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 had issues with windows (not on this level) and we went to citizens advice. I would 100% recommended speaking to them. The windows should have a FENSA certificate that’s valid for 10 years (push the company for this if your parents haven’t received this yet)

Take the money and have the faults repaired. Job done.

I'm glad they've offered the refund without dragging it through the court system.

Safe Style a re notorious for pressure selling at inflated prices, poor quality products and poor installation. They are best avoided.

5k more for 12 windows seems excessive too. I'd be contacting some more local and recommended companies for some more quotes. I'm guessing you're talking over a grand per window which is high unless they have specialist glazing or are complicated frames.

Read it again.

The refund is on the basis the OPs parents return the windows.

I don't think FENSA will be any help - their certificates are about whether the work satisfies building regulations. They don't deal with complaints about quality, just compliance with regulations.

We were cold called by them once, and I stupidly booked an appointment as we were thinking of changing the glazing. We had the hardest sales tactics imaginable including the calling the manager routine and the price went from £15k to £7.5k which put us both off. DH had to say in the end that if he didn't leave, we'd call the Police - the sales tactics were horrific. We were harrassed by phone for months afterwards, to the point that we had to involve Trading Standards.

They were actually really helpful, so I'd go through them and don't accept any money until you've spoken to them. We ended up with FIL in hospital dying of cancer and they were still harrassing us by phone. I put a review up saying this on Trustpilot and it was removed within 15 minutes....

Take then to court for recovery and damages. They will likely settle before you get there

Then the answer is if Safestyle are taking the windows back they need to return your parents' original windows....(I know you said they will have been destroyed, but might help with the bargaining to get them to leave their shit ones in place and then use the refund to get a local joiner / window fitter to make good the gaps etc)

Did they come with a Fensa certificate? if so www.fensa.org.uk

I would take photos of every single bit of damage, exposed filler, gap, mark etc and then definitely speak to CAB or a solicitor. As far as I can see, Safestyle have 3 options:

1. They come back and put everything right to your satisfaction,
2. you get a quote for someone else to do the remedial work and they pay that bill,
3. they refund the money paid for the windows but if they insist on taking back their windows, they need to give you back yours... which they obviously can't do so actually that is not really an option they can choose, but you can offer it to them and see how they try and get out of that. They can't say they want their property back but not return yours!

Any which way, they are hoping you'll just get tired of fighting them and go away. Please keep following through, no matter how frustrating it gets. Not only for your parents, but for other vulnerable people who don't have someone to fight their corner for them. Until they start losing more than they earn through such shoddy practice, they won't learn. Good luck!

Have you tried a local small business for a quote as we had a quote from safestyle that was really high, then reduced by 4K when he phoned through to his manager to see what he deal he could do just for us 🤔and then offered to reduce a further 3k when we advised we had a cheaper quote!
Other big companies were quoting high too so do try to find a local independent company and get a quote.

Good luck, it sounds like a nightmare for your parents especially as it’s getting colder now.

try independent local family firms. their prices are usually more reasonable, most of the large companies don't actually have their own fitters, they sub contract out for the lowest price they can pay.
Also stuff like locks and hinges can be replaced/repaired our local company will replace glass, reseal units replace hinges and locks etc.

You need legal help, OP. There is something that doesn't seem right in there. It will be worth getting proper advice. This should help...

www.which.co.uk/reviews/double-glazing/article/double-glazing/your-rights-when-buying-double-glazing-aUxuM9I16y8x

Contact Rip Off Britain on the BBC with Gloria Hunniford, Angela Ripon and Julia Somerville -

www.bbc.co.uk/showsandtours/take-part/rip-off-britain

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.

This is a good point by ianthanum. If Safestyle want their windows back (which is purely to stop your parents claiming their money back) then surely they will have to give your parents the original windows back - or their value (say £5,000?). And none of this "Get them done and we'll pay up then" sh*te - because your parents could end up owing another company if Safestyle refuses).

Have you tried CAB?

SAFESTYLE TAKE THE WINDOWS BACK?????? Surely that isn't legal???

I would hazard a guess that the OP has got all this second hand from her elderly vulnerable parents.

OP, pick up phone and progress and get direct from the horses mouth.

read the bloomin contract first

'You need to push for the proper execution of the contract they paid for windows out and replaced with suitable windows they cannot undo the contract and leave them with holes in there home'
this would be ideal.
More than a refund should be issued if at all possible because, as said, holes will be left in their house which would be crazy.
Honestly, I would be absolutely furious and I would drag their names through the mud as much as possible.
The work they did is crazily shoddy.
I'm amazed that they don't worry about prosecution and their reputation.

@marmite14 how did they pay for the windows? They may have some recourse if they took a credit option or paid by cc? Also do they have legal cover with their home insurance? may be worth checking.

I’d get the money back and get researching replacements/repairs. I would see this as the least stress option, especially if they are in their 70s and upset.

Contact Trading Standards for advice.

We found that getting quotes from local builders was far cheaper than the big companies

Don't accept their settlement - its inadequate, if you accept it, that's the end of the matter, but they are not offering an acceptable solution. A refund doesn't put you back in the position that you were in (unless they make good the window hole/frame/wall damage and reinstate your old window).

Check your parents house insurance, I bet there is a legal cover here. Also the the Citizens advice Bureau (they ofter have legal capacity). Look at small claims actions that you can run yourself.

Try one last written attempt to settle (and get a good offer from them). Also use this written communication to lay out all the facts and detail their behaviour. describe the damage, photograph it, append it. Lay it all out in writing chronologically (times dates calls) and detail how awful their conduct has been. Highlight their lack of communication. Their failure to respond. The time scales. The vulnerability of your elderly parents and their failure to respond to their telephone calls.

Tell them their offer does not even put you in the position you were in before/originally. Specifically their shoddy work has now also caused additional physical damage to the building that now also needs repair. They are not acting in good faith and not putting you in the position you were in before they caused their damage and by delaying and failing to communicate. You are also incurring additional cost in dealing with this (time off work, patch up remediation, heat costs, water damage, damp, condensation internally etc from their fit out). Tell them that this is your final attempt at amicably resolving the issue and that you are now forced to escalate the dispute legally, and that you intend to claim the full costs of repair, additional damages resulting from their work and reinstatement from them.
Put all the facts in one place - and put pressure on them to see how unreasonable they have been. If they see how awful it has been and that you are going to escalate it legally they should make a better offer. Otherwise, household insurance, CAB, small claims and tell them they have also been reported to trading standards.

So Safestyle have accepted that the job is not up to standard. In which case they can come back and do the job properly. Any shortfall is then their problem.

• I think they are also taking advance of the market. There has been a rise in prices, and as winter draws in a growth in demand for windows/their services, so prices are higher now. They can't be bothered with you. But perhaps legal action, the additional costs you threaten to claim from them, legal costs, additional damage (internal damp, and redecoration from water etc) will help tip the balance in your favour.