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Home improvements - persistent sales tactics

(29 Posts)
wotsamashedupjingl Tue 27-Mar-12 18:23:56

From a website called 'grumbletext.co.uk:


"Just a quick comment,,

RE,SAFE STYLE UK,,,,

THESE PEOPLE ARE CROOKS,THERE WORKMANSHIP IS CRAP,THEY ARE RUDE,THERE SO CALLED BACK UP SERVICE IS NON EXISTENT, THERE PRODUCT IS CRAP,ANY PROBLEMS YOU HAVE THEY WONT DEAL WITH IT ,AND ONE TIME THEY HUNG UP,,,,,,,,NEVER NEVER NEVER AGAIN WILL I DEAL WITH THESE IDIOTS,

SAFE STYLE UK [BUY ONE ,GET RIPPED OFF FREE]

SAFE STYLE YOU SUCK"

I think you have been lucky so far Annobel. grin

Carol Tue 27-Mar-12 18:18:20

Don't entertain them, Annobel. Last year I had new guttering and paid a fraction of that - it's good quality metal with mesh inserts as leaves were collecting in the old guttering. Cost about £500 for front and back. Fascias are only pieces of planed wood cut to size by a joiner and they shouldn't be more than about £400 front and back, so if you calculate for your three sides, you can see that, with labour and being undercoated and painted before putting up the fascias, it comes nowhere near that price. Your local building supplies merchant will probably know some local people who would do it.

jeni Tue 27-Mar-12 18:11:27

Mmm! I would get someone else to look at them! What are you living in at that cost? A mansion? I didn't pay anything like that for mine!

Annobel Tue 27-Mar-12 17:35:14

OK call me a sucker. I went on line a month or so back to look for a new front door. Found what I wanted from a company that had a local address but which turned out to be a national one with a particularly obnoxious TV ad. Never mind, I got the door. Then they made me an offer on a couple of windows that I really did want to change. Good discount on those. They are nice windows, just what I wanted. Then came the phone call from their parent company about soffits and fascias. I have no idea if I need new fascia boards and I don't have soffits on my Victorian end terrace. Anyway, I said they could give me a quote but I wouldn't commit myself to accepting it. 'OK' they said, 'it will be valid for a year.' Today the salesman turned up, very smooth and smart young man. He had all the pictures and samples of the materials. They probably are good quality, but I am no judge. Gave me a quote of well over £10K. When I raised my eyebrows he quickly came up with a discount of 50% provided I signed up today and gave him a 10% deposit. Surprise, surprise. I kept my eyebrows up. He phoned head office and they brought the price down to a little over £4K, on the same condition plus letting them use my house as a show home. No, I didn't cave in. I refused to commit. For one thing, I don't know if I actually need new fascias and gutters and for another, if I did I would get several quotes. But what's the betting that I get another phone call making me an offer I 'can't refuse'. Don't know if I am allowed to mention the name of this home improvement company but it's a sign of the Zodiac that means, roughly, maiden.