I think I've posted before about my annoying sash window that I have in my kitchen. Basically I can't clean it properly. To clean the top of it I have to climb on top of a work surface and to clean the outside, well not at all possible, tried those magnetic jobbies unsuccessfully. Can't get a window cleaner in as would need access to downstairs flat, who also have a plastic roofed conservatory blocking access to ladders....mmm. Thoroughly sick of having a half clean window or a blind pulled down most of the time I thought I'd enquire about replacement windows...you can get tilt and turn types now.
Enquired online, within 10 mins of doing so, I received a phonecall and arranged for a sales person to come along on this Monday afternoon (first day of my holiday). To cut a long story short the quote he offered me to get this done plus a replacement window in the bathroom that needs doing was a lot cheaper than I imagined it to be which made me think - Hey, I can afford to get this done! i thought great I'll arrange to get this done in the spring of next year (when we get our annual bonus) - The chap on the phone had said they hold quotes open for a year. So I said " Great, let's go ahead, late March will be perfect" "Oh, I'm sorry madam, but this particular deal only lasts for three months" I tried to explain that I didn't want this done before xmas for financial reasons and for general disruption's sake...so he made a quick phonecall (as they do) and returned saying that they could extend it to the first half of January if I was happy to pay a small deposit today as well as the surveyor's fee. Although the salesman took all the measurements by all account a surveyor has to visit and make a more in depth examination. I did this and we arranged the surveyor to visit later in the week.
One thing that I thought was a little odd is that they said I'd need scaffolding, the last time we had the sash window replaced they did it all from the inside, however they guy said that his company insist upon this and like to do a job properly and quite helpfully I though suggested that I arrange my own scaffolding from a local firm as it would be a lot cheaper than getting it through them, ( have had scaffolding before when we had roof repairs and the prices he said they probably be compared with theirs rung true).
Yesterday chap came round, came upstairs stood there looking really confused, I said are you alright...he said firstly I'll need to go outside and take photos from the back - Nobody had told me that I'd need to ask for access to the downstairs flat, bloke downstairs was out at work of course, then he said and also I'll need to take measurements from outside so I said well you aren't going to be able to do that without scaffolding are you? "No" he said...."I tell you what get the scaffolding sorted out and I'll come back" " Look I said, I'm not having the work done until January, I can't afford to fork out and expect the guy downstairs to suffer more dispruption just to take a five minute meausurement and then have to have scaffolding again when the work's actually done"...."Don't worry, he said the survey only has to be done 4 weeks in advance of the work going ahead, so why not get the scaffolding done and have it up there for four weeks so you can get both things done together"...... "Yeah right I said so I'm going to pay for four weeks worth of scaffolding to go up all over christmas.....I don't think so"
I had no option but to contact the company and cancel the entire deal and ask for a refund of deposit etc....unbelievable, seriously though if I hadn't been on hols this week I'd have had to have had the surveyor over on my day off next week and it would have been too late to get out of the contract. Really confused and disappointed - thinks though from what others have said I've had a lucky escape and that the work can be done cheaper and from the inside of the property!
Enquired online, within 10 mins of doing so, I received a phonecall and arranged for a sales person to come along on this Monday afternoon (first day of my holiday). To cut a long story short the quote he offered me to get this done plus a replacement window in the bathroom that needs doing was a lot cheaper than I imagined it to be which made me think - Hey, I can afford to get this done! i thought great I'll arrange to get this done in the spring of next year (when we get our annual bonus) - The chap on the phone had said they hold quotes open for a year. So I said " Great, let's go ahead, late March will be perfect" "Oh, I'm sorry madam, but this particular deal only lasts for three months" I tried to explain that I didn't want this done before xmas for financial reasons and for general disruption's sake...so he made a quick phonecall (as they do) and returned saying that they could extend it to the first half of January if I was happy to pay a small deposit today as well as the surveyor's fee. Although the salesman took all the measurements by all account a surveyor has to visit and make a more in depth examination. I did this and we arranged the surveyor to visit later in the week.
One thing that I thought was a little odd is that they said I'd need scaffolding, the last time we had the sash window replaced they did it all from the inside, however they guy said that his company insist upon this and like to do a job properly and quite helpfully I though suggested that I arrange my own scaffolding from a local firm as it would be a lot cheaper than getting it through them, ( have had scaffolding before when we had roof repairs and the prices he said they probably be compared with theirs rung true).
Yesterday chap came round, came upstairs stood there looking really confused, I said are you alright...he said firstly I'll need to go outside and take photos from the back - Nobody had told me that I'd need to ask for access to the downstairs flat, bloke downstairs was out at work of course, then he said and also I'll need to take measurements from outside so I said well you aren't going to be able to do that without scaffolding are you? "No" he said...."I tell you what get the scaffolding sorted out and I'll come back" " Look I said, I'm not having the work done until January, I can't afford to fork out and expect the guy downstairs to suffer more dispruption just to take a five minute meausurement and then have to have scaffolding again when the work's actually done"...."Don't worry, he said the survey only has to be done 4 weeks in advance of the work going ahead, so why not get the scaffolding done and have it up there for four weeks so you can get both things done together"...... "Yeah right I said so I'm going to pay for four weeks worth of scaffolding to go up all over christmas.....I don't think so"
I had no option but to contact the company and cancel the entire deal and ask for a refund of deposit etc....unbelievable, seriously though if I hadn't been on hols this week I'd have had to have had the surveyor over on my day off next week and it would have been too late to get out of the contract. Really confused and disappointed - thinks though from what others have said I've had a lucky escape and that the work can be done cheaper and from the inside of the property!
