Can anyone recommend me a conservatory company in Scotland (or UK-wide)?

[MadameDuBain]

And yes I am feeling about being so bourgeois but there it is, I am officially middle-aged and want a conservatory.

But I know nowt about it so if anyone has had a great experience (or knows someone who has), please tell me!

Amedega are very good.

I know they are a big company and not the cheapest but we used Zenith. If you don't buy into the hard sell and are prepared to play hard to get with the price negotiation, they are well worth it.

Their product is fab and we couldn't find anything to touch it quality wise. Four years later, our conservatory looks as good as when they put it up.

Don't touch Everest- they are bloody hopeless and totally arrogant (the guy who gave us a quote swanned in saying "naturally we are the best." [tosser emoticon].The quote never turned up despite 3 phone calls and they still phone us 4 years later, asking if we are interested in us getting a quote for windows!)

Great thanks, will track down Amedega.

Confused now Brigit as DP's researches found really bad reviews for Zenith! But I'll have a look at them too.

And thanks for Everest tip!

Most of the reviews for Zenith are because of the hard sell and stupid initial astronomical quotes they give. They also make out that you are unique in being offered their "special" discounts.

We made it quite clear that we were not prepared to sit through 2 1/2 hours of hard sell, neither were we going to make a decision on that day no matter how good it appeared to be.

The initial price quote was so high we just laughed. He said he would get back to us which he did a few days later with a lower offer but we said we'd think about it. We then engaged in a game where, every few days, they would call us and ask if we had thought about going ahead with the work. We would say no it was too much and they would lower the price. Finally after three weeks they got down to the price we were prepared to pay and we went ahead.

We had quotes from other local companies which were still slightly lower but the quality of the Zenith conservatories was in a league of its own so we felt it was worth their annoying and devious selling tactics.

Amdega are HORRENDOUS. Avoid at all costs. Customer service is shocking, quality is poor, slow to fix mistakes, design department messes up. Not familiar with Scottish Building Regs. Contractors don't turn up when they say they will or parts don't, busy on other jobs . Installers are all contractors rather than direct employees and don't know each other/no communication. Always seemed like our job was a fill in because it was fairly small and further away (we're south of Glasgow btw not in the Highlands ffs!). Took 20 months from signing the contract to complete a small, relatively straight forward conservatory.

Oh no! We got the Amdega catalogue and really liked it - but thanks v much for the info notasausage.

It's very hard to find a company that doesn't come with terrible reviews...

My neighbour has a conservatory from Vale Garden Houses and it's lovely, but wasn't cheap and she was pleased with the service but think it depends on the contractors you get on the day. She found them on www.designyourhouse.co.uk. I am making do with diy on existing extension which is falling down and am envious!

Interesting about Amdega but, like many large, nationwide companies they just use contractors.

One of the only ones DP thinks is worth looking at is Marston and Langinger Not cheap but most of their fitters etc are employees - some contractors but not all.

I see a lot of nice stuff by David Salisbury in the RHS magazine and he seems to have some sort of partnership with them...so I'm assuming that there is a level of integrity there....perhaps!

Have you thought about an up-market local guy? Just that you could benefit from a one-one relationship then and go and visit local work. Just a thought

Depends where you are! I tend to stay away from the big companies at all costs. I can highly recommend a company serving Fife and the Lothians (he may go a bit further). He's local and has done loads for me and family and friends all who seem to be happy.

NO NO NO DOnt go to Amdega! They are TERRIBLE! I temped for them for a few months and seeing their customer service was horrific. Every week I would have older ladies crying down the phone at me at how they have spent all their retirement money on their conservatory and now it leaks when it rains (they really do.) I was paid well above the minumum wage to field calls in their complaints department, which was the largest department in the company.

My parents have just had theirs built by Paramount its only been up a week though so perhaps too soon to tell! other than one or two niggles and having to have the builders back about one or two things they are very pleased on the whole.