Safestyle harassment

Cambridge32

Hello,

About 4-5 weeks ago I was shopping for double glazing and contacted 4 companies for quotes (Anglian, Safestyle and two local). Anglian were extremely professional (I was surprised as I had heard nothing good, but the salesman was excellent) and gave me a competitive quote, with no hassle or BS. Both local guys were equally good, and I went with one of them in the end (but it was almost Anglian!). But Safestyle...

Safestyle insisted that they would only send somebody to meet both myself and my partner at the same time, despite my telling them that only I was available. When pushed, they claimed that this was because their female salespersons had previously been attacked and was for "safety". When I said that only I was available they argued and I put the phone down. 2 hours later they called back, denying that they had spoken with me previously, and arranged for an appointment to meet just me at my chosen date and time.

1 hour before they were due to meet me, Safestyle called and tried to rearrange the appointment for a time when my partner was available. I told them that if they wanted my business then they would see only me. They refused, and so I asked for my details to be removed from their database. They said that they were unable to do this, despite me asking twice. I hung up.

2 days later Safestyle called again and I told them to f-ck off and hung up.

2-3 weeks later (just now) Safestyle have called again. I hung up.

How can I get them to stop calling me? I have successfully blocked their ~20 emails but I am getting quite angry with them now. To whom can I report this harassment, and how can I make it stop?

Thanks

david39

I think you should write to them, tell them politely that you have had your installation done by another company, you are no longer in the market for any of their products and, if they don't stop contacting you, you will report them for harrassment.

You could subscribe to TPS but it only takes effect after 28 days and Safestyle may well use the excuse that this is not cold-calling because you made the enquiry in the first place.

I must say that I am surprised as we have had two installations done by them over the years and they were excellent. The first was done over 9 years ago and so is just coming out of guarantee - we called them back in the last two weeks because of a problem with one of those windows. They came out within a few days and fixed it without question and the engineer also made an adjustment to one of the doors that had dropped slightly and which we had not noticed.

Cambridge32

I have just Googled "safestyle harassment" and was not really surprised at the results. Try it yourself.

mo786uk

Trading Standards

vikingaero

Make an appointment. Tell them that you and your partner will be there. And then show them the door. If they want to waste your time then waste theirs.

s_b

put their windows in
that should stop them being a pane

lincroft1710

Cambridge32 wrote: »

Safestyle insisted that they would only send somebody to meet both myself and my partner at the same time, despite my telling them that only I was available.

Staybrite UK are exactly the same. It occurs to me if you have no partner then they won't send a rep. Clearly discrimination against single males or a good ploy to use to stop them bothering you.

aldredd

I suspect they do it so that people can't use the 'I need to consult with my husband/wife before agreeing anything' card when they're using their pushy sales tactics.

Why companies feel the need to resort to these techniques I'll never know - if you have a product to sell, and believe in that product, then be open and honest about it, and let people make up their minds! If it's a good product (no experience, so couldn't tell you) and the price is right, you're surely more likely to get a sale that way.

DVardysShadow

aldredd wrote: »

I suspect they do it so that people can't use the 'I need to consult with my husband/wife before agreeing anything' card when they're using their pushy sales tactics.

I doubt it is quite that. I would think it is more likely that they have all been trained in a technique and scripting which involves playing partners off each other.

sashman

Cambridge32 wrote: »

Hello,

How can I get them to stop calling me? I have successfully blocked their ~20 emails but I am getting quite angry with them now. To whom can I report this harassment, and how can I make it stop?

Thanks

Write to their MD requesting they do as you ask otherwise you will....

Write to the GGF they are members

Write to TGO the new glazing ombudsman they are members

squeaky

I was getting LOTS of calls from a double glazing company... but not any more...

I posted this some time ago - but it's worth a repeat, I reckon.

Having had far too many telemarketing calls for double glazing of late, many in the late evenings or Sunday mornings as early as 9:15, and, despite my pleas to be taken off their call list, and the ever increasing intensity, and often downright rudeness, of my rebuffs - the calls just kept on coming in.

One Saturday lunchtime, <sigh>, yes, just as I was sitting down to lunch; I got yet another call from the most persistent of these outfits. I think I was on their 'trainee list'.

Having had more than enough of this 'persecution' [well it *felt* that way] and knowing that I was free on the following Thursday afternoon and with nothing much to do I arranged a home appointment...

I was pleased to see him and complimented him on his punctuality, made him a cup of coffee, and in this happy mood we sat down so that he could give me his prepared sales talk about the value of having double glazing and in particular that of his own company. This, I found, was very interesting and so I asked quite a number of questions and was attentive to the replies.

His opening patter might well have taken rather longer than it usually did - but what the heck. He had an interested and enthusiastic prospect on his hands here.

So now he suggested that perhaps he should view all the windows in the house so as to better advise me as to the most suitable way to deal with them, and while he was there he might as well measure them up, didn't I think?

Of course I thought it was a good idea. [I'd always wanted to know what size my windows were, but could never be bothered to get the tape out] Although I think I forgot to mention that at the time.

At each window we had a preliminary discussion of what type of window might be most suitable, how many panes, sash or hinges, security options and so on. I think this took rather longer than it usually did, though I can't be sure.

That done, we went back to the catalogues and we discussed all these things in much more detail, plus styles and materials, glass thickness, sound deadening qualities v insulation standards etc etc etc etc... Not to mention workmanship, and mess and disruption, future maintenance... He even went out to his car and brought in an extra case full of samples. For which kindness I made him another cup of coffee.

It took me some time to decide between all the various options. After all, I had much to choose from and this was a big purchase that I was considering, I wanted to be sure that I would be buying all the right things for the right reasons.

That done he suggested he work up a quote for me, which I was happy for him to do.

The price was somewhat higher than I had expected, and so we had to go through the catalogue and the samples and find slightly more economic means of achieving the same ends. And at last we agreed that this was indeed a reasonable price for the goods on offer.

Here he brought out his best pen and a pad full of order forms.

This was when I told him that I couldn't place the order precisely at this moment, much though I would like to have done, because my accomodation was rented and so I would have to ask permission from my landlord.

Oh, that's fine he said, who *is* your landlord?

Mid Suffolk District Council.

In a very tight lipped silence that is a testament to his self control he packed his things and went away.

Barely two weeks later I get *another* telemarketing call from this *same* company... so of course I accepted an appointment.

Two days later the branch manager, not a happy chappy, asked me if I hadn't already had a recent sales visit and what the flying fynn did I think I was playing at? So I told him that *every* time his people wasted *my* time *I* was going to waste *theirs*...

I'd asked before to come off their call lists, asked *politely* too, so would he please please please take my &^%$$&% name off their %^&%% lists.

Things went quiet for a while and then three months later...

..from the *SAME &*$&$*$*$ COMPANY*...

..yep. Start again at para one.

But after that second episode it really did get quiet. From that day to this I have *never* had a call from that company, nor, in fact from *any* double glazing company. In fact, very few telemarketing calls at all.

I think I must be on a blacklist or something. ;-)