Crusader Refund brings an end to a bad deal

JUSTICE, in the shape of a £1,900 refund, has finally been done for Susan Lambert and her very poorly husband Jack, whose treatment at the hands of a double-glazing salesman is one of the most unacceptable we have come across.

Repaying them has taken more than five months but now EnergiGlass, the outfit that pocketed the money, has done so. And its move came out of the blue, leaving Susan more staggered than delighted at first.

“The cheque just arrived in the post,” she says. “For a moment I thought it was a hoax but then I went straight to the bank and the funds have cleared. I am so happy and utterly astonished.”

Not that Susan, with Crusader on side, gave up. She had been in the right all along and even EnergiGlass, registered as The Energy Saving Centre Limited, had conceded that.

We kept pressing for the repayment but had our doubts that it would ever happen as we never got a firm promise it would. Susan first came to us in May with a disturbing tale about how, despite being ex-directory, she had received a call from the firm and agreed to a visit.

At the time she was caring for her 78-year-old husband who was totally dependent after a series of strokes following a vicious mugging that shattered his skull.

Susan explained: “I’d been thinking about improving the patio windows. The caller mentioned government grants for glass replacement in our area, he told me that they were for everyone.

“When he came I told him that I only wanted the patio windows replacing. However he measured up everything then BEWARE: Deposit return promises quoted £15,000, otherwise ‘we would not get the benefit from our central heating’ he said.” Susan refused then, some two hours later, she says “he reduced the amount to £9,500 and promised that I would get the deposit back if I changed my mind, so I agreed. “I was also worried about my husband as he cannot move or really speak. His head was drooping and I needed to attend to his personal care. “I did try to explain to the salesman but all he replied was ‘not long now’. “When he’d gone I realised he had never told me his name although I had asked several times. I felt so worn down and rushed by the end.” After the March 27 visit Susan emailed her cancellation on April 2 and also called and got confirmation, although her cheque had cleared on March 31. Jack is now in nursing home and a in between visiting him she made “many calls” as well as sending a recorded delivery letter to the company.

When we contacted EnergiGlass the firm promptly apologised for the delay in refunding the deposit and emphasised that its agents worked to clear codes of practice.

It also pointed out that because Susan’s was a replacement glass order, it was bespoke and therefore not covered by consumer cooling-off rules, although it allowed a seven-day goodwill cancellation opt-out.

Susan added: “When I cancelled the order I received no less than four telephone calls from different staff trying to get me to reinstate it.”

Home visits are perfectly legal as are marketing calls and Susan has no recording of the encounter.

After that we heard nothing concrete and the outlook for Susan, who in her circumstances would have struggled to sue EnergiGlass, seemed bleak.

“Getting back what I paid is a real morale booster,” she says. “EnergiGlass did the right thing eventually but it was thanks to Crusader.”

THESE FIXERS ARE FANTASTIC

A THUMBS-UP to parts-and-repairs business Miranda, a firm based in Rochester, Kent, from homeowner Keith Law.

Seven years ago it replaced his wooden garage door with a uPVC one.

Recently he told them about small surface cracks that had appeared.

“They responded the same day with an approximate replacement which they then fitted without charge.

“Just good service, fantastic.”