Dalmation Windows

Ppromised to build a basement and conservatory for a total price of £24000 and gave them a deposit of£4000 after which got excuse after excuse why they could not start the work.After constant futile attempts to get satisfaction I was compelled to go the litigation route but by this time they had gone into a convenient (for them) liquidation so had to say goodbye to my £4000 deposit.They had no intention to carry-out any work after they got my deposit.They should be prosecuted.

Only giving one star cos you can’t post without it. Three years and they have not finished the job. I couldn’t name who is responsible because each month you get a new staff group. Company changes name each time they run into trouble. Then tell you they have been bought over. Please please listen to this I really wish someone had warned us before we were talked into it by their salesman. The problems are too many to list. But from the moment we handed over the money we have had problems. They also remove negative comments from their Facebook page. Please please don’t believe them, do not use them. You have been warned.

We had all of our windows (x7) and back door replaced by Dalmatian Windows in June 2019. From start to finish we were delighted with the service. Their sales manager was never pushy but spent time discussing ideas and options ensuring optimal design for each window. The price was very competitive and the workmanship excellent. The fitters worked tirelessly, diligently and cleaned up after themselves. The new windows and door look amazing and I would have no hesitation in recommending Dalmatian.

**Stay well clear of this company "**

Now trading under the name FIRST FOR WINDOWS LIMITED

Poor customer service

Poor quality of products

Taking this company to court due to the lack of help with there faulty goods.

Happy to take your £ however very poor after care service.

DO NOT BE FOOLED BY THIS COMPANY

I leapt before I looked. I hope never to do that again. This has been a sore lesson learnt. You will see countless (47 so far) bad reviews and 60 odd good reviews. Look at the numbers, I didn't, and I have now got to take them to court to finish the job. They lie continuously to your face, they have no customer service but to lie to your face.

Note they do not have any work force apart from office staff so everything is sub contracted. Your installation is in the hands of less than qualified people, backed up by less than competent office staff ....well its a disaster waiting to happen and I assure you , you will feel less than impressed and quite astounded at there attitude. Even after a seven day notice stating my intent to take them to court ....nothing ...not a word. If you wish to read the rest be my guest as this is a below by blow account of what happened over a period of 6 weeks. Oh for the record we were told the job would take one and a half days by some man, avoid him like the plague. When your job starts to run over or your told your windows haven't arrived in ....you were well warned. NEVER , NEVER give them a penny immaterial how much they bully you , coheres you, persuade you ...NEVER give IN!!! guess what...I did and look what happened, its the only lever you have in your armoury !!!

read on in disbelief :-

Agreed Installation date:- 25th of June

Call on the 22nd of June from Dalmatian Windows informing us that the installation would have to be put back to the Tuesday due to the glass not coming into the warehouse

Call on the 25th of June from Dalmatian Windows informing us that the installation would have to be put back to the Wednesday due to the glass not coming into the warehouse. We agree that a date can be agreed when the glass actually arrives in the warehouse and not until then.

Call on the 26th of June Dalmatian Windows informing us that the glass is now in and installation would be the next day ie Thursday the 28th.

I ask how long will the install take. I was informed the window would be in place by lunchtime the same day and a plasterer would be in thereafter and finished on the Friday by lunchtime.

Call on the Thursday afternoon to inform us that the plasterer wouldn’t be out till Wednesday 4th of July of the following week .

Call on the Friday to say he couldn’t get a hold of a plasterer as they are subcontracted and not direct labour and couldn’t therefore give me a finishing date . During that conversation I expressed my concerns over the poor install and lack of closure on the project.

I called him on Monday the 2nd to request that a contracts engineer call round to discuss how to progress the project and see for themselves what had been left to finish. He informed me he was busy but would arrange for an engineer to call round.

Dalmatian Windows appeared on the Tuesday 3rd to inspect the installation. He expressed his concerns but informed me he was actually a electrician by trade and had taken on the roll of customer service. He agreed there was an issue as to how to fish the work and left assuring me he would take this in hand.

Called in to Dalmatian Windows at 3.15pm on Friday the 6th of July as we had not heard anything back as yet. Met with him, who again assured me he was looking into the matter.

The install issues:-

1) The door sill was unsupported and had a gap the full length of the sill from outside to inside the house. If anyone was to stand on the sill it just bent. Moisture could easily travel from the outside to the internal brick and joists causing damp.

2) The rough cast was broken away beyond the finished wall returns

3) There is gap all round the door frame of circa 15mm with only expanding foam filling this gap. Rain can now easily penetrate the house around the entire door opening.

4) The damp proof course from the first floor below the first floor window rests on top inside edge of the door lintel which now means if any moisture forms above the door frame it runs down on to the frame and into the house rather than to the outside.

5) The gap left between the house brick on the internal surface and the door frame is some 65 – 70mm. The original thought of Dalmatian windows was to plaster this up. We refused, as this was not a practical nor fit for purpose solution. We suggest a frame and plasterboard arrangement with minor finishing plaster works thereafter.

6) The internal layer of bricks, at the door sill level were left in place. Some bricks are level with the floor and the others are 10mm higher meaning a door plinth cannot be fitted to cover the gap between the doors and the wooden floor. These bricks should have been knocked away and a threshold rebuilt to suit the new levels of the door sills.

At close of play on the 6th of July we are no further forward with a solution. I have informed Dalmatian windows that we require notice of how these remedial works will be dealt with and when, by the close of business on the 13th of July. Thereafter I informed him that I would pass the matter over to my lawyers to recover costs and damages from Dalmatian Windows.

Call on the 9th of July from JDalmatian Windows informing he will be coming out to see the installation and see what can be done to rectify the install. He arrives 8.30am on the 10th. He is actually not an employee of Dalmatian but a subcontractor. Dalmatian hadn’t informed him of the address as he texted me to find out where he should be going. When he arrived we agree a solution using framing, ply and plasterboard. He states the remedial works will be finished before the end of the week.. He cant start on this day the 10th but will start the 11th if not the 12th

Text later on the 10th at 6.51pm informing me he will be out on Thursday to start the works.

Text on Wednesday the 11th: at 17.02 - asking if he could now start the works on the Friday the 13th. I ask in my reply are you telling me or asking me if this is suitable. The amount of work cannot be completed in a day so once again this is dragging on. I await his reply (currently 20.53). Just finished clearing the room again for the umpteenth time to allow access and again a failure to turn up when agreed.

Text on Thursday the12th at 8.00am moving the date to Monday 16th July. My response at 8.20am is it must happen on Monday, leaving Tuesday to do any finishing works. Awaiting a response.

Monday 16th July builder turns up at 10.00am and works through to 6.00pm The workmanship leaves the project in a suitable and well finished manor ready for the plasterer to come in.

Friday 20th July I call in to Dalmatian to talk to him to arrange for a plasterer. I remind him that the building warrant requires to be submitted when the works are finished. He looks blankly at me and knows nothing about this. As part of the install a warrant is submitted to the local council to enable the works to be carried out. Dalmatian agreed this is part of the project that they handle. This certificate is nothing new and must be sought if cutting or altering an opening in a wall. During my call I ask him to photo copy our agreement / receipt with Dalmatian as they had never issued any paperwork.

Wednesday 25th July. I call in to Dalmatian to ask him if there is any progress in getting a plasterer. He was not available nor was my plasterer nor was my paperwork. I left a message with the secretary that I would call in on Friday and pick up on the paperwork.

Friday 27th. Called in at 11.00am to pick up paper work. Again he was not available nor had he printed of my paperwork nor had anyone bothered to get a plasterer. The Secretary ran off a copy of my paperwork and along with the “customer service manager”  agreed to arrange a plasterer. Actually they suggested I get my own plasterer, which I refused to do.

Wednesday 1st of August. I returned to Dalmatian windows and informed the receptionist that I would be serving then a 7 day notice at the end of this week due to having had no response whatsoever to Fridays call. My intension now is to pursue them through the courts.

7 day letter:-

Dalmatian Home Improvements

2nd August 2018

Re:

Dear Dalmatian Home Improvements,

As you are well aware there is a problem with the work you have done for me. The project remains unfinished with internal plaster work and outside rendering work still to be completed. Furthermore, there is still the matter of the building warrant which you agreed to request and obtain from South Lanarkshire Council included in the purchase price.

The Consumer Rights Act 2015 says that reasonable care and skill must be used whilst working. In my opinion, you did not use reasonable care and skill when you carried out this work and you have broken your contract with me.

I ask that you to arrange for a Plasterer / Rough Caster to attend my place of residence and finish the work as required and seek the legal paper work to enable this project to be handed over in a satisfactory manner.

Please contact me as soon as possible to arrange access. You have 7 days in which to complete the works days from the date on this letter.

You are advised that I have started the process of seeking legal advice, hence the 7 day notice. If I do not hear back from you in the time outlined above, I will progress the legal action to the next stage.

It is my intention to seek costs to cover any outstanding works, legal costs incurred and sue for damages and loss of time and earnings in relation to the delays and aggravation you have caused. The work you have carried out to date, will be inspected by a chartered building surveyor and if any of the installation is found to be in any way sub-standard, I will challenge for a full replacement by another reputable company and pursue costs through the courts for this action.

In addition to this letter I have also enclosed for your attention notes taken on every meeting, conversation and telephone call made through this arduous process. In addition all texts between your employees / builders and myself have been documented and recorded. Finally, photographs showing the works at various phases have also been put on record.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely

Terrible service from the beginning we never actually got to the Installation part of our Conservatory.

From the sales man who came out to the house to the project manager , Sales administrator and the Owners they all tell you stories, we had every excuse under the sun about the time delay in Installing our conservatory.

Dalmatian DG Windows in the end could NOT supply us with fitters to complete our conservatory what we were left with only the brick build up .

Dalmatian DG Windows will take upfront instalment payments known as stage payments and they ask for this promptly.

In the end after many weeks passing and much let downs we opted to have the conservatory parts delivered to our home even this did not go smoothly and we now have to find our own fitters to instal it.

We have suffered so much stress over what should of been a simple job . I Would Advise DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY. We wish that we had done our homework first.

I have just had my Windows fitted in the last few weeks. Firstly the salesman was very friendly honest and not pushy at all and did not spend hours in your house like previous sales men. Fitting day went smoothly the 2 workmen were very professional never stopped. The job they have done is great couldn't fault dalmation great from start to finish.

Only reason i have gave them a star is you have to to post a review. Shocking customer service. Spent 2 mins in the house giving us a quote and seemed disinterested. They phoned 2 days later and aggressively demanded a decision that day. Told them we wouldn't be doing that and hung up on them. If I had read the reviews on this I wouldn't have even gave them the chance. Needless to say, no sale for them. Dont go anywhere near them.

Highly recommended! 9 Windows fitted. Excellent price and customer service. Salesman was polite and not pushy. Windows were in within a fortnight. Workmen were courteous and respectful and did a fantastic job. No damage to paintwork or walls. Cleaned up and left very little mess. Windows look great. Only one small issue moved date on morning they were due to be fitted. And changed time they were due to be fitted on the day they were. But can live with that due to quickness, price, customer service and final result! Extremely happy customer! :)

Firstly, I thought this company had gone bust so was surprised to find a telephone number for them. My parents bought a new door and 2 windows less than 2 years ago. My mum has just spoken to the company to advise the door handle had broken. They have advised her there will be an £80 call out charge to look at it. NOT what you would expect from a company that should have provided a quality door / door handle that would last much longer than 2 years and should be done under guarantee. Her front door bought from another company came with a 15 year guarantee ...... says it all. She knows which company to use when replacing her other windows shortly. Would not ever use this company again