What should I do if I am asked to pay for my new windows/door/conservatory up front?
As companies begin to return to working in the ‘new normal’ you may well get asked for this method of payment. Whilst your initial reaction may be one of hearing alarm bells ringing, it certainly should not be.
In any recession or market in contraction, as we are predicted to experience for a short time, businesses become more protective. One of the ways they do this is by restricting or completely withdrawing previous lines of credit they offered to their business to business customers. So, it may well be that the company installing your windows has had to pay for some of the goods they are installing for you well in advance of them reaching your home. This is no reflection on that business, just standard practice in such times.
As a consumer though you are likely to benefit greatly from such transactions, whilst the goods may have been paid for in advance, they are also likely to have been discounted for doing so. Payment with order, more often than not, comes with an attractive discount meaning you could be saving 10% or more on the normally quoted retail price. At Wolverhampton Glass we have always offered discounts for payment with order as we benefit from better purchase prices from our supply chain when we make the same offer to them.
Of course, you still need to be extremely cautious and we would advise the following, firstly check into the history of the business you are purchasing from as much as you can. The length of time they have been trading is great starting point, if it is greater than 5 years then there is a fair chance of some solidity and secondly make your payment by credit card, and more than just one if necessary and these offer you protection.
If the provider is offering you a deposit or payment protection scheme to protect your money whilst you await your installation then check the cover very carefully as many insurers will be limiting the cover they provide to a figure much lower than you have possibly paid.
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Windows By Wolverhampton Glass
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