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The following story comes from the cmi.consumer newsgroup, and is thus considered public domain. The original post can still be read there. We have re-posted it here only for convenience.

The following was taken directly from the cmi.consumer newsgroup.

These people are slick. I can see where the unsuspecting could get taken in very easily.

A bit by way of background:

About 3 years ago, I made the mistake of agreeing to have one of the Nu-View salesmen come by, as I was toying with the idea of replacing the windows in my home. This guy left a trail of slime wherever he went. Big dog-and-pony sales pitch, high pressure, etc.

Fade to today:

Monday night I answered a call from someone with "Pacesetter". Like a dumb-ass, I was concentrating on my Law & Order rerun rather than the call, so I inadvertently let it slip that I was still thinking about replacing my windows. Well, that started the sharks circling... they smelled blood. I told the woman on the phone that, sure, I didn't mind a salesman showing me some samples, BUT (and I spelled this out quite explicitly), I had absolutely no intention of purchasing anything in the next 9 months. Period. Well, that fell on deaf ears...

So the slimeb.... err, "salesman" comes over last night. He comes in, sees my cat, and he happens to love cats. We chit-chat. Coincidentally, he also was a stamp collector as a kid...*and* a coin collector! Wow! He's also single (divorced) with no kids. Small world! ($5 says that at the next sales stop he's been married for 17 years and has 4 kids... wouldn't change it for the world). We just have so much in common (maybe we should date).

He starts the sales pitch...company profile...been in business 37 years.... this award... that award... best product in the business... 25-year warranty... blah-blah-blah.

"Show me the money".

Blahblahblahblah... support... professional installation... this guarantee... that guarantee... firstborn child.... blah-blah-blah.

Pulls out the heat lamp and does a demonstration.

[At this point I'm reflecting how virtually identical this sales pitch is to the Nu-View pitch was 3 years ago].

He goes to measure the windows...sees my CD collection, and HEY! Another coincidence! He loves heavy metal music too! [My God! They sent my Uncle Harry to sell me windows! I just gotta love this company!!!]

Figure... figure... calculate... calculate.... "we're running a special"... "normally we don't".... "because I like you"...

For 1 picture window and 6 regular windows: $6,800.

I don't [CENSORED] think so.

This guy tried *everything* to get a sale.... this financing option.... knock another $600 off... No payments until June... July... August... September... 12.9% financing for 3 years... 5 years... 7 years... 10 years.

Then, as a last resort, he used the old "Well, if we have to come back out it will cost you more." At this point I escorted him from my house.

It wasn't until after he left that I TRULY comprehended the deviousness of these slime-balls. I found it odd that he kept coming back to a topic that the Nu-View salesman had never touched upon: He kept stressing that their factory was a union shop and that they had never had a strike or layoff in 37 years. That just seemed weird to me...

...until I noticed that my monthly copy of "GCIU Communicator" had been sitting on my coffee table all along.

[Little did he realize that he was scoring absolutely no points with that tactic. I'm non-voluntarily a union member due to the nature of my employment; philosophically, I'm staunchly anti-union.]

So, be careful of these folks. They are smooth and employ hard-sell tactics. They literally do NOT want to take no for an answer. It's like trying to by from a used car salesman, but having him come to your house.

Now, does anyone have any idea what it should legitimately cost to put in replacement windows? [you don't have to charge me extra for the dog-and-pony show] :) :)

Admin's Note: This post has not been altered from the original version found in the cmi.consumer newsgroup. Spelling and grammar have not been corrected.