While working with the windows, I decided to finally scrape that thick, heavy butyl sealing tape from them as well, and to give them a general clean up. I'm not yet ready to repair areas, or check or replace rubber seals or glazing either, and I didn't use Naptha to remove all traces of the butyl tape, but I gave them a dry brushing and a bath.
I also cleaned the butyl tape from the entry door. This unit is going to require a little work, but looks to be doable.
Then I got them all stored back out of the way.
Last evening at about close of business, I got an email from (what earlier in the week sounded like) the young office assistant at the business in Denver making my access doors.
My doors were ready (ahead of quoted schedule) and the email message included the purchase order, along with a Fedex tracking number. At least the shipping charge was much less than the original $10-$15 packing and $30-40 shipping estimate. (Actual total was $24 total).
I hope the product is good. The example door I saw (for my neighbor's double battery access a year ago) looked to be top quality!
But I'm a bit uncertain how I feel about the service.
For starters, their web site lacks, and there are no prices listed. There's an online form to fill out for an order (even to get an estimate) that once gone, it's gone - no opportunity to print, or to save or verify the data you entered - and it's everything: louver placement, color, style, exact sizes, locks or latches and placement, metal finish, etc.
The next day when I called, (because without some kind of verification I had this fear it hadn't taken - especially because I used the back button to order doors 2 and 3 since it required a completely filled out form each time), the man I spoke to said, "ohhh - yeah we don't check the computer very often", then he went looking for the orders and found them.
When the young office assistant called back to give me the logistics of the order, she seemed a bit surprised that I wanted to verify the order specifics on each door, like I was the only one who had ever done that and she kind of grudgingly went through them with me, acting like she wanted to hurry it along all the while. About the only thing missing in her telephone presence to complete the picture was the sound of chewing gum smacking in my ear, if you know what I mean.
Because she was quoting $40 to $65 for packing and shipping to our home less than 300 miles away on Interstate, DW and I decided to make a day-trip run and check out two or three other places that we have been wanting to see: a used furniture store or three, 5 Star RV Salvage yard, and I wanted to get hands and eyes on some aluminum molding in 16' length (and perhaps haul home without having to cut to 8' shipping length) that the door company also sells (although online with no price list).
So I fired off a reply (waiting for her answer this morning) to see if it has indeed been shipped as implied with the Fedex tracking number, or if perhaps it is awaiting pickup and she might be able to cancel the Fedex. In the email reply I reminded her that we had originally discussed and asked, that she call when the doors were ready so we could likely arrange in-store pickup instead of delivery.
I ordered a less than perfect fit (but quite adequate) boat-cover a few years ago for about 1/3 the price of the local custom boat cover maker. Why? Because apparently they didn't need my business. They were annoyed that I didn't want to leave my new boat (windy Wyoming winter) in their outdoor yard awaiting for an unknown date (they couldn't tell me) when they would be ready to make MY cover and bring the boat into their shop. My request to have them call ME the day before they were ready to put it inside was apparently enough to keep them from calling me back - ever. And yes I followed up three or four times - very politely, in each case they acted accommodating and read my number back correctly.
But that's just another example of either 1- my unreasonableness that businesses don't want to deal with, or 2- lack of business reasonableness because they apparently have enough business without my order and/or recommendation.
I suspect it is the latter. But I have the kind of personality that doesn't forgive and forget easily, not if there's another source. I perform to high quality standards and I just kind of expect it out of those I have around me.
Vintagetrailersupply.com in Vermont DOES have online pricing, and must ship their in-stock 14' stuff after cutting to 8' and 6' shipping length, and selling you a PVC tube for shipping, but just their online information seems to understand most of my information needs. I'll await their email reply today and see what they have to say about some specific molding and its relative flexibility - and go from there. I think I can make 8' lengths work.
But I'm not certain I'll use the business in Denver again. Having said that, I'm keeping their name out of it, mostly because they are a small business, and I do have SOME understanding. I'm not a complete jerk, I just have some expectations out of a business. At least remembering we discussed "not shipping". That was just a straw being packed on the proverbial camel.
5 Star on the other hand. I'd hang out with those folks!
