Safestyle

koala_1

Hi,
Yesterday my mum received a cold call from Safestyle and she promptly told then she wasn't interested and hung up. They rang back immediately and said they weren't interested in selling, just to offer us a supposedly free "£500 voucher" that expires in 5 years. So she arranged for them to come on Monday.
Someone from their sister company Virgo (who hadn't been mentioned previously) phone this morning, to confirm they would be coming on Monday.
Shortly after yet another phone call from Virgo, but a different man; my mum asks why there's all these phone calls for the sake of a voucher and he had no idea about any voucher.
He was of the belief he was due to come here to "do some measurements" and my mum was telling him she "doesn't want to be at the doorstep telling you I don't want anything doing". To which he smarmily responded: "I don't have to be at the doorstep, I can come in".
She was trying to get it through to him that we were not interested in buying anything, so he was saying "there's no need to raise your voice madam" and "are we raising our voices again madam"?
After my mum hung up he rang again and came out with: "I hope you have a lovely day madam."

So first they establish a false pretence for visiting, then they essentially troll someone who is simply trying to tell them they are not interested in their product!

In case they ring again, is there any legislation I can cite to make it clear to them their calls are not welcome? Ofcom say on their site that organisations "cannot call you if you have told them previously that you don’t want to receive telesales calls from them", but it would be nice to name a law alongside this.

Regards

mikb

Don't get into any deep legal discussion with them, whatever laws do or don't apply, they won't care either way.

Why do you matter, when they have commission to be earning?

OFCOM will do precisely nothing, as they are useless.

Same for the TPS, as Safestyle will be able to say they have a "business relationship" with her, as she requested them to come out and give a quote.

Just tell them you are not interested any more, that you do not want an appointment, a quote, or anything more. Be polite and firm, and hang up on them if necessary. If they call back, just hang up. If you/she genuinely feel harassed, call the police.

These jokers get a foot in the door by any means possible and then continue to chase you. Just give them the bum's rush at the first opportunity.

E.g. in my case they insisted on leaving a no-obligation quote "as they were in the area", in the face of being told NO NO NO NO on the phone AND at the door.

They left the quote, some handwritten scribbled thing on a flyer. I binned it.

Then they phoned up, repeatedly, wanting to know why I hadn't accepted the quote I requested. I didn't request it, you insisted. TPS violators. Goodbye.

Repeated calls from a "manager", who kept getting my name wrong.

He eventually called me again, get this, from the new company he works for. A small family company. He had taken his client list with him (I'm not your client) and was phoning them all up to undercut Safestyle's quote.

So no honour even among Safestyle's own staff.

I wouldn't deal with them for any reason. When they insist on still phoning me up, I tell them that. And that their continued phone calls, and doorstep visits are unwelcome.

You are well shot of them!

McKneff

~Tell her, if they ring again, to tell them that every telephone call is recorded and that she is formally telling them not to call her number or she will report their company for harassment.


Don't bother the police please, it is a civil matter and they have far better things to be doing.


Good luck.

MothballsWallet

The police can still deal with harassment. It is an offence in criminal law, has been since 1997.

pinkshoes

Just tell them no thank you, and ask them to remove you from their phone database.

We had a Safestyle rep that came to the door who was very pushy. I said they could quote for a front door (needed one!) but had no budget nor wanted anything else replacing. He kept asking questions about our other windows.

Later that evening the poor guy who came to quote us was expecting to quote for a front door and 5 windows! He was not best pleased when I insisted I just wanted a door!

Anyway, pushiness aside, their quote after negotiation was great, as is the door they fitted.

koala_1

Thanks for the replies.

Just to make it clear, she never asked for them to visit to give a quote; she was of the knowledge a voucher was to be delivered and that was that. Clearly that was their way of twisting things so they could do come to do some "measuring up".

Surely there is an organisation that deals with this kind of bad practice/harassment, if Ofcom and the police won't? What about my local Trading Standards office?

Interesting to see if they still turn up later today.

marliepanda

No company is going to just give way vouchers for £500. There will always be a catch

bod1467

mikb wrote: »

He eventually called me again, get this, from the new company he works for. A small family company. He had taken his client list with him (I'm not your client) and was phoning them all up to undercut Safestyle's quote.

Wouldn't that be a breach of the Data Protection Act, by Safestyle and/or the new company?

jclc

koala_1 wrote: »

Thanks for the replies.

Just to make it clear, she never asked for them to visit to give a quote; she was of the knowledge a voucher was to be delivered and that was that. Clearly that was their way of twisting things so they could do come to do some "measuring up".

Surely there is an organisation that deals with this kind of bad practice/harassment, if Ofcom and the police won't? What about my local Trading Standards office?

Interesting to see if they still turn up later today.

If you can get the phone number they are ringing from, you could always register with the Telephone Preference Service - TPS. Then if this bunch of sharks ring you again you can then report them. They could be fined if they attempt to ring you again after that
By the way, avoid Safestyle like the plague - their track record is appalling. We recently had a quote off a reputable local company. The chap that came round to measure up said that when he started out in this business he went on a training course with Safestyle and he couldn't believe all the "tricks of the trade" they were told to use in order to save time and cut corners in order to get the job done as quick as possible. The quality of finishing is poor as a result of all this. To give some idea of the measure of this I remember reading about one person who had 22 windows fitted by Safestyle in just one day. The local guy who is going to fit our 14 windows said it will take him 7 to 10 days. I've seen the quality of his finished work and it's well worth the wait !

schwam66

nothing in the world is ever free, especially from the national window companies.....i would tell her to have them come...schedule a time and then make sure she is out :-) they waste her time, she should waste theirs....

philatio

Safestyle rep came to the door the other day despite the large 'No Cold Callers" sign. When I opened the door and pointed out the sign I got..
"But this isn't a cold call.. it's a hot deal !" (cheesy grin)

I gave him a 10 second 'not amused' stare before he started into his sales pitch and I shut the door in his face.
I then got a sarcastic goodbye wave as he walked down the path. Pillock.