On 29 Apr 2016 22:06:04 GMT, Bob Eager wrote:

snip

A long time ago, we got quotes from Anglian, a local guy and someone
else. The local guy quoted a final (good) price and stuck to it.

We had fun with them. We arranged the seating so that the salesman
couldn't look at us both at once. Then we made it clear by words and
actions that we had equal input into the final decision (or made it
unclear who was driving the deal). A lot of head swivelling.

That's a god idea, make a sport of it, like I do with the solar panel,
PPI and 'Microsoft Windows' companies who call. ;-)

We also (more recently) has British Gas quote for a replacement boiler
(they had maintained and broken the old one). This was more for sport
than anything else.

;-)

When the man arrived, I told him he had exactly half an hour (he said
"are you going out, then?" and I replied just that he had half an hour.

weg

I
also told him no decision would be made that day.

More wind out of his sails.

I challenged his sizing
of the boiler (I had worked it out at 24kW, and he said 18kW).

(Probably to make the deal cheaper as he probably realised you weren't
a pushover?)

And a few
other things. After all the 'discounts', he quoted £3400 for flush,
boiler and some TRVs. I got an excellent job from the local man for £1900
(replaced all the valves, not just the TRVs); to be fair, I ended up
doing the sparks on that one to save time - it was cold!

And at least you know that bit was done properly. ;-)

Cheers, T i m