90% deposit for windows, covered by The Home Improvement Protection Scheme

am_Cornwall

Hi,

We have had a quote for double glazing supply and fit, the supplier requires 90% payment up front, but have said we are protected by The Home Improvement Protection Scheme (HIP). I can only find two reviews of HIP (Google Reviews) both of which say "don't touch with a bargepole". The window company themselves seem reputable and easy to deal with, but I'm obviously wary of such a large up front payment.

Any thoughts?

Thanks

FlimFlam01

Can you make some payment with a credit card to give you some protection?  If not, walk away quickly.

In all honesty, I'd tell them you are not willing to pay anything up front and only when you are satisfied with the completed works.

A small deposit paid on a credit card wouldnt' be too bad though but 90% no chance.

mr_stripey

Walk away.

https://www.hip.insure/deposit-protection/

If it this one, then the insurance seems flimsy at best. According to their website they will protect up to 25% of the works value and only in the event of the business ceasing trading.

Find a local, reputable window firm instead

CliveOfIndia

I'm with the other posters on this.  A small deposit on credit card might be OK, but asking for 90% upfront is extracting the urine.

Which company is it - one of the big national chains?  If so, I'd be giving them a miss anyway, massively overpriced.  A local independent business is almost always a much better bet.  They're usually far cheaper, and they actually care about protecting their reputation.

Albermarle

Windows are made to measure, so if the client changes their mind at the last minute, the supplier is stuck with them. So in this case a deposit is understandable ( not 90%) but in fact when we had a big bay window done, no deposit was required.
Maybe this installer came in with the lowest price, and is trying to find ways to now make a profit?

katejo

am_Cornwall said:

Hi,

We have had a quote for double glazing supply and fit, the supplier requires 90% payment up front, but have said we are protected by The Home Improvement Protection Scheme (HIP). I can only find two reviews of HIP (Google Reviews) both of which say "don't touch with a bargepole". The window company themselves seem reputable and easy to deal with, but I'm obviously wary of such a large up front payment.

Any thoughts?

Thanks

I recently had new windows fitted and only paid 50% in advance. Have you tried local firms rather than big national ones? If you think the window company is reputable, ask why they are using HIP which has such bad reviews.

am_Cornwall

Many thanks all, you've backed up what we were thinking.

Just to say, they are a local company, not a national.

And yes, it is the insurance company in mr stripey's reply, thanks for the head's up on those details.

We will be explaining to the company why we've decided not to use them...

am_Cornwall

Out of interest I looked them up on Companies House - it's very clear now why they would like 90% deposit. They are a VERY small local company, who don't look like they have the cash to buy materials in advance. Sadly of course that makes them even more of a risk to deal with. Hope they get some good advice to find their way out of it or they'll drive themselves into the ground!

FreeBear

The only time I've been asked for a deposit for any building work was for the first set of windows I had replaced. Even then, it was only a nominal amount (about £300 as I recall). All other windows were replaced without a deposit being required.

If anyone quoted for work and wanted a 90% deposit up front, they would be struck off the list. Should they ask for a reason, it would be a simple two word response (see Arkell v Pressdram).

casper_gutman

I used a local firm a couple of years ago for a fiddly bit of work - replacing an unusually shaped tall-but-narrow sliding sash window with a UPVC replacement, including recovering the stained glass from the old window, cleaning it up, and encapsulating it in new  double glazed sealed units. They did a lovely job, with run through sash horns and three cracked panes in the original stained glass replaced with new glass matching the original.

The firm I used charged a 50% deposit with the rest on completion, the same as they want now for some more work I'm sending their way. If they only needed half up front for all that nonstandard faffing about then 90% for what sounds like some more run-of-the-mill windows is taking the pee. The 10% balance of payment gives them precious little incentive to finish the job to a decent standard. I'd walk away.

housebuyer143

am_Cornwall said:

Out of interest I looked them up on Companies House - it's very clear now why they would like 90% deposit. They are a VERY small local company, who don't look like they have the cash to buy materials in advance. Sadly of course that makes them even more of a risk to deal with. Hope they get some good advice to find their way out of it or they'll drive themselves into the ground!

I used a local company and they wanted no deposit. They should have a deal with the supplier where they don't pay immediately, or that's what mine had. 
I only paid when the job was completed and I was happy.