Absolutely shocking....!!!!

[parkers]

My partner went to see his elderly grandparents (84 & 87) last night who informed him that they had had a lovely man round from Anglian Windows to quote them for 3 new double glazed doors.. they were happy with what he had said and handing over a deposit of �2k, this was part payment for the �4465 that he quoted them...!!

As soon as I found out I contacted them to find out exactly what they had quoted for and got a like for like quote from a local comany for �1900, fully installed...!!

I cannot belive that these people can actually sleep at night.... is there a law against this...?

I was able to cancel with Anglian, and we managed to stop the cheque that they had handed over..
When I called and spoke to Anglian, they really could not have cared less and did not care and they had charged �2500 more......

The Grandparents were gutted that someone could have tried to do this to them - where is the justification !!!

[sue11]

That is completely disgusting, very glad you managed to cancel. If your partners parents had invited Anglian around for a quote, I doubt there is a law against it, as I expect that Anglia covered themselves against any possible comebacks. It is a good thing your partners parents have people looking out for them as there are a lot of vulnerable people who will be caught in this same manner without even realising that they have been overcharged in this way. All the best, Sue

[NORMANTHEDOG]

these people are just ba$tards,they tried a simelar trick on my wife a few yrs back,even putting his foot in the door so she couldent close the door,yes we complained,but they dont give a to$$

[Gmcd01]

There is no law against it once the bargain (Using that term loosely) , but consumer law does provide a cooling off period- the one that you were able to take advantage of- because the salesman came to your house. Had you gone to their place of business (Or business premises, which may include a caravan- a long abandoned practise) then you are deemed to be making an informed choice and as such the couple would have had no cancellation rights.
A lucky escape, although not one that should ever occur.

[Gmcd01]

Hmm, last post is missing some text...
...once the bargain has been struck, it is the responsibilty of the parties to ensure a good deal, (Caveat emptor, let the buyer beware); the law makes no exceptions for those more exposed people.

[mollymandy]

contact your local police team and let them check them out at the very least they will pass this info onto neighbourhood watch coordinators in your area

[Oneeyedvic]

erm sorry, but I must be missing something.

One company quoted a cost of �4465
Another company quoted a cost of �1900

You think there should be a law against this?

Do you think corner shops should sell at the same price as tescos? often a pint of milk will be charged at 50% more

Do you think motorway service stations should charge the same price as other petrol garages?

Do you think a main dealer should charge the same rate as a small independent dealer? - often double the price.

I have just checked companies house and Anglian Windows have a turnover of �256 Million and a shareholders fund of near on �60 Million.

I wonder how financially secure your local company is?

[Gmcd01]

Yes, I feel that the point here is that salesman exploited his position unfairly to charge much more than would be expected of a normal, perhaps more commercially aware person. The outstanding element here appears to be the attempt to perhaps 'fleece' the vulnerable. With me having a conscience, I find this deplorable, whether illegal, unlawful or otherwise.

[madman06]

i used to work for safe style windows driving the canvesors about some of the **** they told just to get the salesmen in was unreal they preyed on the older end as easy targets telling them it would stop them getting burgled or reg from corra would call and see them when all the windows were in,( I GOT SACKED) i followed them and told all old people that it was **** they were saying it to get paid

[flip-flop]

I'm with vic on this one: we live in a competitive marketplace where companies must compete against each other - much better this than a cartel surely.

Anglian quoted a figure they felt they could get away with: how is this different from Sainsbury's charging more for a tin of beans than Netto? It isn't. If you weren't happy with the amount Sainsbury's were selling beans for, you'd go to somebody who sold them for less.

Now then, the above aside, I do think these people employ dubious selling practices for the simple reason they do prey on the old and they stay for hours on end because vulnerable people may agree to sign just simply to get rid of them.

So, don't have a problem with the price quoted, but suspect the selling practice veered away from what most of us would consider ethical!

[Oneeyedvic]

The majority of double glazing companies start of at a ridiculous high price (lets say �10,000) and then offer some sort of discount. After various calls to managers etc, they discount further.

This is an age old sales tactic (not a very good one imho) but people do use it - the percentage discount you get is entirely up to your negotiating skills.

I am sorry, but imho this is nothing to do with vulnerability of oaps - the same rep would have had exactly the same type of sale to a naive twenty something.

[CushtyFred]

Tried it with us as, also put foot in the door to try and stop me from closing it, I just fully opened the door pushed the bloke back and gave him five across the eyes. Needless to say that pushy salesman never came back. especially after I threatened him with death threats.

[weas]

inform '
help the aged they have a list of not to reccomend !!

[samuel23]

I can't condone the underhand methods some firms use to secure a sale but have to ask ~ did they initiate the call or was it unsolicited? If they were looking for work to be done then they really should have phoned round and got three or four quotes. As for the price, well the whole point is that there are different levels of quality and perhaps the Anglian ones were better than the cheaper ones?
If they were 'happy' with what they had been quoted there must have been a reason they were 'happy'. I agree that there are some unsrcupulous people out there selling stuff using tactics that would make a pikey blush, but it does boil down to standing ones ground and saying 'sorry I'm not going to agree to that until I've had a few more quotes'.
If they had done that they would have been better placed to make a choice.
It's a competitive world and the sales people want to make as much as they can from each sale. It's not illegal to quote more than a rival, however unethical it may seem. We got all our windows replaced and a conservatory built for less than the price one firm quoted us just to replace the windows. If the parents are vunerable, then perhaps they should have mentioned what they were doing and got your partner to be there when the sales person called?

[charleyboy]

what about the relative qualities of the product, what about the guarantees, what about the time these companies have been in business- in life one tends to get what one pays for. You could say that it would be dreadful for the BMW salesman to demand three times as much for a top of the range brand new 5 series as the salesman from the Kia garage- but it is life and windows/doors as with cars come in a range of quality- its your choice as consumer where you place your business and how much you pay. Age had I suspect very little to do with this- �1,900 to fit 3 doors- take out fitting charges, VAT, salesman, surveyor, removal of existing doors- not that much left really for the product! Hope in 3 ytears time your partner, his grandparents are still as pleased with their doors as they are today. Anglioan have been in business 40 plus years- 50% of double glazing companies in the Yellow Pages today will not be there in 5 years time, what do you think those guarantees are worth then?