Buying a conservatory is fraught with worry and potential problems. Part
of this worry is down to the industry’s reputation for certain cowboy
builders who are known for aggressive sales techniques, broken promises,
poor quality work and occasionally going bust leaving the customer with
no-one to turn to.
In response to this, the windows and conservatory industry has come
together to rid the industry of the cowboys and provide protection to
its customers. The result is the Double Glazing & Conservatory
Ombudsman Scheme (DGCOS) who are there to take the risk out of buying
conservatories for consumers.
There are other professional trade bodies covering the industry at the
moment but none of them offer protection to the consumer in the way the
Ombudsman can. What makes the DGCOS unique is its power and muscle it
has within the industry.
Independent Ombudsman
The DGCOS is a true independent Ombudsman that has an ongoing process of
vetting installers to ensure they are both honest and provide a quality
service. This vetting process is an ongoing procedure to ensure
standards do not slip. In addition to this they can act as a powerful
arbiter if disputes do arise.
Why choose a DGCOS installer
As an overview the Ombudsman provides peace of mind. Specifically they
deliver this by offering a series of benefits that are designed to help
you.
Deposit protection: Initially they will protect any deposit you
put down so long as it is not over 25% of the purchase price. This is
great because this is always the point of no return with most contracts
and parting with the money to someone who could go out of business the
next day is always a worry at the back of your mind.
10 year guarantee: Having a comprehensive 10 year guarantee is
essential to avoid the worry that you won’t be able to find your
installer years after they have banked your money and then the roof
starts to leak. We all know conservatory companies offer guarantees but
also all worry they won’t be that bothered years after the conservatory
has been completed. This guarantee is similar to the NHBC 10 year
warranty offered by house builders.
Insurance Guarantee: What do you do if your conservatory company
goes into liquidation? The insurance backed guarantee guards the
consumer against this problem.
Professional Mediators: Like any complex project, disputes do
happen. The conservatory industry cannot avoid these but what the
Ombudsman can do is provide a free mediation service in the case of a
dispute with any of its members.
Independent Inspectors: As part of the dispute resolution
process, the Ombudsman can provide independent inspectors to verify
exactly what work has been carried out and to what standard it has been
done.
Binding Arbitration: The key to resolving any disputes within the
DGCOC is a mandatory and legally binding arbitration service that all
the members sign up to. This comprehensively protects the consumer with a
process they know all installers will adhere to.
Win-Win
The DGCOS is a win-win for both consumer and installer. It offers the
consumer complete peace of mind, while conservatory companies like it
too because they do not want to be associated with cowboy installers
that bring the reputation of the industry down and therefore deter
people from buying.
Problem Conservatories
