So perhaps you recently had a knock on the door from a friendly local kid. He was all excited to tell you about a neighborhood discount that a local remodeling company was offering. They were working nearby and they were offering a discount to any of the neighbors who wanted to have a similar project completed while they were here. They could see you had older windows so they wanted to offer their services. Once they finish that project and leave the area the great pricing will be gone.
BEWARE: This is NEVER a good deal.
Remember the first rule of avoiding a contractor’s tricks: you NEVER need to sign up immediately. Of course they’re trying to use your fear of missing a “great deal” to entice you to sign up without giving the project the proper consideration.
Think about it this way. The workers need to get up every day and leave their houses to come to work. They’ll drive to your house or your neighbors house or a house across town. It doesn’t make any difference to them. Work is work and windows are windows. If they work in the same neighborhood every day they still need to drive there each day (unless you’re letting them sleep over).
When you get that knock on the door you should thank that kid for letting you know. What he’s effectively told you is that this company is the type to pull marketing tricks and you’ve now learned that you should avoid them.
If you’re the type who likes to have a little fun, ask him where they’re working in the neighborhood and tell him you’re going to go by tomorrow to see the workers. They’re probably not working nearby at all. This is just something they tell folks to make you feel like this is a great deal.
Take a look through some of our other posts on common replacement window sales tricks and keep an eye out for an upcoming post on the most effective ways to get a great deal!
If you’re looking for a window company right now, the best advice we have is to check out our list of the best window companies all over the country. You can find it right here.
I have used that line before, oh what house number? I want to see the windows…silence.
Nice work!
Have talked to two window companies. First said he would give discount because it was first visit. Asked if we could have time to talk about, he said it would not be fair to everyone else.
Second company just happened to have a rebate because someone else’s deal did not go through. We declined.
Rep from second called a week later. She said the vice president was going to be in the neighborhood. She said we may be able to get a big discount.
Ha. Just keep saying no and the price will magically keep going down. Or find a company that treats people well and the price will be fair from the beginning.
I just got finished running a saleswoman through the ringer. She wasn’t able to explain to me why the deal isn’t valid after the evening they come out. She was no match for me. Poor gal.
Ha, nice work!
I just quit a replacement window sales job (my first sales experience) because of these tactics. It was mandatory to “follow the process” because it works! Totally dishonest company without any care for the customer’s needs. “When the customer’s wallet is open, empty it.” No thanks.
I recently was approached by a company marketing the “Neighborhood Discount”. I was considering replacing my windows because I have wooden window sashes with double pane glass. The frames have all been wrapped in aluminum. I had noticed that several sashes needed painting and I was trying to decide to either paint or replace. Thanks to your blogs, I turned down the salesperson’s offer. I have received an estimate from The Window Dog but I am still trying to decide what to do.
My windows are 30 year old, double pane wooden windows. I have no evidence of fogging between the panes and they seem to seal well. They still slide up and down easily and close tightly. What are some things I should consider in making my decision? I can paint the sashes myself because they can be tilted in and the only thing requiring paint is the sashes since the outside frames are all wrapped.
Looking forward to your thoughts.
Hi David, the new windows will surely seal better and be more efficient. You also wouldn’t need to paid them so there’s a savings there. Sounds like the old ones might be able to hold up a little longer so if it doesn’t fit into the budget now there’s no reason you couldn’t wait. Prices for new windows do go up over time so when you factor that in plus savings in utilities and maintenance costs it does cost money to wait too.
Just let us know if we can help out.
Just had a Tighseal Exterior give us an estimate for 8 triple pane and 1 double. He had an over 2 hour pitch, I swear I could have nodded off. Then after that nonsense he gave us a quote of $21000 but if we signed the “deal” the price would be $18,000. Since this was the 1st window company we had gotten an estimate from there was no way we were going to sign. So we sent the estimator packing. Left a bad taste in my mouth. Should it really cost that much for 9 windows?
I meant Tightseal Exteriors
Companies that do the long 2 hour sales pitch NEVER have a good deal. Remember that and you’ll be ahead of the game. They NEVER have a good deal. If they did they wouldn’t need a 2 hour story.
What’s your zip code? We might be able to make a better recommendation. Or, you can find recommended companies here.
I have 2 more companies coming out, Abby’s windows and Homesealed exteriors. I hope they don’t waste 2 more hours of my life. Wish us luck!