Everest Windows - 'The Worst' - Grateful for advice please

We signed up for all windows and one door to be fitted by Everest on 3rd May 2018, total cost to be £16,094. We paid a deposit £4,828. The agreement gives a Target Installation Date of 9 to 10 weeks (although the small print states that this is not a term of the agreement). I also received a letter from their Customer Service Team confirming that the installation would take three days and would start on 1st August 2018. The letter states that should there be any delay they would contact us immediately.


Yesterday (1st August) we prepared the house, moving furniture etc, and rescheduling 3 days of appointments. But no one turned up.


I phoned Everest and asked what was happening and I was told that the job was not being done that day, she said she was looking at the contract and cant see anywhere that its booked for 1st August, she said they had not even got parts in yet and the job was booked in for 8th October. I told her I had a letter confirming 1st August 2018 and it seemed she didnt believe me, in fact she might as well have been on the mountain Everest as she was cold and entirely unsympathetic. I think she said that they wouldnt have the parts until 30th August, I felt this was unreasonable having to wait 23 weeks instead of the 9 or 10 on the contract (even though apparently the small print says that was not a term of the contract), she said I would not be allowed to cancel the contract at this stage and that I would be liable. Also that I would have to follow their complaints procedure.


To be honest this call did nothing for their customer service and the tone and content of the call led me to believe that they were used to customers complaining, even though this wasnt a line for complaints. She asked for a copy of the letter giving 1st August as the installation date and I emailed a scanned copy to her, requesting a read receipt and I also asked her to confirm receipt. I did not receive a read receipt and she did not acknowledge receipt of the email. This only adds to my deep distrust of this company.


I will start the complaint today but I am not letting this drag on for weeks, also I wont be sweet talked or threatened and will be looking at trading standards or whatever customer protection there might be these days. If necessary I will cancel and lose the deposit even though its a lot of money, I wont be fobbed off and messed about by cowboys. I will try to get the money back after and I will ensure I give multiple (true) reviews on the web as these people arent the best just a shabby bunch of con artists.


I would be most grateful for any ideas as to what my rights are, especially in regard to cancelling the contract and getting our deposit back, we are pensioners with a limited income and dont have money to spare, we saved hard for these windows. But I will not be ripped off by anyone. We would never have signed if we knew it would take 23 weeks.


Phil Sherry