mike coughed up some electrons that declared:

I've just discovered that my mother has been robbed --- sorry, I mean
had her windows replaced --- by those bottom-feeding scum at Anglian.

In the gable end of her 1960's bungalow is a twelve foot long by six
foot high picture window. The replacement window (like the one it's
replaced) is in 3x four foot wide sections.

Since it was replaced a fortnight ago, a triangle of brickwork 12 foot
across by ten courses high has detached itself from the rest of the
wall along the mortar lines. At its widest, the gap that's opened up
is 6 to 7mm wide.

I imagine that, when confronted, they'll say that it just needs
repointing. Apart from looking crap if the mortar lines vary by up to
7mm, it seems to me that it needs a lintel installing and rebuilding
properly, and that they shouldn't have let this happen.

The original wooden window was replaced with UPVC by a local company
about 20 years ago and there was never any problem with moving
brickwork.

Also, if you rap lightly on the pane at one end, the pane at the other
wobbles visibly back and forth, suggesting the whole thing is as
flimsy as ****.

Am I worrying unnecessarily about this or does it need major building
work to correct?

Is it their responsibility?

AFAICS they've totally screwed it up without excuse. I would not be happy
unless the work was rectified and I don't mean stuffing some mortar in the
gap.

Is it worth contacting the BCO?

Maybe, especially for an opinion on the lack of proper support of the
brickwork.

1) Complaint to Anglian in writing and follow up with one phone call. If no
promise of action in 7 days;

2) Call FENSA. This is the professional body for fenestration work, akin to
CORGI (akin in the loosest possible way, but akin nonetheless).

3) Trading standards + local newspaper. Maybe Watchdog (is that still on) or
Rogue Traders. Use these threats as appropriate to expediate 1 + 2 if they
don't roll over immediately.

Can't promise a result, but it's what I'd do.

Additionally, around the nine windows and two doors they've replaced,
they've smashed bricks around every single opening. Prior to this,
the brickwork was in perfect condition - 40-odd years old, weathered
but whole and entire. Now there are great chunks missing out of the
bricks where some ape has used a crowbar. In some cases, there's a
third of the brick face missing and there're up to half a dozen bricks
damaged round each window. I can't see any way that these can ever be
repaired successfully. Sure you could drill them out and find
matching bricks but they'll still stand out. Is there any way this
eyesore can be minimised?

Again, am I being unreasonable in thinking that you could remove the
previous twenty-year old UPVC units cleanly by simply taking out the
sealed units and unscrewing the frames? Or cutting the silicone and
putting a hacksaw thru the fixings?

They've smashed the granite kitchen window sill that matched the
worktops.

They've also smashed half a dozen bathroom tiles and botched it by
covering the lower half of each side of the window reveal with a bit
of plastic fascia on which you can still see the saw marks.

The new kitchen door swings shut of its own accord.

And the completely out-of-place "wood-effect gothic" garage door (the
finish of which looks like it was sculpted by a paralytic chimp) which
was supposed to have darkened windows actually has windows that make
the contents visible to any passing scrote.

And I won't mention that they sold a remote controlled garage door
opener to a 75-year old disabled woman who doesn't drive or own a car.

I've just read the "guarantee" she was given - which is actually an
invitation to be added to mailing lists for everything from pet food
to Anglian's mortage advisory service. The guarantee is two years
(that's less than you'd get on a ten-quid radio at Aldi) and
specifically excludes things like weather damage (after all who's
going to leave their windows outside?) or settlement. There isn't
even a postal address - and of course you can't send recorded delivery
letters to a PO box.


Obviously, in an ideal world, everyone connected with this company
would be herded into a sports stadium and machine gunned but in
reality what's to be done? Is there any way of getting redress
against these vermin?

Include the whole lot in 1, 2 and 3 above.

Perhaps try uk.legal.moderated too.

Cheers

Tim