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You have my sympathies - it's stressfull enough having a young child & all the associated terror that brings without having things like this hanging over you too, but stick with it - if you don't it'll drive you mental every time you look at it.
Having been messed around by companies like this before, there's no point in being nice - they really couldn't give a shit, unfortunately you usually have to go for the nuclear option & work back from there - it's good that you haven't paid them, don't until you're completely happy.
Email them with a factual account of the experience to date, but make it sound as bad as possible (young child in the house, broken glass everywhere etc. etc.), state that you gave them the opportunity to fix the original damage & the repair is unsatisfactory and has in fact caused further damage and the only acceptable outcome is them replacing the door with a new, undamaged one & you'll be more than happy to pay the full price. Tell them to stick their £25 discount (up their arse) - keep records of everything & communicate via email to leave a trace of all correspondance. Mention trading standards, they love that.
Good luck!
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mcJ78
What are peoples thoughts on the situation below?
Had a new front front door fitted, ordered from a local/ well established company so figured we were in good hands. Ordered the door back in mid April with a 8-10 week lead time and were told it could be fitted as soon as it arrived with them - great stuff. After 10 weeks we chased them, door delayed. Fast forward to early August and door is finally at their workshop, ready for fitting. Fitters turn up, lo and behold one of the two window panes is smashed. (that's one layer of a double glazed unit rather than just a hole for fresh air to flow in). Fitters couldn't tell me if it had happened in the van or beforehand, but we agree to have the door fitted and they would order a new window unit. (In hindsight I should've rejected the door but a head full of other things to worry about got the better of me and in it went). Leaving us with a mushy window which I inevitably put my hand through pushing the door open while carrying in the shopping. (No injury but we then had fragments of glass everywhere and I had to get busy with some parcel tape to avoid further glass falling out - again I should've told the fitters to make it safe but dare I say I thought they might think to do that themselves..)
A couple of weeks later (on a Friday) we called them to chase up the glass unit and were told it had arrived - a call would've been nice but hey ho. They said they would come the following Thursday to fit and my partner told them they needed to come ahead of this date to do something about the shattered glass which by this point was spreading bits all over our drive. They agreed and said they would come on the Monday to sort the glass between 08:00 and 08:30.
Monday morning came around and they didn't show and to be honest by this point I was getting bored of calling them so I left it to see if they would get in touch. Wednesday came around and I figured they weren't going to call so I got in touch and they said they'd turned up before 8 and there was no one in so they left. No follow up call, no attempt to contact us on our mobiles (they have both of our numbers), just left. We have a walk in the morning hence we weren't there to see them arrive early but we arrived back a little before 8 so they must've got here and left pretty sharpish. I asked if they were still coming tomorrow and 'apparently' my partner hadn't told them to come ahead of time to remove the broken glass but in fact the fitting of the new glass had been moved forward to this date(the Monday), this is simply not true.
They then said they could fit the glass the next day (Friday), again between 08:00 and 08:30. With my best 'lets just get this over with' voice I agreed and well, yet again they didn't turn up. 09:00 and the fitters called to say they got stuck on another job and would be round late morning/ lunchtime. I'm sure you're reading this and wondering why I didn't simply implode but honestly it had gone beyond a joke and I just wanted it done. Spoiler alert, they didn't arrive by lunch either! I then called and the unconcerned man on the other end said he too had been trying to reach the fitters (sure) and said they would be with us at 15:00.
15:00 - we have fitters!
30 mins later and after listening to what I can only describe as someone struggling to beat a window unit out of a door, we had a new window fitted. After they left I took a closer look at the work done and of course it wasn't great. A couple of small nicks in the front door finish and the unit itself had been installed slightly in the wonk. I mean they're minor points but its a new door so we expected it to look 'new'.
I promise we're nearing the end of this saga, hang on in there.
Jumping ahead to today and of course their communication has improved now that they're chasing payment so I voiced my concerns about all of the above and they said they would come and touch up the marks in the door and knocking £25 off the £1350 price was 'the best he could do'. No apologies for all the hassle, delays, lack of communication. And to top it all off the fitters borrowed our dustpan and brush to do some tidying (they left oodles of glass everywhere anyway) and took it with them so they owe us a new one, maybe this is what the £25 is for?
TL:DR Absolute shit show of a customer experience buying a new front door and a company with zero empathy or understanding of why we want a discount off the door.
In my mind I want to push this and either get more money off or a new replacement door which hasn't been beaten with a hammer. On the other hand I think I'm on the cusp of a breakdown. A new job, 6 month old baby and just finding out our hot water tank needs replacing makes me think I should just pay up and move on.
Thanks for reading, I am quite sure this makes no sense.