windows, doors - delay and not fitting.

[Lime]

When things get into this kind of mess, it's invariably best just to rescue what you can from the situation, and then walk away, without leaving too much ill-will behind you.

Or, far worse, take the ill-will with you.

 

[biffvernon]

Glad it sorted.

I understand Biff's point about contracts....but I'm really surprised that people will spend big sums of money (£15k in your case) without something in writing....this is a similar figure to the cost of a family car and I wouldn't expect anyone to purchase a car without knowing the exact spec, equipment etc.

The point is that it is also to protect the vendor as well - £15k represents a big chunk of business to them and not confirming in writing what it is that they are supplying to you feels very sloppy to me. Taking Biff's point, if a craftsman refused to confirm in writing the products they were supplying to me for 15 thousand of my hard earned pounds, i don't care how lovely their windows are...i'd run a mile. I'd probably turn down some great craftsmen as a result, but then I'm not running the risk of being £15k out of pocket.

The problem with a car is that it falls apart after a few years and has no value.

The thing about my no-contract approach is that the risk is all mine, not the customer's. It's like a any sort of shopping. You get the goods and you hand over the cash. Simple.

 

[Flyfisher]

Not sure the risk is all yours Biff. Yes, the customer can never be out of pocket in terms of what you're supplying but if they've a big project that requires windows (or anything else) to be delivered on a specific day so as not to hold up other, possibly expensive works, and you don't deliver then the customer has a big problem.

But I understand the sentiment and ideally would prefer a 'handshake' to a written contract. Besides, if you get to the stage of having to fall back on a written contract then the situation is already lost in many respects and resorting to the courts is hardly ideal, even if you eventually win (ask Max Mosely about that :wink: ).

It's a balance of risk I suppose and a good reason for using personal recommendations when looking for suppliers, where possible.

 

[biffvernon]

You're right, Flyfisher, but in my experience the timings are usually the other way round. I had an amusing case earlier this year with a customer who was very insistent on a tight time schedule with delivery by a certain date. When I rang him to say the windows were ready and arrange a delivery time he asked, rather sheepishly, whether I might store them for a couple of months because there wasn't actually a wall to put them in yet or a roof to cover them.

 

[Penners]

Fortunately, as they were presumably oak, you could just chuck them in the long grass and forget about them.

 

[biffvernon]

I would but the mice nibble the putty.