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Here is my experience with Anglian. We asked them and other windows companies for a quote to replace all our windows. We found one good quality company with good reputation and furthermore recommended by friends, which can do the job for £3800 and with A-rated windows.
Now this is what we got from Anglian rep and manager: original quote (normal price): £13,000 for B-rated windows, but their rep told us on the first day that we could get it for approx. £7000 if we signed immediately, which we obviously refused knowing that the company recommended to us was only £3800.
Then we got a call from their manager saying that they could do a very special price just for us at £3840, isn't it funny as we told them about our previous quote?! We agreed but asked for their rep to come and discuss as we still had to express few concerns about the windows first proposed. After another hour with their rep, we agreed to make what I consider minor changes to the windows, i.e. having a smaller opening and a dummy panel instead, but then their rep said that frames are expensive and instead of his manager promised price of £3840, the best he could do was £5500!!!
What a waste of time, and as many people said here, how can you trust a company that goes from £13000 to £3840 and for minor changes bring the price back to £5500?!
Last point, I called their manager yesterday to ask if their special and limited offer for the door was still valid (i.e. £399 as told by their rep several times), and then he asked me which price the rep gave me (meaning apparently he is not aware of their special deals), and when I told him he declined it saying this was only in conjunction with the windows. Another indication to me that they promise a lot but effectively you end up paying full price.
My advice here: if you want to pay top price for good quality (not top of range because only B-rated) windows, contact them otherwise buy somewhere else.
Nicolas
As many of the people on here have suggested, my gut instinct is to always go with a local firm, and I have always stayed away from the big boys (zenith, staybrite etc). However, just before christmas I got a quote from a company literaly round the corner - all seemed good and paid my £500 deposit. However, things went downhill - nobody turned up on the day we had arranged, received a lot of BS stories for the next three weeks, then drove round only to find a closed up salesroom...sign of the times I guess. Anyway, have been in contact with the liquiditators (pay your deposits on your credit cards people!) and its all a nasty stress.
I contact Anglian two months ago, having phoned round the big ones - and got them in to do the work - 5 replacement windows. Anyway, the quote was reasonable, and the work has been fine. I guess the moral is; this is a big firm. There are likely to be some bad experiences, but then you can pick a local firm and have a bad experience too. The salesman I had was down to earth, not BS filled, and treated me with respect. In fact, all of the large company's sales people I contacted did (that goes for Everest too).
But yet the internet would warn me away from Anglian. Just one man's story I suppose.
I need three replacement windows in my sitting room and decided to go for three quotes. The first company came and gave a quote for £2600 which I judged to be right for 3 PVC replacement sash windows.
I had specifically asked Anglian over the telephone for quick quote. The salesman would not go and everytime I asked for a price he went on and on about their bloody fantastic product complete with window demonstration, telling me how burglars could easily get into other windows. After two hours he sat down and gave me a quote for £5300 which I said was totally out of the question.
The salesman said he could do a deal and came down to £4320 which I said was still too much.
He then said that he could bring the price down to £3999 if I would sign on that day. I said that I wanted to think about it but he wasn't having it. I know about the seven day cooling off period. I am a woman living on my own and so agreed to sign so he would go. I gave him a £49 cheque (which seems to be common). Told him I would pay the balance on a credit card on which I had a 10 month interest free period.
He told me that I did not want to pay by card(?? - I did) and he would sign me up for this brilliant finance deal. I just signed.
When he went I read through the small print and realised the whole thing was a ripoff. He would obviously get commission on the windows and credit agreement.
I rang in the evening to cancel and he said I should think about it???
So I rang the next day to confirm my cancellation, rang the local office as well.
They came back with an offer of around £2900. By this time I would not have had the windows if they had offered them free. How can they go from £5300 to £2900? The local office were really agressive when I refused.
In the end I contacted The National Replacement Window Service - reputable - have top quality windows - no salesman commission - quote £2600 which included all the extras that Anglian would have charged an additional £500 for.
0800-0285809
We wanted to get the front door and back door of our house replaced. I had a sales representative from Anglian visit our home today. He started with astronomical prices and ended up with the ones mentioned below. I am now really worried as I paid him 10% and not sure whether I got ripped off or got a good deal.
This is what we agreed upon:
- "Canterbury" classic front door with fibre glass
- mahogony finish outside and white uPVC inside
- knocker with spyhole, handle and mail outlet
- side panel (single toughened glass) with white uPVC border [sits next to the door]
Cost: £1,588 including fitting
- uPVC white backdoor with toughened glass
- side panel (single toughened glass) [sits next to the door]
Cost: £1,000 including fitting
Total Cost: £2,588 (incl VAT)
Can someone please advise if I did OK or shall I go and cancel the contract as I have a 7 day period to do so.
Reporting that my deposit cheque was refunded on 23rd August, under threat of legal action.
Wild horses will not lead me back into their arms again, and when I do replace my windows, I will certainly use a local family established firm to do the work.
Remember if you have been canvassed at the door or by telephone to have a demonstration and you sign up, whatever price you pay you will be paying about 30% more than you should be paying at their bottom rate for your double glazing, from the big 4, a door with panel with all the locking and fitting should be no more the £650 max 1 company wanted to charge £2500
You have 7 days to withdraw from the contract
If you have contacted them you don’t stand a chance with these guys if you sign up.
If any one needs any information on how much there double-glazing should cost or information on products. Please ask on here, as I am willing to help you in any way I can
I have worked for all the major double-glazing firms in England as a sales rep all are ruled by one motive “get the money”. On each sale you can earn 5%-15%(if I every earned 15% on a job I would not be able to sleep at night) of the payment you receive from a customer. If you sold finance on any job you can earn another 5% if you have sold the windows for less than your 5% rate on windows, which would still be about 20% more than the product is worth, then if you sell finance you can still earn your money.
I am out of double-glazing now and there is only 1 large company I would recommend from all the firms I worked for. Or use a small family firm in your area with 1 or 2 fitting teams.
Rules for buying double-glazing
1 Find out what is the best profile to use, all should be reinforced with ali or galvanised steel. Euro cell is about as good as you need
2 Make sure its internal beaded (glass is put in from the inside)
3 The locking system should be shoot bolts on all windows now and the doors have claw locks 2 is about right
4 All double glazing should last 20-30 years the glass units 15 years with or without a guarantee if fitted properly
5 A guarantee will only last as long as a firm is still in business so a guarantee is about use less, most small firms will come out if there is a problem with the frames handles or glass, because its their reputation on the line.
6 Double-glazing is all down to manufacture and fitting. Get this right and there should be no problems
7 There are no hidden areas within double-glazing. Plastic, Glass, Fitting and price that’s all you need to know get this right and you will have no problems.
8 Don’t be forced into buying windows, you do not need a rep in you house for 4 hours trying to get the money for their next holiday or car. They will try to tie you in to a 120month finance that’s 10 years and if you spend about £5000
This would include 2 bays 1 box window and a door with side panels and a panel of choice in the door, at the end of the 10 years you could end up paying £12000 back.
Further to my previous post my refund from Anglian has now arrived. It has taken a while and several letters to get them to agree to it - but finally they have done the correct thing so I take back some of the comments I made in my previous post.
2nd time of posting as my first does not seem to have been taken.
Cautionary tale
Thank you 'Irishman' with your 3rd July report. It was fair and balanced review, and I wish I had knowledge of it earlier.
On 27th June I was canvassed at my front door by an Anglian sales team, and agreed to receive a home visit/quote from sales rep on 1st July for replacement windows. Quote for job was £6,703 for cash........ or £6,608, less discount of £1,015 for taking up the “GOLD FINANCE OPTION” .... bottom line price £5,593. Oh yes...... and please put down £49 deposit.... refundable......
It was a 3 hour visit..... and the offer was only for the night and no, the cash option was not available at the finance price ..... so sign up now, or lose the discount. Muggins signed.... greed?
Sleepless night. Question in my mind.... why was a cash settlement less valuable to Anglian than the Finance option.
Well, I cancelled the contract the next day and asked for my deposit back.
I was duly telephoned by the reps sales manger within 96 hours..... and I was asked what it would take to get the show back on the road.... and I asked
a) why was a cash payment worth less to them than a finance option... and I got waffle.....
b) if I could have the finance option price, for the cash price quoted....... OK he said.............
I declined his offer and reiterated my claim for my deposit to be refunded......
What he was not to know that I was prepared to engage my own surveyor to advise me if the fitting had been professionally completed. This was to retain some bargaining power if I had suffered a rogue installation team.... which I would never have had if Anglian had had 100% payment through the finance company.
Oh... and six weeks later and I'm still waiting for my deposit cheque to be returned.... and about to take legal action through small claims court to recover it, having given them 'time is of the essence' warning.
Thank you 'Irishman' with your 3rd July report. It was fair and balanced review, and I wish I had knowledge of it earlier.
On 27th June I was canvassed at my front door by an Anglian sales team, and agreed to receive a home visit/quote from sales rep on 1st July for replacement windows. Quote for job was £6,703 for cash........ or £6,608, less discount of £1,015 for taking up the “GOLD FINANCE OPTION” .... bottom line price £5,593. Oh yes...... and please put down £49 deposit.... refundable......
It was a 3 hour visit..... and the offer was only for the night and no, the cash option was not available at the finance price ..... so sign up now, or lose the discount. Muggins signed.... greed?
Sleepless night. Question in my mind.... why was a cash settlement less valuable to Anglian than the Finance option.
Well, I cancelled the contract the next day and asked for my deposit back.
I was duly telephoned by the reps sales manger within 96 hours..... and I was asked what it would take to get the show back on the road.... and I asked
a) why was a cash payment worth less to them than a finance option... and I got waffle.....
b) if I could have the finance option price, for the cash price quoted....... OK he said.............
I declined his offer and reiterated my claim for my deposit to be refunded......
What he was not to know that I was prepared to engage my own surveyor to advise me if the fitting had been professionally completed. This was to retain some bargaining power if I had suffered a rogue installation team.... which I would never have had if Anglian had had 100% payment through the finance company.
Oh... and six weeks later and I'm still waiting for my deposit cheque to be returned.... and about to take legal action through small claims court to recover it, having given them 'time is of the essence' warning.
Ironically the morning after I submitted my previous post I received a letter from Anglian saying they had reconsidered my case and were going to refund me my money. They couldn't have been aware of my post on this site at the time so I have to believe they genuinely rethought their previous response. I am still waiting for the refund to come through and will post again on here to confirm when it finally arrives. If they keep to their word and refund me I will then take back some of comments I made in my previous post and it is perhaps proof that they are taking steps to improve their customer relations.
I am appalled at how I have been treated by Anglian windows. They installed a back door and windows units for me 20 years ago and the back door needed some new gasket recently. I rang them and they asked for a £99 fee to come out and inspect it. I told them emphatically that I wanted an assurance they could mend the gasket on a 20 year old door before I parted with £99 - I didn't want to pay it just to be told the door is too old and they can't help. So the lady on the phone went away and checked and rang me back and said yes they could mend a 20 year old door, so I parted with my £99. Guess what happened? They couldn't mend it, they couldn't even offer any suggestions, they hardly spent more than 3 minutes in my house, and now they refuse point blank to refund the money they took from me on false pretences. Whatsmore their engineers even tried to pretend it wasn't an Anglian door - as if I'm an idiot and can't remember who installed it!!! This is great news for anyone thinking of having major work done or a conservatory built by them - BEWARE in 20 years time they won't recognise it as their own work and you may have to rip out the whole conservatory because a little bit of gasket has torn. Never before have I come across such an unhelpful and unprofessional company.
hi there, as a ex anglian fitter i would like to say the quality of their product is one of the best around(roofline and windows),but the treatment of workforce(fitters) is extremly poor as well as after sales,all there interested in is getting the checque.be warned don't pay up till job is done, example worked on a job where the previous job was not completed,completed my job customer happy,told them to hold back 50% of checque so as previous job was to be completed,they had waited 4 weeks for 1 mis-measured window to be replaced,surprise window was fitted 10 days latter.As with bad workmanship they have there good ones(majority are) and bad ones all large companies have these problems, but don't forget they aren't particular good payers(on pricework).ALL IN ALL if you choose anglian it's upto you product is good but installations mangment(organisation) is extremley poor as well as after sales and service,basically there infrastructure is lets be in and out as fast as we can with your money cause the mangment don't care.The golden rule is don't pay up till the job is fully completed as with any other company and trust anglian at your peril
Having worked for Anglian Windows for a number of years in various managment/technical roles i would say to anyone that is thinking of buying from Anglian should carefully think whether they could go elsewhere for what they want.
From the start Anglian will try and close a deal at the time of sale, using varying tactics to do this. The price will always start at the "list value", normally a price that will scare the wealthiest of customers. This comes from the reps guide book and then the rep can work downwards offering varying "promotions" and "discounts" to get to a more sensible figure. Often they can drop over half the price to try and close a deal, if you get them to phone their manager as well you may get a lower figure still. Its normally the managers incentive to get jobs on the books and he is less worried about the money the rep is trying to earn for himself.
The rep will always try and show a product demonstration, they have to do this as part of their job so give them 10min and then they at least wont get shouted at by their manager when the have to explain why they couldnt close the deal. It's also an oppurtunity to see what Anglian offer compared to other companies. When it comes to the conservatories especially there is a dramatic difference between Anglian and everyone else. The quality of materials is 10x better than the nearest rival and is worth thinking about paying extra for..however people do have to buy to a budget and the other big companies will more often than not provide a good product as well which will serve the purpose.
Try and pay cash if you can, the finance has horrendous interest if you only pay the minimum payment every month. If you do take the finance to save some extra money at the start, make sure you pay cash on the completion of the job, don't sign the "satisfaction form". Some local Installation Depots may ask for the 5% discount you had for finance though...be aware.
The main point is not to say yes on the night unless you are really happy, get other quotes from both local companies and other national companies. You will probably be made to feel bad by the rep or manager if you decide to go elsewhere and be aware if they drop the price again from their already "bottom line" figure. If they were struggling to do it cheaper last time, how can they now? Anglian will be fitting at a loss to themselves just to achieve sales targets, this could be at a cost to yourselves in terms of the standard of work...the more money in the job, the more the fitter/builder gets paid! You need happy fitters/builders to get a good standard.
Most Anglian customers have a very enjoyable and excellent service from Anglian however due to the huge size of Anglian there are always a number of customers that will suffer. This often happens from the start with the head office in Norwich then will continue down to the Installation Office in your area. Don't let them get away with anything, demand to see a "field installation manager" on site if you feel it necessary..remember you're paying good money for the service as well as the product. The fitter's/builders are often "likeable" people and will provide you with a good service, normally better than the installation managers. If you find them to be aggresive, rude, etc.. then demand new ones, again, you're paying their wages! Don't however expect a great service if you're rude to them or dis-regard the job they are doing. Its not easy and they don't earn a fortune!
Assuming your installation goes well make sure you fully inspect the work before paying the balance, if you can be there on the last day make inspect the work in front of the fitters and if you are happy, pay them the balance...they earn a bonus for collecting payment. If you are'nt happy then ask the installation manager to visit site to discuss your concerns, be aware though, there are industry standard regulations on what is acceptable for scratches, marks, etc... and you may find you have to accept the problem. Just don't pay if you have'nt inspected your new installation, anything you find afterwards will take a hell of a lot of effort to get rectified as they now have your money!!
If a manager asks for part payment if there is a problem, agree a sensible amount. Hold onto around 10%-20% of the balance to ensure they get the work done. This money will matter to them as they get bonuses on collecting outstanding monies.
In the grand scheme of things you could do far worse than go to Anglian. Just give the smaller companies a chance too, the ones that have been going a long time and that you see working your area will most probably provide a similar or better service than a national company. They are all out to make money and it all comes down to remembering its the customer that gets them their money, a lot of the time Anglian forget that...
Why oh why did we choose to ask this company for a quote? Well, they're reputable, have been around for many years and fitted my Mum's really well.
How wrong can you be?
We requested a quote for 5 windows and 4 hours later had been hoodwinked into signing up for 17 doors and windows, a remortgage and a nervous breakdown!
The small print is so small you need a super wonderful magnifying glass to read all the clauses.
This week will see their third attempt at 'major remedial work'. The first bunch of guys didn't even know how to put the UPVC together or which bit was what and caused £4,000 of personal damage in our home - we are still waiting for compensation for this. The second lot were their best fitters of over 20 years experience and they cleaned their work on the UPVC with an abrasive cleaner and caused even moore damage! FENSA registered...that's a joke.
In between this we had to have two emergency call outs because doors wouldn't shut/lock!
Had the new 'rogue traders act' been in place last October we might have been alright, as it is it may cost us more in solicitors fees than the finance itself from:
GE Money who are a bunch of idiots. We were introduced to them by Anglian Financial Services. They may do a perfunctory credit check but will give you the money whether you can afford the repayments or not if the forms are filled in by one of their representative companies financial advisors.
What happens when the job goes totally wrong? They hassle you for the money - £18,000 of it - but don't help you sort out the problem even though they are jointly liable. Not an ounce of sympathy.
Please think twice before using Anglian! You will have a headache from the minute they will phone you!
Just last year i asked for a "Supply Only" quote for 5 windows to which they said "no problem". But i was forced to let Anglian salesman to come round my house to take window measurements as my ones apparently are no good and i might made a mistake. Once at my house he was very surprised when i mentioned i want "Supply Only" and kept pressuring me to go with installation which he promised will be almost same price as supply only.....£4500.... for 5 smallish windows!? [Direct from factory my all 5 windows came up to £1150 with VAT and delivery] . After 1 hour of negotiation & DVD movie about how good Anglian company is, price went down to £2500, but he kept pressuring me to sign a deal right away if i wanted to get this price. When i said no, he didn't leave me alone, he went to his car to bring sample window and started to tell me how good is the glass and other materials used in their windows, i said i am not interested, but he kept going. Then he got out those "special" screws that only Anglian company uses in installing windows and doors, but he had to change the subject very quickly when i showed a bag of very same ones i got from B&Q when i was installing my back garden door... At the end of my 3 hour visit from Anglian i said no to them, how can you quote £4500 and 1 hour later you can do the same job at £2500!?
I have to say I did buy Anglian and I did really well.
The salesman was with us for just over an hour and Im glad he was; he showed us his window and we could see how good it was.
Some other companies came in for 15 mins and I didnt even see a window! Safestyle were here for 3 hours, and dropped their original price of £7500 to £1900 haha they were a joke
I bought a door, 3 small windows, kitchen window and bathroom window, all in white.
I paid £1700, they were fitted in about 3 weeks and have had no problems, I havent had any pestering phone calls either.
I couldn't agree more, Anglian are useless. It took them over a year to build conservatory, lost the deposit, twice had to rebuild walls then built over a drain, didn't connect guttering, I could go on and on. 2 months after completion I was locked out because the grub screws had fallen out of the door and the handle just spun around. Outside on 31 January from 6.30-9.30 they are now arguing about paying locksmiths bill of £75. Please think again before using this company.
To anyone considering working for or buying from Anglian Home Improvements, I seriously suggest you re-think your plans.
After almost two years dedicated work with the company, I saw no alternative but to leave and seek employment elsewhere.
My customers experienced APPALLING customer care to the extent that many cancelled and went elsewhere (over £100k). Many were promised solutions to problems but without action, almost all were simply not communicated with by admin and installation depts. The Which magazine (March 2008) lists a number of customers. The 1st one was mine. A really genuine man who was serious about obtaining quality. He got delays, excuses, poor communication and dismal installation quality. Read it for yourself.
The RSM (Regional Sales Manager) or the DSD (Divisional Sales Director) saw fit to not pay me from November 23 2007 to 18 January 2008. It was only after a company auditor and human resources intervened that I was paid. I was the only sales rep to appear on the 'Last Quarters Incentive' winners list twice. But because I moved region (not company) my Christmas hamper was withheld. I made it open knowledge that I was considering moving because of ineptitude in the region and gave ample opportunity for issues to be put right.
The RSM told me of no hamper THREE days before Xmas. I met with him to discuss. He said he did not want me to leave and offered me an elevated position if I would stay. I asked did that include my hamper. NO was the reply. AND I was to buy a hamper myself (without wages!) and to tell my wife that I was not working for him but to break the news later...
There was no way this was going to happen. I moved to the next region only to learn that it was to be divided and that my area was to be included in the region I had just left.
I went further south but to be honest traveling 78 miles each way to work each day was just too much.
I left and then tried contacting a National director AGAIN. No response AGAIN. I faxed my intention to write to every newspaper I could including Which Magazine (who've just published a scandalous report on Anglian. NO RESPONSE.
The company is appalling to work for (my opinion), admin departments also known as anti-sales depts. seem to work purposely to lose orders. Other reps and managers are leaving in numbers.
My wife, children & I had an awful Christmas because of my withheld wages. Only my kids had presents (meager ones), my wife and I had none.
The region I left was the North East of the Northern Division.
I wrote (after cancellations) almost £900k in 37 weeks as a rep last year. The rest of the year was as a manager.
Under the present leadership, I would NEVER consider working for Anglian. But that's my opinion...
Their new tag line is...
'More Customers... Most Recommended'
They should add 'But we just don't care...'
Does anyone have good advice for seeking compensation?
absolute shambles over 15 months and they still cant resolve a serious complaint. Ive lost days off work,money,stress,engineers come all say the same needs major reworks managers book engineers to fix,engineers book inapropriate times not enough time to do job,not enough staff its a complete joke except I cant laugh because its not funny to me.
Do not touch this company they are unreliable, unprofessional and have no customer care relations.
I was told it would take two days install 5 windows, 2 doors plus the french Doors, after 10 weeks I was still waiting on work to be carried out.
It was obvious that the work would not be completed in two days but I was told that they would return after the weekend to finish the Job, I was left with wide open holes in the window frames for over two weeks & The french doors would not lock.
The lounge window was the wrong size so they were unable to fit it, I was told it would be remade and fitted within 10 days, 5 weeks later it arrived but was found to be damaged in transit so another window was again ordered, finnally after 10 weeks the window was fitted but it had silver spacers in it not Gold as requested.
Had I known what I have read on this website I would have given Anglian a miss, Do not make the same mistake I made..Keep well clear of them.
Having signed up for 6 windows and a patio door, the service was very poor and they tried to fit the wrong style of windows, a month late. I was then told it would be another 5 weeks to manufacture the right ones. 5 weeks later another call to ask if I'd like to take the wrong windows for a small discount (an offer I had already refused). Lots of blaming other sections and when I spoke to the senior man, he was inpolite and not really bothered about the situation. I said I wanted to back out from the contract before they manufactured any more and they threatened to take me to court. I'm still waiting for further info, but have put my request to back out in writing. Don't go to Anglian if you want any level of customer service or efficiency beyond signing you up to pay them!
Like so many other people I bitterly regret the day I agreed to letting Anglian fit my windows. It has been a catalgue of disasters central to which is unbelievable poor workmanship which has necessitated the windows having to be removed once and refitted and I am now waiting for them to be removed again. Also, customer service does not exist. These people simply do not care and seem very used to complaints about poor service. Add to this the damage that they have done to my building and it is enough to make me weep. To anyone considering using them, I beg you don't. You will regret it
having witnessed one of this companies vehicles being allowed to drive itself along a major highway A5143 at 0900hrs on 20dec 07 with the person in charge of the vehicle having both hands wrapped round a baguette stuffing it into his ample orifice and having no control over the vehicle i tried to advise the local managememt of what i had seen and what they proposed to do about it.having telephoned and being stuck in their jam sandwich they call customer care i was no further forward in trying to speak to some one with executive responsibility prior to my speaking to the police.ithen decided i would e-mail the company so that my narrative would not be edited by some call centre employee. having constructed my e- mail and trying to send to www.anglianhome.co.uk imagine my pleasure in finding it did not exist .further telephone trial led me to norwich i got into the jam sandwich again where managed by smoke and mirrors i was finaly cut off. touch this company at your peril
Anglian came round and gave a decent sales pitch but after reading about them i'm scared to use them! can anyone recommend a DECENT double glazing company?! If so please let me know (i'm based in north london)
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Comments:
Now this is what we got from Anglian rep and manager: original quote (normal price): £13,000 for B-rated windows, but their rep told us on the first day that we could get it for approx. £7000 if we signed immediately, which we obviously refused knowing that the company recommended to us was only £3800.
Then we got a call from their manager saying that they could do a very special price just for us at £3840, isn't it funny as we told them about our previous quote?! We agreed but asked for their rep to come and discuss as we still had to express few concerns about the windows first proposed. After another hour with their rep, we agreed to make what I consider minor changes to the windows, i.e. having a smaller opening and a dummy panel instead, but then their rep said that frames are expensive and instead of his manager promised price of £3840, the best he could do was £5500!!!
What a waste of time, and as many people said here, how can you trust a company that goes from £13000 to £3840 and for minor changes bring the price back to £5500?!
Last point, I called their manager yesterday to ask if their special and limited offer for the door was still valid (i.e. £399 as told by their rep several times), and then he asked me which price the rep gave me (meaning apparently he is not aware of their special deals), and when I told him he declined it saying this was only in conjunction with the windows. Another indication to me that they promise a lot but effectively you end up paying full price.
My advice here: if you want to pay top price for good quality (not top of range because only B-rated) windows, contact them otherwise buy somewhere else.
Nicolas
I contact Anglian two months ago, having phoned round the big ones - and got them in to do the work - 5 replacement windows. Anyway, the quote was reasonable, and the work has been fine. I guess the moral is; this is a big firm. There are likely to be some bad experiences, but then you can pick a local firm and have a bad experience too. The salesman I had was down to earth, not BS filled, and treated me with respect. In fact, all of the large company's sales people I contacted did (that goes for Everest too).
But yet the internet would warn me away from Anglian. Just one man's story I suppose.
I had specifically asked Anglian over the telephone for quick quote. The salesman would not go and everytime I asked for a price he went on and on about their bloody fantastic product complete with window demonstration, telling me how burglars could easily get into other windows. After two hours he sat down and gave me a quote for £5300 which I said was totally out of the question.
The salesman said he could do a deal and came down to £4320 which I said was still too much.
He then said that he could bring the price down to £3999 if I would sign on that day. I said that I wanted to think about it but he wasn't having it. I know about the seven day cooling off period. I am a woman living on my own and so agreed to sign so he would go. I gave him a £49 cheque (which seems to be common). Told him I would pay the balance on a credit card on which I had a 10 month interest free period.
He told me that I did not want to pay by card(?? - I did) and he would sign me up for this brilliant finance deal. I just signed.
When he went I read through the small print and realised the whole thing was a ripoff. He would obviously get commission on the windows and credit agreement.
I rang in the evening to cancel and he said I should think about it???
So I rang the next day to confirm my cancellation, rang the local office as well.
They came back with an offer of around £2900. By this time I would not have had the windows if they had offered them free. How can they go from £5300 to £2900? The local office were really agressive when I refused.
In the end I contacted The National Replacement Window Service - reputable - have top quality windows - no salesman commission - quote £2600 which included all the extras that Anglian would have charged an additional £500 for.
0800-0285809
We wanted to get the front door and back door of our house replaced. I had a sales representative from Anglian visit our home today. He started with astronomical prices and ended up with the ones mentioned below. I am now really worried as I paid him 10% and not sure whether I got ripped off or got a good deal.
This is what we agreed upon:
- "Canterbury" classic front door with fibre glass
- mahogony finish outside and white uPVC inside
- knocker with spyhole, handle and mail outlet
- side panel (single toughened glass) with white uPVC border [sits next to the door]
Cost: £1,588 including fitting
- uPVC white backdoor with toughened glass
- side panel (single toughened glass) [sits next to the door]
Cost: £1,000 including fitting
Total Cost: £2,588 (incl VAT)
Can someone please advise if I did OK or shall I go and cancel the contract as I have a 7 day period to do so.
Many thanks.
migs
-
Wild horses will not lead me back into their arms again, and when I do replace my windows, I will certainly use a local family established firm to do the work.
You have 7 days to withdraw from the contract
If you have contacted them you don’t stand a chance with these guys if you sign up.
If any one needs any information on how much there double-glazing should cost or information on products. Please ask on here, as I am willing to help you in any way I can
The truth is out there! at 23rd Aug 2008, 11:08AM
I am out of double-glazing now and there is only 1 large company I would recommend from all the firms I worked for. Or use a small family firm in your area with 1 or 2 fitting teams.
Rules for buying double-glazing
1 Find out what is the best profile to use, all should be reinforced with ali or galvanised steel. Euro cell is about as good as you need
2 Make sure its internal beaded (glass is put in from the inside)
3 The locking system should be shoot bolts on all windows now and the doors have claw locks 2 is about right
4 All double glazing should last 20-30 years the glass units 15 years with or without a guarantee if fitted properly
5 A guarantee will only last as long as a firm is still in business so a guarantee is about use less, most small firms will come out if there is a problem with the frames handles or glass, because its their reputation on the line.
6 Double-glazing is all down to manufacture and fitting. Get this right and there should be no problems
7 There are no hidden areas within double-glazing. Plastic, Glass, Fitting and price that’s all you need to know get this right and you will have no problems.
8 Don’t be forced into buying windows, you do not need a rep in you house for 4 hours trying to get the money for their next holiday or car. They will try to tie you in to a 120month finance that’s 10 years and if you spend about £5000
This would include 2 bays 1 box window and a door with side panels and a panel of choice in the door, at the end of the 10 years you could end up paying £12000 back.
.
Sales reps need to sell that’s their job
The truth is out there! at 19th Aug 2008, 11:18AM
magstwick at 15th Aug 2008, 10:36AM
Cautionary tale
Thank you 'Irishman' with your 3rd July report. It was fair and balanced review, and I wish I had knowledge of it earlier.
On 27th June I was canvassed at my front door by an Anglian sales team, and agreed to receive a home visit/quote from sales rep on 1st July for replacement windows. Quote for job was £6,703 for cash........ or £6,608, less discount of £1,015 for taking up the “GOLD FINANCE OPTION” .... bottom line price £5,593. Oh yes...... and please put down £49 deposit.... refundable......
It was a 3 hour visit..... and the offer was only for the night and no, the cash option was not available at the finance price ..... so sign up now, or lose the discount. Muggins signed.... greed?
Sleepless night. Question in my mind.... why was a cash settlement less valuable to Anglian than the Finance option.
Well, I cancelled the contract the next day and asked for my deposit back.
I was duly telephoned by the reps sales manger within 96 hours..... and I was asked what it would take to get the show back on the road.... and I asked
a) why was a cash payment worth less to them than a finance option... and I got waffle.....
b) if I could have the finance option price, for the cash price quoted....... OK he said.............
I declined his offer and reiterated my claim for my deposit to be refunded......
What he was not to know that I was prepared to engage my own surveyor to advise me if the fitting had been professionally completed. This was to retain some bargaining power if I had suffered a rogue installation team.... which I would never have had if Anglian had had 100% payment through the finance company.
Oh... and six weeks later and I'm still waiting for my deposit cheque to be returned.... and about to take legal action through small claims court to recover it, having given them 'time is of the essence' warning.
Thank you 'Irishman' with your 3rd July report. It was fair and balanced review, and I wish I had knowledge of it earlier.
On 27th June I was canvassed at my front door by an Anglian sales team, and agreed to receive a home visit/quote from sales rep on 1st July for replacement windows. Quote for job was £6,703 for cash........ or £6,608, less discount of £1,015 for taking up the “GOLD FINANCE OPTION” .... bottom line price £5,593. Oh yes...... and please put down £49 deposit.... refundable......
It was a 3 hour visit..... and the offer was only for the night and no, the cash option was not available at the finance price ..... so sign up now, or lose the discount. Muggins signed.... greed?
Sleepless night. Question in my mind.... why was a cash settlement less valuable to Anglian than the Finance option.
Well, I cancelled the contract the next day and asked for my deposit back.
I was duly telephoned by the reps sales manger within 96 hours..... and I was asked what it would take to get the show back on the road.... and I asked
a) why was a cash payment worth less to them than a finance option... and I got waffle.....
b) if I could have the finance option price, for the cash price quoted....... OK he said.............
I declined his offer and reiterated my claim for my deposit to be refunded......
What he was not to know that I was prepared to engage my own surveyor to advise me if the fitting had been professionally completed. This was to retain some bargaining power if I had suffered a rogue installation team.... which I would never have had if Anglian had had 100% payment through the finance company.
Oh... and six weeks later and I'm still waiting for my deposit cheque to be returned.... and about to take legal action through small claims court to recover it, having given them 'time is of the essence' warning.
magstwick at 29th Jul 2008, 02:19PM
From the start Anglian will try and close a deal at the time of sale, using varying tactics to do this. The price will always start at the "list value", normally a price that will scare the wealthiest of customers. This comes from the reps guide book and then the rep can work downwards offering varying "promotions" and "discounts" to get to a more sensible figure. Often they can drop over half the price to try and close a deal, if you get them to phone their manager as well you may get a lower figure still. Its normally the managers incentive to get jobs on the books and he is less worried about the money the rep is trying to earn for himself.
The rep will always try and show a product demonstration, they have to do this as part of their job so give them 10min and then they at least wont get shouted at by their manager when the have to explain why they couldnt close the deal. It's also an oppurtunity to see what Anglian offer compared to other companies. When it comes to the conservatories especially there is a dramatic difference between Anglian and everyone else. The quality of materials is 10x better than the nearest rival and is worth thinking about paying extra for..however people do have to buy to a budget and the other big companies will more often than not provide a good product as well which will serve the purpose.
Try and pay cash if you can, the finance has horrendous interest if you only pay the minimum payment every month. If you do take the finance to save some extra money at the start, make sure you pay cash on the completion of the job, don't sign the "satisfaction form". Some local Installation Depots may ask for the 5% discount you had for finance though...be aware.
The main point is not to say yes on the night unless you are really happy, get other quotes from both local companies and other national companies. You will probably be made to feel bad by the rep or manager if you decide to go elsewhere and be aware if they drop the price again from their already "bottom line" figure. If they were struggling to do it cheaper last time, how can they now? Anglian will be fitting at a loss to themselves just to achieve sales targets, this could be at a cost to yourselves in terms of the standard of work...the more money in the job, the more the fitter/builder gets paid! You need happy fitters/builders to get a good standard.
Most Anglian customers have a very enjoyable and excellent service from Anglian however due to the huge size of Anglian there are always a number of customers that will suffer. This often happens from the start with the head office in Norwich then will continue down to the Installation Office in your area. Don't let them get away with anything, demand to see a "field installation manager" on site if you feel it necessary..remember you're paying good money for the service as well as the product. The fitter's/builders are often "likeable" people and will provide you with a good service, normally better than the installation managers. If you find them to be aggresive, rude, etc.. then demand new ones, again, you're paying their wages! Don't however expect a great service if you're rude to them or dis-regard the job they are doing. Its not easy and they don't earn a fortune!
Assuming your installation goes well make sure you fully inspect the work before paying the balance, if you can be there on the last day make inspect the work in front of the fitters and if you are happy, pay them the balance...they earn a bonus for collecting payment. If you are'nt happy then ask the installation manager to visit site to discuss your concerns, be aware though, there are industry standard regulations on what is acceptable for scratches, marks, etc... and you may find you have to accept the problem. Just don't pay if you have'nt inspected your new installation, anything you find afterwards will take a hell of a lot of effort to get rectified as they now have your money!!
If a manager asks for part payment if there is a problem, agree a sensible amount. Hold onto around 10%-20% of the balance to ensure they get the work done. This money will matter to them as they get bonuses on collecting outstanding monies.
In the grand scheme of things you could do far worse than go to Anglian. Just give the smaller companies a chance too, the ones that have been going a long time and that you see working your area will most probably provide a similar or better service than a national company. They are all out to make money and it all comes down to remembering its the customer that gets them their money, a lot of the time Anglian forget that...
How wrong can you be?
We requested a quote for 5 windows and 4 hours later had been hoodwinked into signing up for 17 doors and windows, a remortgage and a nervous breakdown!
The small print is so small you need a super wonderful magnifying glass to read all the clauses.
This week will see their third attempt at 'major remedial work'. The first bunch of guys didn't even know how to put the UPVC together or which bit was what and caused £4,000 of personal damage in our home - we are still waiting for compensation for this. The second lot were their best fitters of over 20 years experience and they cleaned their work on the UPVC with an abrasive cleaner and caused even moore damage! FENSA registered...that's a joke.
In between this we had to have two emergency call outs because doors wouldn't shut/lock!
Had the new 'rogue traders act' been in place last October we might have been alright, as it is it may cost us more in solicitors fees than the finance itself from:
GE Money who are a bunch of idiots. We were introduced to them by Anglian Financial Services. They may do a perfunctory credit check but will give you the money whether you can afford the repayments or not if the forms are filled in by one of their representative companies financial advisors.
What happens when the job goes totally wrong? They hassle you for the money - £18,000 of it - but don't help you sort out the problem even though they are jointly liable. Not an ounce of sympathy.
Just last year i asked for a "Supply Only" quote for 5 windows to which they said "no problem". But i was forced to let Anglian salesman to come round my house to take window measurements as my ones apparently are no good and i might made a mistake. Once at my house he was very surprised when i mentioned i want "Supply Only" and kept pressuring me to go with installation which he promised will be almost same price as supply only.....£4500.... for 5 smallish windows!? [Direct from factory my all 5 windows came up to £1150 with VAT and delivery] . After 1 hour of negotiation & DVD movie about how good Anglian company is, price went down to £2500, but he kept pressuring me to sign a deal right away if i wanted to get this price. When i said no, he didn't leave me alone, he went to his car to bring sample window and started to tell me how good is the glass and other materials used in their windows, i said i am not interested, but he kept going. Then he got out those "special" screws that only Anglian company uses in installing windows and doors, but he had to change the subject very quickly when i showed a bag of very same ones i got from B&Q when i was installing my back garden door... At the end of my 3 hour visit from Anglian i said no to them, how can you quote £4500 and 1 hour later you can do the same job at £2500!?
The salesman was with us for just over an hour and Im glad he was; he showed us his window and we could see how good it was.
Some other companies came in for 15 mins and I didnt even see a window! Safestyle were here for 3 hours, and dropped their original price of £7500 to £1900 haha they were a joke
I bought a door, 3 small windows, kitchen window and bathroom window, all in white.
I paid £1700, they were fitted in about 3 weeks and have had no problems, I havent had any pestering phone calls either.
After almost two years dedicated work with the company, I saw no alternative but to leave and seek employment elsewhere.
My customers experienced APPALLING customer care to the extent that many cancelled and went elsewhere (over £100k). Many were promised solutions to problems but without action, almost all were simply not communicated with by admin and installation depts. The Which magazine (March 2008) lists a number of customers. The 1st one was mine. A really genuine man who was serious about obtaining quality. He got delays, excuses, poor communication and dismal installation quality. Read it for yourself.
The RSM (Regional Sales Manager) or the DSD (Divisional Sales Director) saw fit to not pay me from November 23 2007 to 18 January 2008. It was only after a company auditor and human resources intervened that I was paid. I was the only sales rep to appear on the 'Last Quarters Incentive' winners list twice. But because I moved region (not company) my Christmas hamper was withheld. I made it open knowledge that I was considering moving because of ineptitude in the region and gave ample opportunity for issues to be put right.
The RSM told me of no hamper THREE days before Xmas. I met with him to discuss. He said he did not want me to leave and offered me an elevated position if I would stay. I asked did that include my hamper. NO was the reply. AND I was to buy a hamper myself (without wages!) and to tell my wife that I was not working for him but to break the news later...
There was no way this was going to happen. I moved to the next region only to learn that it was to be divided and that my area was to be included in the region I had just left.
I went further south but to be honest traveling 78 miles each way to work each day was just too much.
I left and then tried contacting a National director AGAIN. No response AGAIN. I faxed my intention to write to every newspaper I could including Which Magazine (who've just published a scandalous report on Anglian. NO RESPONSE.
The company is appalling to work for (my opinion), admin departments also known as anti-sales depts. seem to work purposely to lose orders. Other reps and managers are leaving in numbers.
My wife, children & I had an awful Christmas because of my withheld wages. Only my kids had presents (meager ones), my wife and I had none.
The region I left was the North East of the Northern Division.
I wrote (after cancellations) almost £900k in 37 weeks as a rep last year. The rest of the year was as a manager.
Under the present leadership, I would NEVER consider working for Anglian. But that's my opinion...
Their new tag line is...
'More Customers... Most Recommended'
They should add 'But we just don't care...'
Does anyone have good advice for seeking compensation?
I was told it would take two days install 5 windows, 2 doors plus the french Doors, after 10 weeks I was still waiting on work to be carried out.
It was obvious that the work would not be completed in two days but I was told that they would return after the weekend to finish the Job, I was left with wide open holes in the window frames for over two weeks & The french doors would not lock.
The lounge window was the wrong size so they were unable to fit it, I was told it would be remade and fitted within 10 days, 5 weeks later it arrived but was found to be damaged in transit so another window was again ordered, finnally after 10 weeks the window was fitted but it had silver spacers in it not Gold as requested.
Had I known what I have read on this website I would have given Anglian a miss, Do not make the same mistake I made..Keep well clear of them.
LisaAttenborough at 2nd Nov 2007, 01:06PM
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