John in Toronto

A terrible experience from beginning to end. I used Discount Windows and Doors about five years ago and was very happy. So when I needed a custom window for my latest DIY project, I went back. They said it would be ready in 4 - 5 weeks. About week five I called and left a message to get an update. No response. I emailed. No response. After several more messages over the next week, someone finally picked up the phone. It will be in next week, they said. The next week comes and goes with no contact from the company and no response to my phone calls. On Saturday I manage to get hold of the boss on the phone. He says he'll look into it and call me early in the week. Again, the week goes by, no contact, no response. Finally I drove up there the following Saturday -- eight weeks after the order -- and demanded my money back. "But it's coming Monday," they said. Against my better judgment I give them one more chance. Monday comes and goes and -- you guessed it -- not a word from the company. So Tuesday I go up there again and get a refund. They offer no real apology and make no attempt at an explanation. I can't imagine a worse retail experience.

When our old gas-fired hot water tank sprang a leak, we decided to replace it with a tankless unit and while we were at it, replace our old furnace with a high-efficiency wall-mounted gas unit. Laird's price was competitive and unlike some others who bid on the job, there was no big pressure to sell us what they wanted rather than what we wanted. (Direct Energy in Toronto was the biggest culprit in that regard.) The installation required a little more care and effort because of the small space between our house and the neighbours but they did it exactly as I suggested and the installation was neat and tidy. But Laird really came through when our Navien tankless heater developed a intermittent "mooing" noise when it started up. It took a lot of service trips and adjustments to try to figure it out. The manufacturer resisted replacing the unit until the replacement warranty ran out. When the mooing got worse, Laird went to bat for us and basically forced Navien to replace the unit for free. Now everything is work very well. While I was disappointed with Navien's response to our problem, it's a good unit. And our Munchkin Contender gas furnace is a marvel, very small and very efficient. Between the two, our gas bill has dropped about 60% or more. Anyway, I would highly recommend Laird.