ChatterBank1 min ago
Are They Trying It On ?
13 Answers
Hi,
Paid £40 to have a guy come round to measure up & advise which fly screens to have installed at French doors & windows, which he said would be refunded once I ordered with installation. From what he said to me then, & when I visited their showroom I was quite prepared to pay for installation.
I've now had the quote, including some different options for windows AND the installation charges, therefore he didn't know exactly what I'd be ordering. There's suddenly a charge of £85 per DAY just for the installer to come to me (it should all be done in one day but *could* take two, so *could* be £170 !), for time & fuel. I've queried that charge as this is the 1st I've heard of it, & he's reduced it by a little over £33 but when I said about the £40 being taken off, he reckons he's already taken that into account in the quote ! How, when he's quoted for the French doors & the windows individually so he doesn't know what the total cost would be ? And is the £85 fair, especially when a) he's never mentioned that before b) they're about 22 miles & no more than 30 minutes away ? Surely the time & fuel should be included in the installation charge, & how could it be that excessive anyway when the original visit was £40 & took 2hrs ...
Paid £40 to have a guy come round to measure up & advise which fly screens to have installed at French doors & windows, which he said would be refunded once I ordered with installation. From what he said to me then, & when I visited their showroom I was quite prepared to pay for installation.
I've now had the quote, including some different options for windows AND the installation charges, therefore he didn't know exactly what I'd be ordering. There's suddenly a charge of £85 per DAY just for the installer to come to me (it should all be done in one day but *could* take two, so *could* be £170 !), for time & fuel. I've queried that charge as this is the 1st I've heard of it, & he's reduced it by a little over £33 but when I said about the £40 being taken off, he reckons he's already taken that into account in the quote ! How, when he's quoted for the French doors & the windows individually so he doesn't know what the total cost would be ? And is the £85 fair, especially when a) he's never mentioned that before b) they're about 22 miles & no more than 30 minutes away ? Surely the time & fuel should be included in the installation charge, & how could it be that excessive anyway when the original visit was £40 & took 2hrs ...
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Ok ...
https:/
The reviews I found looked fine though they don't seem to be from people who have used their installation service, they've just bought the screens.
https:/
The reviews I found looked fine though they don't seem to be from people who have used their installation service, they've just bought the screens.
I have got these.....you just screw them to the doorframe. Work brilliantly well and its a DIY job or get a handyman in
https:/
Out of principle I wouldn't deal with a firm who lies....what else will they lie to you about?
https:/
Out of principle I wouldn't deal with a firm who lies....what else will they lie to you about?
As you say, the reviews seem to be OK:
https:/
Further, their website does state "Our screens come as DIY kits or ready made screens and we offer a fitting service in most of England". That seems to make it clear that fitting is an 'optional extra' (for which could reasonably be expected to pay extra).
However, if you've already agreed to pay an installation charge, suddenly increasing that (to account for time and fuel) would seem to be unreasonable. Even if the principle is accepted, the actual amount (as originally quoted) would seem to be excessive. Even after the reduction, it still appears unreasonable. HMRC would allow 45p x 44 miles for the cost of using the van, which is about £20. Then, assuming that you accept the charge as reasonable anyway, you'd need to add on an hour's labour, at perhaps £15.
The 'missing' £40 also seems to be a bit dodgy.
As I see it though (having just waded through the relevant sections of the Consumer Rights Act 2015), increasing the price that you thought you were going to have to pay would only be unlawful if the company insisted that you were already bound by a contract to purchase their goods and services. If they've simply said "OK, here's the total of what you'll really have to pay if you go ahead - but you can still back out of the deal without penalty" they're probably still on the right side of the law.
https:/
Further, their website does state "Our screens come as DIY kits or ready made screens and we offer a fitting service in most of England". That seems to make it clear that fitting is an 'optional extra' (for which could reasonably be expected to pay extra).
However, if you've already agreed to pay an installation charge, suddenly increasing that (to account for time and fuel) would seem to be unreasonable. Even if the principle is accepted, the actual amount (as originally quoted) would seem to be excessive. Even after the reduction, it still appears unreasonable. HMRC would allow 45p x 44 miles for the cost of using the van, which is about £20. Then, assuming that you accept the charge as reasonable anyway, you'd need to add on an hour's labour, at perhaps £15.
The 'missing' £40 also seems to be a bit dodgy.
As I see it though (having just waded through the relevant sections of the Consumer Rights Act 2015), increasing the price that you thought you were going to have to pay would only be unlawful if the company insisted that you were already bound by a contract to purchase their goods and services. If they've simply said "OK, here's the total of what you'll really have to pay if you go ahead - but you can still back out of the deal without penalty" they're probably still on the right side of the law.
woofgang, they're mesh screens & not easy to fit, particularly as they come in kit form & I need 3 different types.
Buenchico, I haven't ordered yet. He'd wanted a 50% deposit but said I didn't need to pay that 'til I received a call about an installation date. The quote included the total price (including installation) for different options so he wouldn't have known when he e-mailed the quote how much I was actually going to spend.
I agree with your figures re mileage, etc. but he told me he'd "twisted my manager's arm" to get the £30 odd knocked off so there's no more movement on that.
Excerpt from his e-mail,
The price shown for each item is the fitted price. The only cost to be added when it comes down to an overall price for the job will be the cost of getting to and from your home. Whether the installation will run across one or two days is obviously dependent upon which of the screens you decide to proceed with. It is unlikely to need more than a day but I can confirm that as and when you let me know exactly what option you wish to proceed with. The cost per return trip would be in the order of £85.
After our conversation, he suggest I "think about it" as I'd told him my max budget & it was now over by £40 & he said maybe I should have one less window screen (which would be about £85, coincidentally), the cheek ! Why should I forgo a screen (& therefore have a room where flies will get in. That's why I want at least one screen per room) to pay their ridiculous charge that I knew nothing about ... there's a principle involved here ;)
Buenchico, I haven't ordered yet. He'd wanted a 50% deposit but said I didn't need to pay that 'til I received a call about an installation date. The quote included the total price (including installation) for different options so he wouldn't have known when he e-mailed the quote how much I was actually going to spend.
I agree with your figures re mileage, etc. but he told me he'd "twisted my manager's arm" to get the £30 odd knocked off so there's no more movement on that.
Excerpt from his e-mail,
The price shown for each item is the fitted price. The only cost to be added when it comes down to an overall price for the job will be the cost of getting to and from your home. Whether the installation will run across one or two days is obviously dependent upon which of the screens you decide to proceed with. It is unlikely to need more than a day but I can confirm that as and when you let me know exactly what option you wish to proceed with. The cost per return trip would be in the order of £85.
After our conversation, he suggest I "think about it" as I'd told him my max budget & it was now over by £40 & he said maybe I should have one less window screen (which would be about £85, coincidentally), the cheek ! Why should I forgo a screen (& therefore have a room where flies will get in. That's why I want at least one screen per room) to pay their ridiculous charge that I knew nothing about ... there's a principle involved here ;)
Buenchico, just noticed this bit in your post,
If they've simply said "OK, here's the total of what you'll really have to pay if you go ahead - but you can still back out of the deal
** without penalty" **
they're probably still on the right side of the law.
There *is* a penalty ... £40 ... I lose that if they don't install them, but when I agreed to that, I had no idea about this extra £85.
If they've simply said "OK, here's the total of what you'll really have to pay if you go ahead - but you can still back out of the deal
** without penalty" **
they're probably still on the right side of the law.
There *is* a penalty ... £40 ... I lose that if they don't install them, but when I agreed to that, I had no idea about this extra £85.
£85 a day sounds eminently reasonable. People have to earn a living. Then there's travelling to and from your place, vehicle-wear and tear, petrol, etc.
Mostly, you get what you pay for, although you are right of course to beware of rip-off merchants.
We always try and ensure people who do jobs at our place are well paid (sometimes lobbing them more than they ask for), as the NEXT time we want them still to be in business!
Bill B
Mostly, you get what you pay for, although you are right of course to beware of rip-off merchants.
We always try and ensure people who do jobs at our place are well paid (sometimes lobbing them more than they ask for), as the NEXT time we want them still to be in business!
Bill B
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