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So I need a new back door, and given the side garage door has seen better days I thought I would get a few quotes. Everest arrived (at the wrong time) but anyway when the sales person eventually gave me a price, he quoted £8.5k for two UPVC doors!
When end I asked him if he was joking, he immediately reduced the price to £4.5k. But seriously £4.5k for two UPVC doors. I told him I could have a skilled joiner make a solid hardwood door for less.
How do these sales people sleep at night? This is as bad as the bogus trades people you read about in the local people that rip off older folk.
Two standard size apertures? As in 2100x900 ish? Standard white upvc doors not composite?
If so they genuinely want reporting to the local press, watchdog, rogue traders martin lewis and anyone else you can think of as that is a royal piss take.
Yes two standard size doors. Your measurements aren’t far off. Yes standard white ( ok I asked for the garage door to be black) UPVC, not composite. Nothing fancy, I just wanted two doors, with some glazing!
I was was absolutely shocked.
You didn't let him phone his manager and agree a lower price but only if you agreed on the spot?
Genuinely I think they should be bubbled in the local press. The mark up there is just insane. Composite doors in those sizes would be less than 600 each, standard plastic would be 350 each. Then 300 quid to fit both.
The initial price is what gets me because I bet the **** of a salesman gauges what he has to do before giving the second figure.
He didn’t phone anybody. When I asked him if he was joking, he then said had I seen the offer on the website, and he produced an up to 50% off voucher. I said is it 50% off or not?
At that point the price dropped to £4.5k, but still how does he sleep at night. This could be an older person who would be too polite to tell him to get the f%£& out of their house.
How do these sales people sleep at night, knowing they are ripping people off?
Any recommendations for door fitters in the central belt of Scotland?
One of my neighbours works for Balhousie, he is positive about them and had fitted more than a few windows and doors in our road on a weekend 😉👌
https://m.balhousieglazing.co.uk
I fitted my own, having bought direct from manufacturer in Doncaster.
We had similar - two windows and a big patio door from quotes varied from £2800-5000... I bought all for £900 and fitted myself...it took a single day.
In my experience of fitting doors and windows instead of asking a company that 'specialises' in them ask for a quote from a local joiner or builder, the kind that might fit extensions. They'll know the best and cheapest local manufacturer of windows and doors and likely fit them for you too.
Jekkyl is spot on. Couple of UPVC doors is the perfect weekend job for a local “do it all” type joiner/builder.
Its not actually a bad DIY job if you are reasonably handy. Windows are a bit easier but doors aren’t too bad really.
But I reckon a local builder will do both on a Saturday morning for under £1000 . Maybe less if they have a good supplier they use regularly.
Composite doors in those sizes would be less than 600 each, standard plastic would be 350 each. Then 300 quid to fit both.
I think I might have mentioned about a grand 😉
You only fit double glazing once, so fit the best - Everest!
Ted Moult will be turning in his uPVC coffin...
Double glazing salesman - about the only thing saving recruitment consultants having a nice fresh wall to stand in front of come the revolution.
Everest showed me their garage door brouchure and explained how their products were superior to other brands. I thought they looked familiar, and grabbed a different brouchure from a mid-range manufacturer, that an independent guy had given me. Exactly the same product, including motors, but less than a quarter of the quote from Everest. I think the sales guy realised at that point he was probably not going to get anywhere and promptly gave up. Probably to get to his next appointment with someone elderly/easy target who might not know better than to pay massively over the odds.
Sad as it seems I have a template for a 'contract' I got from a similar thread from somewhere else I use whenever I have to have sales people* involved in stuff at the house. Slap it on a clipboard and asked them to sign it before come over the threshold. It states how many minutes they are allowed to to spend selling the product, that they are only allowed to give one final price and that it must be honoured for 30 days from the visit. Also that I have the right to record part or all of their visit. I've had two refuse to sign so their visit has ended at that point. 2 more needed stopping at the end of the allocated time. One said that he would not be able to do the price he planned on quoting justice without more time. He got shown the door.
They probably think I'm a dick (I probably am) but it nicely unsettles the shiny suited muppets, switches the balance of power and generally makes them feel uncomfortable. The good ones seem to see it as a no bullshit way to get the offer over in swift time.
The other tactic I've seen done is to arrange to have 3 firms come and quote at the same time and pitch in front of each other.
*builder imo don't count as sale people.
Thieves they are. We had them plus two local companies. We couldn't get rid of the Everest rep - was here for about 2 hours. Then had two local companies quote. One came, measured up, then returned later with an estimate. They were a third of Everest's price for every window and a new front door. One window was a 7 ft arch with stained glass, and one was a large bay window. Under 3k in total. Everest were over £10k.
Get a fitter to measure up the doors and give you a quote for install only. Give the measurements the fitter has given you to a fabricator and purchase the doors from them. This will cut out the middle man and save you a fortune. Ensure the fabricator uses REHAU windows as they are considered to be the best. If you want to know any fabricators in your area drop me an email.
Are you on Facebook? , what seems to happen locally is you post on one of local town pages that you need a trade person to fit new doors - then sit back as a Dutch auction ensues with loads of recommendations from local satisfied customers .
What I don't understand is why anyone here asks for Everest to quote. You already know what it's going to happen so why bother?
Get a fitter to measure up the doors and give you a quote for install only. Give the measurements the fitter has given you to a fabricator and purchase the doors from them
Nice attitude!
Ensure the fabricator uses REHAU windows as they are considered to be the best.
Plenty of good quality products out there considered to be very good!
Anytime I've had UPVC doors or windows needing done I just went to the local place who manufacture and install at lunchtime or closing time and approached one of the workers outside. Most of these places have at least one guy who does homers, just find them and get them on it. I had 5 windows and a front door done 15 years ago for £1000 and 6 windows done about 5 years ago for £1200.
Get a fitter to measure up the doors and give you a quote for install only. Give the measurements the fitter has given you to a fabricator and purchase the doors from them
Nice attitude!
I assume he means get the fitter to fit them though ?, although the fitter may get a good discount that even with his mark up means it's cheaper than Joe Bloggs buying direct
Yes I mean get the fitter to fit them.
Convert, that is taking it to the next level, I like your style. It does make you sound like a dick though 🤣. I probably do similar but in a less formal verbal style, rather than an upfront written contract. I can imagine a few would just refuse, not thinking it was worth the effort if you were going to be that difficult before they even started. In my one experience with an Everest sales guy, he basically gave up when he realised I wouldn’t be a walkover. At least he knew not to waste both our times with sales tricks that any half wit could spot.
I also like the follow up calls when you tell them you went with someone different, and they ask why. If they don’t take it gracefully, make a fuss, feign guilt, or try to argue why you have made a mistake, it’s usually the right point to bluntly tell them why their product or sales techique was deficient
Everest have been doing the same thing for at least 30 years, so I doubt publicity will change them. I had a quote from them in 1988. By the time the salesman left, he'd reduced the price to a third of the initial quote, but it was still double the next supplier.
Could be worse, you could have had Safe Style round.
Ya buy one ya get one free.....
We had Anglia round last year when getting quotes. Guy was here for two hours.
Price started at x amount, by the end of the two hours, he had phoned his manager, asked if we would appear in promo material etc. And had dropped original by 50%. It took 2 bloody hours! I asked him to leave as heard his boss say to him on the phone on the last call 'get them to sign, you get the sale this evening'. He was hacked off when he left.
Ended up with a local company, took 2 weeks to get a quote, but you get the right price first time asking. He popped round after fitting to check on the windows and make sure fitters had done a good job. Also, any issues with the windows, we know the guy is local and well known, so easily sorted.
First and last time I'd ever let a sales rep in my home.