My experience buying windows in China

Okay cool! Thank you. TiLogisitics looks like a safe option with their reviews. Good experience?

Very smooth. Highly recommended

Cheers

can anyone recommend installer in sydney area?

Hi MALO8X,

We're planning to use the services of JMA windows, as noted below:

Jonathan
JMA Windows & Doors
m: 0421 635 560
w: www.jmawindowsanddoors.com
e: jonathan@jmawindowsanddoors.com

Hope that helps.

Oh hell no. Do not do this for the love of gawd. Someone told us to do it cos it was cheaper and we were referred to a massive Chine factory. It was the worst experience of our builder lives. They say they meet Australian standards and they don’t they leak when it rains they use rubber than falls out, the handles are supposedly German but have fallen off, the hardware was crooked on all 21 French doors. No precision just whacked on wherever. The drawings and what was delivered are not the same. Two windows were never shipped, and then they said we have to pay shipping and tax for the two we already paid for again, just to get them here. There is no Australian government department to help you. For international trade. It’s do at own risk. We took the risk on our own house before we would ever consider using for our builds. And now we have a 5 bedroom Lake house house filled with double glazed French doors and Double glazed windows that leak and steam and whistle and are all broken in some way shape or form. Whole house has to be replaced. DO NOT DO THIS. I have photos and happy to warn anyone that will listen. Biggest regret of our lives and we flip houses for hobby and build luxury homes for day job. Please for your sanity save yourself the pain. Oh and the Chinese are lovely until you start complaining then they get nasty, personal and rude and there is nothing you can do for compensation or reimbursement and they know it. They just sting one person after another.

Oh Cheri you poor thing? Did you end up purchasing the windows?

Hi Rizroz, what was the company you sourced your windows from?

Do yourself and generations to come a favour! BUY AUSTRALIAN.

Rizroz

Seems you wanted cheap windows and the factory delivered these. Importers can buy products of the highest quality from China, as well as junk. Traders there or on alibaba / globalsource come in all types, and happy to supply customers with both.

There are Japan/German/Taiwan planned robotic industry 4.0 factories producing world class products at reasonable prices, and at the other end of the spectrum, also sly fox traders pretending to own 'factories'. Genuine test, factory audit reports and certificates can come from TUV, Dekra, SGS etc, or a small home/shop 'office' behind KTV in DongGuan! You choose. A wide variation in price / quality trade offs is available based on your money paid and your nous.

To avoid mis understandings, and receiving unsuitable products next time I suggest take some time to understand Chinese people and their business culture. Exercise some procurement savvy, and attention to details with your research, develop a relationship direct with the factory, eat in their (factory workers') lunch room, look behind the doors and boxes, be prepared to pay a fair price. Confirm the samples, and independently verified CNAS test documents etc, Look at their upstream supply chain, Check stocks at the factory before its packed...etc. If you can't or don't want to do this stuff, and don't like gambling, then source locally.

Please educate us with some photos, test report exerpts, and supplier details...

Owner builders per chance?

No and yes we run a large building company. But trialled the products on our personal project before we would ever order for a clients job. However they missed the mark. We are craftsman builders not mass produce project builds. So if quality and detail is important. I’d just like to warn people.

We made it clear we weren’t after cheapest quote, we forwarded architect drawings and hardware specs to a few international suppliers and chose the Chinese company based on response and initial customer service, as we wanted to build relationship. When the products arrived we were instantly disappointed and continue to discover the gap in quality every day since.

I am not gaining anything other than to share my experience so others can go in with their eyes open and understand the risks.

No sorry Norfolk, if you are paid to defend or advocate Chinese build products, but my experience is real. I stumbled on this page and could help but feel sorry for the people starting their experience and asking the same questions I did. I have no vested interest other than empathy and to hopefully save people, whether they be owner builder or a build company (not sure why that mattered but questioned in a comment below). For some people $35k on windows and doors that have to be replaced is a big deal. As stated below, price was not my motivator, we had architectural requirements and specs and we sent them out to see who could make and meet these products and what business we could work with for future projects.
The company I chose claims to be one of China’s largest window and door manufacturers. Stated they pass Australia Standards which means didly squat and all their engineering and Cerys also mean squat to be frank. Because once they are here you can’t do anything about it those test certs mean nothing. No government has jurisdiction over international consumer trade. Trust me I have been there done that.
Being a draftsman I asked lots of the technical questions and there was no detail left out on drawings. I had the Basix and sustainable product requirements articulated. I even had the architectural hardware specs sent and then after commitment to fulfill these requirements, sent hardware to China so they could use and fix the actual hardware to the custom doors. Pics attached of what this looks like. If I could send videos, I would. Windows leaking, whistling and screeching bifolds. All handles on bifolds are broken which you can see swing in the videos. I am real and if anyone wants the videos please PM me and I will email anyone who wants the videos.
We def not new to industry husband is MBA NSW best builder awards. I am a drafty and I also worked in FTrading so we know how compliance and standards work inside and out.

I would welcome Current Affair our to have a look if it meant helping people not make same mistake. However my husband doesn’t want our business name associated with any such inferior products and quality. Because we would certainly Would never deliver Or build with inferior quality to our clients.

You are entitled to your opinion and experience but please, let me share mine. So people have all the facts and then can make the decision to take the risks.

But please don’t assume we are numpties in the industry, as it couldn’t be further from the truth.

And even like you said yourself you have to go to the lunchroom behind the boxes to develop relationships to get good quality from some suppliers. I think you furthered my case here. It’s very hit and miss. We loved our relationship and the service till we saw the product. And then they just got unprofessional, spiteful and could not even get any help or compensation. Oh and did I mention they forgot to send two massive windows and then expected us to pay to get them here?

It’s all too risky, unregulated and aust gov Consumer law doesn’t apply to international trade so if there are issues like ours and it’s all just grossly under par no one can help you.

rizroz thanks for explaining, this will help others, and no need for sorry. I am not paid to promote windows or other Chinese products. Just sought to provide some balance to your earlier post based on some of my experiences In other product categories. I appreciate your detailed explanation and can understand exactly how this can happen.

Rizroz,

What an experience! Appreciate for sharing this.

Have you tried sending them pictures and asking to replace?

If you ordered through Alibaba, you can always complain and ask for a refund. They are very strict with this.

Could you also let us know the name of the manufacturer? I am sure this will be helpful to everyone on this forum.

Yes we complained about everything, we asked to escalate to Director but never got a response. Just the sales ladies who were lovely till we complained and then they were spiteful and personal and rather childish. We were never sent outstanding windows and we sought legal advice but it’s hard to claim when there are no breaches of Aus leg or regs for international trade and standards don’t count and there is no gov board to take on the complaint for you.

We went with Aoland or China Windows and Doors they use both names interchangeably.

Yes agree, our experience in getting a fireplace surround stone mould mantel was great and the quality was fab with a Chinese stone manufacturer. But the windows and perhaps the cost and loss risk with this type of product is way more.

rizroz I am wondering what documentary proof Aoland provided to you confirming their windows met Australian standards. A certificate and /or test report? This would normally be a screening step before spending further time or money.

They are not in WERS, which is already not a good indicator.

But this is what they display show at their Alibaba page.



Rizroz should have certainly done transaction with them via Alibaba Trade Assurance, in that case, it would be so much easier to push them for replacement or even complete refund.

Hi Rizroz

Greetings from the UK
We have been looking at importing glass from China for a large barn we are thinking of converting
I am so glad I came across this post
It’s really hard to find feed back from someone who has had first hand experience with imported glass from china ,
I am very grateful and hope you are able to sort out your windows/doors
I guess I’ll stick with Keller Ag👍