Thomas Sanderson

exemploy2

Dunawori wrote: »

We recently purchased a blind from Thomas Sanderson. However, we were badly advised about the way the blind operated and it has turned out to be unusable.
We were sold a cafe type blind (mainly used in conservatories) for a tall, difficult to access, landing window. The salesman told us that a remote would be too expensive for just one blind and that we would have to have all the electrics wired in, messing the walls up. With that in mind we decided against it, so he advised that we would need to use a pole to operate the blind.
However, on the day of fitting the pole had not arrived and when it came the day after, we found the it was impossible to operate, as you have to have the pole at a length of >2 metres and get the angle right whilst standing on stairs, backing up the stairs as you go, keeping the blind straight!!!!!
As my wife was on crutches when the salesman and fitter came and we had not been told all this complicated procedure, we rang the salesman to explain. He said he would look into it. A week later we had to ring customer services because he did not ring back. Several weeks later and calls to customer services, the salesman texted to say that you would ring later that day. That evening we got a text saying there was nothing he could do as we had signed and paid for the blind. (£703)
Eventually we got put on to the manager and after waiting 2 more weeks, he has just told us that we would need to pay a further £400 to get a new blind with battery remote.
We feel that £1103 is an extortionate amount for a blind of 88cm x 130cm made of a thin pleated white cafe style fabric.
We have asked for a refund and for them to come and remove the 'offending' product and have been told that it has to go to someone higher, to make that decision.
How many more weeks can this take??
Watch this space.........!!!

Ring head office, the people you need to speak to are either Nigel Campkin (MD) or Sandra Wykes (Sales Director). Explain the situation, point out that it's a huge safety issue, demand that they bring in a senior fitter and ask why they couldn't fit a WRLM blind from the head of the window down, using a cord to raise the blind from the landing level where it was safe.

This sounds like an inexperienced salesman who didn't know his products well enough, and a fitter who lacked the confidence to override the sales staff.

Dunawori

I recently posted a complaint about Thomas Sanderson (above) and the bad advise etc.
From the terrible service and advise we received from the salesman originally, to the text he sent us to say "we don't give refunds", we felt we had been treated very badly. However, when we persevered and went over the salesman's head and kept going until we found someone who would listen and be sensible. We have now had a new blind fitted that we can actually use. Thank you (eventually)

Norbert_Dentressangle

Sorry, irrelevent content

Westme

Had some conservatory blinds fitted by Thomas Sanderson three years ago. They are very good but they were very expensive. The threads in one of them slipped the catch, but no problem I knew they were guaranteed for five years. Contacted them, yes they are guaranteed but I will have to pay a call out charge of £72. As I told them I will be leaving them and certainly won't be recommending their customer care.

enebesniak

This is a great thread as I have just had a meeting with one of the designers and wanted to gauge what the product was like and if the price was OK.
I am going for a total of 5 Shutters and 2 Fabrics on windows and 1 Fabric on French Doors in the kitchen. The total came to just under £7000.
Now I think everything does indeed hinge on the “Designer” that comes to sell you these things. He was 40 minutes late but I do live on a small brand new estate. I have only limited knowledge in these things as my parents had fabrics in their conservatory and downstairs which came to around £4000 so I knew it would be expensive. He was very helpful and explained in great detail the reason for the colours picked for the fabrics, peripheral vison etc.
Although I was loathing the appointment, he actually taught me quite a lot about light and colour which will I’ll find useful when redecorating. He used to be an engineer which would explain why he went into so much detail about things. Would also explain why the whole process took 3 Hours which I wasn’t particularly happy about as I just nipped out of work. I’m writing this still in work to make up the time.
He showed me that there were discounts on the fabrics, which has been mentioned on here and that I’ll save money by taking this flexible loan which means I can over pay each month to reduce costs.
I was a bit miffed that I had to sign on the dotted line there and then by paying a £100 deposit, but he assured me that if I didn’t like the deal or found another supplier, I can cancel the order and have my money back within 7 days.
Still not 100% on the price but I don’t mind paying top dollar for top product.
BTW I don’t work for Thomsa Sanderson, I’m an IT nerd.

mike_os

thank you all for contributing to this thread, and special thanks to the ex employees... I was thinking about taking a job with TS....


can you guess what my answer is?

Miffed2

I bought pleated blinds for the kids bedrooms and the projector room. I obviously needed something blackout and told the Thomas Sanderson salesman.
I was assured by the TS salesman that they would be blackout and would be ideal.
I can't use the projector room as it is too bright and the kids can't sleep due to too much light in their bedrooms in the evening. I am in despair.
They say anything to make a quick buck but don't care about the consequences.
Wish I had never called them. I don't know what to do.

GBEV

Having found this thread (maybe too late) I will outline our experience. Saw duet blinds at NEC Grand Designs recently. Asked Can I buy and fit as I do all home DIY? Answer no don't worry no obligation vist from a rep. Agreed, no sooner home than they wanted an appointment! Agreed, asked for prices at the beginning to prevent waste of time, could not give them until after the survey! Survey completed discounts all calculated best price anounced only if we sign there and then. Explained waiting on another company visit. Cant hold best price unless we pay deposit there and then. What is the cool off period if we do that? Was told 7 days and to let them know if we wanted to cancel. Paid deposit.


Then discover same items available made to measure at 25% of (not off!) the cost! Yes only a few pounds more than deposit already paid! Tell surveyer who arrived on morning of 7 days. He says OK well as I am here I will measure up anyway and you decide if you want to go ahead. Agreed to let him but insisted a stop be put on his meaure up form which he wanted signed.

Get a call after 14 days from HQ,,,when do you want installation!?
Explained I had requested stop within 7 days to their surveyor and was told you have to write to us to do that! Contract is signed, no cool off allowed so go ahead or deposit lost!

Call company lawyer and explain all and he wasn't interested in any detail and insisted we were at fault as we didnt cancel in writing and he then hung up on me! Charming.....

Here is the rub, The detail is sales woman left our contract in our house but hidden in her customer diary! We were never told cool off required stop in writing. We couldn't read contract as she never gave us it! Accident or deliberate? you decide. As far as I knew, telling their own surveyor within 7 days met the job stop requirement. HQ know cool off is not 7 but 14 days which is why they did nothing for 7 days of course but have not told reps or changed literature, I wonder why?:mad:

Immediately cancelled contract after being hung up on by their legal department, Also requested "subject access request" under data protection law as I intend to shop them and their shoddy practices to ombudsman. They now have 40 days to send me all calls, correspondence and emails so I can prove what a bunch of crooks they are as soon as you sign their deposit form which, having now found it has 2 pages of A5 small print to screw their customers,

We are no fools and will seek compensation but be warned, they are wonderfully friendly until you have paid your deposit under duress!

I will continue this thread and demonstrate how they can be screwed back by someone determined and in the know.
Hope that helps:).

Edit..just called original sales "designer" rep to say contrary to her last telephone call we had never been emailed about cool off terms as she insisted. Once she heard I had put a temporary stop she said deal with HQ it is out of my hands and also hung up on me...Charming, 2 out of 3 of them now! I wonder how much commission she gets from stealing deposits? Anybody inside in the know what percentage?

GBEV

Update,
See above from me GBEV.

Well I was too late according to their legal man who told me to seek legal advice and then hung up on me. That was until they got the "Subject Access Request" that same afternoon (before I took legal advice) and they then wrote immediately to offer to pay our deposit back in full!

He even had to ring me back to get card details for the S.A.R. £10 which I found extremely satisfying as I had named him as having hung up without giving me any time for consideration of an amicable solution to their elusive and inadequate practices.

So when is too late to cancel not too late? When you hit them with a data protection request for all calls and correspondance which they know is dynamite if it gets to the trading standards ombudsman.

I am now in the driving seat and will also take them to court for distress and anxiety caused and a return of the legal fees I incurred as the legal department "expert" suggested I should do incurring charges when clearly that wasn't necessary after all! My approach had the deposit returned nearly a month after their sales visit because they failed to follow their legal obligations on distance selling and they knew it. That is quite possibly how they train their reps to behave judging by some of their victim's stories on here.

I have only just started. They will regret the day they ever thought I was just another nobody willing to be robbed in daylight and be forgotten about:rotfl:.

Hope that helps more of you in future. JUST SAY NO and FIGHT BACK. The law is probably on your side. They record all calls so S.A.R. them and their mood magically changes. The legal department say no chance get a lawyer and hang up one day and the next ring back to grovel politely if you do what I did :A.

Good Luck, if you find yourself wanting to cancel before or even after the cool off period if they didn't properly explain how to do it, now you know you can.

Be warned, if you allow them a visit in your house, the form you sign for the deposit is a full blown contract but they have done everything possible to disguise that using dark grey blocks on white with black letters saying contract in small letters and all off the margin of the page. In our case it was left in our house but very well hidden. On discovery if you read 2x A5 small print T&Cs you will find you have to cancel in writing or they will try and make it binding after you discover your 20% deposit would have bought you the goods outright in full elsewhere.

Bright1

GBEV wrote: »

Having found this thread (maybe too late) I will outline our experience. Saw duet blinds at NEC Grand Designs recently. Asked Can I buy and fit as I do all home DIY? Answer no don't worry no obligation vist from a rep. Agreed, no sooner home than they wanted an appointment! Agreed, asked for prices at the beginning to prevent waste of time, could not give them until after the survey! Survey completed discounts all calculated best price anounced only if we sign there and then. Explained waiting on another company visit. Cant hold best price unless we pay deposit there and then. What is the cool off period if we do that? Was told 7 days and to let them know if we wanted to cancel. Paid deposit.


Then discover same items available made to measure at 25% of (not off!) the cost! Yes only a few pounds more than deposit already paid! Tell surveyer who arrived on morning of 7 days. He says OK well as I am here I will measure up anyway and you decide if you want to go ahead. Agreed to let him but insisted a stop be put on his meaure up form which he wanted signed.

Get a call after 14 days from HQ,,,when do you want installation!?
Explained I had requested stop within 7 days to their surveyor and was told you have to write to us to do that! Contract is signed, no cool off allowed so go ahead or deposit lost!

Call company lawyer and explain all and he wasn't interested in any detail and insisted we were at fault as we didnt cancel in writing and he then hung up on me! Charming.....

Here is the rub, The detail is sales woman left our contract in our house but hidden in her customer diary! We were never told cool off required stop in writing. We couldn't read contract as she never gave us it! Accident or deliberate? you decide. As far as I knew, telling their own surveyor within 7 days met the job stop requirement. HQ know cool off is not 7 but 14 days which is why they did nothing for 7 days of course but have not told reps or changed literature, I wonder why?:mad:

Immediately cancelled contract after being hung up on by their legal department, Also requested "subject access request" under data protection law as I intend to shop them and their shoddy practices to ombudsman. They now have 40 days to send me all calls, correspondence and emails so I can prove what a bunch of crooks they are as soon as you sign their deposit form which, having now found it has 2 pages of A5 small print to screw their customers,

We are no fools and will seek compensation but be warned, they are wonderfully friendly until you have paid your deposit under duress!

I will continue this thread and demonstrate how they can be screwed back by someone determined and in the know.
Hope that helps:).

Edit..just called original sales "designer" rep to say contrary to her last telephone call we had never been emailed about cool off terms as she insisted. Once she heard I had put a temporary stop she said deal with HQ it is out of my hands and also hung up on me...Charming, 2 out of 3 of them now! I wonder how much commission she gets from stealing deposits? Anybody inside in the know what percentage?

dont go any were near them worked for them just a couple of weeks i left because i couldnt stand the fact that they wanted me to lie to customers telling them the furniture was free, and lie about end of line fabrick, They used to get bad post removed from sights like this by contacting them and bullying them with there legal team,They have a very high turnover of sales people owing to the fact they are all self employed, have to run there own cars pay all there own fuel, Training is all about how to get the most money out of the customer, They tell you to stay in the house for as long as possible three hours minimum, If you need any help with a court case please get in touch:)