Is it safe to pay a deposit by bank transfer?

It is the least protected way to pay. A transfer has no chargeback and no Section 75. If you must, send a small amount and put the rest on a card.

What if the installer goes bust after taking my deposit?

If you paid by credit card, claim under Section 75. If there was deposit protection insurance through their scheme, claim on that. If you paid cash or by transfer with neither, you are an unsecured creditor and recovery is unlikely.

Should I pay the full amount before the work starts for a discount?

No. A discount for paying everything up front is buying their cash flow with your risk, and it removes the only leverage you have if the work is not right.

Buying well · 08 of 11

How much deposit should I pay for new windows?

A deposit of around ten to twenty-five per cent is normal, covering materials ordered to your sizes. Paying most of the price before work starts is not normal. Pay by credit card where you can, because Section 75 can make the card provider jointly liable if things go wrong.

Deposits are where homeowners lose money on this kind of work, and almost always because the installer went under between taking the money and fitting anything.

Why a deposit is reasonable at all

Windows are made to your measurements. They cannot be sold to anyone else, and the installer pays the manufacturer before you pay them. A deposit covering that materials cost is a fair request.

What is not fair is a deposit that funds the company's cash flow. If the figure looks closer to the whole price than to the materials, ask what it is for and get the answer in writing.

A sealed unit being replaced in an existing uPVC frame, with the glazing beads removed and a suction lifter on the sill. — Work in progress is the point at which a deposit is already spent. Pay by credit card where you can, and keep something back until the job is genuinely finished. Illustrative. Not work carried out by TrustedGlazing.

The three protections worth having

Pay by credit card. Under Section 75, for purchases over £100 and up to £30,000, the card provider is jointly liable with the retailer. Paying even part of the price by card can bring the whole transaction within it. This is the strongest protection you have and it costs nothing.
Deposit protection insurance. Offered through the competent person schemes. It refunds your deposit if the installer ceases trading before completing. Ask whether it is included and read what it covers.
An insurance-backed guarantee. Covers the guarantee itself after the work is done, if the company is no longer there to honour it.

These are three different things and an installer saying "you're covered" may mean any of them. Ask which.

Staging the payments

A sensible structure is a deposit on order, the balance on satisfactory completion. Some installers want a payment on delivery of the materials, which is reasonable if the goods are actually on site.

Keep something back until the job is genuinely finished, including the making good inside and the certificate. Final payment is the only leverage you have over a snagging list, and it disappears the moment you hand it over.

Questions

Is it safe to pay a deposit by bank transfer?: It is the least protected way to pay. A transfer has no chargeback and no Section 75. If you must, send a small amount and put the rest on a card.
What if the installer goes bust after taking my deposit?: If you paid by credit card, claim under Section 75. If there was deposit protection insurance through their scheme, claim on that. If you paid cash or by transfer with neither, you are an unsecured creditor and recovery is unlikely.
Should I pay the full amount before the work starts for a discount?: No. A discount for paying everything up front is buying their cash flow with your risk, and it removes the only leverage you have if the work is not right.

Note This guide is general information about England and Wales, not advice about your specific property. TrustedGlazing is an introducer and does not install, survey or quote. Rely on your installer's survey and your local authority for decisions about your own home.