Waiting by the phone

As I type this I am sitting waiting for the phone to ring. Yes, I am expecting a call - in about five minutes. With luck, this will bring to an end the saga of our new door. It all started back in August last year when we decided to replace our draughty old wooden front door with a spanking new double-glazed one. We got three local companies to come and provide quotes for the work. One was so high as to be laughable and the rep could only give us a business card, leaving us to write his price on the back ourselves. The other two were within shouting distance of each other but what swung it was that one of them offered a 15 year, insurance-backed guarantee. That was what was written on the contract I signed.

The door was installed in October and within two or three days I received the insurance papers - backing the guarantee for a period of ten years, not the promised fifteen. The insurance company confirmed by phone that they never provide cover for more than ten years so I wrote to the double-glazing company asking for their comments and proposals. Two weeks went by so I wrote again. This time I received a reply - more or less saying, "tough titty".

Being of a somewhat cynical nature, I started to wonder if the offer of a 15 year guarantee was something of a ploy used to gain business so I was determined not to let this go without a fight. I wrote pointing out that we had a contract which they had failed to fulfill, indeed could not fulfill. I suggested a figure that I was prepared to accept in order to release them from their obligation. This was early in November.

By early December I had heard nothing more so sent a final notice before legal action, which I threatened to start if I had heard nothing in fourteen days. Two weeks later I had heard no more so I filed papers at court. That produced a response. The company filed a defence stating that they had written to me in mid November offering to re-register the installation with the insurance company on the 10th anniversary, thereby providing me with the fifteen year insurance-backed guarantee. I, of course, had not received this letter and I wondered why the company had not bothered to query my non-response after I sent them my final letter in December. In any case, I would not have accepted the offer.

So the court suggested we try its telephone mediation service. Its that call I'm waiting for. I'll post an update later.