A mission to Fix the Double Glazing Industrys Rep
Compared with greedy bankers and recently disgraced Members of Parliament, the double glazing and conservatory industry’s poor reputation might seem like small potatoes. But it clings to the industry like a bad smell, making it harder for professional installers to sell at sensible margins. Even the Government is reluctant to support the window industry with the enthusiasm it supports cavity wall insulation and boilers in case rogues and cowboys benefit.
High pressure selling, dishonesty and bad installations are an easy target for the media, yet most installers are honest, professional and attentive to the needs of their customers.
But they compete with rogue installers and incompetent cowboys. And despite the many organisations that promise consumer protection few consumers get the protection they need or expect. That’s why the industry’s reputation is low and why we are all damaged by the scandals of the few.
Among consumers and installers there is confusion about what existing schemes actually do, as opposed to what they appear to do. Many installers are simply sceptical because until now no organisation or scheme has had the teeth to make a difference.
That’s what prompted me to engineer a scheme that would provide that protection, one that really does do ‘what it says on the tin’. The reactions to the scheme have been extremely enthusiastic from those who have seen and investigated it.
Rivals allege that the Double Glazing and Conservatory Ombudsman Scheme (DGCOS) is a front for selling Insurance Backed Guarantees (IBGs). But DGCOS is not an IBG provider and makes no profit from IBGs. Perhaps they are confused because we do insist that every customer of every member must have their deposits and guarantees covered via our approved provider. However while FENSA obliges installers to ‘offer’ an IBG to every retail customer, this leaves many customers without protection as they are not obliged to provide every customer with one.
The GGF, FENSA and other trade bodies supply various benefits to their members. Some are strong on technical issues, advice and representation; or help installers comply with Building Regulations. Others supply deposit protection and insurance policies to underwrite guarantees – which can be difficult to claim on when the customer really needs it.
In my investigations with installers over the past 13 years the same doubts have come up repeatedly. How are members vetted and policed? Has the organisation got the power to investigate disputes and protect the innocent? What ‘teeth’ has the body got to put wrongs right and ensure fair play?
Take this example. A consumer has a new conservatory. Finding problems the installer won’t put right, he asked the trade body for help. They offered optional conciliation. The member refused. The consumer asked for an inspection, which they had to pay for. The report proved that the consumer’s complaints were justified, but the installer still refused to fix the problems. The consumer asked for arbitration and offered to pay, but the installer refused. The consumer was left high and dry.
The organisation’s ultimate sanction is to revoke membership, but this is discretionary. If they are thrown out, they can join another body and buy another badge. Where is the British sense of fair play and justice?
Why hasn’t proper protection been available, until now? Most organisations are not set up to provide the protection that’s needed because they are not adequately funded and don’t have the judicial power to put wrongs right.
DGCOS was launched this year with an initial £1 million of funding raised with the help of RBS after four years extensive research and a two year pilot in the North of England. It protects consumers having double glazing, doors and conservatories installed. It can also protect installers from customers who refuse to pay or make unjustified complaints, and can stop legal costs spiraling out of control. In a first for the industry, companies can claim for unpaid contracts if the Ombudsman finds in favour of the installer and the customer refuses to pay. The DGCOS Compensation Fund will pay out all bona fide claims to installers.
The Ombudsman Scheme enables quality installers to give homeowners real peace of mind with deposit protection insurance, work-in-progress insurance and an insurance-backed guarantee that actually means something.
Homeowners who use DGCOS installers get free access to professional mediators, independent inspectors, a legally binding dispute resolution service and a Compensation Fund to honour awards made by the Ombudsman.
The Ombudsman Scheme is the first scheme to provide comprehensive, two-way protection for homeowners and installers. It provides the level of protection consumer campaigners want, and the protection consumers believe they are getting. DGCOS will help installers restore the industry’s reputation; provide ‘teeth’ where none existed and help professional installers differentiate themselves from cowboys.
High pressure selling, dishonesty and bad installations are an easy target for the media, yet most installers are honest, professional and attentive to the needs of their customers.
But they compete with rogue installers and incompetent cowboys. And despite the many organisations that promise consumer protection few consumers get the protection they need or expect. That’s why the industry’s reputation is low and why we are all damaged by the scandals of the few.
Among consumers and installers there is confusion about what existing schemes actually do, as opposed to what they appear to do. Many installers are simply sceptical because until now no organisation or scheme has had the teeth to make a difference.
That’s what prompted me to engineer a scheme that would provide that protection, one that really does do ‘what it says on the tin’. The reactions to the scheme have been extremely enthusiastic from those who have seen and investigated it.
Rivals allege that the Double Glazing and Conservatory Ombudsman Scheme (DGCOS) is a front for selling Insurance Backed Guarantees (IBGs). But DGCOS is not an IBG provider and makes no profit from IBGs. Perhaps they are confused because we do insist that every customer of every member must have their deposits and guarantees covered via our approved provider. However while FENSA obliges installers to ‘offer’ an IBG to every retail customer, this leaves many customers without protection as they are not obliged to provide every customer with one.
The GGF, FENSA and other trade bodies supply various benefits to their members. Some are strong on technical issues, advice and representation; or help installers comply with Building Regulations. Others supply deposit protection and insurance policies to underwrite guarantees – which can be difficult to claim on when the customer really needs it.
In my investigations with installers over the past 13 years the same doubts have come up repeatedly. How are members vetted and policed? Has the organisation got the power to investigate disputes and protect the innocent? What ‘teeth’ has the body got to put wrongs right and ensure fair play?
Take this example. A consumer has a new conservatory. Finding problems the installer won’t put right, he asked the trade body for help. They offered optional conciliation. The member refused. The consumer asked for an inspection, which they had to pay for. The report proved that the consumer’s complaints were justified, but the installer still refused to fix the problems. The consumer asked for arbitration and offered to pay, but the installer refused. The consumer was left high and dry.
The organisation’s ultimate sanction is to revoke membership, but this is discretionary. If they are thrown out, they can join another body and buy another badge. Where is the British sense of fair play and justice?
Why hasn’t proper protection been available, until now? Most organisations are not set up to provide the protection that’s needed because they are not adequately funded and don’t have the judicial power to put wrongs right.
DGCOS was launched this year with an initial £1 million of funding raised with the help of RBS after four years extensive research and a two year pilot in the North of England. It protects consumers having double glazing, doors and conservatories installed. It can also protect installers from customers who refuse to pay or make unjustified complaints, and can stop legal costs spiraling out of control. In a first for the industry, companies can claim for unpaid contracts if the Ombudsman finds in favour of the installer and the customer refuses to pay. The DGCOS Compensation Fund will pay out all bona fide claims to installers.
The Ombudsman Scheme enables quality installers to give homeowners real peace of mind with deposit protection insurance, work-in-progress insurance and an insurance-backed guarantee that actually means something.
Homeowners who use DGCOS installers get free access to professional mediators, independent inspectors, a legally binding dispute resolution service and a Compensation Fund to honour awards made by the Ombudsman.
The Ombudsman Scheme is the first scheme to provide comprehensive, two-way protection for homeowners and installers. It provides the level of protection consumer campaigners want, and the protection consumers believe they are getting. DGCOS will help installers restore the industry’s reputation; provide ‘teeth’ where none existed and help professional installers differentiate themselves from cowboys.
Posted by : Jen And
@ May 03, 2010
