A new report on the double-glazing industry is deeply critical of continuing failures in consumer protection. Most of the schemes have flaws and many of the reassuring logos used by double-glazing companies are simply labels for trade associations rather than formal warranty schemes like ABTA. People paying for double-glazing or conservatories still need to be on their guard against poor or worthless guarantees.

The report, available Wednesday 11^th May, was researched and compiled by David Herman, a chartered accountant who has thirty five years experience in the construction industry, much of it with one of the largest double-glazing firms. It was commissioned by the Double Glazing & Conservatory Ombudsman Scheme (DGCOS) which gave Mr Herman a free hand to report independently on the state of the double-glazing installer market.

Even in recession-hit 2009, homeowners in Great Britain spent £3.17 billion¹ on maintaining and improving their homes with double glazing and conservatories. The report details the actual levels of protection enjoyed by homeowners who buy windows, doors and conservatories, in contrast to the protection they think they have from the large numbers of organisations that offer it. David Herman’s recommendations will provide a blueprint for consumer protection bodies and key questions for homeowners to ask before buying double glazing or conservatories.

Among the report’s findings are that:

At least 20 different schemes operate in the sector with widely differing levels of protection
“A badge or letterhead showing that an installing firm is a member of a consumer protection organisation may not necessarily mean that all its customers are protected and the scope of protection varies wildly. This is true of most organisations with some notable exceptions.”
“The protection is thus only as good as the services offered by the consumer protection organisation or trade association. It also depends on which organisation/s the installing company chooses to become a member of. To further complicate matters, many installers have discretion as to whether or not to offer some or all of the protection available.”
Insurance-backed guarantees (IBG) are a key part of consumer protection but very few organisations make it an obligation for their members to provide every customer with one. Also the level of cover can be limited because of restricted terms and conditions by the insurer, which often leaves the consumer without protection.
When things go wrong there is a “black hole” in dealing with disputes.
DGCOS is the only organisation surveyed in this report that offers the services of an Ombudsman free of charge to consumers. The Ombudsman can investigate complaints and his decisions are legally binding on both the consumer and installer, and enforceable in the same manner as a judgement of the court under the terms of the 1996 Arbitration Act. This is the same Act of Parliament that gives a district judge his powers at a local county court. The availability of this service gives consumers extra protection should problems or disputes occur in any aspects of their dealings with an installer.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 11th, 2011 at 2:37 pm and is filed under Consumer News, Trade News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.