Renegade Conservatory Guy

9 responses so far ↓

• 1 Tarquin // May 20, 2008 at 9:15 am

  Well, renegade, what did you exactly expect? That the most complained about Glazing companies would be local?!

  As you have already mentioned - with national companies fitting 1000 installations a week (which is more than many smaller firms fit in a year) - it’s no surprise that they with have a few more complaints than the smaller local firms. If you were a small firm fitting glazing to 100 homes a year with a 1% complaint ratio - you would have 1 complaint a year. If you were a national company fitting 50,000 homes a year with a lower 0.5% complaint ratio - you would still expect around 250 complaints a year - yes that’s more complaints but you are serving more people - It’s simple math really!

  National companies will always be complained against more than the local companies - becuase they have come into contact with more people. I.E the number of people that will find relevance to a rant about “Dave’s local Windows” will be highly limited - thus people are less likely to post in the first place. And even if they do, it is very unlikely that other will have shared similar experiences - this goes back to the local companies only fitting 100 vs national 50,000 homes a year arguement. More people will have come into contact with a larger national company.

  And yes of course there will be more negative comments than positive - unfortunately (especially in the UK) people are more likely to talk about a negative experience than a posistive one. You only have the read a newspaper or watch the news to understand this.

  “As consumers get used to using the internet more and more then I predict that the National window companies will be forced to fight back against negative publicity by continuing to publish their own fake positive spin.”

  This is not a prediction, merely a statement of what you already claim is happening. And besides, I feel that the opposite will eventually happen. As you have already stated with ever increasing numbers of forums and prviate blogs, I think these complaints will become more dialuted throughout the web and many will disappear into obscurity.

  “you will see that I have a natural bias towards local established window and conservatory companies”

  Funny that, since you run a smaller local window company……..

• 2 Renegade Conservatory Guy // May 20, 2008 at 2:01 pm

  Hi Tarquin

  Thanks for your comments. It’s good to hear the views of a representative of the largest installer in the country.

  I am well aware of the maths, and I did state in my conclusion to this post that no doubt I would hear exactly the argument you put forward.

  Another way of expressing my argument would be that if we calculated all complaints registered with, say, trading standards, then there would be a larger percentage of overall complaints lodged against national companies.

  If, Safestyle, Anglian and Everest account for 15% of the overall market combined, then I would guess that they would account for a larger share of overall complaints. I wouldn’t be surprised if there were more complaints about these three companies than all other companies combined.

  ‘Funny that, since you run a smaller local window company……..’

  Yes, I do, but I supply some great regional installers in the North of England, and the combined installations will be in the region of 6,000 installations per year.

  I couldn’t find one complaint about any of these installation companies online.

• 3 paul.com // May 20, 2008 at 4:54 pm

  I’m sick of hearing that argument about simple maths and I don’t think potential customers are going to be that impressed by it. Time will tell if it all fades into obscurity.
  RCG , I would search for grumbles about WYW but would you moderate me if I found one. I’m not sure of your motives for starting this topic.
  I’m glad the Ruined My Home site has been mentioned here because when I tried to leave a comment there I was not allowed to because it didn’t tow the line. So it’s nice to have the opportunity to have my say. He’s a nutcase.

• 4 paul.com // May 24, 2008 at 10:25 pm

  Looks like only a few sad people like us care about double glazing. So forgive me for double posting. Unintentional pun.
  What makes me laugh about that Ruined My Home site , and incidently I meant to say a he’s bit of a nutcase, is he begins by saying” who would buy a cheap crappy door like that”, “the brochure was the size of a matchbox”, “it was moulded out of one piece of plastic”.
  Has anyone ever seen an Anglian door brochure? I wish I could show you one. They are second to none in the market. Some might even say that they’re a bit too extravagant with the amount and quality of brochures they produce. Unless it was a very incompetent rep that came to see him and didn’t have the proper door brochure to show him.
  What exactly did he expect a pvc door to be like? Not moulded out of a piece of PVC! I have seen an Anglian door panel outside of its frame and unlike many cheap PVC doors there is a plate of metal sandwiched in the middle so you can’t just kick through it like you can with alot of other companies.
  It’s true that alot of people don’t like PVC doors which is why composite doors ave become available . I don’t know if that choice was there at the time but who would be so stupid to buy a door that they didn’t really know what was like. Did someone hold a gun to his head? Why didn’t he ask to see one in a showroom or one that had been fitted to another Anglian customers house?
  I think people like this only give creedence to the argument that it’s only a small minority of silly people that complain about Anglian. I would prefer to argue that even if it’s 2 customers out of a billion that’s still 2 too many and we’ll do what we can to improve that.
  There are some details in the article that are valid to some extent and make me ashamed to represent the company I work/worked? for and I’d personally wish we could do better because it only makes my job harder. But I’m wise enough to know that the grass is not greener on the other side and if I swapped companies I could very easily find myself working for a much worse company. In my experience Anglian customers have more chance of good work being done and on the rare occasions it does go wrong of getting it resolved . That is something you can’t guarantee from many “boggit and scarper” local companies.

• 5 Jonh // May 25, 2008 at 9:49 am

  I’ve had a look at the Anglian Ruined My House website. It seems to me that the guy goes no a bit (probably a bit too much, which can make him appear a nutcase), but on the whole it is a bad job.

  I don’t think you can argue that the door is top quality - it’s just a panel door the same as everyone else fits.

  RCG - I agree to some extent with you. I’ve seen some pretty shoddy workmanship from all the big boys. But I’ve also seen some good workmanship. In the end, it comes down to the fitters, and there’s good fitters work for local companies and the nationals.

• 6 New rules for consumer protection and how it will affect the double glazing industry // May 26, 2008 at 7:41 pm

  […] is something I had referred to in a previous post, but not realised it had a special term.  Basically, firms have created ‘Fake Blogs’ […]

• 7 phil Jennings // Jun 21, 2008 at 11:18 am

  i had Anglian windows install windows for me in Jan 2005. biggest mistake i ever made.

  3 1/2 years down the road, and FENSA have again failed the inspection of the bay window, the bay has been removed 3times so far, the next time will be their 4th attempt.

  The first 2 times they did not put in the legally required spreader plates, as a result of not doing so caused damage to the windows.

  You have guessed what they did, they rested the main structure of the roof on the window products,the main structure consist of many tones above a big parapet, made of bricks forming a circle around the bedroom, with large stones on top, silly thing to do, and yet i even have it in writing from them that they would install the plates.

  still they wont answer why they did this, why wont they answer any question?.

  When i asked where are the plates, and why are they not installing them, at the time of the first installation and the second installation that took place months after the first installation and by a different team of installers, the first installers were sacked, i was blamed so it seems, was the reason for not installing the plates the second time the result of a vengence, who knows , but it feels like it.

  this is where the deception started, i was informed they are working to FENSA regs now, ”we don’t need to install the plates, Mr Jennings”.

  I have recorded a senior Manager Darren Wright stating that building regulations do not apply to my installation of new windows, and only FENSA regs apply, this was their excuse for not installing the spreader plates, in the recording Darren Wright states, i am a told by him that i need to listen to what he is telling me, and told me i am a confused man in our telephone conversion, he would not listen to me when i told him that building regulations do apply, amazing what these people are on, it’s deception, just plain deception.

  Darren wright when he came to collect his money, as they stated in Dec 2005, the windows are finished, i told him about the plates not been installed would not listen again, and blew his top, stating his reason for not turning up for an evening appoint several evening earlier, shouting his son was in Hospital and that his son was more important than i was, i had to appologize feeling quite worried about what this man would do next, i did complain, to the top brass, but as usual they ignore every complaint.

  FENSA have this recording, building control was sent the transcript.
  Building control i informed but they can only prosecute within a period of 6 months, i believe it is now within a period of 2years. but it was some 24 months after when i first contacted Building control, i was too late, i wish i had of known about Building Control much sooner, as you can imagine it’s not until things start going wrong, you learn the harsh realities of the real world, and usually it’s too late by the time you find out.

  the 3rd attempt of installing the required plates, FENSA and the GGF had to force Anglian windows to meet the legally required standards.

  Anglian would not speak to their governing bodies for about 5 months, this is when i believe communications started, i have all the evidence to support this.

  The Chief Executive Nigel Rees at the GGF is dealing with this at the moment, believe it or not. and i believe there is a real good reason for this, as you will see a little later in my story.

  Cracking around the bay, and down the walls appeared after their 3rd attempt in may this year, FENSA have failed this inspection.

  Reason not upto required standard, the reason the bay is now cracking, is the installers cut the bottom half of the sill away, which meant the windows are sitting much lower in the bay, and are a different levels as-well.

  Anglian Managers stated this is a great job.

  Wait for it, in the french doors you can see inside the frame where the screws fixing the frame to the sides, when the doors are locked you can see the screws, i was told the gap is acceptable, if you don’t want to see the screws Mr Jennings, you can put white caps over them.
  Guess what, in 3 1/2 years and many times and many inspections on this, by so called Anglian experts, it was not until FENSAs Inspector came out, and stated the inner seal is missing, reason it was taken out is because the doors probably would not close, this was done 3 1/2 years ago, and you know what, i have been called an idiot, i have been told i am a confused man, etc, by Anglian employees.

  The door will not close if they ever return to carry out all the necessary work, reason is the frame is all twisted, on some parts of the frame, there is no gap, mainly at the top section lower down, it blows a hooley through the doors, but they ignore everything i tell them.

  Most of the windows have wide gaps in them, these windows are nearly all bays, no plates in any of them, only one bay is load bearing, the other bays are all the same very heavy, with lead over each one, i am told this is not the reason for the wide gaps in the windows, but are acceptable

  when the windows are locked, looking at the windows from the outside, you can see the locking mechanisms, and touch them with a screw driver, now surly you should not be able to do this, and again Anglian say this is acceptable.
  the windows look convexed in profile, if you can image pushing down on a stick it will bend, this is the type of thing you can see in the windows i have, Anglian will not change these, i will have to add extra seals in the windows because if anyone, for say a thief sees the locking mechanisms hes going to think, arh that window looks open, and have a go at it, Anglian state, its impossible to open these windows from the outside, interesting statements, i would love to prove their statements wrong, but it would mean damaging a window, i don’t think i am prepared to do that at this moment in time.

  Not only that they sent out a man in June 2005 to collect a debt from me, the Man Loyd woodfield impersonated a debt collector, i have all the evidence that proves it. and i am sure this is an illegal offence from what i can gather.

  But because of their Incompedence, they could not complete, despite me writing to them giving them six weeks to complete, several times in the first 8 months.

  I was even asked to measure the windows up myself, they just could not get windows to fit because of the bull-nose bricks on the outside, they appeared to be blaming the bricks, for this.

  Some windows were replaced for the 3rd time, the debt collector stated he has come to collect a debt on behalf of Anglian windows Stockport office, who are under performing, he would not identify himself, or state who he worked for.

  i said i did not owe any debt, as i have stated in writing you will be paid when the job is complete, i had to question this man at my gate before letting him in, when he arrived a day later to collect this debt, i questioned him for about 15 minutes to try and find out his name, and who he worked for, he denied in front of the installations manager, that he is a debt collector, he started a scene shouting etc, would not leave when asked, i told him i am calling in the police, he left went to his car and started taking photographs of myself and my Father, i have asked Anglian where are those photographs, again they never answer, any question, as far as i can imagine for all i know, they have been passed on to a hit team, you just never know, do you.highly unlikely, but where are the photos.

  He sent me a letter, how foolish, stating his job title as National debt recovery Manager, and implied in the letter he had come to help finish the installation, in 3 years Anglain ignored every letter asking for it’s reasons to scare people like this.

  It was not until i discovered in Jan this year 2008 when i spoke to Phil Tweedie the finance Director at Anglian windows, he stated he sent the man out to collect the debt, he also i think he slipped up as he stated he is also, ”wait for it”, a Director in the GGF.

  So i got on to the GGF to confirm, they stated he is on their staff.

  So i asked the GGF to investigate Phil Tweedies involvement in this scary tactic, trying to get money off me before the job was complete.

  They said they cannot get involved, within a week after this, i got a letter from a Brian Flynn, some Director in Anglian stating the man was not a Debt Collector, but an employee called loyd woodfield, his job is an installations Manager, and part of his job is to ask for payment when the job was finished, what a load of rubbish.

  My installations Manager was here, on site.

  The Chief Executive of Anglian windows and the Managing Directors , have been informed many times about their employees behaviour, some of their behaviour, i really cannot explain now, for various reasons as it would cause extreme embarressment to them, which they deserve, but for their families sake i will not discuss this, i am trying to forget about this, as i think it really would finish off Anglian windows, but i have forced Anglian to applogise to my Neighbours for this behaviour, but not really sure what my neighbours had heard, both are female on either side of me, and not going to ask them, what they heard, so bizarre all of this.

  Trading standards cannot prosecute because of the time factor, as i have in the last month or so trying to put a stop to Anglian and it’s lies and deceit.
  i have contacted Trust Mark, they say they are investigating this.

  I see it this way, if they are doing this to me, they are doing it to others, and it really must be stopped.
  Many horror stories in the news lately about Anglian, so if you have been reading about them, this ordeal i am been put through should not be any suprise, to any one who reads it.

  The Chief Executive of Anglian windows has known about this abuse, as and when it has occurred i have wrote to them, and off course each letter is signed for, and receipt obtained from the web, as proof of delivery.

  I even have an employee on film shouting, and yet even after i wrote and asked them not to send any person from the Stockport office because of the abuse and lies i was been fed, they still sent these people out,This really is very scary stuf.

  I will now be contacting watch dog, about Anglian and get this stuff on the TV, Customers really need to know about this, luckily i started recording all of this.

  they caused so much damage in my home, they even after putting it in writing that their insurance will cover the damage i am still waiting, still waiting, i have even asked the GGF to ask Anglain what are they doing about the damage, as you can guess nothing not even a reply.

  this is only some of the most bizarre behaviour from this company, it is now going to be nearly 4 years, and this company have wasted just about all of my leave in all this time, i have had no holiday, no enjoyment in my home, i have slept on the sofa for 2 years fearing the load bearing bay would collapse, this is a one bedroom bungelow, now its cracking again i am back on the sofa, i have asked the GGF this installation now really needs a structural Engineer, fast, and i absolutely dread Anglian windows even touching it now. considering they have had 3 of their finest teams on this property.
  i was going to sell my Home back in late 2005, because the structure is not safe, i am stuck with this intolerable situation.

  i had thought trading standards would have done something about this, they have proved themselves to be as useful as Anglian windows, i have worked and paid my taxes for the last 25years since leaving school, and when you need help from the so called people who are set up by the Government to put a stop to this type of thing, i have to resort to contacting Watch Dog, am i Proud of the British system ?.

  It makes me wonder, what this company is like, it purports to be a highly respectable company and it’s customer service is second to none, well, if it’s Chief Executive dare even contact me, i would say he would be a very brave Man, even braver when he is asked by Watch dog, when he sees on TV what i have been telling him for years.

  what can he say,sorry we made a mistake, we have been moving our offices to a central location, that was a good answer last time on Watch dog, pull the other one Chief.

  Heard the one about that poor old 84 year old Senior Citizen,don’t you think Anglian it would be a good idea, to provide a customer with a product before, threatening a person with legal action.

  whats more spooky is you forced this lady to hand over £4,800, as she was petrified, and you did not hand over the goods, her friend had to fight tooth and nail to get this money back.
  Even going to the Guardian News Paper to help her, but even that was no easy task for them was it you made it extremely difficult for them ,This ladies friend in an email to me, called Anglain windows Pig Ignorant, do you really like money more than your customers.

  Thugs do this, don’t they, now i am not calling you anything Anglian windows, before you get your backs up, and threaten me, you have done enough damage here to last a life time, Anglian shame on the lot of you.
  You rubbished a report conducted by a consultant who doe’s work for the GGF, Mr Potts stated he mearly glanced at it,
  Mr Potts also refused to carry out an inspection when he was forced too by Consumer direct, stating he’s bored and left.

  You rubbished the First FENSA Report, why rubbish these reports Anglian, i will tell you why shall i, because you like to hurt people, don’t you, and send silly little messages to the GGF, Like check mate, confusing the hell out of them and me, Anglain think its some kind of game, Peoples lives could be at stake, your company hasn’t a clue, why rest a main load bearing bay on pvc windows, did it never occurr to you it’s dangerous, and people can get killed.

  All of this nonesence is in writing and yes you have read it Chief Executive and Directing Managers of Anglian, like to torture people don’t you, of course it’s just a game isn’t it.
  So far, you Advertise, customer service second to none, really.

  You say quality checks are carried out, really.

  you say you comply with current building regs, really, ask Mr Hilson he could not tell me whether its building regs, or FENSA regs he works too, too hard a question, for a senior installations manager.

  Quality windows, not just pvc but a special kind they can hold any structure up by themselves dont you agree Chief, EX.

  You don’t like answering customer complaints do you.

  You mess people around when they take days from work, making appointment to addresses in liverpool, and say i was not in,
  that was very clever, how many customers can say the same thing happened to them, quite a few, i have read the stories.
  i could go on and on, really i can Guys, but i won’t.

  Employees why do it, why treat customer like you do, are you really under that much pressure, it’s not worth it, you are the one’s that will get in to trouble named and shamed, and all that,
  we give you tea and biscuit make you butties, and yet you lie and deceive us. it not fair is it.

  Why send out a senior Manager who says he wants to help, then allows Kenny to shout and scream calling me liar, and stands there allowing it all to happen, when he was asked to leave he refuses stating thats my boss over there i will leave when he tells me to leave, it’s on film Anglian, and why send people out who wont talk, just stating but everything is ok now, repeating, and repeating but everything is ok now, Mr Jennings i know what it was, recording it were we, how creepy.
  appologies if this was a little long, i wrote it to get it off my chest, as it were.
  i have not contacted Anglian now for a long time, as any thing you write is ignored, i have always tried to remain calm, to focus on the task of getting things delt with, i am not joking, if i had not record stuff, and found proof, i would have thought i was going Mad, i have never experienced any thing like this company, i really was a happy chap before comming my purchase,
  and i don’t even like to talk to any of them as i know what to expect from them, and all of them are from the Stockport office, they even lie and say thing like they are from the Manchester Office, when i ask where is the Manchester office, they relent and say Stockport, every time you ask a simple question, i get some kind of dishonest answer.

• 8 Renegade Conservatory Guy // Jun 21, 2008 at 12:52 pm

  Hi Phil

  Thank you for your story. You are clearly very annoyed, but it is difficult for me to comment on this one.

  If you can email me a few photos I will let you know my thoughts on the workmanship.

  RCG

• 9 phil Jennings // Jun 21, 2008 at 4:48 pm

  Photos, are now in your mail box, if you wish you can post them, on your website, the copies of the 2 letters, on that states Mr Loyd Woodfield is a National Debt Recovery Manager is false, the other letter is Anglians attempt to play the whole thing down, but they do state he was only employed as an Installations Manager, this Man was sent out by Phil Tweedie Anglians Finance Director, also Director in the GGF, to collect the debt they say was due to them, but it took them 12 Months before they said the windows are complete, so they should not have sent a debt collector, most companies who ask a person for money at least a couple of times before taking such action, not Anglian they mess up and your in for it, believe me. They had not even asked me for any money, they implied in the letter this man was my installations Manager, he was not, Mr Potts was my Installations Manager, the debt collector was sent from Newcastle to Manchester to collect Debts, and their is another customer out there in Whitchurch, who was the other person he was collecting a debt from. I have an Anglian Senior Manager on tape stating Building regulations don’t apply to my installation of new windows, now if you know about building regs, what they say goe’s against what they say on their website, they say they comply with current building regs.
  now that is false Advertising, isn’t it Anglain windows/AHI, I have told them loads of times and they ignore and ignore everything.
  they state their customer service is second to none, writing these statement is one thing as we all know, now putting it into practice is far too difficult, if you burry your head in the Sand, every problem will go away, it’s not until you lift your head out, can you hear all your Customers screeming HELP, HELP, Anglian take me to your Leader, you know the head Chief, you do have one don’t you, your employees cannot even tell me your name, i am after long pauses ”which one”, am i going Mad?. no Anglian drive sane People Mad.

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