The Double Glazing and Conservatory Ombudsman Scheme (DGCOS) is delighted that all domestic installation guarantees must have financial backing from 6th June.

“This legislation from the DCLG is long-overdue,” explains DGCOS CEO Richard Christie. “However, DGCOS since its inception has mandated its members to issue every retail customer with an Insurance Backed Guarantee (IBG).”

“The existing system of ‘offering IBGs’ can lead to worrying problems for consumers,” continues Richard. “Often where an IBG is offered it isn’t always taken up – in my experience very few consumers offered an IBG after installation do so. Not least because consumers have to pay for IBGs themselves at this stage. Add to this the fact that it can be easy for consumers to mess up the paperwork, with many – if not most – forgetting to complete and return the forms, and it’s obvious that more needed to be done to protect consumers.”

Richard adds: “A word of warning though: all IBGs aren’t equal – they can be confusing and full of get-out clauses. Even so, compulsory protection is a step in the right direction. The new rules should help improve the reputation of the industry and protect consumers if things go wrong.”

David Herman’s Consumer Protection Report, commissioned by DGCOS, includes a comparison of IBGs offered by organisations in the industry, available here: http://www.dgcos.org.uk/assets/Consumer_Protection_Report_3rd_Edition.pdf

For more information on the DGCOS visit www.dgcos.org.uk.