Elderly parents ripped off and I don't know how to help!

[marmite14]

Posting on AIBU for traffic as absolutely at my wits end with Safestyle windows and my parents who are in their late 70's are so stressed with their current situation. I'm really looking for advice or WWYD.

My parents had 12 windows installed which are terrible quality, there is an issue with every window from broken handles, pealing plastics, chips and scuffs.

The windows were installed four months ago, but there are gaps around some of them, there are huge chunks of plaster missing inside and out and blue foam filling exposed round all of the windows.

After the most stressful FOUR months of trying to contact Safestyle (not one of my parent's phone calls were answered despite being on hold for over an hour each time), Safestyle have agreed that the windows are not acceptable.

They have offered my parents their money back so can go elsewhere.
This would be fine if the price of windows hadn't gone up so much since they bought them in February. Other window companies are now quoting thousands more, which my parents cannot afford, and they obviously cannot get their old windows back as they have been destroyed.

I cannot believe how badly they have been treated. They have no choice but to accept these faulty windows, which they have paid thousands for and are not representative of the sales sample they were shown. I have contacted trading standards, but does anyone have any advice?

I would accept the money back on the basis that if they were looking to replace them now it would cost more then maybe contact a local window installer to see if they can make the ones they have fit better?

I would accept the money back on the basis that if they were looking to replace them now it would cost more then maybe contact a local window installer to see if they can make the ones they have fit better?

Also a good joiner might be able to help you with this.

Just accept the money back, it’s unlikely they will get anything more than a full refund. They’ll have to find the additional cash somewhere for the new windows.

Agree with the above. Legally they are entitled to their money back which has been offered. Take the money. Keep the windows. Get a local window company or fitter to remedy the work.

Yes money back and get a decent local odd jobber to infill, repair and make good.

Agree with other posters - get your money back and look for a local glazing company. My mum nearly got suckered in to ordering Safestyle windows telling us how much they had discounted their (hugely over inflated) original quote - for replacing all her windows that didn't need replacing becausebshe had one blown double glazing unit!

Sorry, I wasn't clear. If my parents take the money back, they can't keep the windows and find someone to 'make good'. Safestyle will take the windows back (once new ones have been installed). We have had quotes from other companies for £5000 more than they paid in February which they simply can't afford.

Safestyle are utter shite. I'd accept the money and use a smaller local firm.

In that case get someone to quote for making them good and see if you can get that amount back from the company in order to keep the windows?

Then instead they need to get a quote for fixing the existing windows, send it to Safestyle and ask for the money.

The £5k is just cash flow though, surely, not a real expense? Because they'll get the safetyle refund to make it up.

Your parents didn't literally spend every penny they had on windows, did they?

Sorry, think I misunderstood - you're saying it's £5k more

In that case I agree with PP.

Sorry, think I misunderstood - you're saying it's £5k more

In that case I agree with PP.

The companies which are quoting the £5k higher prices, is the £5k more than these same companies quoted, or £5k more than the Safestyle?
I’m asking because we had windows done earlier this year and there was a company which quoted over £5k lower than the rest, we didn’t use them because we’d seen some of their work and reviews and they weren’t brilliant.

Having said that, it’s a shit situation for your parents to be in, and the work ,just be really bad if the company are willing to refund and walk away.

Would there be any room to get a price for another company to make good the work, and for Safestyle to pay that if it’s less than £5k?

Why would they want to take the windows back? That's just petty and really poor cutstomer service. Get a quote for putting things right and threaten them with Trading Standards, social media and Rip Off Britain. They love a "poor pensioners left in a shoddy house by a double glazing company".

Take the refund. You're unlikely to get any compensation from them. Safestyle are cheaper than other firms for a reason. It's shit luck but they'll have to replace the windows they can afford and save for the rest.

Hang on, if Safestyle think they're entitled to take the windows back, why don't they then have to give your parents back the windows that were there in the first place? Obviously that's not possible, but the idea that the deal can be cancelled by them taking the windows and refunding your parents is flawed, because your parents have lost a set of windows.

The sensible deal might be that they refund all the fitting costs but not the actual window units - and then you hope you can find someone to make good.

Can you get any quotes to make good? If that comes in at under what they paid, then you could suggest a refund of that amount.

Yeah, we got a quote from Safetyle once. The number they started with was more than double what it should have been, then they kept offering us increasingly 'generous' discounts which brought the price down by about 50%

I refuse to use any firm that insults my intelligence in that way. If they can discount by 50%, then the original quote was never real to start with. They are a bunch of rip-off merchants who play on the unworldly.

Oh I missed that they want to take the windows back. Trading standards? Guardian money?

^ prey on the unworldly

Yeah, this might be a good way of pursuing it.

Yes, the cost to replace all 12 windows by a different company is £5000 more. They simply wouldn't have spent this much on new windows, and now have no choice unless they accept a faulty product. They worry a lot about money at the moment but are finding this battle with Safestyle very very stressful.

They are technically not entitled to a refund and I wouldn’t accept one. Instead I would ask Safestyle to provide adequate quality windows for the agreed price which has already been paid. They either need to provide these windows themselves, or if they cannot, they will need to purchase them from a third party.

Do not accept a refund! Force Safestyle to install an adequate set of windows. Otherwise you’ll be left in a right mess with no windows and not enough money to afford any.

Trading standards is a good idea but it will take absolutely ages for a resolution and the most you’ll probably get is a refund. Save yourself the hassle and take the refund. I agree with the PP who said that, surely if they are insisting on their property back then you need to insist on your property back. Maybe you could say ‘OK then, mine were worth XXX, I’ll have £££ on top of my refund and you can have your windows’