Pushy Double Glazing Salesman - 14 day cancel period

[twigolsenisabrat]

So I succumbed to a request for a company to come round provide a quote to replace the current 6 windows. They are old and do need replacing and in a moment of misplaced optimism agreed to a 1hr visit by the salesman to provide the quote.

After nearly 2 hours later of listening to utter puerile bo**ocks and being spoken to as if I was an imbecile, this pantomime performance came to an end. Whilst he waited for a call from his manager to get me the quote I pushed him for numbers. I got them and said I would think about it. It came down 5% - not enough. I said I would think about it as it was a no obligation quote valid for a year. Eventually it came down by 30%, messages sent, manager approval gained and in an attempt to get the bloke off my sofa I agreed. Obviously there was a promotion and everything had to be signed that day. Forms were produced and a deposit provided by credit card. Finally got him out the door and locked it.

Still pi**ed off with the whole charade and I can see there is a 14 day cancellation period. What success have people had with this or can I brace myself for another drama of epic proportions?

Well known pressure sales tactic. I had a similar experience with British Gas once when I was heavily pregnant. I had to try to play dumb to get him out of the house, although I slipped up (and he realised the game was up) when he asked who the hardcore academic monographs belonged to (they're mine) and realised I wasn't dumb. You would have thought the title before my name would have told him that...

It's highly unlikely he got you a special deal and his manager approved it- all part of the charade. As is asking for a drink and sitting down.

There should be a cancellation section in the contract. I would do it how they day- if mail, then registered delivery; if email using a read/received receipt; if by phone, get the email of the person on the end of the phone and follow up in writing. I would be making it clear as to why you are cancelling- the sales person essentially made you feel uncomfortable in your own home.

Those 14 day things are exactly for this type of shit! When I had one come round he didn't same to me, I wouldn't sign anything and he said 'when is your husband home I'll wait til he gets here and speak to him!! I pushed him out of the front door immediately after having a few choice words first

I bet I know which company this is!

Happened to me about 10yrs ago. I ended up paying a deposit just to get the man out of my house. Cancelled the order and never got my deposit back. And yes, within 14 days - it was the next day I cancelled the order.

Thanks everyone. I saw the selling tactics, this guy was the sterotypical friendly but pushy salesman who could have said everything in a fraction of the time. I said no but he kept going-I should have just thrown him out but was losing the will to live.

I will send the email, and get a read/delivery receipt, that's a good idea. I might even contact the bank as well to see if they can help. I paid by credit card which the salesman did note was for more protection.

@OldTinHat If they asked how many people you work with and what you do on the weekends for sports etc it may be the same company. I really should have set the tone there and told him it was none of his business and to focus on his job.

They also seem to insist that if you have a partner, even if you own the house in your name and will be paying, they will have to be there as well.

Notify cancellation per contract terms. But you must also follow up immediately with a recorded delivery letter (and inform them of this in the email). In addition, I would very strongly urge you to contact your bank to initiate a reversal on basis of money paid under threat/coercion (you can also send bank a copy of the cancellation email and copy of the recorded delivery receipt notifying cancellation within legal cancellation period per contract date).

Never rely on a read receipt for email. They are.optional from the end of the receiver and many companies turn off delivery receipt responses too. No legal standing whatsoever.

The partner question is because they want all decision makers to be coerced at the same time. It's a basic high-pressure sales tactic.

Sorry you were put through this!

When they arrived I told them they had half an hour. No fannying about with prices, better prices, best prices and the I'll need to phone my manager price. If they suggested I talk it over with my (non existent) partner they were asked to leave. Got the best deal with a local company who didn't do the smile and tilt of the head when talking to a woman. It's a condescending piss take, so don't put up with it.

Someone tell me, please, why these double-glazing companies with the "I'll have to phone my manager" salespeople are still in business. They're in the same league as a certain furniture company selling sub-standard suites in their never-ending sales - all with pseudo interest-free credit, of course.

I had this with one of the national brands, making me watch dull videos about their windows, going on for an hour, before finally getting around to the (very high) price right at the end. Please get on to cancelling the moment you can and then go with a local firm. I found a local firm were much cheaper and could give me an initial estimate by email just based on the measurements I gave.

No doubt they will make it as hard for you to cancel as possible, and try to change your mind - hold firm!

@DancingFerret the manager phoning thing is just another basic high pressure sales tactic, designed to make the victim feel like they got a special (time limited!) deal which tips them over the signing threshold.

Lots don't stay in business because they are run as franchises that self liquidate when they have sufficient deposits. Puff of smoke and they go...two puffs and a phoenix company emerges and it's 'business' as usual. And sometimes the new company name is so similar to the last one that unless you've lost your money you wouldn't notice!

@twigolsenisabrat just to add, when you state you've seen a 14 day cancellation period I'm assuming you mean you read it in you're contract?

Because if it's not explicitly stated in your contract I don't think you can rely on generic 14 day cooling off period which doesn't automatically apply to contracts signed face to face or for anything customized (which this is).

In any case you still have recourse through pressured/coerced victimisation. Good luck!

@FrontEnd checked the contract T&C and there is a right to cancel section with instructions! Will have a call with my bank tomorrow as well.

Thanks everyone for the advice. I will try the local firms in the new year - I do really need new windows.

Yes! Absolutely the same company then!!!

These companies are awful but you will get your money back as long as you claim within the 14 days.

If they need to go through all that rigmarole to sell their products then the product/service isn't good enough to sell itself. I'd always go with word of mouth about this sort of thing.

I have sought out window companies in the past and most were pretty rubbish except one very specialised one who were great.

Shocked to hear these companies still operate like this. They’ve been doing the same shit for 40 or 50 years! My parents had some chancer trying to pull the same stunt in the 1970s! Hope you get it all sorted, OP. We had some windows done about 4 years ago with a small local company. No bullshit or pressure, just ‘Here’s the price and here’s the lead time, give us a call if you want to go ahead.’

@twigolsenisabrat We chose a local company who makes their windows on site. If you choose other companies they are the middle men who ring round manufacturers to get quotes for your window sizes.

First thing we did was go online and look at supply only to see what it costs to make them. There are companies that will openly quote prices, if not there are temporary email addresses that you can use from sites like temp-mail.org that provide an email. I have used them for lots of things.

Then we found the local company who makes the windows and have been in business for 30 years with a great reputation.

This is how the measuring up went, chap comes in, straight onto measuring up, tells us in conversation that for every opening panel in the window frame it adds about £100 for all the mechanism. Once he finished measuring, he sat at our table, opened up a folder with visible tables with prices for each style of window and we could see the height and widths. All very clear and transparent. He wrote a handwritten quote, said what do you think? We said we would like to discuss it, he said okay, left the quote and his business card on our table and said I hope you will be in touch and left. He can't have even been here 30 minutes. We went with them. Very happy with them.