SunSetter Awnings

We've moved! Hurray for me, but apparently bad for my awning.

Original wall mount awning worked great. Dealer didn't listen when we explained a roof mount would be required for relocated install. Delay of a week and replacement ordered. Sunsetter confirmed order 3-4 days later to dealer. Two weeks later, mounts still have not been shipped.

I contacted dealer, who had apparently contacted Sunsetter dealer services and was informed that Sunsetter was 'doing inventory', that the parts had not shipped the week prior (as earlier indicated) and 'might possibly' ship this Friday or maybe Monday (12 December).

I contacted Sunsetter earlier this morning and talked w/ customer service who was quite helpful, but could find no indication of the order or dealer PO under my name, my wife's name, dealer name or dealer owner (Dave **) name, nor had she been informed of any shipping issues due to 'doing inventory'.

I recontacted dealer, who, in turn, re-contacted Sunsetter Dealer Services, whereupon I received a call who explained that customer service could not locate the information because dealer had ordered under their wholesale account. However, Dealer services would not tell me when the order had been placed, would not comment on why after two weeks from order confirmation the part had still not been shipped, and would not confirm when said parts would, indeed be shipped, other than a vague ' probably Friday or Monday'. Moreover, Sunsetter indicated that shipping arrangements could not be expedited.

I paid $2300+ for a motorized awning. Upon receipt of the "tube" i called them to say the "tube" was damaged. They said it was probably just damaged in shipping but the awning was okay. Unknown to me, until the awning malfunctioned today and rolled itself all the way out, the roller tube was creased in the middle. The awning motor needs to be reset almost every time I try to roll it out. I have to manually crank it out, manually crank it in, get a ladder and climb up to the top of the awning and reset the in and out mechanism on the awning. I called Sunsetter and they said they will send me a new roller tube for free and I can pay someone to come and take the awning down and remove the bent roller bar, replace it with the new one and put the fabric back in it. And they will give me $75 for my trouble. I guess I'd like to add there isn't even a kiss involved in this shafting. I will never recommend this company and will do everything I can at every opportunity to make sure my family and friends never do business with these **.

We are charter members of the Sun Setter Family. We purchased our 16" 900 unit over 10 years ago, possibly 12 years. We have been very happy with the unit. You have to use your head with anything like this as it is a big wind catcher. I always use de-flappers and tie down the ends when it is deployed. We learned this using out motor home. We unroll it in the spring and roll it back up in the fall, so it is a permanent part of our deck as it is great in the sun and rain. It is always tilted on one end to let the rain pour off as it can collapse an awning due to the weight.

My problem with Sun Setter is they do not carry replacement parts. I had a folding handle break. I called them and they basically told me that they do not carry replacement parts so I had to make my own - not a good way to run a company. Also, we just purchased a 6' awning to go over our sliding door and a large rug $200.00 to go under the awning. Very shortly after we purchased them, they went on sale. So, if you are going to buy anything from them, wait. It will probably go down in price shortly.

Syracuse

let me start by saying that sunsetter dropped the ball when it comes to telling you about del. it never happens, i had to change all my plans on account of it.this left me with a bad taste in my mouth about sunsetter.thanx for nothing

double swivel broke for flag pole and bought the all weather warrany and they wont relace it

sunsetter awning motor failed after two years use in illinois. was told new motor under warranty would be 240.00. as i told them i would not buy another motor that could fail so easily, they suggested i use the hand crank to extend and roll the awning up.. geniuses. 1869.00 down the drain.

I also purchased a motorized SunSetter retractable awning like Stephen in Staten Island did. It was installed late in the year,so was only used 6 times. The following season, the motor would not operate. They were contacted,and of course, I was told the exact same thing Stephen was told. The awning was very expensive and I will not pay for another motor when that one was deffected. Never will I purchase their products again. They do not stand by them. I give them bad reviews to everyone, on their product and service.

I bought a 900XT 3 years ago. The springs inside the rafters screeched noisily when there was any kind of wind. This was outside my bedroom so it kept me and my neighbors awake. SunSetter refused to supply new rafters even though they admitted that there was a problem and have since changed the design. They say not to try lubricating the springs as the rafter is a sealed unit and can only be replaced at a cost of $90 each. Lubricating the rafters is exactly what you should do and if you e-mail me, I will tell you how to do it. I spent $180 because SunSetter will not replace their faulty rafter design.

I purchased a 900 Series SunSetter Awning along with a real estate purchase. I have attempted to extend and retract the awning 4 times during the last 2 months. I have finally stored it away vowing never to extend it again. This is a very dangerous piece of equipment to handle with little or no service management. I have almost crushed my hands (thank goodness for gloves) many times. Buy a cheap, easy to operate umbrella from Home Depot.

I purchased a SunSetter Awning several years ago, with the optional motor. After about two years, the motor portion totally quit. I have been attempting to get the motor replaced ever since, but all I received from SunSetter are e-mails with troubleshooting procedures. I am now close to 70 years old, and rely on my sons when they visit to help with the troubleshooting. Finally after years of telling them that the motor was bad, they agreed, and told me that I waited too long. The warranty is over, and now they want $368.00 for a new motor. Most senior citizens purposely order the model with the motor, and cannot easily get on ladders to troubleshoot. Besides, a motor should last more than 2 years, when used a half a dozen times a season.

We have had our awning for about 8 years and we love it. The problem is the pull strap on the older 1000 model. This is the fourth time it has broken. You have since improved it to a crank but that doesn't help us with the older model. The service is good, but I don't think I should have to pay 14.00 for a piece of nylon that costs pennies every time it breaks. Maybe whoever reads this can send me and other customers extra straps at no charge, because the awning is great and that is the only problem, but I won't order any more accessories when [they] won't replace a strap that probably doesn't even cost 50 cents.

Please make me a happy customer again so I can recommend sunsetter again and tell people that [they] stand behind [their] product. Thank you for reading this and my customer# is **. I spent a lot of money on this awning and cannot believe sunsetter will not replace the strap when they have improved the awning to open with a crank. Thank you in advance for listening.

My awining is 10 years old and Sunsetter quit making key parts to the operation of these awnings. Like the main spring that allows you to roll the awning back up. Sunsetter refused to support their products. The operator when I called told me that Sunsetter does support their products. I asked how Do I fix an awning that cannot be rolled up and she said you can't becuse Sunsetter does not make the parts anymore.

I purchased a sunsetter awning from Sunsetter approximately 1 year ago for approximately $2,500. I purchased it because they adverstize that 1). It is easy to install, 2). they contract with vendors that can professionally install them. After several attempts to get an outside vendor to install it (they declined saying it was not covered under insurance even though I was willing to pay $400 for installation), I had a neighbor install it for me.

The product never worked. More specifically, the arms never rolled up all the way, when it partially did, the metal arms got stuck and as a result of not being able to roll them up, the fabric has ripped. I have called Sunsetters numerous times to ask them for 1). guidence, 2. an outside vendor that can assist me in fixing the issue and but all they tell we are back at square one. My product is left unattended because there is no one out there that can fix it or replace it.

I asked the customer service today (5/28/10) if they could replace the torn fabric, she said they could for $421.00. Any suggestion on how to address this issue will be greatly appreciated it. I am very uspet. I suffer from acid reflux- the fact that I can not fix it, find a professional that can fix it, product never worked, and they want to charge me $421 for a new fabric is stressing me out. My wife is extremely upset at me because I convinced her to but the product and it has never worked. It is not easy to install and no professionals want to do it? $2,500 down the drain.

We purchased our home in November 2009 and it came with a SunSetter awning. The home is 4 years old, so the awning is at least that old. It was in perfect shape until last night. It came crashing down and brought the brick down with it. I contacted the 800 number listed on the awning and they said call a dealer and they are not responsible. They say they have a 5-year warranty and boast about how anyone can install this product. I have pictures of the damage. What a mess!

I installed the awning per the instructions. It was difficult but not impossible. The awning is great and we really like it. However, we have a major problem. It is destroying my home. When the awning is extended, it forces a gap between the bricks of the house. I get approx 3/3" gap between the bricks above the awning. I sent pictures and asked SunSetter for a corrective measure but their response was to stop using the awning. No fix, just stop using it. Where do I go from here?

I bought a manual Sunsetter awning in April 2001 and it is still working fine. I installed it myself with some help from my husband when I needed more than 2 hands. We have had high winds and heavy rain but the rainaway arches kept the awning standing. The only complaint I have is the screen room zippers don't hold up. I am overall very satisfied with this product.

After reading these stories of disappointment It makes me sad, but there seems to be a common tread, Ether it wasn't installed right or you lost respect for what it is and what it can and can't do. We, husband and I, dreamed about a life on the deck like you see in the commercials. The mounting and the assumed cost was intimidating, to be sure. So we put it off. A friend of ours was moving out of state, and he had one and took it down. Planning to take it with him. His new house had one so he gave us his "old" one. Bought in 1997. We had never seen IT up or open. The way we got it was rolled and covered with a bag of parts and screws, and two long extender arms. Thank you, he included the installation book!

All stowed in the barn and added to the "We'll get to it list." Our deck faces true east. We spent 2 summers with the sun and the heat on our deck unbearable. We are not construction people, but we do know our way around a tool box. What put us off is our house is log. Real logs! What would it look like? No two logs are alike, so finding level and flush was answered with good Header. Husband and friend had it up in one afternoon. That was 4 years ago

We absolutely love it! But you have to understand its limitation. We live in the woods so weather is something we monitor. We have had huge trees fall down with the wind gusting to just 25 mph. Its just fabric and screws. Like a sail sideways. Its not a roof. We close it if we are going away and "cock" it when its going to rain. We collect the rain water but that's another story. We just love it! Pictures on request.

sunsetterwould not replace the motor. Costco,where we purchased the awning interviened and we got a new motor. it worked for 3-4 times and my husband was so frustrated he threw the remote out! I would not reccomend this product or dealing with this company.

I'm no handyman, but I installed my SunSetter awning last weekend with no problems. You must follow the instructions to the letter, particularly in regard to installing the brackets into studs or other support beams. I triple-checked with a stud finder inside and outside the house before drilling. When you drill a 3 1/2 inch hole into a stud, you'll feel substantial resistance on the drill for the entire distance. If you don't, you're not drilling into a stud. And if you don't put the bolts into studs, the awning will definitely fall down. If in doubt, hire a handyman; don't blame SunSetter -- the instructions are very clear. Some of the descriptions I read here sound like incorrect installations, or maybe studs that were compromised due to rotting or termite damage. I feel like a got a great product from a reliable company, and it's been a good experience so far.

I received my Sunsetter 900XT awning the second week of May, and I made plans with my son to assist me in installing it after the holiday week-end.

I went to San Francisco for the Memorial Day weekend and upon returning, I found that my son had installed the awning, by himself, while I was gone. I asked my son about his experience and he said that after watching the two DVD videos he had no problems with the installation and it took him about 4 or 5 hours.

I called the company prior to purchasing an awning for my patio. They assured me that this was not difficult and I could certainly do it, with minimal assistance.

I worked to install this for 2 years because it was so difficult. I hurt my back trying to extend the arms to hoist the canape. I would never buy this item again and as soon as it wears out I will replace it with something else.

My local Sunday newspaper had an advertisement for SunSetter Awnings. However after reading all the complaints filed by customers, fir sure I would not buy anything from this company. The product seems inferior and customer service only exixts for a price. I'll stay with my pop-up sun canopy which I bought at my local Rite Aid drug store for $39.99 and when it fails I'll buy another one--currently this camopy is in its thire season!

Very good experience. Had awning for 3 years. Did not get motor because of possible moisture and rusting but bought a .69 6 long metal hook that fits into the receiving part where the manual pole fits and put the end of the hook into my portable drill. The awning retracts in 3 seconds thru the drill.

No damage even in winds.

I have a manual Sunsetter Awning. The wind took it completely down. I don't believe it was that windy to have taken the whole awning down. On another note, it is difficult for me to handle and I have to have my husband roll it up and down.

It ripped off the house leaving holes in the siding. All four arms (upper and lower) were damaged and need replaced which will cost around $400.00.

I purchased a home with an awning installed. One afternoon I wanted to drain rain which had accumulated in the center, it was not much water, so I began to lower one corner of the awning and the entire awning separated from the house and fell on me knocking me under it onto the ground,almost killing me.I had bruises all over my arms and legs. I was not even upset about the awning falling down after I realized how lucky I was to still be walking and talking! The original home owners who installed the awning did not provide additional reinforcements to secure the contraption to the house well enough.

A year later I paid someone 250.00 to re-attach the awning to my house. He provided 2x6 planks, primed then he painted them, pre-drilled for 3/4",or so,screws at apx. 8 inch intervals, first he screwed the long board at the top to the studs,not the siding on the house,then two smaller boards lower,to secure the arm brackets. The awning is secure now, but this is the problem I still have. The awning is not sold with instructions for installation well enough to ensure safety. These awnings are very expensive, replacement parts are expensive,it is impossible to leave it out unless the weather is always perfect, and difficult for a single person to open and close as advertised, I can't do it alone and my boyfriend who is 6'4" won't touch it.

While re-attaching the awning the large round tube with the spring action popped loose and almost took my contractors thumb off! Now I can hardly use it because it is so much harder now to open or close because it does not have the spring action, it has to be opened and closed manually, which includes the use of a ladder, clearing the patio,etc. I have been afraid to call to ask how to fix it becase I don't want to spend another 300.00

This thing would be easier to get rid of, and I would like to replace it with a permanent hard structure such as a pergola. If you buy this product be very careful with it. I reccomend to always tilt one end to allow for run-off, pull it in during windy storms, even if mild winds, and add reinforments when installing it.

It completely fell away from the house. I suffered physical injuries as a result. I spent about 350.00 to re-attach it to my house including replacement parts. The phone operator at Sun-Setter sold me parts I didn't even need. It always requires more than one person to operate mine. I am a small woman, my boyfriend is 6'4" and he won't touch it! This entire summer I have not used it. I should be able to use it I spent enough money already on this thing.

Purchased the 20' awning in June 2001. The shipment arrived promptly and apparently in good shape. The video was packed in with the hardware. The video cartridge was cracked, some of the tape was frayed, therefore only some of the tape could be watched. Being a very handy DIYer I did not think to have much problems figuring things out and indeed I did manage to get the entire awning hooked up. There were some difficulties but as a DIYer I solved those.

Out problem is with its basic design. My wife cannot handle the extension, I am having more problems than before with extending the heavy bars that go above your hand reaching height. We should have gotten a motorized or hand cranked item. For the record we have absolutely no difficulty operating the Dometic Awning on our Motorhome.

Very difficult to operate for older people. The awning itself is still working and sheds rain without the stays because we are smart enough to slightly tilt one side lower than the other, causing even heavy (very heavy) rain to slide off, rather than to POOL.

We installed our Sunsetter awning 1 year ago, and had been pleased. That is, until we noticed that the center support brace is rusting. This brace is one of the add on's that SunSetter sells to provide additional awning support. Not only is the entire painted surface rusting, but the spring mechanism is rusting as well. Again, this rusting occured only after 1 year of use. The rubber cap on the unit that is supposed to protect our siding is dried out and cracking too.

We called Sunsetter about these issues, and they offered to sell us touch up paint for $6. Now, realize that this rusting center support would need to be sandblasted, then entirely repainted . Touch up paint WILL NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. We wanted a replacement support, in exchange for ours with the defective paint finish. That would have cost us $50. So, every year we may have to pay $50 to replace this piece so that we don't have to look at a rusted piece of metal over our heads!?

The company said that as long as it still worked, the rust shouldn't be a problem. Now, after only one year of use, if the paint finish on this piece is rusting and is an eyesore, I'm not convinced that the rest of the awning unit won't rust. DON'T MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE WE DID! DON'T PURCHASE FROM THIS COMPANY. I would NOT recommend their products to anyone!

What an eyesore after just one year! We spent around $1300 on thier products, only to have a piece of rusted equipment.

We ordered a motorized awning which had a faulty motor when we first got i.,We contacted SunSetter's and they were supposed to send a new one, we have yet to recieve the new one and was told that the motors which they are placing in the awnings are not the right ones. Also Since the awning was under warranty I asked who was going to pay for replacement & installation of new motor. They told us we had to eat the cost.

i purchased a sunsetter retractable awning april of 2004. had no problems up to this year. We had an unexpected ice storm in Jan. the awning broke on 1 side top & bottom arm. called sunsetter had to pay for 2 new arms. when they arrived we realized that they sent me 2 bottom arms. called & had to send back the wrong arm & pay for shipping $20.00. then when i recieved the new top arm it was defective.

i called again, they replaced the arm. we finally got the awning back up. We had a storm & a branch fell on the left side of the awning, now breaking the left top & bottom arm & the right bottom arm. called sunsetter again, had to pay again for new arms that i had just installed. got the arms & put the awning up again.

Last wednesday 6-18-2004 we had a rain storm, no wind and all of a sudden i hear a loud bang. the awning was down! after the storm i went out to see both of the new (3 weeks old) bottom arms are broken again!! there were no branches & no wind, Just rain. called sunsetter & explained it to the rep. he told me there is no warranty or gaurantee on the new arms & that i would have to pay again for new arms. I believe the material they are using for the arms is alot lighter than the original arms, using cheaper material. I have about had it with this awning!! there should be some kind of gaurantee on these parts! What can I do??

spent alot of money replacing arms for the awning!

I read the bad experiences people had with Sunsetter Awings and mine is the exact opposite. I've told more than 1 person it was a good investment and how happy I am with it. I, along with a friend put mine up in several hours and it was no big deal. That was 8 years ago. I put roll it up in the winter or if there's a big storm. I leave it out all summer long. I've mistakenly left it out when we had strong wind updrafts that did damage to the neighbors with little effect on my awning.

After all these years the UV rays are taking their toll on the fabric but I expect that. Yesterday the arm broke at the base from a stress fracture on the aluminum so I sawed it flush, re-drilled it and bolted it back to the base. This will probably be the last year of life for my awing looking presentable but considering I got 8 or 9 years out of it I would consider buying another one.

I purchased a SunSetter awning in July of '02. Since then I have had three motors fail. Under the warranty I received two new motors. The 5 year warranty expired last year and now I'm told I'll get a $25 break on the $318.95 price of a new one.

The entire blame of the failures was put on me as I was told the awning should be retracted during rainfall. Sorta of defeats the old purpose doesn't it. Kelly was polite and professional but after talking to her supervisor(Robin) began to follow the company line which appears to be sucker we gotcha now.


Replacement motor cost and loss of use of the product during the time it takes to receive new motor and the inconvenance of the not for mechanically

challenged de and re-installation.Not to mention the cauliflower ear obtained during the protracted calls.

sunsetter is 100% a great wonderful company with excellent products and customer support!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

Everything is fine. Everything is great. It only takes one person to do it, and like the video installation while a little time consuming was very straight forward. Read/follow the directions, watch the video and have a basic understanding of building tools as well as patience and you should have minimal issues... We love it and I'm a klutz at building and installing things.

Couldn't be better

NONE

This is not a complaint, but after reading so many about Sunsetter I thought I'd write about our experience, which was positive. We ordered (2) 10' motorized awnings. They arrived on time, damage free. Locating the studs on the rear of my house to install the brackets was not as easy as I thought it would be, but we accomplished it and the brackets were solidly secured.

Installation of the awnings was not as easy as portrayed. They are extremely heavy, and I did have to enlist the help of a third person. Once installed, they worked perfectly, and have for the past 5 years.

I ordered a SunSetter Awning in May, 2007 from Diane, with an agreed total price of $1,927.90. When I received my credit card statement, the amount charged was $1,985.40. I called SunSetter-they stated that the amount charged to the credit card was correct. I asked to talk to the Supervisor, Fred. He tried to tell us that the price Diane quoted us didn't include the cover. Diane told us when we ordered it, the cover was included. Fred wouldn't back up the price that the salesperson, Diane, quoted to us when we purchased the awning. We want SunSetter to hold to their quoted price of $1.927.90. How many other people do they quote prices to and then charge another amount on their credit card? We will not recommend SunSetter to anyone. We do not have any complaints about the awning itself.



I installed it myself with no problems.I like their support is suburb. I really like my awning.You have to some common sense to figure some of the things the manual was lacking to elaborate.

A happy customer who regularly provides recommendations for the product.

The awning took 3 large men to put up and was more complicted than was described.

When I purchased the awning, I was advised of a finjance free program for the first month and took the offer which put the price on a Wells Fargo credit card. I paid the full price within the month and closed the Wells Fargo Account.

2 months after installing the awning, the motor died. I called Sunsetter and was informed it was under warranty. They would send me a new awning providing that I give them a $50 deposit refundable when I send back the old motor. I gave them my credit card info, recieved the new motor and returned the old one.

When I did not receive my credit I called and was told it was refunded to the old/closed Well's Fargo account. I told them that was not my method of payment, they said they would take care of it. When I received a statement from Wells Fargo with a credit, I called them.

Now 7 months later, Wells Fargo states they sent me a check for the $50and after they sent that Sunsetter retracted their payment to Wells Fargo and I now owe Wells Fargo $64. I was put on with an account specialist who advised me to send a letter to Wells Fargo disputing the charge. I did so 3 times. Wells Fargo resolved the dispute by calling me every 2 hours between 8am and 9PM and threatening me with collections. The account specialist is now advising me to contact my other credit card company, in which the account is now closed and recieve written statement that I was or was not additionally reimbursed through them as well. This same specialist has on numerous occassions done nothing accept put me to work or advise me to pay an additional $50 I do not owe.

I do not have time for all this constant back and forth. Sunsetter made the mistake and is not willing to FULLY rectify it. I have spent thousands of dollars on my awning and am being harrassed over $50.

My Wells Fargo is threatening to send my acount to a collections agency.

I purchased a Sunsetter 1000XT awning 2 years ago and have been very pleased with it until now. Approx 2 weeks ago I was sitting under it on an otherwise calm day when a dust devil caught the left side of the awning causing the arm locking handle to break off which in turn allowed the awning to flip over backwards.

The handle is only held on by 2 very small rivets and I do not believe that there would of been any damage if the rivets had been larger. The handle is located at a high stress point and I am not sure why they are using substandard rivets when the rest of the awning seems to be of such high quality. I discussed this with Sunsetter but they said that it was due to the weather and that they couldn't do anything about it. Sunsetter's failure to try to work with me on this has lost them customers as I will never recommend them or purchase from them again.

1 rafter, 1 arm and 1 wall bracket at a cost of $178 plus damage to my roof and rain gutter at a cost of approx $200.

I have been very pleased with the sunsetter awnings I purchased in terms of quality of the materials. I am completely frustrated by the company's lack of assistance when there is difficulty. They can offer nothing in the way of suggestion as how to install, how to operate and how to trouble shoot. It seems to me that a good company ought to have helpful representatives/installers/troubleshooters/repair persons at least in major citites. I wish they would hook up with Home Depot or something so a person could get some assistance with problems. I would NOT buy this product again.

I purchased a retractable awning in July of 2004. There is a small plastic cap at the end of the left rafter that holds the tension spring in place by clipping into the rafter with two puny little plastic tabs. The tabs on the left unit were not long enough and they will not hold in the rafter arm. I e-mailed the company explaining this and they told me to call the 800 number to obtain the replacement part.

I did and was told, rather rudely, that the part was not available by itself (after being practically accused of breaking it myself)but must be obtained with an entire new rafter assembly. This assembly is about 12 ft long, steel and fairly heavy. The plastic cap is about 1 ounce, plastic and worth about $.50, if that. I told them I did not want a new rafter, just the cap. Impossible, they say. They offered to send it to me under warranty, but I would have to pay $14.95 shipping. I refuse to pay $14.95 for the unit, when I only need the $.50 cap. They state that customer service is their main goal. Yeah right.

I now own a $1,200 dollar awning, less than a year old, with a five year warranty, that I cannot use.

The motor died on my Sunsetter awning the first year. Although this motor is supposedly an outdoor motor with cover, the company said if it got damp it could ruin the motor. The awning is an outdoor awning and it is obvious there will be moisture in the summer. I was told I would have to repurchase the motor. I chose not to spend the large sum of money on a motor that would probally not last another summer and operated the motor manually. When I realized there was a five year warranty on the motor, I decided to try again. I was now told I would have to pay over three times more the original pice I was quoted. If you sell a motorized outdoor awning, the motor should be able to stay outside. I now have a very, very expensive manual awning with a non working motor. And no thanks to sunsetter customer service who were not only of no help but treated me as if it was my fault the motor was exposed to humidity. I wish I knew this before I spent all this money with Sunsetter.

When I tried to order three rubber ends for the Rainaway arches, the company wanted to charge me $3.95 shipping for EACH rubber tip. I believe this is unreasonable.

We Purchased a 9 foot Sunsetter awning for our home which we were re-modeling last June. However, before it could be installed we had a wind/thunder storm that did a large amount of damage. Do to our setback, we just this month attempted to install the awning. In doing so we found out that they had sent a 10 foot awning not the 9 foot that was ordered. After over an hour on the phone with a customer service agent and a supervisor only thing they would offer was a 50% discount on the right canvas awning.

Their position was that the warranty period had ended. I argued that this was not a warranty issue, simply that they had shipped the incorrect item. I feel that we were being pentailzed simply because we had not attempted to install the product with their time frame. Their whole response is to put you on hold, appoligze over and over for putting you on hold, only to put you back on hold.

I have had to spend additionl money to purchase the correct canvas top so that we can install the awning. This is, in my view, a very poor customer relations move. I will now go out of my way to tell anyone who will listen about my much less than satisfactory contact with this company. I have contacted the State of Kansas Attorney General's office to seek their assistance.

We purchased a new Sunsetter 1000XT awning to replace our old Sunsetter 1000 awning which was destroyed by a severe windstorm. When the awning arrived we had it installed on our home. After it was installed we realized that the new awning was not the high quality of our old one. The operation was very hard and all the materials in the arms and brackets were much lighter than the old one. We also realized that in our windy climate it would not last one season.

We had our old Sunsetter for six years and had no problems with it until it was destroyed in the severe storm. We purchased this on the telephone from one of Sunsetters salesman who told us that this model replaced the old 1000 model and it was a much improved product which proved to be false. The components of the new awning had been downsized and were made of smaller gauge materials.

The same day it was put up we called customer service and told them we wanted to return the awning and get a refund of our money. They said they would refund our purchase price less the shipping to and from our house back to them which amounts to approximately $200.00. We do not think we should have to pay the freight for an inferior product that was represented as a better awning than we had previously had. When we called customer service they were rude and argumentative and said that it was stated in their literature that the customer has to pay the freight both ways when returning the awning. We did not have any literature as we ordered this over the phone. The salesman said we could return the awning but did not say anything about who would have to pay the freight.

Their customer service representative said we should have asked the salesman about the freight. We do not think it is incumbent on the purchaser to ask sales reps about returned item freight as this awning was represented to be a superior product than the one we had. It is not our fault that the awning is an inferior product.

We had to pay $200.00 for a inferior product we could not use.

Ordered a Sunsetter 900XT, 8 foot. The awining material was 6 foot. No problem, called Sunsetter and they advised me to return the awning UPS and they would send me the proper awning. Problem is I have drive to UPS and ship at my expense. My family and I decided to have the unit returned. Problem is I have to contact a trucker and return it at my expense and they will will not refund the original $105 shipping. This was not a trila offer. The unit was shipped incorrectly and they wanted me to run around and pay for shipping.

Beware of Sunsetter.

We purchased a 12x17' Sunsetter awning late summer of 2003. Shipping was good. Installation was comparatively simple although the overall weight and size of the components made the system essentially impossible for a pair of elderly people like me and my wife to cope. It was necessary to hire help from a professional carpenter to complete the installation.

About a month after installation, while trying to lower the awning, the load got away from me and one of the major compnents -a support arm - was bent. Sunsetter did replace this arm under warranty.

But the latest event was more serious. Third week in April we suffered a 3 rain fall in little more than an hour. This meant that water accumulated between the rainaway arches, which are supposed to anable the awning to cope with rainfall, and the total accumulation was so great that the whole system collapsed. And now the system is stuck in the up position and cannot be lowered. The reaction of customer service was to the effect that this sort of thing happens. To give the company whatever due is possible, they are going to replace the broken parts at shipping costs.

But the primary complaint that we heave is that this is has turned out to be an awning for sunny windless days only - essentially any kind of adverse weather is to be avoided by retracting the awning.

Also, retracting the awning, despite the glowing advertisement, is not easy or quick, and is NOT a simple two person job.

I purchased a 10'x14' retractable awning from SunSetter this spring. I purchaesed the auwning. I also purchased several accessories, including rainaway arches. screens, a cleaning kit and lights. (The cleaning kit arrived with a leaky cleaning solution bottle which had made a slimy mess).I installed the awning following the written and video instructions. The video showed a well-dressed couple easily installing and operating what I soon discovered was a rube-goldberg, delicate, heavy and hard-to-operate contraption.

Contray to the video and printed operating instructions, it took three people--not two as protrayed--and considerable upper-body strength--to raise and retract the awning. In the course of normal operation, hinges and sliders popped out of place. The Rainaway Arches could not be installed; Tensioning the arches caused the entire awning to collapse because of the hinges popped out. The sand bags provided to crudely hold down the screens were so poorly designed that sand leaked out continously, creating a mess on my deck.

When I at first complained to SunSetter, their response was to offer to SELL me replacement parts. When the awning fell apart for the last time, I called and e-mailed SunSetter, demanding my money back since the awning did not operate as promised. The customer service representative was unhelpful and adversarial. It was only after I threatened to complain to the Federal Trade Commission and the Connecticut Attorney-General that I got any response. Another SunSetter representative called and told me to call a product specialist. That contact was made TWO WEEKS later. I was given a number to call on August 25, 2003. That number has been busy every time I have called--a total of 20 calls at varied times to date.

I have a retractable awning that does not work, is broken and is an eyesore. I am out-of-pocket several thousand dollars.

TOOK MONEY OUT OF A CHARGE CARD WITHOUT AUTHORIZATION OR PERMISSION - WE WERE NEVER TOLD THEY WERE GOING TO CHARGE US FOR THE MOTOR OR ELSE I WOULD HAVE NEVER ACCEPTED.

We ordered a sunsetter awning product and have owned it for almost 2 years. We brought the whole kit with weather protective accessories. Such as rainaway arches, wind flaps, screen, patio lights, etc. According to their advistement and video it will show you the usage of the awning in all types of weather. Also it states that you have a 5 year warranty.

We came home one day and found itlaying on our deck. It had rain that day lightly. (March 15th or so 2003). In the process it had caused some damaged to the screen and the rainaway arches were bent. We called customer service and spoke to one of their representatives who went by the name Mike, he had no clue as to the product. We were put on hold several times for long periods so that he can look up some information on the product. We had to tell him more about the product then what he knew. According to him we were out of luck, we had explain to him that we have always taken good care of our awning by cleaning and putting it away for the winter. Regardless of their claim of usage in all inclements. The instructions that he had provided to us was for an awning without rainaway arches. Also he had suggested that we could tape the tears in the screen that were torn by the arches going through. This way we wouldn't have to buy another screen and suggested a extended warranty which we had no clue of from the beginning. This extended warranty would cover for future damages.

I was extremely happy with this product and had several other neighbors and friend purchase the product. Now due to the response I have receive from this company customer service dept. we are extremely disappointed. The reply we receive such as putting the awning away on rainy days, tape the tear on the screen was ridiculous. It seems that their advertisement is false and misleading.

We both work and it just so happen to be a rainy day not a severe storm. Mind you according to their advistement this is the reason you can purchase the rainaway arches.

Needless to say no one has correspond to our complaint. Except for a phone call from the same young man wanting to know if we wanted to purchase replacements. I would like these parts replace with no charge. Thank you for looking into this matter.

broke a part off of my deck and ripped the screen and bented the arches beyond repair.