Description

I located this window-cleaning business on Nextdoor.com and called to discuss the work needed and the price. I was quoted $200 for complete exterior cleaning of all windows, including removing and washing the screens and cleaning the tracks of all windows. The man I spoke with identified himself as Malachi McConnell of Apex Window Cleaning. The online information for the business stated that it carried $1 million in liability insurance. We agreed on a date and time for the work. However, Mr. McConnell arrived a day earlier than scheduled and then rescheduled the appointment because he believed it might rain. When we discussed the rescheduled appointment, he gave me a 9:00 a.m. arrival time. I explained that I had a doctor's appointment and asked if he could come at 10:30 a.m. instead. Despite that conversation, Mr. McConnell apparently arrived at my home at approximately 9:00 a.m. and called me while I was at the doctor's office. I reminded him of our conversation and told him I would return home as soon as possible. He said he would wait and begin the work. Although there had already been some confusion about the scheduling, I expected that the agreed-upon work would be completed that day, September 14, 2026. Mr. McConnell worked for more than two hours. During this time, I noticed that the window tracks did not appear to be cleaned, so I asked him about them. He said he had done the best he could and did not provide any further explanation. He eventually told me he was finished and asked whether I would pay by cash or check. He presented me with a handwritten receipt with a business card stapled to it. I paid him $200 in cash. After he left, I gathered my cleaning supplies and began cleaning the interior of the windows myself. As I removed the screens, I realized that they had not been removed or cleaned. There was clearly visible grime on the screen frames. The window tracks were still heavily contaminated with insects, debris, and dirt, and I saw no evidence that they had been washed. As I cleaned the interiors of multiple windows, I also discovered that many of the exterior surfaces were smeared or appeared not to have been cleaned at all. In several cases, I was able to easily wipe away substantial amounts of dirt and grime myself. Based on what I observed, it appeared that much of the work I had paid for had not been performed. I was extremely upset. As a disabled senior woman, I have previously experienced situations in which hired workers took advantage of me, but I found the extent of the apparent lack of work in this case particularly disturbing. I called Mr. McConnell and mentioned one window in particular: a second-floor bedroom window located above the garage. I politely suggested that perhaps he had overlooked that window. He immediately disagreed and stated that he had cleaned it, claiming that the window itself was "messed up." I asked whether he would be willing to return and clean that window. He reluctantly agreed to return in approximately an hour. While waiting, I carefully inspected the other windows. I found that nearly every window appeared to have been left either completely untouched or inadequately cleaned. In several locations, debris was still accumulated behind the screens. This made it apparent to me that the screens had not been removed, much less washed, and that the window tracks had not been cleaned as we had agreed. When Mr. McConnell returned, I went outside as he was removing the ladder from his vehicle and positioning it. I told him that I was very unhappy with the work. I offered him the option of refunding half of the $200 I had paid, in which case he would not have to perform any additional work. Mr. McConnell responded by folding his ladder and saying, "I'm not refunding ANY of your ******* money!" I was stunned by his response. I asked whether he had ever heard of the Better Business Bureau or social media reviews. He laughed and yelled, "Well this isn't even a ******* company so there! Ha-ha-ha!" At that point, I became frightened. I told him, "Okay, just go. I can't believe you're doing this." Instead of leaving immediately, he continued yelling and swearing. He accused me of costing him hundreds of dollars because I had "cancelled on him." Again, the scheduling problems had resulted because of his arriving at 9:00 a.m. after I had specifically requested 10:30 a.m. I was increasingly frightened, so I quickly went inside my home. I was shaking and very upset. I then called Crime Check to report what had occurred.