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me siverts

Hi Bill,
Hope you still look at this thread, we just had Dixie HC here and managed to finally get the guy to leave! What a scam! We live in Fort Mitchell Al and would like to know who you used for gutters, it is hard to find good people to do good work these days, esp.being new to the area. Thanks for your post.

mike

This sales tactic is not uncommon and is basically the same thing you experience on a car lot, you can try and single out dixie but in truth you'ld probably experience the same thing on any car lot, you might as well go after all retail sales, I no longer work for them but I did in the past it was overall a tough but good experience that taught me sales and people very well. The fact is sales happen because you create a want/need and a sense of urgency and that's all those guys are trying to do. I know I'll get several responses that talk about how sneaky the practices are but in truth if you haven't done in home p2p sales you really have no idea what it's like and the majority of rep's that come in your home are guys with little to no sales experience that are just doing what they were taught. I've given people my absolute lowest price before and they were annoyed that I couldn't give them a discount, then I've gone 1000 over on a job and the guy was overjoyed when he got his 200 dollar discount, in the end people like to bargain and value/price is all in the eye of the beholder.

denise

My Dixie Home Crafters sales rep just left after dealing out the same spill as the above post. I wish I had read this before letting him into my house. I did call some of the people on the reference list and 2 of them said, point blank, to not go with the first quote. When I told Keith this, he seemed upset and said that other sales people marked their prices way up and he "just wasn't in that group of people." Also, I thought it was odd that when I was called to set up an appointment, I was asked not once but twice if I was the decision maker and if there was a "mister" in the house. I knew why when Keith arrived...young, attractive and charismatic. I guess they thought if they sent a Brad Pitt wannabe to the house, they would get my money. SOOOOOOOO not going to happen. I guess now I will have to avoid all calls from them for the rest of my life!

S. Granstaff

I had the identical experience with DHC Gutter Guardians last night in Hoover, Alabama. I got the SAME EXACT pitch. Was quoted just under 6,000 dollars for 143 feet (measuring myself today because I think this footage is impossible) and he finally got the price down to 3,400. What crap! I told him to lock in the price for 5-7 days while I do research and they refused- said if I called back tomorrow it would be back up to 6,000. I'm sure they do great work-- just for completely unreasonable prices.

a

joe stinger is a greedy slime ball that will burn in hell.

David

i just got 110' of gutter 6" wide and 4 over sized down spouts all heavy gauge metal installed for 370 dollars.

Jim S.

I think Dixie Homecrafters is a fantastic company. I purchsed the gutter guardian system for my home in Baltimore, MD in May of 2009 and haven't had one ounce of trouble from the product or the company since. In fact, my salesman, a man named Tim Hawkins, was one of the nicest, most professional people I have ever dealt regarding my home. Not to mention one of the funniest. Even the general manager, Jamie, was polite and funny when I spoke to him the day I purchased the product. He promised that the company would take care of me and they certainly have. Every company is going to have an angry customer from time to time, but I hope the angry posts on here don't discourage people from utilizing the services of Dixie Homecrafters.

Dave

Dixie Homecrafters/Gutter Guardian came by today and gave me an estimate. My home needs 100 feet of gutter with 55 feet of downspouts.

I have priced the supplies at the local hardware store ahead of time and know it would cost me about $3 a linear foot to install.

My quote was just under $6,000. Having done my research, I knew that number was not right, so I did some searching and found this site.

I also did some math:
DiY Price (per linear foot): $3-5.00
Gutter Guardian (per linear foot): $57.75

Perhaps they should approach the US government for sales? Most of us consumers won't pay $20,000 for a toilet seat.

Jeff Morgan

My wife works at DIXIE HOME CRAFTERS. Stay far far far away from the COLUMBUS GA office. If you EVER EVER EVER decide to set up an appointment, And a lady By the name of GINNY MANN CALLS TO CONFIRM YOUR APPOINTMENT- BACK OUT THERE - SHE IS THE BRAINS BEHIND THE SCAM FROM THE INSIDE OUT.

Mary J. Anderlik

I used to work for Dixie Homecrafters in Hoover, AL.

Everything said in this thread is absolutely 100% true. They are a slimy company and if you think they are slimy to their customers, try working for them.

I was a single mother working there on salary for 400 a week. You know those places that have the little booth with the card you fill out that entails you will have fifty phone calls a day for the rest of your life? That was me. i set up the show, worked it, and called the cards back. Because I was on salary I had to work the shows to make them not spend any money on "unnecessary" employees. I had to pay childcare for five days a week then an additional for two other days. I worked seven days a week, mostly by myself. When I decided enough was enough and my car was breaking down I quit. When I told my boss why I was quitting he told me to save my sob story, that he was offering me a deal. The deal involved a 75% pay cut. If I cannot live off of what he was paying me how was I supposed to live off of less money. I would have just been happy with five days a week to save me 600 dollars a month in child care, that would allow me to at least pay my rent.

They are a horrible company and I will advise anyone to stay as far away from them or anyone associated with them. They will rip you off and not even bat an eye while doing it.

I will never go back. EVER.

DB

Do NOT do business with DHC. I had a sales person come out and that convinced me sufficiently that they were merely trying to rip me off. First he said he would measure every window in the house. He measure one and glanced at all the others. At the end he also called his manager trying to weasle a deal in - no luck. I also repeatedly asked to see a physical window sample which he claimed to have. I never saw it but he did show me a glossy brochure. He asked if i wanted to get a large set of windows on credit and the guy must have decided that i was some kind of fool. He did not want to show me any credit paperwork, interest rate, or tell me any other credit terms. His words were "it's credit, what do you need to know? Just give me your social security number and i can put the application in." NO THANKS...find an idiot DHC, i'm not one of them.

Brittany

I had windows installed by DHC and I love them. I came across this site when researching companies that I was getting estimates from. Now that I have had my windows installed I think that it is fair that I share my experience. The salesman that came to my house was first of all on time (which the first 2 companies were not) and was very professional. The window that he showed me was heads and shoulders better than any other window I had ever seen. The window was very well constructed and was also very good looking. At first I was concerned about the warranty because he told me that it was a 50 year warranty and the other companies gave a lifetime warranty. But after looking at the back of the copies of the other companies warranties I found that they were really only 1 year warranty on the whole window then it only covered some items then after 5 years it only covered the frame. If you want to talk about a scam... that's a scam. The warranty I got from DHC is 50 years on everything, including labor, and after seeing the window and the professional installation I know why they can do that. I had a terrible experience with a salesman from a flooring company years ago and my cousin had nothing but good things to say about the company. I live by the old adage that you can please some of the people some of the time and all of the people some of the time but you will never please all of the people all of the time. I also did some additional research and found that this company has done work for over 100,000 people. Even if a couple hundred people had bad experiences those are still really good odds! I just wanted to say that I love my windows and feel that it fair to share my story.

mia

You think you people have problems If you bought your windows are gutters in new Jersey are Pennsylvania Your on your own getting anything fixed.They Closed there offices the guy running them was selling gutters using there contracts and using his own low paid non english speaking thugs to install them.Many of the gutter systems where installed improperly they retain water and are perfect breeding grounds for swarms of bugs

Bird Brain

Thank goodness for this thread.
We have been getting killed by our utility bills and were a bit desperate. We signed a deal for their Diamond Barrier Saturday. Since we put no money down and the salesman said we had 3 days to cancel I thought it would give me time to check things out. I am glad I did. I sure had to dig to find this thread. The BBB is worthless!
Tomorrow morning I am calling them up and canceling the whole shebang. If they step foot on my property I will call the cops!
At $140.00 I can put the "Radiant Guard" in myself thank you and have enough left over to make my whole family "Elvis" suits out of the left overs if I choose.

The one who knows you best

WATCH OUT!!! Dixie has a new product called the power montior that they buy for like 100.00 and sell it for 399.00 and they switched the original box and put it in one of there's that say's it the "DIXIE POWER MONITOR" and there so called SUPER DIXIE WINDOWS come from a wholesale warhouse right here in atlanta,ga called AMERICAN WHOLESALE and they get there products from BRADCO another warehouse. Oh yes they train the salesmen to pressure you so when you do cancel in those three days the general manager JOE STINGER wants to throw a fit and get red in the face from high blood pressure that he calls you broke and has no respect for the customer when he can't even pay for shit on his own house. from the cooperate employees to regular staff everybody is on some kind of illegal drug. And it very known in the company because salesman come in the next day from party with the owners and general mangers stating how drunk and high everybody got a HUGH HARRIS house. If your every desperate for a job just sleep with a cooperate employer like Ms. Pifer she got a position as the office manager GREAT JOB!! NOT this company is so unprofessional its crazy

Marv

Bill,
I'd be interested in knowing who you contracted for the gutters on your home. I have arranged for Dixie Homecrafters to come to my home tomorrow evening, but am tempted to cancel. The alternative is to be upfront with the salesperson when he/she arrives and let him/her know that I will not be making a decision tonight. Or just let them know that I know about their sales tactics and say I want no part of the boss calling, pressuring for a better price, etc. See how they respond. But I would be interested in knowing who you contracted with. thanks

Derek

I too had this exact same experince, I cancelled the contract and hope someone on this blog can provide me with the company that they went with that was reasonable and professional

DONT NEED TO KNOW

TO ALL, I HAVE WORKED AND STILL DO FOR OVER 5 YRS. I HAVE SEEN ALOT OF THINGS TAKE PLACE IN THOSE YRS. ITS TRUE WE HAVE HAD SLIMY PEOPLE THAT HAVE WORKED FOR US, BUT WHAT COMPANY HASNT? BUT YOU HAVE TO GET TO SEE PEOPLES WORK ETHICS BEFORE YOU KNOW THEY ARE SLIMY. AS I HAVE WORKED FOR THIS COMPANY I HAVE WATCHED AS OUR COMPANY HAS WEEDED OUT THE SLIMY ONES. I HAVE ALSO SEEN IT WITH THE CORPORATE PEOPLE. MY WORKPLACE HAS NOT ALWAYS BEEN PERFECT BUT WHAT JOB IS? I HAVE DONE A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING FOR MY COMPANY AND I HAVE LEARNED ALOT. I TALK TO PEOPLE EVERYDAY NOT ALL ARE HAPPY AND WE DO WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO MAKE IT RIGHT. BUT MOST OF THE PEOPLE I TALK TO ARE EXTREMLY HAPPY AND LOVE OUR PRODUCTS AND LOVE US... I AM TRULY SORRY FOR YOU FOLKS THAT HAVE HAD BAD EXPERIENCES WITH US BUT WE ARE JUST PEOPLE AND ALL OF US ARE FAMILY ORIENTED AND JUST TRYING TO KEEP OUR HEADS ABOVE WATER JUST LIKE YOU. WE ARE IN GREAT STANDINGS WITH THE BBB. AND ARE HAPPY FOR ANYONE TO CHECK. WE ALSO HAVE BEEN IN BIZ FOR OVER 20 YRS. OUR GUTTERS AND TOPPERS ARE A PATENTED DESIGN AND CANNOT BE PURCHASED FROM ANYONE ELSE. WE ARE RESPECTABLE PEOPLE AND VERY HARD WORKERS. I AM VERY PROUD TO BE A DIXIE HOMECRAFTER EMPLOYEE.AND JUST SO EVERYONE KNOWS I AM A CHRISTIAN AND I LOVE THE LORD. AND IF I FELT FOR ONE SECOND THAT WE WERE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF ANYONE I WOULD BE THE FIRST ONE TO QUIT, BUT I FEEL WE ARE HELPING PEOPLE WITH OUR PRODUCTS, AND AS FAR AS THE PRICE GOES WELL YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR.

nannyk-1

My 84 y/o purchased diamond barrier to be placed over her exisiting insulation/ She signed a contract for 3687.00 for some foil like material. Instead of applying it to the entire floor or applying to rafters where they couldn't apply to the floor, they installed approximately 339 sq feet of "tin foil" ( a small portion at both end of one attic totaling 126sq ft and one end of another attic space totaling 213 sq ft.No barrier on the rafters, no single sheet to provide continuous coverage to assure adequate insulation. Now they are taking my 84 y/o mother to court although they did call her and tell her that they would cut the price to 1722.00 and said that they couldn't do the job as agreed upon, but that she would need to submit the payment by 021109. I'm glad that I read this blog.... I read a blog that said it must be the competition who has this blog... It is probably just people like me who are sick of the way these companies comeinto your home YOUR HOME and flat lie about a product or a serviece just to make a sell. DIXIE HOMECRAFTERS----A SLEEZY SCAM

T. S. in Baltimore, MD

I had a very distrubing experience with the Baltimore location of Dixie Homecrafters in late October of this year. I purchased a gutter system from a nice salesman in September and everything was going well until I noticed that a portion of the gutter looked like it was loose after the install. I called the General Manager, a man by the name of Jamie Arndt, who was extremely helpful and got a crew out to my home that same day! He even called back later that evening to see if the correction had been taken care of and to thank me again for the business. I was very impressed at this point. A few weeks later I called Mr. Arndt again because I was considering new windows for my home. However, I was informed in a rude tone of voice by the new General Manager, a man named David Mulcrone, that Mr. Arndt no longer worked there. I asked what happened to Mr. Arndt and was again, in a rude tone of voice, told he no longer worked there. I told Mr. Mulcrone that I was considering windows for my new home because I was impressed with the service I had received earlier. He asked how many windows I had and I told him 3 needed replacing. He laughed at me and basically told me 3 window installs wasn't worth the trip for his salesman to come to my home. Obviously Mr. Mulcrone is more concerned with putting money in the bank than servicing his customers in a professional manner. I hung up feeling upset and disturbed at how I was treated. Little does Mr. Mulcrone know that I intend to replace my roof next spring and WAS considering Dixie Homecrafters for that install. However, I won't be needing the service of Dixie Homecrafters anymore. I'm sorry that this company replaced a nice man with such a jerk.

onewhokonows

DHC is a company with a deeply sordid background. The fish stinks from the head down.

The CEO's name is Hugh Harris. He weasled his way into that position after the two original owners got tired of the bs. He's single-handedly managed to run the company into the ground. Check their sales revenues since he took over. It's a joke.

Not only is he a drunk and a gambler, but he's a liar and a phoney. He claims to have "invented" the sales process that you're now whining about. More bs. He stole and refined a sales technique that's been around since crooks in cheap suits hustled cheaper siding.

But whine you should. The sales technique is designed to create a false impression, and is a canned presentation which continues to be used since it is has generated millions in revenues for Harris and his fellow thieves, as it did for earlier crooks.

It's a house of cards exercise like we now see on Wall street. Lies atop lies. In Harris' mind, he thinks ripping off customers is good business as long as he can get away with it. His managers run with that same theme and practice the theft-as do the straight-commissioned reps.

You can forget any business ethics, truth or customer care from within the company's inner circle. The warranties offered are only as good as they are practical; ask anyone from one of their many dead locations (one out-of- business) who bought their products, how good the warranties are. Take a guess.

Their bottom line is greed, day in and day out. That explains the sales pitch you've had the misfortune of experiencing. Their approach is to steal while the customers' emotions run high.

But you can relax. DHC is ultimately destined for one of two places: bankruptcy or jail.

JB244

Hey everyone...im part of that "slime" that works for DHC...i've been there a long time and to my knowledge everyone that i've sold anything to absolutely loved it. the difference in location and greed and what motivates the sales ppl really affects the quality of your experience. like with any other type of sales, simply put you got ppl that give a shit and ppl that dont. anyone that does have problems with the work we've done needs to contact the office they got it from and have it fixed...not a big deal. in MY demo kit i have nothing but the stuff we've pulled off MY jobs with pictures of it all. i keep in contact with several of my customers and hang out with quite a few of em on a pretty regular basis when i'm in their area...that sales scum mentality comes from bad experiences with newbies that have no concept of what we're about or what quality of company we're actually working for...they just see dollar signs in their eyes and go for the jugular. its the same way with any type of sales....you gonna stop buying from chevy because you dealt with a snotty kid at a dealership once? same diff...i dont expect everyone or even anyone to understand where i'm coming from. but i know for myself that this company has helped me do pretty well for myself and i'd like to think i've helped several other ppl and made a lot of new friends along the way EVEN DEMO NOS!!!! take it for what its worth...you can go by a couple sites that have ppl with too much time on their hands that just want to rant because the shock of how much they paid for something jus set in or you can branch out and do further research....find out about what kinda warranties are provided with other places, what kind of service ppl have got with most of the local contractors, the grades of quality in materials they use in their stuff, the quality of installation, the exactness....dixie products are priced so high because its the best quality in everything...i feel no guilt bringing friends and family members on board with me either...you get what you pay for...and if you have a bad experience with a local office, do yourself a favor, take it to corporate and get whatever you need taken care of...dont drag the whole company down with it...

Ann

I am writing this for my elderly father who was taken in by DHC. He was charged the highest of DHC prices and experienced the lowest form of sales practices. Meanwhile the gutters have flaws (rain water comes out under soffit). The upside of all of this are the good lessons to be learned from this blog. Those of us with elderly parents indepedent enough to make these kinds of mistakes need to help by always offering to check out a business for them. Shop locally and find experienced businesses that have a track record.

Belinda

I did business with DHC and was very pleased with the sales staff and also pleased with the products that I purchased. I beleive that some people are not satisfied no matter what you do are say. Not only am i pleased but my house looks great and my utility bill is lower. Sales Reps. have a hard job and one of those jobs is to put up with people that are never happy no matter what. Thanks DHC.

Brian

I was glad to find this site as I had the exact same experience last night with Dixie Home Crafters. I shook my head in amazement after the salesman left as I was very suprised by the whole experience. I am a project manager for a large commercial construction company so I deal with subcontractors every day. We don't perform any residential construction, but I am up to date on pricing etc. The salesman knew I was in construction, and still tried to sell me gutters for $42/lf. It took an hour and a half just to get a price, and at no time was I presented with a written quote. This is for a house with 120 lf of gutters(single story ranch style house with gable ends so it is one straight run on the front, and one in the back). This should have been a very simple installation, and cost at most $16/lf. I explained to the salesman that this kind of activity is what gives our industry a bad name. I just hope that people don't fall for it. It definitely pays to be an educated consumer.

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