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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Was I unreasonable to send this window company on their way..

68 replies

Annabel7 · 07/10/2015 10:51

So... a guy from a well known window company comes to my door. They are doing some work up the road and touting for local business as they are here. Great - we are thinking of getting the remaining 3 windows updated on our house. He asked if my husband was around. I said yes but working from home. Arranged for him to come and measure up at 4 and then give me a quote that would stand for 2 years. He mentioned that his manager would call to confirm. All good.

So the manager rings later. Very pleasant. Asks if my husband will be at the house when his colleague comes as he'd like him to see the samples too. I explain that he'll be here and it should be fine unless he's stuck on a call. 'Oh' he says, 'we should re-arrange a time when he's definitely available'. I said it's fine if he doesn't get to see the samples. If I'm happy with them, he will be too. No, he says. Apparently it's their policy that both home owners are there. I said well you can come this afternoon and definitely get me and probably my husband too or let's just leave it. He said maybe we should leave it so we did.

I think he's a fool/their policy is foolish as they've just lost a customer. WIBU or is this standard procedure? I've just managed the entire extension and renovation of our home all by my little old self so this all seems rather bizarre. I wonder also if DH had answered the door and said, 'my time's limited, no, the wife's not around but if you want you can measure and quote this afternoon', if they would've refused?

What do you think?

OP posts:

PegsPigs · 07/10/2015 15:17

Load of garbage on this thread! Just had a local double glazing firm out to measure up and send a quote via email later (literally was round 1pm today). Never even mentioned my DH. What a load of nonsense about needing both homeowners. Might be company policy but I'd say that company stinks!

FarFromAnyRoad · 07/10/2015 15:18

LeaveMyWingsBehindMe is 100% spot on. We once had Anglian round to quote for a new front door. Just a front door. His first quote was £13,000. Truly! And yes, we had the whole show of phoning the manager, phoning him again, having the manager phone the salesman - on and on it went until he got it down to £7000. We had to get nasty to get him out of the house. Next day we went to a local firm and got the door we wanted and had it fitted for £500. This was 15 years ago and the door still stands!
These people make me so angry - in fact, just thinking about this has got my piss on a slow boil again!
Go local OP - it's the right thing to do on so many levels!

Andrewofgg · 07/10/2015 15:22

PegsPigs A sole trader can assess a customer as a good risk and take a chance: a rep for a big company has to follow policy.

For the record: Anglia gave us a good quote and did a first class job in half s day less than they estimated.

Lucked · 07/10/2015 15:30

We need new windows and there is no way my husband will want to be around for the salesmen. They can take me on the day I don't work or not come. No way are both me and my DH giving up an evening or weekend when I have a day off.

SheenaWasAPunkRocker · 07/10/2015 16:13

Ugh, I had Everest round once for a quote. I expected the guy to measure up and give me a quote, just like all the other companies did. But after looking round he started talking about where he was going to put 'all his samples'. Err, what samples mate, I just want a quote. He got very shirty that I refused to allow him in with samples and stormed off. then knocked again five minutes later with his boss on the phone, who asked if I would prefer him to come round with the samples instead.

NO. Fuck off. No samples required. I know what a window looks like.

Have since heard horror stories of hours and hours of sales pitches. Seriously, why don't people chuck them out or call 101?!!

Original poster

Annabel7 · 07/10/2015 16:57

Oh balls. Just remembered I gave them my correct phone numbers. They're going to hound me, aren't they? I'll just tell them I'm not interested. Can't be arsed with the hard sell and I agree with other posters that local is the way to go...

OP posts:

Andrewofgg · 07/10/2015 17:02

Annabel7 Tell them you got a better quote from another company who started work that morning.

As for going local: if you like. But if you get the better deal from the multiple, go with the multiple; unless you are running your home as a charity.

Original poster

Annabel7 · 07/10/2015 17:09

Well, I'll go for the cheapest quote and certainly not use anyone who requires both of us there just to get a quote....

OP posts:

sparechange · 07/10/2015 17:10

There are tonnes of threads about this. Single women living alone get questioned as to why there is no man in the house.

A few people have pointed out that if a man phones to make the appointment, they are never quizzed on whether the wife will be in the house - it is only one way around...

Andrewofgg · 07/10/2015 17:13

sparechange That was not my experience. Anglia told me that they needed us both there.

smileyfacestar · 07/10/2015 17:21

Would this be Dunraven windows? We've had a run in with them. Wouldn't show my husband any samples or give a quote as they did not believe we could afford them!

MyVisionsComeFromSoup · 07/10/2015 17:24

I'm having windows done by Safestyle in a couple of weeks - yes, they wanted both of us there for the initial quote, but there was no hard sell, the quote was valid for a year (although not the "special if you sign up tonight" quote), and they specifically told us to get other quotes. We then had an area manager come round as we hadn't signed on the night who discussed the various finance options with us, gave us the " special on the night" deal, and was very pleasant all round.

I'll be very cross if my phone number ends up being sold on though.

Whatevva · 07/10/2015 17:29

I had this with a blind company.

For some reason, they thought DH would waste his time coming home from work to ok the choice of blinds .

Ditched them. Waste of time. Sales tactic.

madhairday · 07/10/2015 18:23

Zenith were verbally abusive to me. This was 15 years ago and it still makes me rage. We had the bloke round with the hard sell for about four hours, finally managed to get rid of him but refused to commit, then when they rang the next day said no, thanks. After that we got a barrage of calls for weeks trying to convince us, and we kept saying no, thanks. Then came the time one of their reps rang me and told me I was pathetic and as much use as a chocolate teapot as I couldn't make a good decision. I was pregnant at the time, and very hormonal. I slammed the phone down, and dh rang later to complain (they denied it). So, don't go with them. They're vile.

MrsMook · 07/10/2015 18:52

We had Carrington Windows round for a quote. The salesman did the whole phone calls, negotiating the discount palaver before finishing with something still overpriced. We ended up doing the job ourselves.

18 months on I was still getting calls regularly. I ended up politely, but clearly fed up, yet again explaining that the job was done, we were not interested in any further work and please could we be removed from their database. The response, "Fuck you you twat."

At least I've had a quiet 18 months since from the shysters.

BetaTest · 07/10/2015 19:06

If they ever cold call just tell them you live in a Listed building and/or you are a tenant so you are not allowed to fit double glazing.

They never call back. Its worked for me for years.

Noodledoodledoo · 07/10/2015 22:17

Sharps Bedrooms - the lady was here for 6 hours - admittedly was new to the job and a lot of her time was spent drawing very simple wardrobes 3 times over as she kept making a mistake. We had moved in a few days previously - we unpacked the whole kitchen during her visit and ended at 930 passing the ipad back and forth ordering a takeaway!!

Oh and we didn't go with them as the simple wardrobes she quoted for (4 doors, nothing fancy simple shape) started at £12,000 and in the process of conversation came down to about £4000 I think. Went with Hammonds for less than half the price, no hard sell, was in the house less than half an hour.

Sharps bedside tables to match the wardrobes were £1200 to start with - for two drawers!!

SirRodneyEffing · 08/10/2015 09:00

We once made the mistake of getting safe style in to give a quote, the salesman arrived at 7pm and was still there close to midnight. Their quoting system is pick an eye watering figure out of the air, then offer a discount, followed by a phone call to a "manager" to offer even more off if you sign up then and there and agree to finance package. I couldn't get a straight answer on what the apr was, then refused to leave a written quotation.

This summer we tried again, got quotes from 2 local companies , DH saw one, I saw another. Neither insisted on seeing both of us together. 2 weeks later windows replaced, no drama, no high pressure sale.

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