Just before moving house on we received a leaflet from Hillarys Blinds advertising a Half Price Easter Sale, this seemed like perfect timing as we wanted to have blinds in most rooms of the new house rather than curtains. I called Hillary's the day after moving and they said they would send somebody around the next day to give us a quote.
We had an advisor come around who quoted £1000.00, this seemed very expensive however we really didn't know what blinds cost and we were told it was a really good deal. I asked about the half price offer and was told that the only products on half price were those that they couldn't sell as they wanted to get rid of the stock, certainly not what the TV advertisement or leaflets were implying. We did however gullibly accept this.
I wasn't keen on accepting this quote on the spot so the advisor told us that if we did, he should get the blinds by the following Friday when he would call and would come and fit them himself! We decided to accept this offer, but then I noticed the quantities of blinds on the paperwork did not add up to the amount of windows he was quoting for! He said it was a mistake and corrected our paperwork - and his own copy with a biro, and said he would get it changed on the order also. I signed his corrected copy.
Hillarys quickly took £300.00 from my credit card as a deposit.
The following Friday came and went, annoyed that what we had been told was not correct, but we accepted that maybe things were getting knocked back a couple of days because of the Easter break. We still had not heard anything after 3 weeks so I called Hillarys Blinds to find out where the blinds were and not only had they not made them, the quantities were incorrect as the sales advisor did not call and correct them like he told us he would! I was told this would be chased up with the advisor and sorted out.
I was hoping to at least get a call back to let me know what was going on, but I didn't, so the next morning I called back again and found out that still the complete order for blinds had not been entered! I was told pretty much the same thing again so again waited for an update. Nothing again, called back that afternoon and still they were doing nothing to get this order sorted out. The person I spoke to this time did however say she reported it to the Area Manager. I was later told they would need to send another advisor to measure again(?!?) but that it wouldn't be until the following Monday (4th week). Well that day has come and gone and not even a phone call to make an appointment let alone a visit.
We have now had to put curtains in the bedrooms upstairs as we continue to wait. We still have nothing in any downstairs windows.
Other relevant information:
Hillarys blinds advertise free fitting, measuring, and advice, however they themselves sell blinds that you fit yourself at http://www.web-blinds.com/ for considerably less than we are being charged, and we were told we were getting a "3 for 2" offer also, that simply does not add up.
The claim that the blinds on offer are ones that they can't sell also does not add up, as I am also told they manufacturer blinds on demand and do not sit on stock. Seems to me that the incredably thin "buy one get one free" blinds have been manufactured just for the offer.
Both the "3 for 2" and "buy one get one free" offers are being "offered" without revealing how much the products actually cost, or did cost before the sale as the agent comes up with a quote him/herself, how can advertising these offers be legal? (It reminds me of the never ending DFS sale scam that The Bulls* Detective reported on!)
Advise (just in case there is anybody else out there as easily conned as we were): never agree to a quote while the advisor is still there.
I wonder how many customer deposits for unordered blinds are being used to fund the current TV campaign, which has turned into a Spring Sale.
Still waiting for blinds....
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Apr 15th, 2008
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