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I've just been woken up again by the double glazing company that fitted new windows throughout our house last year. I wouldn't mind if it was the first time they've called me but they've been pestering us quite a bit recently. Double glazing companies are good at this apparently.
For example about a month ago I had a phone call from one particularly pushy young man who was calling to inform us that as we had displayed their board outside our house and they had received quite a bit of new business in the area, we were entitled to receive a substantial discount against any other windows, doors or conservatories etc. that we wanted to have done.
Well first of all I explained that their company had already replaced all the windows so there was nothing that needed doing in that area and we didn't have room for, or indeed want a conservatory. I wasn't getting rid of him that easy though because he kept on and on about this huge discount available to us. I asked him if we could have a free back door as that was the only thing I could think of that they could really do for us at this point in time. I was being 'a bit cheeky', he said and although it was a big discount the product wouldn't be free.
"So how much is in this pot of money allocated to us then?" I asked him. By the way, that was how he put it when he first called me; it was a sum of money to be used buying new windows or doors and I thought it would be good to know exactly what we were supposedly getting. But no, of course the exact figures are never to hand are they? "How about if we send one of our salesmen round to measure up and give you a quote and we'll take it from there?"
Well I wasn't having any more double glazing salesmen in the house. Not after the initial lot that came through here before we settled on the double glazing company we used to fit our windows. I ended the conversation there and then. It didn't stop him ringing back another three or four times though (including this morning) to try and get another salesman round!
Back to those double glazing salesmen though, because that's another part of this gripe. They're a right slimy bunch aren't they? Okay, well maybe not all of them (the first guy from the company we used was okay - a bit older and less pushy), but the vast majority of them just give me the creeps. I've got that mental image again, the suit, the car, the big bag with the product samples and the paperwork so they can manufacture a quote on the spot. Their company always has the best windows around and the competition are nothing but a bunch of cowboys. Their windows are guaranteed to last for ever, stay white and they even clean themselves. You're getting such a great deal here and you're not going to regret it (yeah right). What's more we can fit your windows before Christmas - but you've got to sign up now or we can't do you such an amazing deal. Tossers the lot of them! I'd already wasted two precious hours of my evening looking at the windows and listening to the latest salesman drone on about his company. We signed up, we now have new windows. The amazing deal wasn't quite so amazing (they sucked us in with that which is why we were visited in the first place!).
The surveyor pops round to measure up properly and progress the order. Absolutely no problem with any of them. I forgot to mention that we actually had all our windows done in stages so we had really good chance to see how all this works. One of the surveyors even had time to fuss the cat as it tried to destroy his briefcase.
The window fitters were an assorted bunch though. The first couple of guys were in and out in half a day, but they didn't quite clear up the mess they made and the young lad made a right stink in the bathroom and opted to neutralise the smell with a can of my deodorant. Okay, not a crime really but opening the window would have sufficed.
It turns out they did a shocking job though because the second couple of fitters had to go round and fix their workmanship. I did notice that the living room window looked like the crossbar was bowing down. I thought it was an optical illusion and I was just being a bit picky. Also, they hadn't sealed the windows properly, which kind of explains that whistling sound. When they fitted one of the back windows we spotted a flaw in the pane of glass and they managed to replace the unit there and then. This was great until we noticed later on that evening that it was actually the same unit, just turned around.
Somehow or other they managed to mix the double glazed units up and put the wrong one in again. It may have been an honest mistake but the result was it took the best part of a week before someone else could get out and put in another window. Luckily I work from home so was available.
So all in all, I don't have a very high opinion of double glazing companies or their people. Windows are one of life's necessities though so I guess we must endure them just as one must endure taxes (my next gripe I think!).
By: Fed up with double glazing companies
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It seems I have to just live with this, and basically freeze in my own home. I lie in bed at night watching my curtains blow with the drafts and can never get warm. Others I know who had the same windows are fine; just my luck!
What I cannot accept is that my maintenance with WD40 or equivalent would help especially as there is no apparent access to this gearing.
My view is that it is a failure of materials or mechanism and should be covered by the 10 year warranty / guarantee
HAHAHA ! !!
1 firstly they came to repair the handle on the front door as the mechanism and sprayed some oil on it and went.
2 Kickplates fell offr the rear door and the front door again had mechanism problems they sprayted oil on the front door (again) and glued the bit on the back door back on.
3 They returned to inspect the back door and window as the brick wall round it was moving,they put some silicone on it and left.
4 I complained there was a draught coming in the front door they came agreed there was altered the seals and left.
5 Still with the back door/wall coming loose they claimed to have been and inspected it when I was not at home and claimed the house which is a mere 30 years old had not been built properly even though the last owners had not had this problem with their wooden windows.
6 I gave up realised I had been conned phoned Fensa who werent interested they claimed they were only interested in newly fitted windows.
It seems its quite easy to be in the window industry pay the governing body a sum to be a member and then fit inferior pruducts.
I really wish I knew who to approach next as this company had £3500 of my hard earned money and left me with problems.
They were fitted only 2 years ago we still have the same problems and they claim it is not their fault but the house builders.
If you need windows DO NOT deal with this company and please feel free to sned me a message and inspect my windows.
Ideally a company with a long standing good reputation is what you want but on the other hand that does not give them a license to try and rip the customer off . I have heard some scary stories about double glazing and conservatory salesmen.
Emm err, yeahhh, we're the best!!
He was the only guy who DIDNT chase up pestering and bullying. The reason.... He is the fitter as well as the salesman. He is reasonable with prices, honest with the cost and good quality windows to boot.
In terms of cost - I needed 9 windows, 1 front door and a French Door Fitted, All with Georgian Bars. He came in £8000 cheaper than a so called "discount" firm.
As for the other "salesmen". Scourge of the earth. I know they have a job to do but they take it to extremes. One even wanted me to pay for a brochure because he only had one left!!
I hope infected Rabbits bite all their bits off!!
Draughty at present but not for too long