How To Deal With UPVC Windows Sales Reps

Everybody has heard about or read about someone being harassed and harangued by a door to door salesman more often than not selling uPVC windows. It is a shame because uPVC windows are a great product. uPVC lasts longer than timber frame windows; they are better for security because they have multi-point locking systems; and, they can save you up to 20% on your winter heating bills. You can get uPVC bay and sash windows, as well as French windows, patio windows and whole conservatories made of uPVC. All in all uPVC windows have a lot to recommend themselves. It is such a shame that the same cannot be said for uPVC and double glazing salesmen.

Below, I’m going to list some of the standard tricks employed by double glazing salesmen and what you should do to get a fair price. The reason why you have to be so on your guard is that these salesmen are often on zero basic salary. They get 10% of a sale and often a whopping 60% of anything over the standard price they can wrangle out of you.

The first thing they will do is stay a long time. The norm is two hours. From the beginning you should set a deadline for the end of the sales pitch. Don’t be afraid to lie, you know they aren’t. Next make them sit on a hard backed chair and not the sofa. Do not offer them anything to drink beyond tap water. The salesperson will start off with a lot of small talk designed to figure out how much you are worth. Questions about your holidays, your car, your mortgage, your house value are all ways of finding out how much you can spend. Just lie (“We go to a caravan park for our hols”) or tell them directly that you are not going to talk about your personal life. It is always a good idea to keep them on track and not let them wonder off onto other topics.

As soon as possible tell the sales rep how many windows and doors you want and give them the measurements for these doors. Don’t let them start wandering around your house with a tape measure. Ask quickly for a price. The first price will be outrageously high. Just by saying ‘no thank you’ the scams will come pouring out. The sales rep will have a whole armory of bogus discounts. They are:

1) I’m the manager and I don’t need a commission.
2) If you let us put up a sign outside your house you can get a discount.
3) You live next to a noisy road so you can get a discount.
4) You live near a school so you can get a discount.
5) The ‘sweep’ is a classic way to close. The sales rep beats out a price with you, but then doesn’t make you sign anything. A few days later someone from the company will phone you claiming to want to check on the performance of their sales rep: their manners, professionalism etc. You seem impressed with the thoroughness of a company which checks up on their staff. At the end of the fake assessment they will offer you the same price as the sales rep. You think you are dealing with a reputable uPVC windows company and agree to the price. Deal done.
6) This is a limited offer discount. If you don’t agree quickly the offer will expire.
7) We are giving a discount to the first person in this street to have uPVC windows installed with our company.

The list could go on and on. There are no limits to the amount of bogus reasons why you can get a discount. They are all bogus. If the sales rep goes off to call his manager he’s probably phoning his girlfriend or the speaking clock. It is all an act.

The standard price for a uPVC or vinyl window of average size is about £400. Any salesman that starts off with a quotation of £21,000 and then goes down to £4,200 after you repeatedly claim the price is too expensive is not playing a straight game. They should have completely lost your trust at this point. If you really want to stay with the same company don’t commit on the spot. Once the price has been offered it should be available a week or even two weeks later. Remember they need your sale, whereas, there are many uPVC windows companies for you to choose from.

The final ploy by the sales rep is to agree to your price if you take their financing deal. This is money to the sales rep. He or she will get £100 for setting it up. Be sure to read the small print before signing up. Over 18 months you pay a lot more. There is normally a penalty clause for paying off the financing early. This penalty clause is usually around 2%. Still it is worth paying off the loan as soon as possible because you still save money on interest despite the penalty clause.

After reading this you are probably thinking that you really don’t want a sales rep in or anywhere near your house. I don’t blame you. What they do is despicable. Having a family to feed is a poor excuse in my opinion. Being a sales rep is not the only job available. The alternative is to look on the internet for sites that do online quotations. This takes the hassle out of inquiring for prices. Do plenty of research, get several on line quotes. If it all seems too much then call in a rep. Not only that, call a local company for a quote. Often smaller, more local businesses have a reputation to maintain.

Another good idea is just to approach someone else on your street with uPVC windows and ask them where they got them and how much they cost. Like you, they probably despise manipulating, lying, fast-talking sales reps and will be happy to advise you.

The last piece of advice I can give you is to look at the rep’s hands and clothes. There are those that do, and know what they are talking about. These people have hardened hands from physical work and probably don’t wear the sharpest suits and flashiest shirts. And there are those who merely talk a good game and are simply middle men looking to position themselves between you and the product you want in order to take some of your money.

I was going to add more links for good online quotation sites but I've noticed that most of the companies won't give quotes without you filling out forms stating your telephone number and address. Rest assured if you do they will phone you or sell on your info. to another uPVC windows company that will pick up the baton and run with it. I've read about people that have had to change their phone numbers after giving it to uPVC windows companies.