Tweet
hi all.
I am writing this with an intention of gaining some advice for my mother.
My mother lives alone and was after getting a new back door for her home. she intended to get a number of quotes from different companies and the first company she dealt with was SafeStyle UK. a sales representative came round to see her at around half 6 at night. he spent some time with her showing what the company offered and gave her quotes. she repeatedly stated she was just after quotes and would be speaking to other companies. the salesman said that was fine but in order to get the deal she would need to sign a contract with a 7 or 14 day cooling off (one of the two) period as well as paying the initial £60 surveyor fee.
she said that she felt uncomfortable paying the £60 fee and the salesman said that was fine and that she could pay that another day if she still signed the initial contract. she signed and a date for the surveyor to visit was agreed. with a 5 hour window on the afternoon as to when he would arrive.
having thought it over she later decided to cancel the contract as she was no longer looking to use their services. however she had run over the cooling off period. this is when the bullying began..
my mother rang the company and was told that she was no longer able to cancel the contract and she would have to pay the surveyor fee along with the full fee for the fitting and installation. every time she tried to speak to them they simply responded that she was in a breach of contract and they would see her in court. when she finally spoke to a manager she told him that she no longer wanted the door but he said she had to and if not he would see her in court.
on the day of the surveyors visit my mum took the afternoon off work as he could have arrived any time between 12 and 6. however he never showed up and she received no calls from either the surveyor or the company. we thought that this was the end of it. my mother then sent a letter to the company outlining that she wanted to cancel the contract.
today however (14 days later) she received a letter from a manager of the firm stating that she had 7 days to agree to the contract or face legal action being taken against her. this upset her so i phoned the manager who sent the letter on the number he provided. i explained that she no longer wanted the door and that because the surveyor did not show up we presumed that was the end of it. he said that if i wanted to act like a lawyer that was fine and he would see us in court. he stated that he had told the surveyor not to turn up on the day as the moment my mother called to cancel she was in breech of contract. something she was never told. he then said because i had called he was going to start the court proceedings tomorrow morning and then said that because he was a nice person he would give me 48 hours to get my 'legal facts right'. she was then phoned by another employee telling her that i had called them (she was stood right next to me). this employee however told her that the surveyor had been sent out and that it was her word against theirs. (something they have said on a number of occasions).
the reason i have written this is to just get advice. either from someone who has experienced this before or from someone with a legal background. i can think of nothing worse than my mother paying this company any money after the way they have treated her. i feel like they are using bullying tactics in an attempt to get her to cave in.
thanks for reading.
I am writing this with an intention of gaining some advice for my mother.
My mother lives alone and was after getting a new back door for her home. she intended to get a number of quotes from different companies and the first company she dealt with was SafeStyle UK. a sales representative came round to see her at around half 6 at night. he spent some time with her showing what the company offered and gave her quotes. she repeatedly stated she was just after quotes and would be speaking to other companies. the salesman said that was fine but in order to get the deal she would need to sign a contract with a 7 or 14 day cooling off (one of the two) period as well as paying the initial £60 surveyor fee.
she said that she felt uncomfortable paying the £60 fee and the salesman said that was fine and that she could pay that another day if she still signed the initial contract. she signed and a date for the surveyor to visit was agreed. with a 5 hour window on the afternoon as to when he would arrive.
having thought it over she later decided to cancel the contract as she was no longer looking to use their services. however she had run over the cooling off period. this is when the bullying began..
my mother rang the company and was told that she was no longer able to cancel the contract and she would have to pay the surveyor fee along with the full fee for the fitting and installation. every time she tried to speak to them they simply responded that she was in a breach of contract and they would see her in court. when she finally spoke to a manager she told him that she no longer wanted the door but he said she had to and if not he would see her in court.
on the day of the surveyors visit my mum took the afternoon off work as he could have arrived any time between 12 and 6. however he never showed up and she received no calls from either the surveyor or the company. we thought that this was the end of it. my mother then sent a letter to the company outlining that she wanted to cancel the contract.
today however (14 days later) she received a letter from a manager of the firm stating that she had 7 days to agree to the contract or face legal action being taken against her. this upset her so i phoned the manager who sent the letter on the number he provided. i explained that she no longer wanted the door and that because the surveyor did not show up we presumed that was the end of it. he said that if i wanted to act like a lawyer that was fine and he would see us in court. he stated that he had told the surveyor not to turn up on the day as the moment my mother called to cancel she was in breech of contract. something she was never told. he then said because i had called he was going to start the court proceedings tomorrow morning and then said that because he was a nice person he would give me 48 hours to get my 'legal facts right'. she was then phoned by another employee telling her that i had called them (she was stood right next to me). this employee however told her that the surveyor had been sent out and that it was her word against theirs. (something they have said on a number of occasions).
the reason i have written this is to just get advice. either from someone who has experienced this before or from someone with a legal background. i can think of nothing worse than my mother paying this company any money after the way they have treated her. i feel like they are using bullying tactics in an attempt to get her to cave in.
thanks for reading.
I am so sorry for your mother's situation. Although I think that what your mother has experienced is undoubtedly wrong and have every sympathy, I don't have the legal expertise you have asked for. Someone who does will be along as soon possible - you have come to the right place!
Comment