Buying a door without a partner

[chemenger]

According to a local company I cannot buy a door, or even discuss buying a door without my husband present. The woman on the phone had the cheek to ask me if I was able to make decisions “like this” on my own. The massive decision of what kind of back door I want. I checked my calendar and I haven’t slipped back in time to 1918. Needless to say I have found another company who is willing to deal with me no questions asked.
I assume I have just escaped a long session of hard selling and they wanted DH and I both there so I couldn’t get rid of them by using the excuse that I had to consult him. Again this is the 21st century. The company I am buying from has its prices on the internet, no “sign now or you’ll lose your discount” nonsense.
My mostly male colleagues agreed that their door selection skills were no better than their partners but that they would have liked to have overheard my conversation on the phone. To think that I used to be allowed to choose equipment for chemical plants and now I can’t be trusted with a door.

So AIBU to be annoyed by this?

Ha! No. Not at all. How ridiculous. I managed to buy our front door all by my little self. Somehow my two degrees got me through the difficult process. How is this even a thing in this century?

Name and shame on twitter. This kind of shit really shouldnt be happening in 2018

I also wonder what I would be expected to do as a single parent, am I doomed to substandard old doors unless I meet a worthy door selecting male?

Name and shame!

(Also I used to be a process development chemist and I'm trying to think of a way to check if we worked for the same company without naming any of the companies. Did you ever hear of the pink seagull, or wear a shiny jacket named after a political party's HQ? Did you work in a place where someone had H1 NMR as their car numberplate, and every process had to end in a hot filtration?)

Are they those companies who come to your house to get the sale? If so it’s part of their high-pressure sales technique to overcome the possible obstacle of you saying ‘I’m not sure - I’d like to talk to my husband before signing.’

I’d just find a new company and leave a shitty review.

It's because you're more likely to make a decision as to whether to buy the door if both partners are there.

You're being unreasonable because this isn't the feminist issue you wish it was. Basic sales / capitalism.

That is unbelievable! I would be absolutely raging. You need to write a disgruntled letter.

I managed to buy a door by my little self, and arrange fitting and payment....

This was after a very rude sweaty man came to quote who smelt of alcohol and was annoyed DH wasn't around (he was at work). I sent him packing and made a formal complaint about his rudeness.

Yes I agree with giving them scathing feedback and/or ridiculing them on social media for such an attitude.

At the very least try to make sure somebody in a senior position knows that they have potentially lost a sale because of this.

YANBU

Also hoping freckles is taking the piss...

oh my god, I'd go fucking crazy if someone had the cheek to something like that to me

Lucky it wasnt a FRONT door that eould have been on display to the world. Perhaos they'd have expected you to get assistance from your father and brother as well as you dh!

I hope you enjoy your personally selected new back door

I thought this was going to be a case of autocorrect because I couldn't see how you'd need a partner to buy a door! Wow!!

You're being unreasonable because this isn't the feminist issue you wish it was

I wonder whether they’d refuse to sell a door to a man on the basis that he hadn’t consulted with his wife?

It’s bonkers isn’t it.

I’ve managed today to buy a mortgage without the broker needing to talk to dh and bizarrely the mortgage is in his name as well! They recommended I reduce the term of the mortgage by a few years and I made that decision on my own to do so without once having to check with dh!

I’m thinking of getting a new front door so will see what happens.

I’m probably buying the door from the delightfully named “We do doors”, the woman on the phone was nice, it comes with a cat flap and was £300 less than the other lot. The actual fitter comes round to look at the job rather than a salesman as well. And no I don’t work for them!
Toomuchtoold- doesn’t sound familiar, I worked for a small chemical division of a huge company better known for food and soap. I thought I knew where you were but the hot filtration doesn’t fit.

I have had the opposite happen! My dh was asked I'd given him my approval as invariably women are better at buying big ticket items for the house - this was £4k of shutters!

He was a bit shocked but then realised this is the treatment I get on occasion to which he has never been doubted before.

I had this EXACT discussion with a door company 2 weeks ago. I was all ready to get my feminist rage on when he also refused to see my husband alone as "he needed us both". We decided not to bother.

assume I have just escaped a long session of hard selling and they wanted DH and I both there so I couldn’t get rid of them by using the excuse that I had to consult him.

Of course that's what it is. It happens all the time for the reason you've stated. We had this when we were buying a kitchen (didn't use them obviously).

I wonder if it happens when a bloke makes the appointment "you must have your 'good lady wife' with you Sir..."

x posted with Stuckinstressville (me too!) and Doodlekitty

it comes with a cat flap

I read this as it comes with a flat cap

I had this with windows. Smitty salesman refused to come until DH was there. Got snippy when I said DH was out 6am-9pm, apparently he should change his work day as his poor little wife is not capable of picking windows. Needless to say we didn't go with them.

Not taking the piss and pleased to see @Stuckinstressville and @Doodlekitty demonstrate the fact that it isn't sexism as much as basic selling.

I know that due to the cost of our recent replacement door, DH and I would need to agree on it.

I'm not sure that it's a reason to refuse to deal with a company unless both purchasers are available. It costs a company to have a salesperson come and extol the virtues of their product.

The pink seagull and shiny coats place is different from the hot filtration place. The pink seagull place had massive steel bikes for ferrying samples from lab to plant, and rumours of a sauna in the pigment plant. Also no women's toilets in the oldest plants. Great fun.

Food and soap... hrm... site in the south east that backs onto a cricket pitch? Every staff member above graduate grade has to do a monthly report which is published company wide?

When this happened to me when I tried to price up a kitchen, I rang to speak to somebody in charge, and spelt out very clearly why I would be taking my £20k elsewhere (despite having an actual budget of half that )

As somone said above, it IS a feminist issue, as my DH has never been required to have me present when buying something.