Our problem
We paid a deposit of almost £10K in June. We signed off on final production details 10th July. Our windows were promised to us verbally and in writing in maximum 8 weeks.
Today, after being at 13 weeks, apparently 55% done and no delivery date in sight, my wife and I decided to create this blog.
Lessons Learned
I'm writing this blog to share our experiences with others. We probably made some mistakes, e.g.:
- not checking Companies House before proceeding with a company (two similarly named companies -- one of which in liquidation -- is a warning sign, and Adpol isn't the only UK window company satisfying this criterion).
- not double-checking that supplier/installer was in fact FENSA certified (yes, some window suppliers actually will do their own installs and are FENSA certified).
- not specifying from the outset in the contract the legaleeze that "time is of the essence" (yes, some window companies will agree to this)
- not ensuring that the contract contained clauses for late delivery -- not a penalty, but enough to cover e.g. extra scaffolding rental, etc. (yes, we have since learned that good window suppliers will agree to this in writing)
- in our case, we were ready to roll with all details confirmed on 22 windows 11 Jul 2012. There were 2 additional large windows which we didn't have sizes for yet because the structural steel opening hadn't been confirmed yet. Although we had a verbal and written understanding that the 22 windows would proceed immediately without waiting for the 2 additional ones, we paid a deposit towards a quote for all 24. We should have insisted on a separate quote for the first 22, so that no-one could play games and say that the clock didn't start until dimensions for all 24 windows were known
What It Will Mean For Us
Shortly our building contractor will need to close up the site as without the windows he can't proceed any further. This will *really* delay our renovation, since once he moves his guys to a new job, he'll need to finish that job before coming back to us. This is a bummer because we live in this house and it now has some holes in it:
As well as some rooms like my Son Sam's which we can't finish properly until the new windows arrive:
Letting the Quoted Emails Speak for Themselves
I've tried to attach all the relevant email conversations between us and Adpol's representatives, back-dating the blog post to the date of the quoted email so that the timeline is clear.
I've attempted to remain minimal in my commentary and let the quoted emails speak for themselves.
A word about the company and the people involved
Adpol was not the cheapest quote we received and I remain convinced based on the samples we have seen that their windows (once they arrive) will be of good quality.
My understanding is that the company faced difficult times during 2009 and 2010 because of contraction in the economy which led to several large orders not being paid. They were forced to downsize and lay people off. This has meant they closed their UK subsidiary (the liquidated company that used to also be a FENSA-registered installer). I believe that recently they have tried to ramp up production again.
One of the reasons we went with Adpol was the apparent responsiveness of Alex, their technical sales representative in the UK. Apparently she was perhaps a bit over-reaching with her estimate.
It would appear Alex has since moved on (or perhaps just moved on from us?), but her replacement in dealing with us, Marcin, has been very helpful.
I do not get the sense that Adpol are crooks, rather I believe there are some hard-working people trying to salvage/resurrect a company that faced tough times in this economic downturn.
Nevertheless, that doesn't help us get the windows we were promised...
Suggestions for Adpol
- Send us our windows, please!
- Seriously, though, advise your sales staff to make more honest statements about delivery times
- Update your Polish website so that it no longer mentions a defunct UK company
- Don't have your new UK sales office use the email addresses and domain of your defunct UK subsidiary
- Don't have your your UK website mention FENSA unless you are FENSA certified
- Send along a copy of full Terms & Conditions and Warranty along with sales contract, and make sure they are in the actual name of the current company, not a defunct liquidated company
- Don't present some 3rd party installer company as your own installer (e.g. allowing them to use your email address and introducing them as your colleague)
- Send us our windows, please!
Regards,
Michael
London, 07Oct2012