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“Thank you DGCOS”

written by on 06/09/2011

Around the time I was planning to replace my windows and doors (early 2010), I saw an interview on BBC Breakfast involving a representative from DGCOS, a new ombudsman organisation for the double glazing industry. Having had bad experiences with window companies in the past, the idea of de-risking the procurement, installation and maintenance process by taking advantage of the DGCOS free ‘protection package’ was very appealing to me, particularly as I was looking to replace 25 windows and 2 doors.
When I contacted DGCOS I was surprised there were so few registered suppliers in my area, but having then looked at the accreditation process suppliers have to go through, I could imagine that many would find it difficult to evidence they had reached the standards demanded by DGCOS.
I decided to invite 2 DGCOS members to bid for the work. Using DGCOS does not release you from your obligation to carry out personal research on the suppliers, check the quality of the products before purchase, or negotiate the estimates supplied by bidders.
There was no pressure selling, no convoluted discounting mechanism, no calls to their managers, just a straight forward quote.
I awarded the contract and paid my deposit, and was pleased to receive my deposit guarantee letter from DGCOS a few days later.
I have an old house and was expecting a few problems with the installation, but it all went well, with little damage to the fabric of the building. There were a few post-installation problems with a couple of the units but these were quickly resolved by the manufacturer and the supplier without fuss.
The units were fitted 8 months ago at the time of writing, and came with a 10 year guarantee that gives me genuine peace of mind.
I would certainly recommend using the DGCOS service. Their accredited suppliers have already been subjected to a substantial amount of vetting, and the protection of the guarantees offered to customers via the scheme is reassuring.