Double Glazed Windows and New Doors

DaisyKnight

Hi all,

I'll try and keep this as short as I can! My partner and I have recently bought a new house which has old style windows and doors which need replacing. We used SafeStyle last year when they gave us the best quote for a composite front door and were happy with the cost and service that they gave (a little less happy with the constant follow up sales calls, but thats by the by!).

We asked them to the new house to provide a quote for eleven windows, a composite front doorand a UPVC back door. We explained to the very enthusiastic salesman that when buying the door last year we had endured an awful lot of to-ing and fro-ing between various companies who each wanted to fit the door, with each one promising that they had given their absolute best price, only to lower it again when a competitoroffered to do the same job for less. We told him that we simply wanted him togive us his best price – with no back and forth negotiations or nonsense (wishful thinking I feel).

The salesman spent three hours with us during which he started by telling us the job would cost approximately £12-13,000. As always this went down with ‘discounts’ and the like to £9500, and when we were still very reluctant to sign up on the night, we were advised the job could be done for £8500, if we signed up there and then. We rather foolishly - and going against our usual rule of signing nothing there and then - agreed, opted for their ‘buy now pay in 12 months’ finance agreement and paid £95 for a surveyor to come and measure up.

The next day, we were provided with an approximate quote by a long and well established local company who knows the houses in the area and had visited whilst we were out after we'd left an initial enquiry with them the previous week. Their approximate quote was several thousandsof pounds lower than £8500, so we asked them to come back and give an accurate quote. They visited, measured up for free and provided us with a like for like quote (eleven windows, one composite front door and one UPVC back door, all of all of the same standard and quality) of £5500. Giventhe £3000 difference in price, we cancelled our order and finance agreement with SafeStyle immediately and with no difficulties.

SafeStyle contacted us on the recent Bank Holiday Monday to query the cancellation. When we explained we were unhappy, we were advised that the £95 that we’d paid for the SafeStyle surveyor would be refunded, and that SafeStyle would still like to come out an measure of free of charge as they still wanted our business and were able to match any like for like quote. My partner explained that we were pretty miffed and that in order for us to go with them, really they'd have to do better than match the quote they'd have to better it. They explained that they'd like to come and see what they could do, and regardless they guaranteed to match any like for like quote so they surveyor came and took the measurements.

Following this visit, my partner was advised that the best priceSafeStyle could offer is approximately £7500 and that they are not able to match the like for like quote. I checked the website and it stillconfirms the guarantee. When I called SafeStyle, advised me that regardless of what it says on their website,they are unable to match our like for like quote. I explained that I am happy to send the quote for them to verify, but they said that it will not make a difference.

To be honest SafeStyle have irritated me beyond belief now so I'm reluctant to go with them regardless unless they can give us an excellent price (though I am tempted to report them to the Advertising Standards Authority!) but what I really could do with is an idea of whether the other quote is sensible? Is £5500 too good to be true for what we've asked for? Or are SafeStyle just trying it on?

I wish all of these companies would just give you their best price and be done with it! Its so irritating!!!

greenface

how do you know its like for like . How do safe style know . safe style have a level and a limit where they stop their discounts. Im not a fan of the way the likes of safe style just mess you around until you bite . Its not good for the industry but not too bad for me in the industry . My best sales line is "im not a sales rep " you can report them but you wont get anywhere . Short term doorstep agreements can mean a lot depending on how and how long you've agreed them .drop safe style you've lost their trust and you will be looking for anything to argue with . get more quotes and better knowledge of what you want and the price you want to pay . Ask here with rough sizes if you want some knowledge from fairly decent people as I don't want your work and happy to have a think and give a few options .

Grovey1

Get a local company with no gimmicks who take no deposit do not charge for survey and ask if you can look at some other work they have done.

MoneyMate

Don't go anywhere near safe style , we went to an other company but for 4 month's after fitting still getting phone calls from safe style .

gingerdad

For me I'd go the the 5.5k quote - I do hate companies that operate the way safe style and Everest do. For me it'd be a local company even if it was slightly more.