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

Yes, I had the same type of windows / doors salesman call to me once who kept going on about ‘your husband’ needs to be present! That was about 15 years ago so I thought they’d have moved on from their sexist and antiquated system by now. I rang their office to complain about this shit only to be told by the receptionist that they wouldn’t sell to single ladies but only to regular man / woman couples and the husband had to be there! Can you believe this was a company in London ffs! So basically non heterosexual couples can’t buy windows or doors if they need them.

I had this nonsense more than a year ago.

Young lad at the door. I agreed that the company could give me a quote for rendering the house. Then...

"I need to speak to your husband."

"This is my house."

"I still need to speak to your husband."

"Only my name is on the deeds."

"I still need to speak to your husband."

"I'm. A. Widow."

"Oh. Can I have your forename and surname?"

I gave them.

"You're a widow. So it'll be 'Ms' then..."

"Mrs."

"The office wlll phone to arrange a time for a visit from my colleague."

I got a phone call a few minutes later.

"So...you've agreed that our representative [Male Name] can see you at 7 this evening."

"I have not. I said that we could arrange a time."

"He can come at 7."

"That's not convenient..."

I went on to outline why the conversation with the young man was unacceptable. She didn't understand the problem. I told her I didn't want a quote.

I've had similar from companies selling windows, doors and solar panels. One guy wanted both myself and my DP present to measure up for a new front door.

In each case I've avoid the big nationals and given the work to local companies, although I've still to sort out the solar panels - their scam seems to be 'surveying' from Google street maps and basing the quote on what they can see from some grainy photo. And then having the nerve to want 50% payment up front before they'll send a surveyor for an onsite inspection. Not on my watch!

Funnily enough I know a guy who used to run a decorating/renovation business, and he had so many issues with husbands/male partners requesting work that either hadn't been fully agreed with their wife/partner or hadn't been communicated properly, that he made it a company policy to have both homeowners approve and sign off works together in person!

Nailed it in the first post.
I can't believe she would even want to deal with a company like that.

It’s exactly this, years ago I had a crap job selling fitted kitchens and we were told to only quote when the husband was home for this reason. Any company that has to resort to these tactics is not one you would want to be buying from.

What should happen in any similar case, is that the woman should say, "That is rude, condescending, inconsiderate, and sexist. Tell the owner he needs to face up to the 21st century." Then shut the door on him.

it’s actually because sales people and companies just can’t afford to waste time and they will lose a lot of deals from non serious buyers who will use “ I need to discuss with my partner” to delay or get other quotes elsewhere. I sort of get it. It’s like estate agents refusing to do viewings unless you have mortgage in principle.

I mean they were crap to balls it up and still ask for that second time round. As well as the 'both partners there' thing that people have described above, I gather it's also to protect themselves from accusations of pressurised selling.

As I have quite clearly said, they have had this all legally addressed for inheritance planning when they married. This post is not about that, its about double glazing firms insisting on a husband attending when he has no legal say in the transaction.

It comes across to me as very misogynistic given her husband has no legal entitlement here. And no I wouldn't have given my details but it was convenient for her so it wasn't my call but thankfully when they rang her and repeated the requirement she told them what she thought and put the phone down.

Obviously from the comments on the thread, its not unusual. Why would any woman put up with it

Well to be honest, I have no idea how much new windows would cost and so I wouldn't just get one quote and I would be upfront about it, as I suspect most would so its not avoiding making a decision or using the company, its about making an informed purchase. I would have thought that they will lose as much as they gain with this technique.

Its different to Estate Agents, if you need a mortgage and can't get one, you are wasting their and the sellers time. The glazing companies make this decision that hubby needs to be there to sway it in their favour and to enhance pressure selling, not for anyone's benefit but there own.

But again, does this really apply when he is not the decision maker and has no legal stance in this. Its misogynistic.

But in this case, her husband has no legal sway. And even if he did, I'd still hold back until I had other quotes to make sure I am getting value for money.

When I got my kitchen fitted, I was upfront that I was looking for a good deal and the best design and as such ai was speaking to a few companies. The best man won, not on cost but on the overall service and how he gelled with us. He wasn't the cheapest but he was straight up and understood we needed to get the best deal for us.

Regardless of his legal sway its 100% about avoiding one partner saying they want to speak with the other to buy thinking time.

Its a high pressure sales technique with the aim of not moving out the house until the signature is on the dotted line.

Not a company that I'd want to deal with.

They earn there living from commission. Simple answer here. It’s a fairly saturated market, take your business elsewhere. And do what a friend of mine did, look them straight in the eye and tell them you are lesbian.

This exactly

I don't think that would matter to them, 'oh we just need both partners here', they want both there so people can't use the 'need / want to discuss' line

They know the second they are out the door, they have lost the sale because people will lift the phone to other companies and try to get another quote elsewhere.

I'd refuse to use a company that tried that with me. However, I have a guy coming from a glazing company today to measure up a bedroom window for replacement. If he says anything about my husband needing to be present, I'll tell him I'll fetch him from downstairs.....then return with his ashes urn!

No decent company would operate like that. Any decent company would happily give their best price, and let you mull it over, compare quote etc.

I wouldn't use a double glazing company that goes door to door or uses high pressure sales tactics. Not only do they generally overprice, but they often use any old installers and a lot of how well the windows last is in the fitting.

If you go with a trusted local company that give you a straightforward price and use their own installers or a one of a few trusted installers then you will get a better deal and better windows.

If you're anywhere near Clevedon/Bristol type way I can recommend an amazing company.

Oh, that's interesting. You've reminded me of something. I worked in a call centre for a travel agency years ago. In our training we were told about the 'have to ask my husband/wife/goldfish first' tactic was a way for them to wriggle out of closing the sale.

We were told to jokingly ask if she/he always let their husband/wife make all the decisions. Try to downplay the importance of the other persons perfectly acceptable right to have a say in where they went on holiday. I never did it and never heard anyone else say it either but they were deadly serious that this was how to counter that objection.

Use a different company, and write to the boss of the sexist company telling them why. Or maybe consider going to the local paper...

I had the same but I had actually contacted them and arranged for them to come out. He wouldn't come in with out my husband present and said it was company policy following an incident years ago. Sacked them off sharpish .

We’ve come across this - it’s so you can’t say oh I need to speak to x y z and can’t sign up to their only on the day special offer! I had this row with solar panels - two years ago. I refused to see them if my husband had to be there. They phone me 2/3 times a DAY but always on a different number so I’ve given up blocking them and just hang up when they say who they are!

it’s a shitty pressure sales technique - appalling practice

in future lie and say I’m divorced, no husband but tbh I’d never deal with a firm that wants you both there!

our windows were done by a local firm that was happy to deal with me the whole way through

The 1950s called and want their practices back. Dear god. Don’t know how your friend kept so calm. What if she was a lesbian? Recently bereaved? Could she not get double glazing then?

They obviously want both decision makers there so they can pressure you into signing then and there - which is the massive red flag not to use this firm. The sexism is kind of a red herring … they would be sexist of not sexist depending which of those would get the poor sucker to sign