What You Need to Know About Replacement Windows Sold Only by Authorized Dealers

Here’s a phone call we get a lot at our office:

Potential Customer: “Do you sell Milgard (or some other familiar brand) windows?”

Office Staff: “I’m sorry—we don’t. But we do sell some other great brands of replacement windows that are actually higher quality than Milgard and come at a similar price point.”

PC: “What brands do you sell?”

OS: *Mentions the brands we offer*

PC: “I’ve never heard of any of those. I was looking for Milgard windows. I hear those are good windows.”

The BM Windows office staff will then do their best to talk to the potential customer about why we sell the brands we do, and what makes them so great for San Diego homes. A lot of times, the potential customer is willing to learn more about the window brands we sell, but sometimes, they just want to go with a brand they are familiar with.

Why Have I Never Heard of Some the Brands Sold by BM Windows?

At BM Windows, many of the window brands we sell are available only through authorized dealers like us—meaning, you won’t find them on the shelves in home improvement stores. They are only sold by window companies that have been approved by the manufacturer to sell them.

You also won’t see the brands we sell running a lot of advertisements in magazines or on HGTV. Their windows aren’t sold directly from the manufacturer to the consumer, so they have no reason to advertise to consumers.

Finally, many of the manufacturers of replacement windows sold by dealers make only replacement windows (as opposed to new construction windows). Therefore, they aren’t brands that would have been installed in a house when it was originally built.

For these reasons, homeowners are typically unfamiliar with the brands we sell, even though they are great products that are well worth considering.

Why Would a Manufacturer Not Sell Their Windows in Stores?

Not all manufacturers want to sell their products in retail stores. Rather, they want them to be sold by companies that specialize in windows and doors.

Products sold only by authorized dealers are typically higher quality than the replacement windows sold directly to the public in retail stores. Some of their features require additional explanation, so a homeowner really understands the benefits of these superior products. Authorized reps receive in-depth training on the products they sell. This training is typically required before a company can become an authorized dealer. A knowledgeable replacement window specialist will be able to articulate these benefits in ways that homeowners can understand.

In addition, an authorized window dealer’s installers will also be required to go through a manufacturer’s factory training, so they know how to properly install the windows. This prevents problems down the road and helps maintain the reputation of the window manufacturer.

The people working in the window department of a home improvement store often don’t have a lot of detailed knowledge about the products in their department. They may only know what they’ve read in a product brochure or what they learned in a brief training session by the product rep, but that’s about it. And the people installing the windows sold in home improvement stores may or may not be experienced in window installation.

When selling through authorized dealers, manufacturers can have confidence that their products will be properly explained and installed. This typically allows them to offer better warranties on their products and maintains the integrity of their products.

Why Can You Sell Your Windows at Such Great Prices If They’re Such High Quality?

When windows are sold only through authorized dealers, the manufacturers aren’t spending a lot of money advertising to the general public. Many of the manufacturers are also local to the region in which their windows are sold, so they are also saving on the cost of shipping their products across the country. Instead, they are spending this money on quality materials and better construction. These savings are then passed on to the consumer.

We could probably charge a lot more for the windows and doors we sell at BM Windows because of their high quality, but we have chosen to offer them at a fair price and make them affordable for more San Diego homeowners.

If you’d like to know more about the differences between the replacement windows we sell and the products you’ll find in retail stores, contact us. We are happy to set up an appointment with you where you can have all of your questions answered and receive a quote on new windows and doors for your home.