Double glazing guarantees

Claim on your household insurance?

 

Thats the double-whammy. You pay the excess, then pay extra for future policies.

 

I enrolled with WHICH magazine Legal Services ( cost me about £12) when Expedia
wouldn't meet a claim for a disrupted holiday in Ostend ( drunken English lads on a Stag night).
A top Barrister phoned me up and instructed me what to do. I followed his advice and after initially
refusing to entertain any claim, they paid me out. I think there must be something under the Sales
of Goods Act 1972, that should give you recourse. Also I would think about complaining to the
Window Industry Trade body FENSA. They should be able to advise you.


https://www.which.co.uk/reviews/dou...lazing/your-rights-when-buying-double-glazing

 

I’d also try trading standards, surely this falls under under stuff like goods or being ‘ fit for purpose’

 

Just another thought FR. Have a look on the spacer bar and see if you can spot the name of the
Double Glazed Unit manufactures name. It should appear in ink jet form on the metal together with
the dimensions of the pane. Contact them and ask who's glass they use, viz: Pilkington, St Gobain or
any other. Once you have that information give them a ring or better still, write to them and complain
about the material used. During the recent hot spell, our youngest son called to see me following my recent
hip operation. His Mum had locked our gates, so he had to knock on the front window. He said it was absolutely
red hot and moved when he touched it. When he got indoors, he checked the interior pane, which was rigid.
Our windows were only fitted in March of this year, so I phoned the Contractor ( Dewsbury Glass). They told me,
the profile is Veka ( German) and the DGU's are Pilkington Glass and the units are specifically designed to do
exactly what they had done re- become pliable in high temperatures thus removing the risk of breaking, as a result of any expansion/ contraction. There must be something wrong to cause the interior pane to shatter. I would definitely have a stab at trying to " shame" the glass manufacturer into rectifying the situation, before I shelled out for a new hermetically sealed replacement unit. Good luck mate.

 

Did you pay, or part pay, on a credit card? If so, when you've gone through the independent expert route, if that's got nowhere with the company, refer your claim to them. Easier than going through the small claims court. Worked for me against the might of Carfone Warehouse.

 

I would suspect somewhere in the small print it says glass is not covered from expansion etc and they would blame it on excessive heat on window causing the gas to expand.
No harm in trying the manufacturer as suggested alternatively
If you go to a local glazier (not window company) you could probably pick one up for around £100.

 

contact the Ombudsman matey... I am sure they will be more than interested.

 

If you can be bothered with the battle, trading standards, contacting the glass manufacturer directly, etc are all options.
However, these are ridiculously easy to change yourself, and considerably cheaper to buy a replacement glass panel than you might think.
I had similar happen 3-4 years since. Popped the old pane out so the intact outer pane and spacer bars could be used as a template, nipped it down to a local window firm (this was Stairfoot, but obviously not viable for you), took them 5 minutes to make, and the price was quoted as 'three bacon sarnies', so a tenner.
It genuinely is scary how easy it is to pop the plastic glass beads out though. My old house had external beads and remember someone showing me how easy it would be to break into a house using a teaspoon!!

 

id go one last try and say it their choice - either just come and replace the glass and inspect the frame to check it wont happen again, or you get an independant company in and if they find its the frame at fault you will come after them for damages and publicise their shoddy customer service.

If they dont budge just chalk fek on it and sort it yaself - might cost 40-50 sheets maybe a bit more depending on size but not worth the hassle.

 

I work for a window firm and the glass has a different guarantee to the windows, as do the mechanisms that make the windows work. The window company will count a guarantee on the windows as the profile they’re made from and the operation of it.

A new glass unit probably won’t cost a fortune but depending on size could be anything from £50 to £150

 

It's open to argument.

Anything sold is covered by the sale and goods act.

Basically everything sold should last a reasonable length of time.

The argument is whether or not 2 years is reasonable. Warranties just make it easier to deal with.

And he bought it off the company not the manufacturer. So his contract is with that company. Being referred to a manufacturer by anyone is just passing the buck

 

I`ve had this problem the bathroom window fogged up, I contacted the window installer he told me that the glass wasn`t covered by the 10 year guarantee but only the frames
it cost me £70 to replace the window

 

Just a note that Fensa aren't a trade body and would only respond if the installers originally used were a member of their CPS

 

I think this has gone a bit OTT.

Glazing units are cheap to replace anyway. I’ve had one go recently, and as a gesture of goodwill, they fitted it free of charge. Windows were 13 month old. I would have paid if not anyway.

I accept the break as I understand the issues DGU have under extreme heat, and know this isn’t covered under a guarantee. So what they did for me was good customer service. Mind you, is was a smaller unit.

Claiming off your Home insurance is daft, as the windows are not that dear - and unless you have accidental damage cover, they won’t be covered anyway.

Why do people think you should try and shame companies into doing things when you’re not entitled to it, and the guarantee states that?

 

FR was asking for advice on the grounds that he was annoyed at having to shell out for what he perceives
to probably be a manufacturing flaw in the assembly of the DGU. The profit margins in the PVCu Window industry
are quite healthy. Cost of extruding an average sized window is around £12 and the glass units are pretty cheap
to make as well, so I can understand why Farnham Red is a bit miffed in paying out for something that has broken
down in a relatively short space of time.

 

It’s annoying I agree - been through it myself. But if the warranty stipulates it’s not covered, then that’s that.

My point is why try to name and shame a company for simply sticking to T&Cs? Yes they could offer a goodwill gesture - such as fit for free etc, but 24 months has passed since they were fitted.

I’m not having a dig - just saying. And insurance claim is pointless. Far cheaper and easier to pay for new DGU - like you say, cheap enough. Also claim might only be covered if accidental cover was paid.