We are building a front wall which is to have a window in it, and have
been thinking about which double-glazing company to go to for the window
or maybe to fit it ourselves. We have had trouble getting a quote from
some companies.

One company was perfectly fine, my Dad went to the showroom and gave
them the specifications and they looked up on their computer and gave a
price.

However, two door-to-door companies have said that they will only give a
quote if both home-owners are present. The latter sales representative
even said that it was the law that both should be present when the quote
is given. This sounds quite suspicious. I understand that to make a
contract to do the work would require both my Mum and Dad to be present.
Why, I wonder, should both have to be present before a quote can be
given? Is this really the law?





--
Posted via Mailgate.ORG Server - http://www.Mailgate.ORG

In article lgate.org,
Lee Hanken wrote:
However, two door-to-door companies have said that they will only give a
quote if both home-owners are present. The latter sales representative
even said that it was the law that both should be present when the quote
is given. This sounds quite suspicious. I understand that to make a
contract to do the work would require both my Mum and Dad to be present.
Why, I wonder, should both have to be present before a quote can be
given? Is this really the law?

This is standard practice and nothing do with law, everything to do with
psychology. If your spouse is not there, there is a very strong likelihood
that you will tell the salesman that you are not willing to sign until you
have discussed it with them. He knows that in the cold light of day his
unrepeatable bargain offer ("I don't know what my boss will say when I tell
him what a great deal I'm giving you" - yeah right) will not seem such a
bargain to you, let alone your spouse who hasn't had the sales pitch. So he
wants both of you there, so you've not got any excuse not to sign, also of
course he can play you off against one another ("I can see, Lee, that your
wife really loves this kitchen. I'm sure you think she deserves the best")

--
Tony Bryer SDA UK 'Software to build on' http://www.sda.co.uk
Free SEDBUK boiler database browser http://www.sda.co.uk/qsedbuk.htm
[Latest version QSEDBUK 1.10 released 4 April 2005]

Lee Hanken wrote:
We are building a front wall which is to have a window in it, and have
been thinking about which double-glazing company to go to for the window
or maybe to fit it ourselves. We have had trouble getting a quote from
some companies.

One company was perfectly fine, my Dad went to the showroom and gave
them the specifications and they looked up on their computer and gave a
price.

However, two door-to-door companies have said that they will only give a
quote if both home-owners are present. The latter sales representative
even said that it was the law that both should be present when the quote
is given. This sounds quite suspicious. I understand that to make a
contract to do the work would require both my Mum and Dad to be present.
Why, I wonder, should both have to be present before a quote can be
given? Is this really the law?

Why would both people be required to be present, or even sign the
contract for the work? Unless a loan was being taken out in both
parties names, I cannot see why either party could not sign just for
themselves. How different is it to having central heating put in, or
anything else?

I believe the reason most companies want both parties there, is so they
can avoid the "Sorry, I can't make a decision until my husband/wife gets
home" scenario and into the "My boss says I can cut the price by 99% -
down to just £10k, but you'll have to sign up today." plan. Also, they
can see both their reactions and objections etc and possibly play them
against each other - eg. when wife thinks its a great idea, but hubby is
less certain, they can build up the wife, confirming that she's having a
great idea and making the most of those points, and putting pressure on
hubby, possibly making it seem like he's disappointing his wife if he
doesn't go for it.

As far as I know, it's not a legal requirement for both parties to be
there, neither is it (or should be) a requirement for both parties to
sign the contract - although I must admit, I do believe that (morally?)
both parties should (between themselves) agree to the work - imagine
coming home from a business trip in Europe to find your lovely hardwood
frames replaced with fake-wood UPVC windows - "Just think of the time
you'll save from having to maintain them - that friendly chap from Dodge
& Hide Windows was very helpful don't you think?"

D

In article lgate.org,
Lee Hanken wrote:
We are building a front wall which is to have a window in it, and have
been thinking about which double-glazing company to go to for the window
or maybe to fit it ourselves. We have had trouble getting a quote from
some companies.

One company was perfectly fine, my Dad went to the showroom and gave
them the specifications and they looked up on their computer and gave a
price.

However, two door-to-door companies have said that they will only give a
quote if both home-owners are present.

Avoid door to door salesmen for everything. Anyone who has to trudge the
streets ain't up to much, these days.

Find a local company that has been around a while.

--
*He who laughs last has just realised the joke.

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

In article ae429f752b7cfcc68fee8de69136d109.28973
@mygate.mailgate.org, "Lee Hanken" says...
We are building a front wall which is to have a window in it, and have
been thinking about which double-glazing company to go to for the window
or maybe to fit it ourselves. We have had trouble getting a quote from
some companies.

One company was perfectly fine, my Dad went to the showroom and gave
them the specifications and they looked up on their computer and gave a
price.

However, two door-to-door companies have said that they will only give a
quote if both home-owners are present. The latter sales representative
even said that it was the law that both should be present when the quote
is given. This sounds quite suspicious. I understand that to make a
contract to do the work would require both my Mum and Dad to be present.
Why, I wonder, should both have to be present before a quote can be
given? Is this really the law?

They don't, but the salesman knows he's likely wasting his time if
the other spouse isn't subjected to his brainwashing^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H
sales pitch. Contracts agreed other than on business premises have a
cooling off period, and when prospective buyer tells significant
other about the deal, significant other will be unimpressed and tell
them to cancel.

On Mon, 13 Jun 2005 17:43:25 UTC, David Hearn
wrote:

I believe the reason most companies want both parties there, is so they
can avoid the "Sorry, I can't make a decision until my husband/wife gets
home" scenario and into the "My boss says I can cut the price by 99% -
down to just œ10k, but you'll have to sign up today." plan. Also, they
can see both their reactions and objections etc and possibly play them
against each other - eg. when wife thinks its a great idea, but hubby is
less certain, they can build up the wife, confirming that she's having a
great idea and making the most of those points, and putting pressure on
hubby, possibly making it seem like he's disappointing his wife if he
doesn't go for it.

One fun thing is to position the seating so that it's impossible for the
salesman to look at both of you at the same time, i.e. If salesman is S,
and husband and wife are H and W respectively, make the angle H-S-W a
good deal more than 90 degrees.

Some years ago we invited several companies into the house, and laid out
the room in advance so that this would happen. They were obviously
unsettled; the salesman for the company we went for (who were a lot
cheaper with their initial price but then would not budge on price) was
least fazed...

In article , Tony Bryer
wrote:

This is standard practice and nothing do with law, everything to do with
psychology. If your spouse is not there, there is a very strong likelihood
that you will tell the salesman that you are not willing to sign until you
have discussed it with them. He knows that in the cold light of day his
unrepeatable bargain offer ("I don't know what my boss will say when I tell
him what a great deal I'm giving you" - yeah right) will not seem such a
bargain to you, let alone your spouse who hasn't had the sales pitch. So he
wants both of you there, so you've not got any excuse not to sign, also of
course he can play you off against one another ("I can see, Lee, that your
wife really loves this kitchen. I'm sure you think she deserves the best")

Straight from the pages of American Salesmasters?


--
AJL Electronics (G6FGO) Ltd : Satellite and TV aerial systems
http://www.classicmicrocars.co.uk : http://www.ajlelectronics.co.uk

I still like Peter Parry's description of the three written quotations
discussed here
some five years ago: http://tinyurl.com/9qo54
In fact, having done some googling here on uk.d-i-y the notion of the
seating
arrangement mentioned above has been previously covered too!

Mungo

"Lee Hanken" wrote in message
news:ae429f752b7cfcc68fee8de69136d109.28973@mygate .mailgate.org...
We are building a front wall which is to have a window in it, and have
been thinking about which double-glazing company to go to for the window
or maybe to fit it ourselves. We have had trouble getting a quote from
some companies.

One company was perfectly fine, my Dad went to the showroom and gave
them the specifications and they looked up on their computer and gave a
price.

However, two door-to-door companies have said that they will only give a
quote if both home-owners are present. The latter sales representative
even said that it was the law that both should be present when the quote
is given. This sounds quite suspicious. I understand that to make a
contract to do the work would require both my Mum and Dad to be present.
Why, I wonder, should both have to be present before a quote can be
given? Is this really the law?



It's absolute rubbish - a complete yarn spun to get both parties present so
that they can exercise their High Pressure Sales 101 training on you.

Unless, that is, they are insisting that the only way to pay for it is to
take out a finance agreement with them secured on the house...

If you really, really still want quotes from high pressure door-to-door or
national sellers, then arrange a time & say that both parties should be able
to be present.

Then, just make sure one of you is out when they actually call round, and
the other party needs to tell them that they only get one shot at this &
they need to leave a realistic quote for consideration.


--
Richard Sampson

mail me at
richard at olifant d-ot co do-t uk

Lee Hanken wrote:
We are building a front wall which is to have a window in it, and have
been thinking about which double-glazing company to go to for the window
or maybe to fit it ourselves. We have had trouble getting a quote from
some companies.

One company was perfectly fine, my Dad went to the showroom and gave
them the specifications and they looked up on their computer and gave a
price.

However, two door-to-door companies have said that they will only give a
quote if both home-owners are present. The latter sales representative
even said that it was the law that both should be present when the quote
is given. This sounds quite suspicious. I understand that to make a
contract to do the work would require both my Mum and Dad to be present.
Why, I wonder, should both have to be present before a quote can be
given? Is this really the law?


If a company has decent products at sensible prices, they'll advertise
in the usual way. Why would they emlpoy people at x per hour to tudge
up and down streets on the offchance?

Think about it, any product sold door to door is either a dud or
overpriced. Selling door to door adds significant costs.

Frankly I would not buy from cold callers on moral grounds. And
inviting strangers in off the street? Um, no.


NT

In article
. com, wrote:
Why would they emlpoy people at x per hour to tudge
up and down streets on the offchance?

The sort of people we are discussing don't trudge on the
offchance - if you look at the job ads it will say something
like "qualified leads only" - and one of the qualifying
questions will be "will you and your wife/husband both be at
home?". They don't get paid x per hour, probably 0 per hour, but
10% base on what they sell - which can amount to serious money
if you've got what it takes.

Why employ them: if you can get £12K for an £8K kitchen you'd be
happy to give £1,200 to the guy who makes it possible.

--
Tony Bryer SDA UK 'Software to build on' http://www.sda.co.uk
Free SEDBUK boiler database browser
http://www.sda.co.uk/qsedbuk.htm
[Latest version QSEDBUK 1.10 released 4 April 2005]

Tony Bryer wrote:

explanation snipped

Why employ them: if you can get =A312K for an =A38K kitchen you'd be
happy to give =A31,200 to the guy who makes it possible.

Theres the problem from the customers POV, anything you buy will be
overpriced. Buy elsewhere.

NT

In message , Tony Bryer
writes
The sort of people we are discussing don't trudge on the offchance - if
you look at the job ads it will say something like "qualified leads
only" -

Er? Yeah? Right?

Friend of mine took a job with a DG firm a while ago and found herself
trudging the streets to appointments made with people who didnt want to
see her. Clearly, the telephone salespeople are paid based upon the
number of appointments made, so the quality of the appointments is bound
to be as suspect as the product.

--
Richard Faulkner

BeeJay wrote:
On Mon, 13 Jun 2005 17:18:14 +0000 (UTC), "Lee Hanken"
wrote:

Double glazing companies want you to make a decision on the spot.

So do carpet salesmen! I nipped in to a carpet shed yesterday on the
strength of an advert for sale ending yesterday (as I need to buy a
carpet very shortly anyway), only to find that the special offer didn't
apply to the carpet I was interested in. As I turned to walk out, I got
the 'hang on let's see what we can do' treatment, which resulted in a
the offer of a quite healthy discount '... but only if you buy it today
because the sale ends tonight' 'But this carpet isn't in the sale'
'Errrrrrr yes but no but yes but no.......'

(I didn't buy it, by the way!)

David