Buying well · 07 of 11
How to spot a bad window installer
The reliable warning signs are pressure to sign today, a discount that expires when the salesperson leaves, a large deposit demanded up front, no competent person scheme registration, and a quote that will not itemise the specification. Any one of them is reason to slow down.
Most installers are fine. The ones that are not tend to fail in the same recognisable ways, and nearly all of it shows up before you sign anything.
The sales visit
The classic pattern is a long appointment, a high opening price, a phone call to a manager, and a much lower figure available only if you sign tonight. It is a technique, not a discount. A real price does not evaporate overnight.
- Pressure to sign on the day. The single clearest signal. A good installer expects you to compare quotes.
- A four-hour appointment. Measuring and discussing options takes well under an hour.
- Discounts tied to a deadline, or to being a show home, or to a cancellation they can squeeze you into.
- Refusing to leave a written quote. There is no legitimate reason for this.
The paperwork
A quote should let you compare like with like. If it says "supply and fit 9 windows" and a price, you cannot compare it with anything.
- No itemised specification. Profile system, glass unit, spacer type, hardware and colour should all be named.
- No scheme registration number, or one that does not check out on the scheme's website.
- A guarantee with no insurance behind it. Worthless if the company closes.
- Vagueness about making good and about removing the old frames. The most common source of a surprise extra.
The money
Deposit behaviour tells you most of what you need to know about a company's finances.
- A large deposit up front. A modest proportion is normal. Most of the price before anyone starts is not.
- Cash discounts. Paying cash removes your card protection and often means no paper trail.
- Payment to an individual rather than the limited company on the quote.
- Staged payments that run ahead of the work. Payments should follow progress, not lead it.
Pay any deposit by credit card where you can. Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act can make the card provider jointly liable, which is the strongest protection available to you.
Questions
- Is a doorstep or cold-call quote always bad?
- Not always, but you have a cancellation period for contracts agreed in your home, and the same checks apply. Take the quote, check the company, and decide when nobody is sitting in your living room.
- How many quotes should I get?
- Three is the usual advice and it is sound, provided you compare specifications rather than totals. Two quotes with identical specifications tell you more than five that each describe a different job.
- What if I have already signed and want out?
- For a contract agreed in your home you normally have fourteen days to cancel. Put it in writing immediately and keep proof of sending. Citizens Advice can confirm where you stand.
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.