View Full Version : Safestyle Windows
During the cold winter we had my missus kept on saying we need double glazing. Apparently putting a jumper on just isn't enough.
Anyway not got round to getting a quote, mainly because I don't trust double glazing salesmen, had an experience today which re-enforces all the stereotypes and then some.
Answered a knock at the door to a very nice polite young man, asked if I had thought about double glazing, I said well yes actually, he said, great I'll get a salesman to give you a call in an hours time, he's just with one of your neighbours and will come round later and give you a FREE NO OBLIGATION QUOTE VALID FOR 12 MONTHS.
"Great" I said, told him how many windows I need and gave him my phone number.
An hour and a half later the salesman calls. Here is what happened.
Salesman - Hello, I understand you want a quote (confirmed the amount of windows I had and if I was single or not). Are you and your partner both in full time employment.
Me - Well yes but why do you want to know that.
SM - In case you are interested in out finance products.
Me - Not interested in finance, just need a quote.
SM - Ok, when shall I come round.
Me - Well I am working tomorrow but can see you in my lunch break, come round at 1.
SM - Is your partner going to be there.
Me - No
SM - Well we need you both to be there
Me - Why?
SM - We offer more than one product. (what he meant by that I have no idea)
Me - Well you either come round and I will see you tomorrow at 1 or we can forget the whole thing.
SM - Well it sounds like you're not going to buy anything so I wont bother.
Obviously not interested in actually giving me a quote for windows, only interested in signing me up for a finance package. Shame really because I really do need double glazing and if the price was right would probably have bought windows from him.
Idiot.
the_lone_wolf
14-06-10, 05:12 PM
Me - Not interested in finance, just need a quote.
:smt043
You sure?
It's only (someone else's) money after all and you can't take it with you when you're gone...
dizzyblonde
14-06-10, 05:13 PM
Its right across the board with so many things. I know someone who was disgusted at a firm that sold kitchens, who he accompanied once on a sale...the bloke he was with spent four hours trying to persuade a woman with a toddler that wanted to pay cash, that she really should have finance over a ten year period at one galzzillion percent interest.
It was against everything he stood for and walked away from the company after a day.
:smt043
You sure?
It's only (someone else's) money after all and you can't take it with you when you're gone...
LOL, you spend too much time on here.
Truth is, if the finance was a low rate I probably would have gone for it. Just didn't want to tell him that straight away.
Seggons
14-06-10, 05:44 PM
Don't go with the big company's, try the little places first. Some of the quotes I hear of from the big company's is insane.
tigersaw
14-06-10, 05:49 PM
Had all that many years ago, and the things the salesmen do to try and get a close. The fake phone calls, offers if you put a board up or show people round etc.
Best one by far was a really persistant guy who would not take no and I had to invite him to leave with prejudice. I noticed he deliberately left his keys on the table as a reason to return - so as soon as he reached his car and stood there for a moment or 10, I quickly locked up, got in the car and drove off to the pub :)
gruntygiggles
14-06-10, 05:54 PM
The finance is where they make mst of the money and where the sales staff get most of the commission.
Actually, it's the protection policies on the finance that they make money on. I'd call the company and tell them that you were going to have all your windows fitted by them....but after your experience with that salesman, have decided to go elsewhere.
Gazza77
14-06-10, 06:01 PM
During the cold winter we had my missus kept on saying we need double glazing. Apparently putting a jumper on just isn't enough.
Anyway not got round to getting a quote, mainly because I don't trust double glazing salesmen, had an experience today which re-enforces all the stereotypes and then some.
Answered a knock at the door to a very nice polite young man, asked if I had thought about double glazing, I said well yes actually, he said, great I'll get a salesman to give you a call in an hours time, he's just with one of your neighbours and will come round later and give you a FREE NO OBLIGATION QUOTE VALID FOR 12 MONTHS.
"Great" I said, told him how many windows I need and gave him my phone number.
An hour and a half later the salesman calls. Here is what happened.
Salesman - Hello, I understand you want a quote (confirmed the amount of windows I had and if I was single or not). Are you and your partner both in full time employment.
Me - Well yes but why do you want to know that.
SM - In case you are interested in out finance products.
Me - Not interested in finance, just need a quote.
SM - Ok, when shall I come round.
Me - Well I am working tomorrow but can see you in my lunch break, come round at 1.
SM - Is your partner going to be there.
Me - No
SM - Well we need you both to be there
Me - Why?
SM - We offer more than one product. (what he meant by that I have no idea)
Me - Well you either come round and I will see you tomorrow at 1 or we can forget the whole thing.
SM - Well it sounds like you're not going to buy anything so I wont bother.
Obviously not interested in actually giving me a quote for windows, only interested in signing me up for a finance package. Shame really because I really do need double glazing and if the price was right would probably have bought windows from him.
Idiot.
I had Safestyle quote about 10years ago, as they were cold calling when I was actually proactively looking for quotes. For 2 UPVC doors, a bay window and a tiny frosted toilet window they wanted £7k, and that was with the "buy one, get one free" offer that was such good value. It also took them about 2 hours to do the quote. In the end, I paid about £1500 to a local company to do the job.
The finance is where they make mst of the money and where the sales staff get most of the commission.
Actually, it's the protection policies on the finance that they make money on. I'd call the company and tell them that you were going to have all your windows fitted by them....but after your experience with that salesman, have decided to go elsewhere.
I did think that but he is probably just doing as he has been trained to do and what his bosses want him to do. I have worked in sales so I know how it works. I think the salesman sensed that and knew I was going to be hard work and couldn't be bothered.
gruntygiggles
14-06-10, 06:07 PM
Yep, I love it when it gets like that....BUT, the company will lose out on the sale. The company makes a big profit on the sale of windows, especially for cash....they do still make money on the finance but not as much as they do on the windows. The salesmen/women don't make much money when they sell for cash, so will try to avoid it.
I'd still call the company, that salesman just did them out of probably 5-7k in profit (cost for them is very low as they make their own windows) so they won't be too happy to have a salesman doing them out of business just because he's not going to make much money on it.
Red Herring
14-06-10, 06:14 PM
Of course the cynic in me says that you've just told a complete stranger both you and your partner are in full time work, you have disposable income as you don't need finance, you house is easy to break into as you don't have double glazing, and you'll both be out tomorrow morning.....
Sleep well!
If you read the post our good friend Lone Wolf was referring to you'll know I spent all my money on holidays and booze. They can help themselves to all the crappy second hand stuff in my house and I'll look forward to the nice fat payout from the insurance.
Might use it to buy double glazing lol
We were looking into getting a conservatory fitted (3.5X4.5m) and we were called upon just like you were. The young lad that came to the door must have looked like a t-bone stake as our Jack Russell tore after him and scared the ship out of him (very funny:)). Any way, the sales man cam round at two and gave the whole sales pitch, was friendly, happy to talk to my son (2 and a half) and watch him on his trampoline, all very nice. But, he then started to measure up and run through finance options. He took longer to talk finance that any time spent on the product. My wife had been ill in bed all week and the two children needed feeding at 5. By 5.30 he still hadn't taken the hints, or even the blunt rejection and telling that we needed to get fed. At 5.45 I had laid the table around him, my wife had had to go out to get fish and chips as we didn't have time to cook and he was still calling the office to get us his best offer. Over half an hour the price dropped from £23,000 to £15,500. Still we said no as were were just after a quote too. He eventually left asking us to give him an answer the following day. I sent him a text to reject the offer and an hour later the office call and say they can do it for £8,000 :roll:
I told them that we were only after a quote and how long the salesman had been with us. She appologised a lot and said that he had had a warning about how long he spends with people before. Bet he still does though.
Specialone
14-06-10, 07:11 PM
We were looking into getting a conservatory fitted (3.5X4.5m) and we were called upon just like you were. The young lad that came to the door must have looked like a t-bone stake as our Jack Russell tore after him and scared the ship out of him (very funny:)). Any way, the sales man cam round at two and gave the whole sales pitch, was friendly, happy to talk to my son (2 and a half) and watch him on his trampoline, all very nice. But, he then started to measure up and run through finance options. He took longer to talk finance that any time spent on the product. My wife had been ill in bed all week and the two children needed feeding at 5. By 5.30 he still hadn't taken the hints, or even the blunt rejection and telling that we needed to get fed. At 5.45 I had laid the table around him, my wife had had to go out to get fish and chips as we didn't have time to cook and he was still calling the office to get us his best offer. Over half an hour the price dropped from £23,000 to £15,500. Still we said no as were were just after a quote too. He eventually left asking us to give him an answer the following day. I sent him a text to reject the offer and an hour later the office call and say they can do it for £8,000 :roll:
I told them that we were only after a quote and how long the salesman had been with us. She appologised a lot and said that he had had a warning about how long he spends with people before. Bet he still does though.
This is the most common sales 'techniques' that pressure sales people use, it was even on watchdog last week with people that sell equipment for elderly people, beds etc.
I wouldnt touch a person who tried to sell me something 3 x times the price they eventually offered it for.
As i supply and fit conservatories as part of the services i provide, it aint just about price, some of the conservatories that are sold are crap and the bigger companies are just as crap.
Phil
To cut a long story short, my brother had a quote from Safestyle last week for a front door.
Guy came round, waffled on for an age, Started with a quote of 4 grand (for a DOOR!) and when my brother finally went to physically put him out fo the house three hours later the price magically dropped to £1400...
So he put him out of the house for being a scam artist!
:)
I bought three very sexy Double glazed windows for the Barn conversion I'm doing for my client last week for £616 inc. VAT and toughened glass. That's the price for all three, not each!
C
I don't know why certain things are used as vehicles for finance deal pushers, windows and kitchens being the two obvious ones. Hate the big names, absolute pain in the arris.
I had some D/G fitted a couple of years ago, went to a local commercial glazing place (Warwick Glass) who I've had occasional dealings with since they started out about 20yrs ago I think. They are refreshingly straight, not cheap but the price they give is the price, no stupid inflation, no special offers, no BOGOF, no questions about how you're paying, just a good quality job. The fitters were clean, tidy, and good at the job. I'm happy to pay a small premium for that sort of service (a six panel structural bay, a large bedroom window and a landing one, effectively 8 windows, just short of £2k so around £250 a piece didn't seem unreasonable to me).
Cheers Embee, I'll give them a call.
Cheers Embee, I'll give them a call.
Hadn't spotted you're in Warwick.
They're on Montague Road, they actually have a workshop and stuff, worth dropping in to get a feel for what they're like.
You'll get cheaper quotes elsewhere for sure, but I'd happily recommend them for just decent service.
fizzwheel
14-06-10, 08:39 PM
Don't go with the big company's, try the little places first. Some of the quotes I hear of from the big company's is insane.
Yep agreed. I used to work in the trade, I used to write the software that some companies used to tell the guys on the shop floor what size to cut the UPVC and glazing etc etc. I have heard some proper horror stories.
BigBaddad
15-06-10, 09:30 AM
My brother used to fit for SafeStyle......reckons they're scum of the earth. Over priced and make a fortune out of finance.
Get half a dozen local companies round and sound them all out.
timwilky
15-06-10, 09:44 AM
My neighbour (fat bald ignorant git just down the road) advertises them.
He is a tart and will do anything for money (Or so I have heard).
I know when my brother asked them for a quote they were 3 times the price of the next highest price and about 5 times the price of the local firm he used
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