Seattle awning complaint

COMPLAINT: Nina and Morton Shecter, Bellevue, Wash.

"American Awnings & Shades installed a new awning over the deck on the back of our house. At no time were we told our deck wouldn't be usable in rainy weather. The awning was attached to the side of the house and resulted in a 1-inch gap where the brackets allowed rain to collect on the deck.

"We called the company and they installed a right-angled piece of aluminum to seal the gap. This was totally ineffective. We also received a bill for this work. When we notified them, they agreed to credit us the additional amount but refused to do anything else to resolve this problem."

DESIRED RESOLUTION: "We'd like to be reimbursed $272, which is how much it cost to have the problem fixed by another service provider."

RESPONSE: Marsha Jones, owner, American Awnings & Shades

"Due to the home's design, flashing was required above the awning to reduce the amount of water that ran down from the windows. Our lead installer later installed the flashing and a sealant, which reduced the amount of water coming under the awning.

"One member was satisfied, but the other didn't like the flashing and instead hired a handyman to remove it, remove the siding on the house, reinstall the flashing under the siding and replace the siding.

"We're not a handyman service and we don't replace or reinstall siding on customers' homes. If the members felt the need to re-side the home to make minor aesthetic improvements, that was above and beyond the installation of an awning on the side of their home."

STATUS: Stalemate