Horrid sales pitch experience from national double glazing company....

[Suomynona]

We had a sales rep from Safestyle windows round last night to the house we’ve just started renovating to quote for double glazing and doors etc. Oh my goodness, I was completely unprepared for how they operate (my Fiancé wasn’t due the industry he works in, but hadn’t really had a chance to brief me beforehand).

He was there for almost 2.5 hours, and then only left at 8.30pm because I basically was very unsubtle and said I hadn’t eaten all day and was starving and needed to go home (true). My Fiancé was playing the game negotiating him down (quite impressively actually) but he was putting so much pressure on us to sign on the dotted line there and then, and I knew I wasn’t prepared to make that kind of decision without further thought and discussion (my Fiancé knew I wouldn’t too).

The safestyle quote came down from over £13k, to about 8k, then we took the front door and French doors off the quote (they wanted almost 2k for a composite door!) and it came down to about 4.5k. I still think it’s too much for 6 windows, and on principal I wouldn’t want to give them my business because of their tactics (getting his Manager on the phone to see if he could give us a better deal, saying it would be difficult to come and see us again to sort the finance if necessary because he’d driven down from the Midlands, and when he eventually realised we weren’t going to do the deal, telling us he could only keep the quote valid for 48 hours – pah!). I found the whole thing quite insulting and stressful; especially as he was blowing cigarette smoke all over me while talking about the quote (we were in garden as no lights indoors). Eugh. I’ve ended up feeling pretty naïve as I just didn’t realise how these sales pitches go, not having done it before.

We’re going to get a couple of local quotes now and hope that the value for money and overall experience is better.

They'll phone you a couple more times, offering to review the quote with you. Tell them it's not low enough each time, they'll come down more - you'll probably get the 6 windows for around £2.5k and can then add the doors back in. It's how they all work. Tiresome, but ok if you know how to play them at their own game.

They're a bloody horrendous company to deal with. We had them out a few years ago, again an appointment that lasted over 2 hours. They were due to come back to check measurements, didn't arrive then lied about why they didn't arrive. We were then subjected to numerous phone calls from them.

My friend has recently dealt with them and had to be quite rude in the end to stop them phoning her every other day.

We used a local firm and were more than happy with them.

My sister had issues, not sure if it was Safe style or another national company. Basically she called up wanting a quote, as the TV adverts state "no obligation quotes". They sent a salesman, he went round and came up with a price. My sister asked for it in writing so she could compare it with other quotes and was told it was a price only valid if she signed up and paid the deposit on the day. She said no and the salesman just got up and left.
The next day she had a follow up call from the company and explained what happened. She was told it should have been a quote and the salesman shouldn't have said it was a one time deal. They agreed to send out another sales rep.
Cut to the day of the second quote and she was called to confirm the appointment time so she double checked it was a quote and was told no, it was a one time deal so she cancelled.

She ended up with a local company that charged a lot less the national company wanted to charge.

As I see it a large company doesn't care about individuals as they have a bigger customer pool.

Oh yes. We also had some awful window salesman experiences! Where are you? We used a lovely small local company from north London. Can PM you the details if useful.

I posted about this recently. I filled in Safestyle's online form asking for a quote and they were incredibly persistent. I went with another fim in the end and told Safestyle it was because they were too pushy.

Look for online reviews of them. There are a lot of bad ones. If they're pushy now, don't let them do work - it might be crap, you don't tust them now so why let them loose on your windows? Go with a local company instead.

We've just been quoted £2.5k for 7 windows, 2 of them huge. This is from a small local firm. I didn't even bother asking Safestyle or any of the other big ones for a price.

Many years ago my grandparents had them round to quote 2.5 hours later he still wouldn't leave, after she'd insisted quite a few times so she threatened to ring the police, he packed up and left.
Worst company ever!

I always recommend to clients that they use local companies as experience has shown me that you tend to get a similar (sometimes better) price but much better customer service as they rely on good reviews and recommendations to stay in business unlike national chains which always hook people in through adverts and 'deals' (which often aren't really a deal) and then claw back profit by doing the bare minimum.
I refuse to deal with companies which won't give me a straight quote and let me think about it.

I know someone who works for them.
He's a nice guy out of work, different persona at work.
All that phone the manager stuff? It's a pile of crap. He just phones his mate and makes it up. The original price is at least double the actual price, don't believe all the things they say about how their Windows are better either, pretty much all window companies use the same profiles (the plastic) , the same locks and fittings and all double glazing now has to use low E glass (building regs). Their Windows are ok, dont get me wrong, but so are everyone else's.
So get lots of quotes from local firms/ builders and check out websites like tradeframesonline. You will be surprised.

We had Safestyle around when we were shopping around for windows. It was absolutely horrendouse and I reported them to Watchdog and trading standards.

I was on my own as DH was stranded at work. The salesman was ridiculously persistent and tried continually to intimidate me (I'm very small, slim and I have a very smiley face even though I'm a miserable tough old bird).

He said the same things- one time offer only, after he left the price would go up, he'd have to ring the manager to get the price down. I was very firm that I was shopping around and I most definitely wouldn't be signing today.

It was nearly impossible to get rid of him.
At one point I stood up in the doorway and said "You need to leave right now" which he just laughed at, while remaining sat down, and said (in a jokey way) he wasn't leaving until I signed.

I replied that if he was refusing to leave my house I would call the police and have him arrested and prosecuted under the 1998 Trespass and Criminal Access Act and, I assured him, I absolutely would win the court case as I'm a criminal barrister.

He got up and left pretty sharpish and I immediately called the company to complain, the Watchdog, the trading standards.

I used a local company in the end and they were absolutely brilliant and about 1/4 of the price of SS

I'm not a criminal barrister and I just made the Act up on the spot

@ButterflyBoobs that is funny - though I appreciate it wasn't funny for you at the time. I can't believe that there are still people out there using 1980s pressure selling techniques.

Anyone who insists on your other half being there for an appointment is probably to be avoided btw as it's a classic ruse so you can't say you'll need to discuss it with DH/DP and get back to them and you're less likely as a couple to change your minds as you think each other is happy with things.