Horrible experience - double glazing related - advice needed

[AnyaNotAnna]

Have recently had double glazing fitted - seven windows - by one of the larger firms. During the fitting there was an issue with the placement of one of the bigger windows. Old house and original window had not been fitted well the installers insisted it needed to go in a slightly different position so would no longer be flush to interior. Not an issue to me so I said do what you need to do to make it safe.

They needed to get their boss out to okay this and he overuled them and said the position it was in - the apparently unsafe position - was fine.

Obviously I was confused and worried at this point and asked boss man for explanation which he gave in double glazing jargon. He was clearly in a rush to get away and when I asked him to explain again he got what I can only describe as angry, suggesting I must be stupid not to understand etc - really, really rude.

The window fitting went ahead as boss man had ordered. I refused to pay the final bill and made a written complaint about rude tosser boss man and issue of whether my window is actually in a correct and safe position. The firm have phoned trying to placate me - "sorry about that; can we have your money now" - and are to send someone to see me on Friday.

I feel really upset that although I'm paying what is to me a fortune for these windows I've been treated disgustingly. I know I was not in the wrong here.

The whole experience of getting my lovely windows, which was to be the beginning of the transformation of my new home, has been ruined and I just want these new windows ripped out as they remind me of h tosser boss man. I'm not easily upset by idiots but he was horrible.

I want to know whether my window is safe, want an apology and think I should get a reduction. I feel very upset about my treatment.

AIBU to ask for advice on what to say when their person comes to see me on Friday?

[ImperialBlether]

You need a second opinion on this. I'd get that before speaking to them. But did you only feel it was unsafe after fitting?

[Allthebestnamesareused]

Ddon't pay them until you are 100% satisfied with the work or only pay say 80% and retain the other 20% until the matter is resolved.

[WeAllHaveWings]

If you are concerned about the window and don't have trust in the company get another opinion.

If there is no problem you need to pay.

[BreakfastAtSquiffanys]

You really want your new windows removed because one of their employees was rude?

[TheHauntedFishtank]

Speak to the building control team at the council, they should be able to advise on the safety aspect.

[RumDo]

I have just been through months of hell at the hands of a local double glazing company. What started out as a really simple job turned into an utter nightmare. We had amongst many, many issues, a similar scenario to yours. I withheld a final payment too.

My case was complicated and I ended up taking advice from an independent surveyor, the company's professional arbitration service, other local double glazing firms, a legal advice line, CAB, and, eventually, after receiving threats of violence, the police.

By far, the best advice came from the CAB. They were fantastic, and I highly recommend you call them before you take any action.
They were able to point out the pertinent parts of the consumer act that the company needed to have adhered to, and helped me in phrasing my communications with them. (They helped me navigate through the jargon that the company used to try to bully me too.)

To get the ball rolling, you will need to set out your grievance to the firm, in writing, outlining all your issues, including dealings with rude boss. Ask for a surveyor to visit. Include a timeline of works, monies paid etc.
Explain that you are unable to sign off the work (and therefore pay final invoice) until it has been proven, to your satisfaction, to be safe and compliant.
You may want to engage an independent surveyor yourself, but this will incur a cost.
You will be seen to be giving them an opportunity to resolve your issues. (And hopefully they will!)

Other advice which stood me in good stead was to try only to engage with the firm by email/writing so that you have a tangible trail. Log EVERYTHING. Phone calls, texts, names, dates, times, use a calendar to mark promises to return calls etc.
Do not be fobbed off with jargon. if the company are forced to write to you, it is less likely that this will happen anyway!

I sympathise OP, it is a horribly stressful situation. I do hope you get it sorted soon.

Call CAB!!

[AnyaNotAnna]

Imperial I believed there was a safety issue because the installers were telling me so.Now the window has been fitted I have in what they said would be an unsafe position I have no reason to believe that issue has gone away.

Rum thank you so much for sharing your situation which sounds dreadful. I will definitely ring CAB.

And thanks to others who responded with helpful comments.

[Charlie97]

Are they a member of fensa? If so get straight on to them!

[user1497800655]

Sounds to me you had the same as I did- The property originally had sash windows at some point in its life and the sash boxes were still onside the window reveals. The windows were fitted on the outside of the window reveal flush with the brickwork which is apparently what they always used to do to save ripping out all the interior wood box sash.
Un be-known to me this was not permitted by the local conservation officer who in turn left me with a several month battle and the re-fitting of several windows at great expense

[AnyaNotAnna]

I'm sure they are a member of Fensa - hadn't thought of that Charlie

user - my house doesn't have sash windows but it's not beyond the realms of possibility that it once did.

[Brahms3rdracket]

All replacement windows should be covered by a building control application and inspected by a building control officer. This can be through local authority or carried out by an independent inspector. Did the company organise this on your behalf or was it agreed that you would seek approvals independently? The inspector will be able to confirm if the window installation is up to building standards. I would not settle the final bill until this issue is fully resolved and you have a building control final certificate.

[AnyaNotAnna]

Thank you Brahms - need to investigate this as no mention has been made of this by company - wonder why

www.ggf.org.uk/ These people have been the most helpful so far - your installer needs to be a member to use them and thankfully mine are. They provide a mediator/ombudsman type service and have given me guidance on what to say at my meeting with company rep - essentially that I have a right to be satisfied with the work provided - and how to proceed if I don't get satisfactory responses.

Really feel as though I have someone on my side now, as well as the lovely Mumsnetters who have helped me along to this point.

[gday064]

I'm so sorry to hear you've had such a bad experience. I'd definitely recommend going to FENSA at first. When I'm looking for home improvement products I always check their Trustpilot score - the mid size companies tend to have higher reviews than the large nationals. I've never had a bad time with the smaller companies :D

[gingergiraffe]

We had new windows a couple of years ago. Perhaps should have shopped around but a guy knocked on the door giving the talk and we did need new ones. ‘You know the one’ etc is their advert. Supposedly one of the top window firms.

A man called around that same evening and gave us a price after a couple of hours. No individual component prices revealed. We said it was out of our price range. He dropped the price by a few grand. We said we would think about it. We were pestered most days after that for about a fortnight. Eventually caved in when they dropped the price again. Salesman came again that evening. Another hour and a half and he said he could not do the price quoted on phone. We said no thanks then. He left. Phoned back 20 mins later and said ok, would do for final price quoted. He came back again. Husband really annoyed by all the time spent. A few days later surveyor called to measure up.

Installation a nightmare. Took down curtains and moved furniture away from windows. Told it would take two days but they sent an extra man so all done in a day. I was in but kept out of the way. All windows out first then new ones in. I made endless cups of tea and rolls for lunch to keep them happy. Suddenly they had finished. Lovely from the inside. Had to pay balance on the phone and they left.

Spent a long time clearing up the mess they left and putting everything back. Went outside and had to use Henry to vacuum all the mess left outside. Then noticed all the sills had been cut too short. Furious.

Phoned the next day. Someone came to look a few days later. After a haggle they agreed to refit upstairs windows. I couldn’t face having the whole house done again.

A couple of weeks later the same two cowboys returned. Said the sills were not their fault as came already cut to size. Refitted upstairs.

I then cleaned up again, wiped the bits out of the frames and cleaned the glass. Found one window frame had cracked and been filled roughly with filler. Incandescent with rage. Phoned again, man came to inspect. Had to make a totally new frame, and now I said I wanted the downstairs windows and doors refitted with correct size sills. Also broken tiles around one window replaced, and no way would I allow the two previous cowboys into my house.

So, a few weeks later two more men turned up. A lovely father and son combo who told me they spent their time sorting out all the firm’s bodge jobs! They took a day and a half and did a lovely job. None of the windows had wedges in the frames they discovered, so in time there would have been slippage. Also two windows has so much packing around them that the original guys had to force the glass panels in. No wonder I had trouble opening them.

Then more clearing up and putting back curtains and furniture, but at last we were happy with the finish.

The actual windows are fine but obviously incompetent fitters. As I said when I wrote to the company, you promised me qualified, experienced fitters but sent cowboys. Installation was rushed and no care shown.

My advice to anyone wanting new windows would be to shop around, haggle and get personal references. We could have paid thousands more for ours if we had accepted the first quote they gave us but would still have got the same awful service. They didn’t care about us they just wanted our money. Luckily FENSA certified. Yes, perhaps a smaller, local firm would have been better but you live and learn.

[Stressedout10]

Zombie thread

[gingergiraffe]

Ha ha. Caught for the first time!

[SynchroSwimmer]

Also I would say don”t be alone if they are coming round to see you again, it sounds as though they could be a bit bullying.

Is there a chap, an older neighbour or friend that could just sit there reading (but listening and taking everything in)