Payment terms for new windows

[Lin]

Is there any good forum advice regarding T&C's for payments to Ltd companies in advance ?

 

Anyone negotiated these ?

 

I am wary of handing over thousadds of pound in advance to Ltd companies before anything actually arrives. Anyone who has paid and lost to a company that suddenly goes into administration will know why. I can also see the other side though.

 

[Hecateh]

Credit card???

[lizzie]

I was very nervous about my windows.

 

I always try to use CC for deposits as it gives some security but window company would not take credit card.  I paid them deposit of more than £15k by bacs and when a few months later we found out the manager had been sacked and he had not put my order in to window supplier, fortunately they acknowledged my money was in their bank but I was still very very worried. 

 

However we got windows in the end but it was very stressful. If  you can pay by credit card then that is the best way for peace of mind.                          

Edited March 1, 2018 by lizzie
typo

[Hecateh]

I can understand companies not wanting to take large payments by credit card but they should have the facility set up to take smaller deposits this way with the remainder paid by bacs.

 

However, care would need to be taken as I suspect some would use a third party (izettle or similar or even PayPal) and there have been cases where when payment has been collected through a third party cover is not provided.

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/cards/2017/04/revealed-section-75-credit-card-protection-may-fail-due-to-payment-processing-loophole---shoppers-beware

[ToughButterCup]

Mmmm. Mine were paid direct. Gaulhofer didn't offer credit card payment. (They may do now, though) Thing is with Austrian 'correctness', while a pain at some levels, its kind of reassuring.

And to all the accountants and members here who've been burned screaming in the background 'You idiot' , I say. Yes. I was.

[JamesP]

I have just been asked for the next interim payment for windows and doors. Its the big one and have asked to see all the units before I pay this bill. They could go into admin anytime. Not sure how I could protect myself.

I did pay the deposit on CC, they did grumble a bit.

[Mr Punter]

A while ago we spent £12k with AM Profiles who went into receivership.  They made and shipped all the stuff the week before, for which I am very grateful.

 

By contrast, I recently paid Contour Aluminium for some copings by pro forma.  They spent ages fobbing me off and eventually went skint, only to re-emerge later as Contour Heating and leaving me £2,200 out of pocket.  They don't do copings now though.  Are they scumbags, perhaps?

[lizzie]

  On 01/03/2018 at 13:06, JamesP said:

I have just been asked for the next interim payment for windows and doors. Its the big one and have asked to see all the units before I pay this bill. They could go into admin anytime. Not sure how I could protect myself.

I did pay the deposit on CC, they did grumble a bit.

Expand  

COD or faster bank payment on delivery perhaps? Once you have the goods if they go bust you can get someone else to fit.  Windows are a big stress on any build.

[Gone West]

  On 01/03/2018 at 15:58, Mr Punter said:

A while ago we spent £12k with AM Profiles who went into receivership.

Expand  

We looked at AM Profiles years ago when we were looking at windows, they looked good, they quoted for us but ceased trading before we placed an order.

[Alexphd1]

Not really relevant to OP but +1 Windows are biggest stress of build! 

[Lin]

Several local UPVC companies in my area do not take any payment before the work is done; a very attractive characteristic right now.

[Lin]

  On 01/03/2018 at 12:55, recoveringacademic said:

Mmmm. Mine were paid direct. Gaulhofer didn't offer credit card payment. (They may do now, though) Thing is with Austrian 'correctness', while a pain at some levels, its kind of reassuring.

And to all the accountants and members here who've been burned screaming in the background 'You idiot' , I say. Yes. I was.

Expand  

 

This may sound daft but I am not so concerned about paying money to an established manufacturer; it's the distributors that concern me more.

[TheMitchells]

  On 02/03/2018 at 09:58, Lin said:

Several local UPVC companies in my area do not take any payment before the work is done; a very attractive characteristic right now.

Expand  

same here - I used Distinguished windows (a local firm) for the ones in our current houses.  They only took payment after the windows were fitted.  I liked the company, the workman were very clean, polite and the jobs seemed to be done very well.  And they were half the price of that well known double glazed company with the feather on TV.

[lizzie]

  On 02/03/2018 at 10:15, Lin said:

This may sound daft but I am not so concerned about paying money to an established manufacturer; it's the distributors that concern me more.

Expand  

You cannot deal with or pay Internorm direct sadly you have no choice but to go through a distributor.