I'm extremely disappointed with how OnDeck handled an issue with our ScreenEZE installation. The…read moreinstallation crew themselves were very nice and professional, which makes the way the situation was handled afterward even more frustrating.
We have a mid-century modern home with a very specific exterior aesthetic. One of the defining characteristics of the house is the clean, minimal exterior detailing, and we have been very intentional about keeping window and trim elements flush and visually unobtrusive.
OnDeck installed the ScreenEZE system using an exterior corner-mount method that left a substantial amount of dark metal visible around our white openings. At no point during the sales process was I told that OnDeck only installs the system this way, nor was I told that there were different manufacturer-approved mounting options that would create very different finished appearances.
During the installation, I was surprised by how much visible metal there was, but I assumed that once everything was complete it would look more like the clean installations shown in ScreenEZE's own marketing materials. I did not realize there was another mounting method that could have substantially reduced the exterior metal because that option had never been discussed with me.
I only became aware of the inside/flush-mount option after the project was essentially complete, when I received the installation instructions from OnDeck. Those instructions clearly showed more than one installation approach.
When I raised the issue, the initial response was not simply, "We prefer another method." I was first told that I was confusing my installation with a different product/system used for other applications, including arched openings, and that I had not purchased the product I was referring to. I was the one who had to point out that the inside-mount option I was asking about was shown in the installation instructions OnDeck itself had given me at the end of the project.
I then contacted ScreenEZE directly to understand what was actually possible. ScreenEZE told me that, when installed correctly and in the appropriate application, flush mounting is a manufacturer-approved method, is covered under their 10-year warranty, and is considered just as reliable and durable as a corner mount.
After I brought that information back to OnDeck, their position became that flush mounting is simply not a method they choose to perform because they believe their corner-mount method is superior. That is a perfectly reasonable company preference -- but it should have been disclosed before I hired them.
Had I been told, "We only install ScreenEZE using an exterior corner mount, and we do not offer the inside/flush-mounted option," I would have immediately discussed whether that approach aligned with the architecture of my home. If it didn't, I would have hired a different installer. I was never given that opportunity.
My first conversation with Phil after raising the concern was extremely defensive. At one point I had to tell him that I did not appreciate being spoken to as though I were a "dumb housewife." The conversation felt dismissive rather than solution-oriented, which was especially disappointing because I was genuinely trying to understand what had happened and how we might fix it.
OnDeck also told my contractor that correcting the installation would essentially require replacing everything. Since they were unwilling to offer a workable solution, I contacted another local screen contractor. That contractor was able to reuse the existing metal, replace only the screen material, and move the entire installation inside the openings with two installers in one day. The cost to me was an additional $2,800.
I asked that $2,000 be held back from OnDeck's final payment to account for part of the additional cost I had to incur to achieve the installation I originally expected. Rather than having a meaningful discussion about a compromise, I received a notice of lien for the $2,000.
What makes this especially disappointing is that I understand what it means to run a small, family-owned business. I run businesses myself, and I know how important trust, communication, customer service, and your word are to building a reputation. Mistakes and communication breakdowns happen. What matters is how a company responds when a customer raises a legitimate concern.
I was completely willing to work toward a fair middle ground. Instead, I felt dismissed, given conflicting information, and ultimately forced to find and pay another contractor to solve a problem that could have been avoided entirely with one conversation before installation.
My issue is not that OnDeck prefers the corner-mount method. My issue is that this preference materially affected the appearance of my home and was never disclosed before the work was done.
Unfortunately, based on how this was handled after the installation, I would not recommend OnDeck.
