Ultralux Windows .com

ULTRALUX WINDOW SYSTEMS LTD

How accurate is this, and other statements, made on the Ultralux website?

Read my story and experiences and

DECIDE FOR YOURSELF

To start... this is Alan Butler

photo copyright: Ultralux Window Systems Ltd (photographer unknown)

this is the Ultralux shop, in High Steet, Whitton, Middlesex

photo copyright: Google Streetview (photographer unknown)

and this is Alan Butler's correspondence address, on a private road in Weybridge, Surrey

photo copyright: Google Streetview (photographer unknown)

These all feature in my story and will become clearer as it progresses, so please read on.

My name is Richard and I live in West London. I wanted to share my experiences of dealing with Ultralux Window Systems Ltd, and, in particular, one of its directors, Alan Butler. In addition to being a director of Ultralux, Alan Butler also served as a Conservative councillor in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, for four 4 year terms, in the South Twickenham Ward from 1998-2002, the West Twickenham Ward from 2002 to 2006 and the Heathfield Ward from 2010-2018.

The facts of my story, which I have documented carefully since my first contact with them in January 2021, with a few personal viewpoints, are in chronological order. It is long, but do please keep reading as there is a positive outcome near the end, which may inspire you. I have also included links (in red) to relevant websites, emails, postal correspondence and photographs for your further information.

The copyright of any responses to my emails and letters belongs to Ultralux, and these have been included, without permission, to balance my story and give them the right of reply.

Thank you for reading...

TUESDAY 19 JANUARY 2021

Having read a recommendation for Ultralux on a local forum and read their website, I called their office and the phone was answered by Alan Butler. I explained that I was looking for sash windows, to replace some very old casement windows, as well as a replacement sliding patio door and a new kitchen window. While we were talking, he mentioned Charisma Rose, a brand of PVCu sash windows, which he said would be a great choice for my requirements and we agreed that Mr Butler would visit my home at 12.00 on the following day, to look at what needed doing and quote for the job. That afternoon, he emailed me with two brochures attached, one for Roseview Windows, which featured the Charisma Rose range, and a second for more conventional wooden sash windows, for me to look through before our meeting.

WEDNESDAY 20 JANUARY 2021

At exactly midday, Mr Butler was on the doorstep. I usually get a good measure of people and sense when something isn't right very quickly, often on the first handshake. Mr Butler came across as a gentle and trustworthy man. He talked at length about the longevity of his family business, his past successes as a top salesman and his late mother, who had been a driving force in the business, saying how much he missed her and sympathising over my own recent bereavement. During the meeting he extolled the virtues of the Charisma Rose Windows repeatedly and also said, on seeing the sorry state of our windowsills and surrounds, 'We'll do that for you', meaning that they would repaint them. This appealed to my partner and I, as it meant we wouldn't have to find anyone else to do the work. Even a coat of cheap emulsion, slapped on by an apprentice, would have been far better than what we had at the time. Near the end of our meeting, Mr Butler told us that he was a nice person. I told him that I am nice too, honest and straight down the line, unless people treat me, or those I care about badly, or aren't good at their jobs, in which case I don't react well. He didn't seem interested in hearing that, changing the subject quickly and leaving soon after. Mr Butler was the first of four window salesmen that we met over the following weeks, and we liked him immensely.

Over the next four weeks, we met representatives from the other companies and I took time to do some research, as I was unable to make a firm offer until probate had been granted. I contacted Roseview Windows to ask about their preferred fitters, and they told me that their recommended company in my region was Kew Windows, who we had already met and liked. I asked if they had heard of Ultralux and was told that they had not, 'But any company can order our windows from us and fit them, which many do', they added, which made me feel less wary about the situation. I also rechecked the website for Platinum NRG, of whom Ultralux were the exclusive partner in my area. Their patio door looked especially good, promising 'Four hook bolts and two shoot bolts for unparalleled security' and it could also be made at full height, according to Mr Butler, instead of a shorter door with a window above, which several other companies had offered. I also looked at the reviews on Google and Trustpilot for Ultralux and all the companies we had met. Some of the reviews for Ultralux and Mr Butler were far from favourable (three on Google were from people with the same family name as one of its directors), but I know that there are always people who won't be happy and will complain about any little thing, especially online. However, I always speak as I find, far preferring to trust my own gut and judgement, so, as Mr Butler seemed to be a likeable and trustworthy man, I took them with a pinch of salt.

TUESDAY 16 FEBRUARY 2021

We thought hard about the four companies we had met. We decided against two of them for various reasons and let each know the outcome promptly, thanking them for coming, so we were now torn between two. We liked and trusted the representatives from both, the other company's quote was substantially cheaper for the Charisma Rose windows, while Ultralux gave the second most expensive quote, but were including painting of the window sills and surrounds and, what looked like, better quality casement windows and patio door. One major factor played a part, however... this was in the height of the Pandemic and my partner and I both worked in an industry that had been completely shut down 11 months before, with no hope of restarting anytime soon. As freelance workers, we were also only entitled to much smaller SEISS grant payments every three months, rather than being furloughed. Money was therefore tighter than it otherwise would have been, so after much thought, it seemed to us that, all things considered, the cheaper option was going to be the best, so I emailed Mr Butler to explain our reluctant decision, as we liked him and were sorry not to be offering our business to him. I also used the phrase 'You get what you pay for' in my email... you'll see the irony of this later in my story. Mr Butler replied four hours later and his attitude had totally changed. Any empathy he had shown before had vanished and all he now offered was 'Free advice'. Read the emails here

TUESDAY 23 FEBRUARY 2021

Normally after receiving an email of the tone that Mr Butler sent, I would have hit the delete key and moved on, however, the fact that he had offered the painting as part of the price, which his rivals had never mentioned, made us still think of Ultralux. We also liked and trusted him, despite his unfortunate change in attitude, though his behaviour put me in a far stronger position, as I would now have no compunction about speaking my mind or complaining if I was unhappy or anything went wrong. My Partner and I went through all the figures again and came to the conclusion that we could just about afford the higher price, as painting was also included. I emailed Ultralux, making sure to include every aspect of the deal clearly in writing and offering them the job, if they agreed to the terms I had stated and wished to accept it. Mr Butler replied within 30 minutes and his attitude had changed again - from sore loser to triumphant winner - saying 'Delighted to have your email and we would love to fit your windows' as well as 'All the details you list are correct'. Read the emails here. He also made an appointment for their surveyor, Cliff, to come round and measure up.

SATURDAY 27 FEBRUARY 2021

Cliff came and measured the windows, checking things through with us and telling us what would happen when the windows were fitted. He then filled everything in on an order form, which he asked me to sign, before taking the deposit of just £1.00 and leaving. This order form and its reference number was subsequently referred to as a 'contract' in all future correspondence, something Cliff failed to mention and nor was I invited to read through the terms and conditions on the reverse before signing it (I only saw these after he had left). A fundemental error was also made, which would bring the legality of this 'contract' into question in any court of law, most likely invalidating it (I won't mention what it was here, for obvious reasons).

MONDAY 29 & TUESDAY 30 MARCH 2021

Work started on fitting the patio door and kitchen casement windows, followed by the bathroom window, by Matt, a very experienced fitter, and Jordan, the fitter's mate, whose work was very good. The toilet window couldn't be fitted, as it had been wrongly measured and was too tall by 200mm (8 inches) so a new one of the correct size had to be ordered. The bathroom window also could not be finished, due to the lack of materials for the surround being available, which was blamed on Brexit. Matt mentioned to me when testing the patio door that the sliding door was very flimsy and therefore closing it would be more difficult, as it veers slightly either side of the frame, rather than gliding straight into position. He said that this was because the panel was too tall for the PVCu materials that had been used, and the door was therefore too heavy for the tracks it was running on. While I could see the four hook bolts that had been advertised, I was unsure where the two shoot bolts were. Matt felt at the top of the door, where one of them should have been and told me that there weren't any, which was also confirmed by his colleague, Lewis, some weeks later - so much for 'Unparalleled security'! I questioned this with Mr Butler, who turned up unannounced on Tuesday afternoon, to do a spot check, showing him the claims on Platinum NRG's webpage, and he said he would look into it immediately and get back to me. He also told me 'Your sash windows will be in next week'.

TUESDAY 13 APRIL 2021

Alan Butler called to ask if he could come round to remeasure the toilet window before ordering a new one of the correct size, which he did at lunchtime. He didn't say much, when I mentioned human error etc, but when he left, he again told me 'Your sash windows will be in next week'.

TUESDAY 27 APRIL 2021

It turned out that the painting of our window sills and surrounds wasn't just going to be a coat of cheap emulsion, slapped on by an apprentice, as Denis, one of Ultralux's builders was on the job. I had volunteered to buy the exterior paint myself, before knowing this, to ensure it was good quality and might last, which Mr Butler accepted gratefully. Denis was a charming older man from Northern Ireland. He was obviously a very experienced builder and decorator, who took great pride in his work, preparing our house for painting and repairing things where necessary. We talked a lot during his time with us, about our lives and work, and, as a freelance worker himself, he was very sympathetic about the situation that my Partner and I were going through work-wise.

WEDNESDAY 28 APRIL 2021

By this time, our sash windows had actually arrived and, having been so impressed with Matt‘s work when he fitted the patio door and casement windows, I requested that he come back to fit the other windows. This was scheduled for today, but I received a call from Keith at the Ultralux office very early that morning, letting me know that Matt was off sick with a back injury and asking me how I would like to proceed. As Denis had also shared my high opinion of Matt's work, I asked to wait until he was better and back at work before our windows were fitted. Keith agreed to this and in the meantime, Denis continued to come regularly to prepare the paint work.

TUESDAY 11 MAY 2021

Matt was still off sick, and Keith kept me informed about his progress on a regular basis, but Ultralux were now keen for our windows to be fitted. I therefore agreed that Lewis, another of Ultralux‘s fitters, should step in until Matt was back at work. He came with Jordan (who had worked with Matt on the other windows) and Alex, a young apprentice who was in his second week with the company, having previously worked as a lifeguard. They were with us most days until Tuesday 18 May, with Jordan returning on Friday 21 May, to finish off. While, in my opinion, their work did not seem quite to the same high standard of Matt’s, there were relatively few problems. A major structural repair to one of our upstairs lintels (which had been previously agreed with Ultralux) was left to Alex, the apprentice, without it being supervised or checked and, despite him assuring me several times that epoxy filler had been put inside the major crack, only a thin layer had been placed on the surface. Several gaping gaps were left underneath windows too, but luckily Denis was around to fix these, as well as other more minor repairs.

WEDNESDAY 26 MAY 2021

As the fitting work on the windows had been completed, Denis returned to us, for his eighth visit, to continue preparing the windowsills and surrounds for painting. After lunch, we received a knock on the door and when we opened it, Mr Butler was standing on the doorstep, with Denis looking on from further down the garden path. Mr Butler explained, in his usual calm and friendly manner, that the preparation of the paint work had taken Denis far longer than they had envisaged and so, while the painting would be included, as we agreed, he would need to charge me extra for the preparation work and would 'Pass on Denis's invoice' to me. As we were put on the spot and taken totally by surprise, it was difficult to know what to say – especially as the man who had done all the work so far, was looking straight at us. I also wondered why a builder as experienced as Denis would not have been able to gauge the level of work that would be necessary on the first day and either told us himself or got Mr Butler to do so, checking whether or not we wanted this extra work done, before agreeing a price in advance, but, as my mind was racing, I didn't mention this. I had little choice but to agree to his proposal. Mr Butler went on to say that as the fitting work had been completed and 'You are happy with your windows', it was now time to pay the balance of his invoice. I duly paid the remaining £17,077.00 by bank transfer, as soon as Mr Butler had left. About an hour later, I was talking to Denis and he dropped something very interesting into the conversation... 'You’ll not be seeing Alan again', he said. He was right, I have never seen Mr Butler again from that day to this… but how did he know? Might this not have been the first impromptu doorstep meeting that he had witnessed? Were such visits a regular occurrence, well rehearsed over the years? Who knows?!

FRIDAY 4 JUNE 2021

The sliding sash windows that had been fitted came with restrainers, which are a security measure. Having the restrainers open ensures that the window only open a to a certain level, but prevents it from being able to be opened fully from the outside. The restrainers were operated with a small and rather flimsy plastic key, which was inserted into a plastic lock and turned to either open or close them. The locks on these restrainers were also not very well made and on the evening of Friday 4 June, the lock on one of the restrainers on our bedroom window broke, leaving the restrainer open and unable to be locked shut. This was after it had only been used twice. This malfunction created a potential fire hazard, as we would be unable to open the window fully in order to escape in an emergency.

MONDAY 7 JUNE 2021

I emailed Ultralux to let them know the problem and they replied later the same day, saying they would order new restrainers and also ask their service engineer to check the rest of our windows. This was later arranged for Tuesday 22 June, due to holidays and a busy diary. I also phoned Roseview Windows, as the manufacturers, to let them know of the problem and and see if there was a quick fix solution. I spoke to a very helpful lady and, when I mentioned the problem with the plastic key, she asked me a lot of questions and then to email some photographs of the windows to her, so that she could look into the problem and get back to me. She called me back, saying she had spoken to the company's managing director and they had studied the photos together. She told me that the only plastic component in their windows was a cover to keep dust out of the locks, before breaking the bad news that the sliding sash windows that had been installed in my property were not Charisma Rose windows that I had agreed with Ultralux. Richard Burrells, the managing director of Roseview, later confirmed this via email, saying 'I can categorically confirm that the windows shown in the images you sent are not our products'.

THURSDAY 10 JUNE 2021

After 15 visits and three days with a scaffolding tower, Denis finished the painting work and left our home at 15:45. We gave Denis, and every member of the team who had worked on the job, a thank you card and some cash to have a drink on us, as a small token of our appreciation.

MONDAY 21 JUNE 2021

Several of my neighbours, who had seen Denis working at our house asked me if I could put them in touch with him, to discuss possible work for the future. As I never give out information about people that is not in the public domain without their consent, I called Denis's mobile to ask if he minded me giving his number to my neighbours. He was fine with that, telling me, when I asked, that his daily rate was £180.00 and that he was not registered for VAT. 'Have you got Alan‘s invoice yet?', he asked. I replied that I hadn’t, but I was sure I would soon. 'Oh, you will!', Denis replied.

TUESDAY 22 JUNE 2021

Our appointment with Keith from Ultralux was scheduled between 12:00 and 12:30, but he actually turned up at 11:30. We took him upstairs to see the window with the broken restrainer and he shook his head, saying 'No, no, no, this isn't good', concurring with us that the restrainers on the windows and the plastic keys supplied with them were of poor quality. He examined the restrainer thoroughly and tried to rectify the matter with the plastic key, before going out to to his van and getting some low tack tape, so as not to ruin the window frame, which he put on the restrainer to hold it closed. This peeled off within a matter of hours, leaving the restrainer once again in the open position. While we were talking during his visit, I mentioned that these were not the windows that I had agreed upon with Ultralux and for which I had paid. Keith looked agitated, saying quickly 'I don’t know anything about that! That’s nothing to do with me!', as if this was not the first time he had been told this by a customer. I told him not to worry and that I would be in touch with Mr Butler about it shortly. Before he left, I confirmed with Keith that the broken retainer should not be like this and he replied that it should not, telling me that he would order better quality retainers for all of the windows and come back to fit them soon. This was the last we ever saw of Keith. Shortly after he left, our post arrived, including the invoice for Denis‘s work from Ultralux. This was very vague, just quoting for '10 days making good concrete surround, labour and scaffolding' at a cost of £3,199.20 including VAT. Read the invoice here. I rechecked the terms and conditions on the reverse of the 'contract' carefully (which had been broken, as the brand of windows had been changed without consultation or consent) before writing a letter regarding the windows that we were sold and mentioning the invoice for Denis's extra work, which I posted to Ultralux’s shop address later that day, using signed for delivery. Read my letter here.

THURSDAY 24 JUNE 2021

My letter was delivered to Ultralux's shop address, and signed for at 13:05.

MONDAY 12 JULY 2021

As I had received no response to my letter, I sent it to them again by email at 12:19 and received two separate receipts to say that the email had been read at 12:29 and 12:43 respectively.

TUESDAY 10 AUGUST 2021

As I had still received no response to my letter of 22 June, I sent another, longer and more detailed letter to Mr Butler's correspondence address, by signed for delivery, which was delivered on 11 August at 11:01. In it, I again questioned the safety of whatever brand of sash windows they had fitted instead of Charisma Rose. I mentioned his late Mother (to whom he referred frequently in conversations) and what my own Mother, who had died less than a year before, would have been advising me to do in the circumstances. I moved on to the reasons why Ultralux had got the job in the first place and the invoice he had sent me for Denis' extra work, from our impromptu doorstep meeting, after the work had been virtually completed. I sent Mr Butler evidence of Denis's working time at our property, about which I had made extensive and meticulous notes. I pointed out that Denis had worked for a total of 86 hours and 20 minutes, over 15 days, which most employers would classify as less than 11 working days, and, at Denis's daily rate, would be substantially lower than the amount on Ultralux's invoice. See the chart I created here. I finished by saying that action would be started if I didn't hear from them in one week of receipt of the letter, asking Mr Butler how he would react if he, or a member of his family were treated in the same way that we had been, and I gave him some 'Free advice' of my own, as a PS. Read my full letter here.

WEDNESDAY 11 AUGUST 2021

I also sent copies of my letters, with an explanatory note, to Mr Butler's fellow director, Linda Thorndyke, Ultralux's Company Secretary, at her correspondence address. Both of these addresses are in the public domain, on the Companies House register at .gov.uk. The letter was sent by signed for delivery and delivered on 12 August at 10:14. This was a good move, as Ms Thorndyke seemed to take my letter, and talk of further action, seriously.

FRIDAY 13 AUGUST 2021

I received a voicemail from Linda Thorndyke, acknowledging my letter and telling me that she and Mr Butler were working on a reply, which they would post to me that day.

SATURDAY 14 AUGUST 2021

I received a response to my letters of 22 June and 10 August from Mr Butler. In his letter, Mr Butler informed me that 'On checking our records, the wrong windows were unfortunately ordered and fitted', saying that they were Victorian Sliders instead of Charisma Rose, 'However good this product is, it is not that which you have ordered or paid for'. He went on to suggest two options: that they could either order Roseview Windows through their usual supplier, as per my original request, or we can agree a suitable discount to retain the present windows and resolve the issues with the restrainers. He finished 'Please accept my sincere apologies for the obvious immeasurable inconvenience and distress caused and I shall do all that I can to ensure that some faith may be restored'. Read his full letter here.

TUESDAY 17 AUGUST 2021

I replied to Mr Butler’s letter, copying Ms Thorndyke in. I questioned how such a large mistake as ordering and fitting a whole set of different windows could be made, and why their records hadn’t been checked back in June, when I sent and emailed my original letter (stating that these questions were rhetorical and did not require answers). I also questioned the guarantee he sent, with only a two year warranty on the hardware, with an unspecified callout charge applicable after the first 12 months (realising, from my past experience, that this may be invoiced at hundreds or even thousands of pounds). I went on to suggest that, instead of Ultralux ordering and fitting the Charisma Rose windows, he should transfer the money to me that Kew Windows would charge to do so, so that they could fit the windows (being Roseview's recommended fitter for the area). In exchange, I offered the virtually pristine Victorian Sliders windows, which Ultralux could recycle to another customer, enabling them to recoup some of their lost profits. Read my full reply here.

WEDNESDAY 25 AUGUST 2021

I received a reply from Mr Butler, which said that they accepted 'The best option for both parties would be to come to an agreement financially in order that you may obtain your windows elsewhere and that you will arrange to have our windows, once removed, delivered to the rear of our premises'. Mr Butler went on to clarify that 'We do in fact install sash windows by Roseview, but these are purchased through our third-party supplier and I agree that they are a very good product'. He went on to say that the delivery lead time is variable and has certainly been heightened in the last 18 months. Mr Butler concluded by saying that Ultralux felt their invoice for £3,199.20 was fully justified and he offered me a full and final settlement of £12,650.00, less the invoice for the building works of £3,199.20, giving a refund of £9,450.80. Read the full letter here.

I replied to Mr Butler's letter on the same day it was received, once again sending a copy to Ms Thorndyke. I again queried the vague invoice he sent me for £3,199.20 and reiterated that Denis had worked for a total of 86 hours and 20 minutes, over 15 days, which could be broken down in two ways... Firstly, as a working day (including breaks) is considered to be eight hours, I asked if the 10 days Mr Butler was charging for preparation was all of the time, bar 6 hours 20 minutes (including breaks), which would have been used for the painting. Secondly, was he charging me for 10 out of the 15 days, or part days, which ranged anywhere between 2 hours 00 minutes to 7 hours 50 minutes. The mean daily average (including breaks, paid at 100%) was 5 hours 46 minutes, for a daily fee of £308.40, including VAT (1/10 of the total amount, minus 100% of the scaffolding cost)… and all for an additional service which was never offered, agreed, or even mentioned until the work had virtually been completed. I also informed Mr Butler that I had also consulted several reputable builders, regarding the legitimacy of these additional costs, and all stated categorically that preparation work should always be included in a repaint job, so no further monies should be payable. I concluded that I hoped we could settle this disputed additional amount amicably and I would pay whatever was agreed. However, if all else failed, Ultralux could, of course, summon me to the Small Claims Court, where both sides of the argument could be brought out into the open, under oath, and be judged fairly. I would have no problem whatsoever with this. Read my full reply here.

THURSDAY 16 SEPTEMBER 2021

As I had received no response to my letter of 25 August (delivered to both Ultralux's shop address and Ms Thorndyke's correspondence address on Friday 27 August), I wrote to them both again, at their correspondence addresses. I said it appeared that we had once again hit a wall of silence and if I did not receive a response (a copy of my last letter was also enclosed) within one week of receipt of this letter, further action would be started.

THURSDAY 23 SEPTEMBER 2021

I received a voicemail from Ms Thorndyke, acknowledging receipt of both letters and asking for more time for her and Mr Butler to go through the paperwork and respond, which would hopefully be by the end of the following week.

WEDNESDAY 29 SEPTEMBER 2021

Mr Butler responded to my letter, saying he would refund the £12,650.00 including VAT, but I may wish to consider retaining the windows at a substantially reduced cost, as the Victorian Sliders windows are 'Evidently of a very high standard', which would avoid the inconvenience and nuisance of further installation. He said that he would be happy to consider a discount of £4000.00. He went on to say that Victorian Sliders had won the ‘Sash Window of the Year Award‘ at the National Fenestration Awards, so my suggestion that they installed poor quality windows was evidently incorrect. He concluded that he would accept my offer of £1,602.60 including VAT for Denis’s extra work, pointing out that they would normally 'Charge out for Denis, materials and travel with a markup when he is undertaking re-works for us'. Read his letter here.

I replied to Mr Butler's letter on the same day, again questioning that, if the Victorian Sliders windows were so good, why hadn't he mentioned them in addition to, or instead of Charisma Rose, especially as they had won their latest award some six weeks before our first meeting. It is worth noting that voting in the National Fenestration Awards is only open to those working in the window industry, rather than their customers, who use the products on a day to day basis. I declined the offer of £4,000.00 to keep the existing windows, as the restrainer was still broken (we hadn't dared to use any of the others) and there was only 7 months and 4 days left before the undisclosed, and possibly heart-stopping call-out charges would come into force. I reiterated that I wished to accept the £12,650.00 for Kew Windows to fit Charisma Rose windows, I would inform Kew Windows that the Victorian Sliders should be left in the alley behind my property for collection and, while I was sure that the windows would be removed with due care and attention, we would accept no responsibility for any loss or damage during removal or storage before pickup. I finished by saying that I appreciated what Mr Butler had said regarding Denis's work and, had we been told before work commenced that additional preparation work would be necessary and extra charges would be payable for it, agreed a figure and been given the option of whether or not to accept and proceed, I would have had no problem with this. However, it was presented to us as a fait accompli, after much of the work had been completed and putting us in a very tight situation, in front of Denis himself. If the words 'We will pass on Denis’s invoice to you' had not been used, I would not have agreed to it and work would have ceased there and then. As I agreed, albeit when taken by surprise and under emotional duress, to pay Denis's invoice, I would pay the amount of £1,602.60 including VAT. Read my response here.

THURSDAY 14 OCTOBER 2021

Having received no response to my letter of 29 September, it appeared that we had hit a third wall of silence, so I wrote to Mr Butler and Ms Thorndyke again (received by both on Friday 15 October). I said that further action was now ready to go and, if the matter was not resolved, with the money in my bank account within three working days of receipt of this letter, proceedings would commence, without further notice. I included my bank details within the letter.

FRIDAY 15 OCTOBER 2021

I received a letter from Mr Butler (dated 12 October and posted, signed for delivery, at 15:08 on 14 October). He enclosed a revised invoice for £1,602.60 and said that the balance of £11,047.40 would be refunded to me when he had my bank details (which I had included in the letter I sent the day before, that had crossed in the post with his).

FRIDAY 22 OCTOBER 2021

Further action was ready to go, but, to be on the safe side, I decided to leave sending it until the morning of Monday 25 October. However, as it was now 5 working days after my letter had been received and no money had arrived in my bank account, I purchased this domain name, as a form of insurance, which was available, as Ultralux's webmaster had not taken the precaution of securing it on their behalf to protect their brand. I checked with my bank at regular intervals until close of business that day, but there was no change, though when I checked again at 18:30, £11,047.40 had appeared in my account.

FRIDAY 29 OCTOBER 2021

Having contacted Kew Windows the previous Monday, to explain the situation and inform them that we were now in a position to place an order, we went for a face to face meeting at their offices, to discuss our needs and order our Charisma Rose windows. Hena, Kosta and the team were wonderfully helpful and accommodating, answering our questions, before drawing up a contract (which they insisted I read thoroughly before signing) and arranging for Kosta to come round the following week to remeasure. They said that there was quite a long lead time for the delivery of the windows (including the Christmas break), so they should be fitted sometime in February 2022, but they would keep me posted. They did keep me posted, and the date was later pushed back to March, due to circumstances beyond their control. I duly kept Ultralux regularly posted throughout this period too, so that they would know when their Victorian Sliders windows would be ready for collection.

WEDNESDAY 3 NOVEMBER 2021

My letter of 16 September 2021, sent to Mr Butler's correspondence address, was returned to me by the Royal Mail, as there was nobody there to sign for it when delivery was attempted, and he didn't arrange for it to be redelivered or collect it from the sorting office. Luckily, I had copied in Ms Thorndyke.

THURSDAY 11 NOVEMBER 2021

The Advertising Standards Authority upheld a complaint regarding information on Platinum NRG's website, which stated that their patio doors contained 'Two shoot bolts for unparalleled security'. This information has since been removed from their website.

MONDAY 24 JANUARY 2022

I received an email from Ms Thorndyke asking if there was any news on the delivery and fitting of our new windows. I replied the following morning, saying that I had received an email from Kew Windows, saying it looked like fitting would now take place in March and I would keep her posted.

THURSDAY 17 MARCH 2022

I emailed Ms Thorndyke at 12:52, to let her know that fitting was scheduled to commence on Monday 21 March, I would keep her posted as to how things progressed and when the Victorian Sliders windows would be available for collection. I received read receipts from Ultralux at 12:59 and 13:14.

MONDAY 21 - FRIDAY 25 MARCH 2022

Our new Charisma Rose windows were fitted by three experienced fitters and carpenters from Kew Windows. Everything went very smoothly, with plenty of communication and our approval asked whenever necessary. We had been told, both by Kosta when he came to measure up, and the fitters, before the new windows were fitted, that we would notice the difference between the Victorian Sliders and Charisma Rose windows, and indeed we did. The difference in quality between the two was immeasurable, with Charisma Rose being made of far higher quality materials, having more secure locks, better quality furniture and restrainers that are magnetised, so they can be opened and closed just by pushing, without the use of a key (though they can be locked in either position, with a much sturdier metal key, if desired). We were very happy to have them, at long last, and it was worth the upheaval and thousands of pounds of extra costs incurred.

While the fitters from Kew Windows were with us, I asked one of them to take a look at the toilet and bathroom casement windows, as they had seemed quite draughty in the colder weather. He didn’t seem impressed by the quality of the Platinum NRG windows, tapping and pushing against the plastic sides, which were hollow and moved, or the way they had been fitted, pointing out gaps between the window and wall, which would let draughts in.

I emailed Ms Thorndyke at 15:14 on Tuesday 22 March, to let her know that the fitters from Kew Windows had now carefully removed all 11 Victorian Sliders windows, which were ready for collection and asking her to let me know when the people from Ultralux would be collecting them from the rear of our property. I received a read receipt from Ultralux at 15:19, but had no response, so I emailed again the next day at 15:43. This time, I received two read receipts, one at 15:43 and the other at 15:49, but still no response was forthcoming. The team from Kew Windows were nearing completion of their work and, by now, I was a little apprehensive, thinking that I might be saddled with disposing of 11 sliding sash windows myself. I emailed Ultralux for a third time at 09:31 on Thursday 24 March, saying that unless we could come to a satisfactory resolution, Kew Windows would be taking the old windows away when they left and disposing of them as they see fit, with any costs incurred passed onto Ultralux. As well as three read receipts, at 09:32, 09:34 and 09:41, I received a reply from Mr Butler at 09:44. He said ‘Linda is away with her elderly parents, so I am responding to your email. We will be collecting the windows from site at an agreed time and date but it will be next week. Alan Butler’. I replied at 10:15, thanking Mr Butler for getting back to me, but saying that more than adequate notice has been given, firstly seven days ago, and I had been emailing for three days, therefore collection next week was not acceptable and I wanted these windows off my premises forthwith, by whatever means. I again received read receipts, but no response, so emailed again at 14:43, saying that we appeared to have hit yet another wall of silence and I needed to know how he wished to proceed. I told him the price that Kew Windows had quoted for removal and disposal of the windows, which was only valid that day, while their workers and van were on site. Mr Butler responded 'Thank you for your offer. It is simply impractical to ask us to collect the windows the same day as you email'. I replied, apologising for the short notice of my request and that I should have obviously put this in clearer terms in my emails of Tuesday and Wednesday, to which he, and anyone else who read them, had chosen not to respond. I told him that the windows had been moved to the alley behind our property to await their collection, but we accepted no responsibility for their safety or condition. I attached photographs of the windows and received an email from Mr Butler at 16:43, just saying 'Thank you'. I received a phone call early the following week from Ms Thorndyke, to confirm that the windows were still there to be picked up and asking for directions to the alley.

MONDAY 4 APRIL 2022

After checking the alley every day that week, I checked on the evening of Monday 4 April and the windows had disappeared, without any acknowledgement. As three months have now passed, and I've heard nothing further, I am assuming that they were taken by Ultralux and have since been sold on to another customer, as Charisma Rose, award-winning Victorian Sliders or another brand of window.

WEDNESDAY 7 DECEMBER 2022

When the window in the toilet was fitted in May 2021, the plaster on the wall below was cracked severely. When I asked Denis to fix this fault, after the window fitting had been completed, he said that by doing this, our wallpaper would be spoiled, but not to worry, as this crack would not affect anything. I trusted Denis, so left it. However, this was not the case, and in the winter of 2021, the wind blew into the house, making the toilet the coldest room, despite having an energy saving window fitted. As I mentioned earlier, the head fitter from Kew Windows looked at it too, mentioning several other faults, so it made me think how to solve this problem. I could have gone back to Ultralux, but chose not to, as even though the work may still have been under guarantee, a call-out charge (of an undisclosed amount) was applicable after the first 12 months. As the reports came in that we were about to go through one of the coldest winters on record, I contacted the team at Kew Windows, who came and reinstalled the toilet window. It cost me yet more money, but was well worth it, as the cracked plaster is now fixed and the surround is well insulated and solid, rather than hollow. See the pictures here

So there you have it. That's my story.

Having already bought this domain name, it seemed right to put my story out there online.

I'm not here to pass judgement, influence or advise, just share my experiences, in the hope that nobody else has to go through what I did (to be forewarned is to be forearmed).

Thank you to everyone who has helped, advised and supported us throughout this time,

and to you for visiting this website and reading.

For transparency, here are links to the websites of all the companies mentioned...