Betterhomes Double glazing, NI

Mr.A_4

Hello Everyone,
my 81 year old Grandmother has recently been enquiring about quotes for double glazing for her property. After settling on double glazing provided by Betterhomes NI, based on Dargan Cresent, Belfast, she signed a contract with them and has paid a deposit of £1500. They are also asking for a "Survey Charge" of £186 for the measuring of the windows to provide a quote for the installation of the double glazing.

Has anyone heard of Betterhomes NI and anyone know if this is normal practice?

sashman

Mr.A wrote: »

Hello Everyone,
my 81 year old Grandmother has recently been enquiring about quotes for double glazing for her property. After settling on double glazing provided by Betterhomes NI, based on Dargan Cresent, Belfast, she signed a contract with them and has paid a deposit of £1500. They are also asking for a "Survey Charge" of £186 for the measuring of the windows to provide a quote for the installation of the double glazing.

Has anyone heard of Betterhomes NI and anyone know if this is normal practice?

If they want a survey charge so they can quote, what's the deposit for?

If she has paid a deposit what was the payment structure for the balance, on completion, part payments, what?

It is possible the measuring for the actual manufacture is sub contracted to a specialist, some surveyors work for several firms, bet he doesn't arrive in a logos van.

Has she been offered insurance backed guarantee in case they go bust before she gets the windows?

Check at company house the is a better home n I ltd that dissolved in April last year, and a better homes n I LLP that started in July 2010. Not saying they are the same people but check.

Or search for double glazing companies n I and see what you get

Sashman

Mr.A_4

Thanks for your reply. Grandma signed a contact following a quotation.The windows have not been made as yet as she hasn't chosen the frames. Betterhomes LLC has requested the balance when the windows are in stock. Fitters are to be paid directly when the windows are fitted;amount already specified. The small print states 5% of the final balance can be withheld and paid on completion but this has never been verbally told to her.

sashman

This would worry me. She has ordered the windows but doesn't know which frames.......?

Surveyor wants paying separately.....?

Fitters want paying separately.....?

They specify you can retain 5% must have had problems before.

You haven't answered if IBG was offered, who is registering the contract with fens, who is responsible for problems the fitters or the manufacturer (I'd guarantee better home bought the frames from others)

Sorry but this confusion is what leads to negative comments about dg companies. Don't use them until you feel happy you have answers to these questions, or you until you don't care about them because they are cheap and you are confident you can force them to complete the work to you satisfaction.

Sashman

Mr.A_4

Thank you for your help and advice. I am really worried about what my Grandmother has got into as she signed this contract and paid over £1500 already. The paperwork refers to it as a non refundable deposit. It is Better Homes (NI) LLP. My Grandmother lives in a medium sized semi-detached house. The quote is for 10 windows amounting to just over £5870, which i don't think is cheap. They are graded energy rating C. The salesman apparently told her this was a special price as they had spare supplies in stock and she'd need to sign the contract. No there's no offer of insurance backed guarantee. She has chosen rose wood frames. Nor has there been any mention of registering contract with FENS, nor a time frame for work to be completed in.

akitabow

For 10 windows in rosewood (both sides) doesn't sound terrible, Its not cheap but when i was getting quotes a few months ago the foiled options were around 15-40% more expensive that standard white. I chose Whitegained in the end but I digress.... All deposits are refundable within 7 days due to selling regulations that give anybody entering into a contract away from a business premises the right to cancel their order. Cancellation terms should be stated on the contract along with a slip to fill in to cancel your order. If not they are breaking the law and you should inform trading standards. My advice if your really worried - Give them written notice immediatly as cancellation, keep proof of this, send it immediatly by recorded delivery as 7 days is today I believe (cancellations are valid at the point the client sends the letter not when it is recieved). Also send an e-mail. (Dont only send an email though -Emails are a valid form of written cancellation as they are recorded and date stamped but you might send it to the wrong person) I went through this kind of thing with another company a few years back.

Hope things work out for your gran.

sashman

MrA what more evidence do you need before you do something, on one hand they have a special price because they have spare windows (that just happen to fit?!) and then she chose a different colour. They had those spare too?

sashman