Why did Mr Crisp slam the door on our guarantee?

Ms E.C. writes: In 2011, we had doors fitted at a cost of £2,150 by Sussex Doors Limited, which also called itself Sussex Surrey Doors & Windows. After noticing that the doors had deteriorated, we contacted the company and were told they could not be repaired or replaced, even though we hold a fully comprehensive ten-year insurance guarantee from the Plastics Window Federation. New doors would cost £2,563, we were told – again with an insurance-backed guarantee even though the existing guarantee has not been honoured.

WHEN you contacted the Plastics Window Federation, which issued your guarantee, you were told repeatedly that it was in touch with the company and its boss Simon Crisp, and that they would contact you. Not surprisingly, you heard nothing from them.

One reason for this is that Sussex Doors Limited no longer exists. Simon Crisp applied to Companies House as long ago as 2017 to have it dissolved. I can understand the Federation’s confusion, though.

You see, Crisp has been the director of a string of companies with similar names. There was Sussex & Surrey Doors, Surrey & Sussex Doors, Surrey Doors, and of course Sussex Doors. All have been dissolved. He is currently sole director of SussexSurrey Doors and

Windows. If the Federation thinks it is dealing with a company that is actually defunct, then it would be no surprise if customers failed to tell the difference between one company and another with a similar name, in the same trade and with the same boss and the same address.

Simon Crisp himself has told me that some of his dissolved companies never actually traded. And he added: ‘Sussex Doors Ltd became Sussex Surrey Doors & Windows Ltd of which we honour all guarantees under our T&Cs’ [sic].

The problem with your claim, Crisp told me, was that both your doors had dropped slightly, but instead of contacting him for ‘a routine adjustment’, you had ‘continually forced the door shut’ and damaged the edging, allowing damp to cause swelling beyond repair. You firmly deny this, and add that when you did contact Crisp’s company, you were puzzled to be told that the company that installed your doors no longer existed, though the similarly named business that offered to install completely new doors was run by Crisp from the same premises.

And if you were puzzled, you were not alone. When I contacted the Plastics Window Federation, it told me that the guarantee it issued would only kick in if the company that installed your doors ceased to trade, and that ‘while the company is trading, the insurance itself is inactive’. I explained that Sussex Doors Limited is no more, it has ceased to be, it really has ceased trading.

The Federation then sent an independent examiner to inspect your doors. And lo and behold, after reading his report the Federation and its insurance underwriters quickly authorised a full and complete replacement of your doors. You even have a new ten- year insurance policy. Now that’s how a guarantee scheme should work.