Marcin,
We are very disappointed with this response -- both its tone and its content. I'm sure you must know how disingenuous it is for Adpol to claim at this point that the order placed on July 11th for 22 windows is somehow late because we haven't given you dimensions on 2 more windows which *from the outset* it was agreed were meant to be treated separately.
After all the calls we've had asking for delivery, you may feel at this point that we are nagging customers.
But let me remind you that we have been model customers: we have acted in good faith from the very beginning of the commercial relationship with Adpol. We paid our deposit promptly, we responded promptly to requests to review order specifications, and we have been very patient in terms of schedules.
All we've been upset about is that you're late (and the slightly dodgy bit about Damian and the bogus FENSA certificate). After the order was confirmed 11 July, we made ONE change 16 Jul, which was to change height of door d01 from 2100mm to 2400mm, confirmed in writing by Alex 09 August (although still looks old height in the computer status screens you've sent). That's it.
From our very first contact with Adpol's Technical Account Manager, it has been clear that we needed all but the two larger windows treated separately and ASAP, with the 2 large windows coming later once we knew the final dimensions of the new structural opening.
Indeed, allow me to quote from our very first email to Adpol, which you should have in your archives:
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Babettli Azzone<Babettli@vellutodesign.
Date: 14 June 2012 10:47
Subject: 36 Duckett Road , N4 1BN
To: office@adpol-gb.co.uk
From: Babettli Azzone<Babettli@vellutodesign.
Date: 14 June 2012 10:47
Subject: 36 Duckett Road , N4 1BN
To: office@adpol-gb.co.uk
To
whom it may concern,
I
came across you company in a blog and you guys came highly recommended, i was
wondering if you would like to quote for the following project.
[...]
Here are the windows for which we are looking for a quotation:
GROUND FLOOR: FRONT OF THE HOUSE TRIPLE GLAZED (north facing) sash window appearance.
[...list of smaller windows...]
We are also in the process of opening up the south facing facade of the house with an opening that is roughly 4400mm in height by 3000mm in width. The bottom part will have sliding doors that also tilt and the top part is a fixed panel. For this opening we were thinking of double glazing as we would like to use the sun as a mean of heating (a concrete floor inside will work as thermal mass). Please let me know if this is something you guys do.
[...]
Here are the windows for which we are looking for a quotation:
GROUND FLOOR: FRONT OF THE HOUSE TRIPLE GLAZED (north facing) sash window appearance.
[...list of smaller windows...]
BATHROOM
3 TRIPLE GLAZED:
W19
500Wx1400HWe are also in the process of opening up the south facing facade of the house with an opening that is roughly 4400mm in height by 3000mm in width. The bottom part will have sliding doors that also tilt and the top part is a fixed panel. For this opening we were thinking of double glazing as we would like to use the sun as a mean of heating (a concrete floor inside will work as thermal mass). Please let me know if this is something you guys do.
Our very first approach to Adpol was for a quote for a bunch of ordinary windows as well as asking about the two large architectural feature windows, which was phrased as a separate request.
Subsequently, your representative sent a quote via email. "Price need to be confirmed after choosing all details." We then came in and visited your showroom. After this visit, Alex then told us that the site survey gets arranged within a week from confirmation of order so in order to get your installation expert to come out and do measurements to make the final quote, we would first need to pay a deposit amount. This was money we paid on account immediately June 27th in good faith, before even having had a site survey. Even in the words of Adpol's representative, that price was not meant to reflect confirmed details.
To claim now that paying a deposit amount before even a site survey had occurred represented acceptance of the complete final order or "green light" is absurd -- we didn't even have the final quote in our possession yet.
The site visit by Damian happened Sat Jun 30th. July 11th we received an updated quote document from Alex which contained individual prices for each window. I initialled 22 of the 24 windows in the document, scanned this document and sent it back to Alex. You have these documents so you can check them.
Adpol's representative wrote back:
Thank you for your email.
I
will forward the document to the factory today, i am happy with this
documentation and email saying just what to correct – it is signed by
you so it’s fine.
1. Pos11 is ESG glass – both sides toughened
2. Pos 17 - ok no key
3. Ok will point this out – hoppe secustic handle is for all positions – small mistake in translation i think,
4. 'CR_4/18/4/18/4U'
-- what does CR and U stand for? – this is a factory symbol for glass
for passive window – just a softwere symbol
Regards,
Alex
The agreement that the 22 windows were separate and were to be delivered earlier was clearly understood by Adpol. As you point out, even though you are still, today, missing a dimension for a large window, your representative wrote over a month and half ago:
On Tue, Aug 28, 2012 at 3:40 PM, Alex Piprek <alex@adpol-gb.co.uk> wrote:
Hi Michael,
I
have information, that production of the windows will be slightly
delay, we expecting first delivery to be aprox 3weeks from now.
We are doing our best to make it faster, and will inform you about progress by the end of the week.
Regards,
Alex
Later, when production on the 22 windows appeared to be getting delayed even further, we began to think it would be better to go with a different provider for the large windows.
As you may recall (because you were CC'd) Adpol's representative confirmed that the large windows would not begin production until we had received final paperwork signed off on them:
On Thu, Sep 13, 2012 at 12:34 PM, Alex Piprek <alex@adpol-gb.co.uk> wrote:
Hi Michael,
I will wait for you final confirmation of the cills
OK, i will wait for your confirmation of the rest 3 items.
Alex
From: Michael Maguire [mailto:michael.maguire@gmail.
Sent: 13 September 2012 12:22
To: Alex Piprek
Cc: Marcin Grzeslak; Babettli Azzone
Subject: Re: HS door+fix size + cills
Sent: 13 September 2012 12:22
To: Alex Piprek
Cc: Marcin Grzeslak; Babettli Azzone
Subject: Re: HS door+fix size + cills
Alex,
Sill calculations look good, I will double check tonight.
In
terms of large sliding door, window above it and new tall window (in
reception, not kitchen), we may still need to make adjustments. Possibly
higher on sliding door. Can I confirm your not going to begin
production on those 3 (which we accept can come later) until you've sent
the final paperwork for them and I've initialled as we've done for all
the other windows?
Regards,
Michael
Michael
Furthermore, later I spoke with you on the phone and discussed the issue of the 2 big windows, explained that we had decided not to go with Adpol on them because of the lead time. I asked specifically for you to re-issue an updated quote for only the 22 windows plus some sills, and you sent the following:
On Fri, Sep 28, 2012 at 8:49 PM, Marcin Grzeslak <marcin@adpol-gb.co.uk> wrote:
Hi
As promised:
|
based on last accepted quotation
|
|||||
|
position in quote
|
items
|
size
|
type
|
total net
|
|
|
1
|
2
|
1080x2130
|
pasiv aluron
|
1552
|
|
|
1
|
4
|
1080x2130
|
warm spacer
|
29.44
|
|
|
2
|
2
|
1080x2130
|
pasiv aluron
|
1552
|
|
|
2
|
4
|
1080x2130
|
warm spacer
|
29.44
|
|
|
3
|
1
|
900x1440
|
pasiv aluron
|
456.8
|
|
|
3
|
1
|
900x1440
|
warm spacer
|
4.15
|
|
|
3
|
1
|
175x900
|
cill
|
15.3
|
|
|
4
|
2
|
1080x1830
|
pasiv aluron
|
1157.6
|
|
|
4
|
3
|
1080x1830
|
warm spacer
|
25.28
|
|
|
5
|
3
|
1080x1830
|
pasiv aluron
|
1736.4
|
|
|
5
|
9
|
1080x1830
|
warm spacer
|
56.88
|
|
|
6
|
1
|
840x1440
|
pasiv aluron
|
443.6
|
|
|
6
|
1
|
840x1440
|
warm spacer
|
3.87
|
|
|
6
|
1
|
175x840
|
cill
|
14.28
|
|
|
7
|
1
|
530x1200
|
pasiv aluron
|
347.8
|
|
|
7
|
1
|
530x1200
|
warm spacer
|
2.04
|
|
|
7
|
1
|
175x530
|
cill
|
9.01
|
|
|
8
|
1
|
1400x2300
|
eko68Class
|
892.8
|
|
|
10
|
2
|
505x1740
|
eko68Class
|
567.94
|
|
|
10
|
2
|
175x505
|
cill
|
8.59
|
|
|
11
|
1
|
1365x1740
|
eko68Class
|
592
|
|
|
12
|
2
|
1060x1440
|
pasiv aluron
|
976.8
|
|
|
13
|
1
|
1060x1440
|
pasiv aluron
|
488.4
|
|
|
13
|
1
|
1060x1440
|
warm spacer
|
4.88
|
|
|
14
|
1
|
1440x1440
|
pasiv aluron
|
560.8
|
|
|
14
|
1
|
1440x1440
|
warm spacer
|
6.64
|
|
|
16
|
1
|
1500x1440
|
eko68Class
|
559.2
|
|
|
16
|
1
|
175x1500
|
cill
|
25.5
|
|
|
17
|
1
|
800x2100
|
D01
|
481.4
|
|
|
12600.84
|
net total
|
||||
|
2520.2
|
vat
|
||||
|
15120.96
|
TOTAL
|
||||
We will estimate delivery time around 12.10 .
Im going home now ;/
Have good night- sorry that you need to wait for it so long.
Best Regards,
Marcin Grzeslak
Sales Manager UK Operations
ADPOL Timber&Composite Windows&Doors
Unit 4 Charlwood court, Merlin Centre
County Oak way
Crawley RH11 7XA
0744 707 4441 01293 552 300
From: Michael Maguire
[mailto:michael.maguire@gmail.
Sent: 28 September 2012 16:28
To: Marcin Grzeslak
Cc: Babettli Azzone
Subject: Re: update
Sent: 28 September 2012 16:28
To: Marcin Grzeslak
Cc: Babettli Azzone
Subject: Re: update
Received, thanks for your time today Marcin.
Looking forward to :
1) updated order account summary showing totals payable (and amounts already
paid) for only the windows we signed off on and the new sills order (exclude
kitchen bay window)
2) window installation document pdf
3) the response from the factory you were looking to get end of day today
with a firmer delivery date
Cheers,
Michael
Michael
Based on these clear discussions with Alex and confirmations from you, Marcin, we have since gone out and placed a deposit on the 2 larger windows with another firm.
If you are now claiming that production has indeed already started on the 2 large feature windows, we will need to cancel that order.
Marcin, I hope that given how we have been treated so far by Adpol, if you want us to purchase the 2 large windows from you, as well as possibly a third, extra fixed pane feature window (500w x 2000h) we had subsequently discussed and -- as well -- some windows sills, you will at least have the decency and business sense to offer us a bit of a discount. At least cover our cancellation cost of £200 we will incur with the other provider, and include some discount to cover the extra couple of months now we've had the scaffolding up around our property, waiting for your windows, so the external insulation guys could proceed. (I've included the quote details -- note I negotiated 8 weeks from start rather than the 4 shown, so we started paying the extra £145/week 10th Oct.)
Regards,
Michael