Double glazing company won't talk to wife unless husband is present?

[PrettyPickle]

Just been at my friends house and there was a knock at the door. It was a young lad canvassing for work for a double glazing firm. My mate is interested in having a couple of windows replaced and would be interested in a quote. The young lad asked when her husband would be home and she explained he worked away from home and she dealt with all stuff like this.

He explained that the husband had to be present. She asked why as the house is in her name only and has no mortgage and she would be paying for the windows in cash (not finance) from her money, not her husbands. She explained it was her 2nd marriage and he rented his home out. Well my mind was boggling about why she should have to share this info.

The young lad said he understood but his guidance was that the husband had to be present to allow it to progress. She asked why her husband, why not the three adult kids who also lived in the home and actually had a bigger stake in it as its their inheritance. He seemed perplexed but said that is how it works. My mate thanked him and said that she understood he had to follow the rules so thanks but no thanks.

Apparently this has happened before and whilst she would discuss it with her husband as part of their daily life, she didn't need him to be present, it was her decision, not his.

10 minutes later he returned saying he had explained to the office and they said it would be OK as it was all her property, so they agreed to ring at 4pm. My friend said if they brought up the subject of her husband needing to be present she would not be happy.

4pm came, someone rang and they said her husband had to be present. She explained the earlier conversation and that her husband had no say in the house (they have this legally tied up as they both have kids from a previous marriage) but he was adamant that they could not attend without her husband being present.

Now we both would get this to a certain extent if he was an owner of the property or was contributing to the home improvements but he is not.

Vote:

YANBU for refusing to have her husband present
YABU for her not understanding her husband needed to be present

I think it’s so she doesn’t use “I have to wait to speak to my husband”, as a stalling tactic when they try and strong arm her into signing a ludicrously expensive deal then and there.

That’s bloody odd

I’m guessing he was scared about being trapped in the house alone for hours with your friend as she went into even more detail about her life back story and finances?

This seems to be common. I simply refuse to give them my business.

I wouldn't use them on principal...

Bloody bizarre

This is to stop the "I have to wait and speak to my husband" excuse.

They wouldn't speak to my husband because I wasn't home. Anglian windows I'd bet

I would be telling them to fuck off with their antiquated sexist policies and let them know that I would be taking my business elsewhere.

It's a bullshit high pressure sales technique to prevent people saying "I need to check with my husband" - they want both decision makers in the room to pressurise them into buying.

I'm amazed she carried on engaging with them.

Its both ways. DH had to confirm I'd be present when he booked our appointment. I said hello and retreated to my office as it did not take two of us to look at door specs.

It's hard to know really. I worked for a similar company and policy was that both members of the couple should be present because so many would go through the sales process only to delay needing to discuss with their spouse. so it wasn't specifically the husband that was needed, but we all know that this probably isn't equally applied.

What it IS, is terrible customer service. I would be terribly tempted to call them and complain for wasting you time (twice) and then forget about it only to come up as an exasperating anecdote.

Everest is the same, or used to be anyway. I once tried to buy a door from them. I went elsewhere.

Many moons ago. I used to work for a window company doing telesales. The sales reps wouldn’t go out to potential customers unless both homeowners were there, regardless of gender. This was because no one would ever sign up unless they had consulted their partner. They are pretty hard sell these companies and like to out pressure on you on the day.

It's a common tactic used by firms and tends to be used more by those with a very hard sell approach....my dad worked abroad in the 80s and my mum was getting a new door. The salesman said my dad needed to be there too....mum showed the salesman the door!!!
To me it's a clear red flag that it's a company to avoid!!!!

Their loss

This, and they do the same when the wife isn't present. It's dodgy sales practice rather than sexism.

I wouldn't touch Anglian with a bargepole (and that includes Everest and Safestyle, which are part of the same group but often presented by sales people as competitors).

When we had our heating re-done the rep was very open that they like both parties there because statistically the homeowners are unlikely to give the job to a contractor if the contractor has only met with one of them for the walk-around.

Whatever would I do? I don't have a husband. Would they refuse to sell to me? Are they from the 1970s? The 1870s? Would he back out the door as quick as he could due to being in the company of a fallen woman lest my devilish ways encourage him to do more than just sell a window or two to me?

Its a sign of a crap company with poorly trained staff. I had a blind company refuse to take an order for a home I owned in my sole name because my imaginery wife/girlfriend wasn’t home and I couldn’t possibly make choices about the home I was the sole legal owner of.

Thankfully I have never come across such nonsense. When the salesperson learnt the person was willing and able to make all necessary financial decisions he could have pressed on.
How do you think all the single women are running homes? If this is true then I don’t think the salesperson was legitimate.

Makes sense. OP’s mate was quite clear she was the sole decision-making party.

No its a shitty selling technique to avoid "I'll have to check and let you know"

Any company that tries pulling that shit on me is instantly on the "no buy from list"

Absolutely this. It’s 2026 and women can make decisions.

having worked in direct sales it’s so that they’ve removed a barrier to you objecting. I would expect them to use high pressure sales techniques to ensure you sign up on the spot. Probably a shite product too.