing volume.

JaxSAH
Posts: 26
Joined: Wed Oct 05, 2011 7:59 pm
Location: NE Florida

Re: Would Appreciate Gorell Update

#10 Post by JaxSAH »

Interesting.

There were not softlite dealers in my area when I purchased my windows. There was a couple of companies that had Gorell, which is why I went with that particular brand in November 2011.

The installing company told me that they offer a warranty on my windows. According to my paperwork it is not lifetime. They assured me that they will work with me, should anything break. Of course, that is a verbal statement. I do feel comfortable with this company since they have been in business for 31 years.

Has there been incidenced of "bad glass" with the Gorell products?

Why did Gorell go under? I guess I should have researched the stability of their company. I only read the Gorell brochures the installing company gave me.

TommyJ
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Joined: Thu Jul 30, 2009 11:37 pm

Re: Would Appreciate Gorell Update

#11 Post by TommyJ »

JaxSAH wrote: The installing company told me that they offer a warranty on my windows. According to my paperwork it is not lifetime. They assured me that they will work with me, should anything break. Of course, that is a verbal statement. I do feel comfortable with this company since they have been in business for 31 years.

Has there been incidenced of "bad glass" with the Gorell products?

Why did Gorell go under? I guess I should have researched the stability of their company. I only read the Gorell brochures the installing company gave me.
Sounds like a solid installation company. I hope that Gorell's lack of warranty does not put good word to the test.

Gorell was subcontracting their glass for a good bit near the end and there were a bunch more issues noted by several Gorell dealers. This may have accelerated their demise between the reduction in consumer confidence and sales volume.

There are a bunch of ideas out there (lack of advancement and keeping up with the technology, loosing their prime positioning as an energy efficiency leader, lacking aesthetics, a high price point, expensive labor contracts, etc) and it is probably a combination of all of them.

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