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Original poster

To think Anglian Windows shouldn't require DH present in order to visit?

83 replies

DoodleAlley · 02/07/2012 18:08

That's it really. Door to door salesman happy to book an appointment but then later the same day I got a phone call saying that they would only come if my husband was there.

Now I suspect it's so they can do the hard sell on both of us - irritating in its own right - but there is also a little part of me that wonders if they would have made the same demand if it had been DH who made the original appointment.

OP posts:
TapirBackRider · 03/07/2012 04:52

I used to work with a guy who fitted windows - he'd previously worked for Anglian and Everest and told me that if I wanted windows, he'd recommend another company for me, but under no circumstances use either of those companies.

TheCatInTheHairnet · 03/07/2012 05:05

The reason they say they want both of you, is because a) they want to hard sell and b) otherwise 90% of their sales go out the window as soon as the person who wasn't there, sees what the plans are. Same as kitchens, conservatories, etc etc.

It's not some sexist agenda, it's just about sales.

I wouldn't touch any of those companies with a barge pole.

gamerwidow · 03/07/2012 06:36

Agree with the other posters, Anglian are rubbish. They give you a ridiculously high quote which they then "discount" to leave you with an end price which is still ridiculously high then tell you that you can only have the discount if you sign immediately.

I went with Britelite who quoted me half the final price for the same windows and door with no sham discounts and no hard sell. They fitted them last week and I'm very pleased with the work they did.

RichManPoorManBeggarmanThief · 03/07/2012 06:44

Agree it's just about sales, and to fair, if I dont want to buy something/ commit to something on the spot, I do sometimes use the "well I need to discuss it with X" line.

micmar · 29/03/2016 15:43

got some good advice on Double Glazing - where is best plaxce top post please?

Pinkcadillac · 29/03/2016 15:59

zombie thread

Andrewofgg · 29/03/2016 17:04

If it's jointly owned they want both parties to sign so that both are liable on the debt - and in line for a charging order if they don't pay. (Even if both names are not on the land register the one who is not may claim an interest and stand in their way.) Since both are going to benefit from the double-glazing - and since more jointly-occupied houses are jointly owned than not - it's perfectly reasonable for them to want both signed up.

And yes, it works both ways. The chap from Anglian who gave us our estimate insisted that we both had to be there.

If you go with them, here's a tip: if you have the ready money go with their finance people and pay it off in the first month. That costs us a small penalty but we got a much better price than cash - don't ask my why - and saved over five grand!

Andrewofgg · 29/03/2016 17:05

zombie thread

Oh bugger . . .

SugarplumMary · 29/03/2016 17:07

I found Anglian a nightmare for this.

Yep. Had to both be there and got a hard sell.

We couldn't get a written quote of the guy the price dropped for bizarre reasons like how many people we knew. Couldn't get rid of the guy - I think he clocked I has serious doubts about the price and focused on DH and he was there hours. Left with no written quote.

Got same style of windows with a local company much cheaper and they were great with fitting and no messing us around.

SugarplumMary · 29/03/2016 17:09

Didn't spot it was a zombie Blush

micmar property/DIY section though seen good advice on threads in chat before.

SlinkyVagabond · 29/03/2016 17:10

Ive just had this with a boiler replacement company. I was actually on board until this was used. We both make decisions about the house, I am actually paying from a small pot of independent money I inherited. I played hell. It's company policy. Said my policy is only to deal with companies from the 21st century.

TheBouquets · 29/03/2016 17:59

It has been a few years since I got new double glazing and yet I still live in fear and trepidation now that I have another house and need new windows.
Had one company out for a quote, there were family members in the house at the time. This silly salesman when seeing that I was not for signing up on the spot started talking to a male member of the family as if the relative would make the decision. I told the salesman the relative is an in law with no rights in the property and you can sell him windows all you want he does not have a penny to pay for them. Next day they called the house phone and tried to hard sell me, when I made my views clear he said is (this mobile no. X's). I told him that is my number and there is absolutely no chance of me ordering windows from their company.

I remember from the last new windows the crap from determined salesmen. I really don't want to go through that again. They wont get he job but they might get a bad tempered MNer.
The poster who called the Police = what happened? Did the police come and throw them out or did they vanish once they saw you on the phone to Police?

Oldraver · 29/03/2016 18:04

I had huge problems with a solar power company who insisted on my partner being there even though it was MY house

pickmeupputmedown · 29/03/2016 18:17

I work for double glazing firm and as pp have said, it is so they can do the hard sell and that you do not use the 'excuse' of saying you can't sign up at the time because you need to speak to DH. Also, not everybody knows about the 7 day cooling off period if sold in the home and the salesmen will not always tell you. If you do cancel within this period, make sure you send letter recorded delivery as they have been known to say they have not received a phone call or normal letter and try to keep your deposit.

Would agree its better to stay local rather than the big firms, you get much better customer service.

LarrytheCucumber · 29/03/2016 18:19

A rep from Anglian took 2 hours to give us a quote for a new door.
He was late and didn't apologise and we told him we had to go out at 3pm. At 3pm he was still talking as we got up and put our coats on!
He did the massively high quote and then offered us a discount. Then as we ushered him out of the door he said 'The discount won't apply if you don't sign up now' as if he hadn't realised that he lost the sale in the first 20 minutes!

chanie44 · 29/03/2016 18:51

A neighbour got a job with one of these window companies and his job to knock on doors to get leads for the sales staff. He got paid for every lead he got and so asked us if could put us down for a lead.

The sales advised was in our home for about 2 hours and insisted he see both me and OH together. He was really annoyed when I said I had to put the children to bed.

When I eventually came back, he kept saying he had to call his manager to get a better deal and to tell his manager that we weren't taking the deal. In the end, I told him to call his manager from his car and he left. Never again.

Calaisienne · 29/03/2016 18:59

It isn't actually about the sale it is because if you do not pay then they can put an attachment on the value of your house in order to get any money back possibly by forcing a sale. If they only have a signature from one person who is on the deeds (most houses now have both partners on the deeds (regardless of gender)) it is much harder to do so.

However they still do the hard sell/best price/won't leave thing - I threw the Everest chap out last week for quoting me £10k for a job that my research showed would actually be about £900 plus vat.

tiredforever · 29/03/2016 19:13

It might be a zombie thread, but isn't it interesting to see that nothing has changed in the double-glazing salesperson school of charm Grin

gday064 · 07/02/2019 12:32

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Collaborate · 07/02/2019 12:40

Use a local small business. We did for windows and they were far cheaper than Safestyle and from what I can see from the experience of others far better quality too.

Collaborate · 07/02/2019 12:41

Oh fuck this is a Zombie thread. Sorry everyone. @gday064 I blame you. What on earth were you thinking of?

Nicknacky · 07/02/2019 12:42

Second zombie thread about windows bounced by this poster!

Mosaic123 · 11/09/2019 07:57

We had Anglian round yesterday. Half an hour late and the same thing with the discount so we went from 8k to 5k and then he was going to ring the office....

Got rid of him after 1 hour and told him to email whatever his actual best price was.

Such an annoying person.

No way will I buy from them.

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 11/09/2019 08:29

Avoid!!! The big companies are a rip off. All those TV ads cost a bomb! Find a local co.

We had an Anglian or Everest salesman round a few yrs ago - he came to the door and since we wanted new windows anyway I thought why not?

What I couldn't believe is that he used exactly the same tactics as a ditto many years previously - I.e. 'Normally that'd come to £10k but just for today I can give you a special discount and make it £6k.'
But only if we signed there and then.

I HATE these hard-sell tactics. Someone phoned a few days later to ask why we hadn't ordered. So I told her.

No such ridiculous shenanigans with the local co. we later used.

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 11/09/2019 08:32

BTW the Which? Trusted Traders site is very good for finding reliable local tradesmen. At least we've always found it very good.

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