SmartWings Day/Night Cellular Shades arrived damaged — company offered DIY repairs + $30 instead of replacement. What would you do?
I received my first pair of motorized SmartWings Day/Night (Duo) cellular shades yesterday. I was really looking forward to finally replacing my old blinds.
When I opened the box, I noticed some minor scratches. I was disappointed but decided to proceed with the installation. I didn’t initially notice the extent of the scratches on the back, so I examined the mounting clips and ultimately reversed the orientation so the damaged areas would face outward toward the window.
Installation itself went smoothly. The HomeKit connection was easy and the blinds initially functioned perfectly.
Then I lowered the blackout shade and noticed a blue stain/mark in the center of the fabric. After taking a closer look, I found scratches across the blinds, a mangled end cap, and fabric overhanging the edge.
The shades were $835 after tax, so I contacted SmartWings and requested a replacement. These defects were present when the shades arrived and were not caused by installation or use.
Instead, they offered several at-home repair suggestions:
Use fine-grit sandpaper to polish the scratches on the bottom bar.
Clean the blackout fabric with diluted laundry detergent.
Press/tap the loose side caps back into place.
They offered a $30 partial refund as a gesture of goodwill.
Their email also stated that their initial assessment was that the scratches on the bottom bar “may have occurred during the assembly process.”
I understand that some cosmetic issues can potentially be repaired, but these are brand-new shades that arrived with multiple cosmetic/assembly defects. I’m not comfortable sanding or attempting to repair a brand-new $835 purchase myself.
I’ve declined the $30 offer and again requested a replacement shade.
Their policy states that they will honor replacements within 30 days for defects in materials or workmanship, which seems pretty applicable here.
What would you do at this point? Has anyone dealt with SmartWings regarding defects like this? Did they eventually replace the shade?
Update: I spoke with someone at their Texas office this morning. I was told that the shades should be replaced, but that the replacement can only be processed directly through the factory in China.
Apparently, the factory may push back again with another “offer” before agreeing to replace the shades. I asked why the Texas office couldn’t help move the replacement along, and was told that they only handle the technical side of things.