Reading the small print

The sales conversation is about the shiny new windows. The contract is about what happens if anything goes wrong. Both matter — but only one is legally binding, so it pays to read it properly before you sign.

Your cancellation rights

When you agree a contract at home — a “doorstep” or off-premises sale — UK consumer law generally gives you a 14-day cooling-off period in which you can cancel without penalty. The company must tell you about this right and provide a cancellation form. If the paperwork is silent on cooling-off, that’s a red flag in itself. Check the wording, and never let anyone tell you that signing means you’re instantly locked in.

The clauses worth finding

• Deposit and payment schedule. How much upfront, when the balance is due, and whether the deposit is protected. Large upfront demands deserve real scrutiny.
• What’s actually included. Frames, glass spec, colour, trims, making good the plaster, removing the old units and disposal — get it all in writing.
• Completion timescale. A start window, a rough duration, and what happens if the job overruns.
• Guarantee terms. Length, what’s covered, and crucially whether it’s insurance-backed so it survives if the company doesn’t.
• Price certainty. Is the figure fixed, or can it change after survey? Know before, not after.

How to read it without the pressure

The simplest defence is time. Take the contract away and read it when there’s no one watching. Anything you don’t understand, ask about in writing. If a term seems unfair or one-sided, say so — a reputable installer will explain or amend it. And if the money side worries you, it’s worth understanding ways to spread the cost, subject to eligibility before you commit to a payment schedule you’re not sure about.

Red flags in the wording

A contract can be legally binding and still be lopsided, so read it with a slightly suspicious eye. Watch for a payment schedule that front-loads the money before any work is done, a “price subject to change” clause with no cap, or a guarantee whose conditions quietly exclude the parts most likely to fail. Be wary of anything that makes cancelling harder than it should be, or that treats your cooling-off right as an afterthought buried on the back page. None of these mean a company is dishonest, but each is worth querying in writing before you sign. A reputable installer will explain or amend a fair point without fuss; reluctance to put things in writing is itself the clearest answer you’ll get.

Keep reading

The two clauses that catch people out most are money and cover, so read deposit and payment safety and guarantees worth having next.