Questions & Answers
Your questions answered
Q. How can I book an appointment for a Design Consultation home visit?
A. You can call our Customer Sales Team on 0191 4990099 or e-mail us at info@a1blindsuk.co.uk or complete the “Call Back” box on the home page of our website at www.a1blinds.co.uk
Q. What times are offered for appointments?
A. Monday to Friday we offer appointments from 8am to 4pm and on Saturdays from 8am to 1pm. We can arrange for our Sales Team to ring you 30-60 minutes before they are due to arrive to save you having to wait in.
Q. Are home visit appointments free?
A. Yes all Design Consultation home visits are free of charge and no obligation.
Q. What areas do you cover for home visits?
A. We cover the whole of the North East, from Alnwick/Seahouses northward - down to Tees Valley (Peterlee, Hartlepool) & across eastward as far as Hexham & Haltwhistle. Please see the 'Home Consultations' page for an area coverage map.
Q. How long will the appointment take?
A. It’s difficult to estimate as this depends on the amount of windows and whether you have an idea of the type of Blinds required but the average time is between 20-40 minutes.
Q. Will your Design Consultant have the samples I need?
A. Yes, our Design Consultants carry a full range of all the samples and colours needed.
Q. How much deposit will i need to pay?
A. A deposit of 50% will be needed before we can place the order into production.
Q. How long will it take to get my Blinds?
A. Normally fitting of Verticals & Roller Blinds can be arranged in 3-4 working days unless we have to specially order the fabric in, in which case this might take a little longer. Wooden Blinds & Perfect Fit Conservatory Blinds take approximately 5-10 working days from order to fitting and Roman Blinds would be approximately 10 -12 working days.
Q. When will I need to pay the balance?
A. You will need to pay the balance to the fitting Technician once the fitting is complete.
Q. How much does it cost for fitting?
A. We offer free fitting for home visits. If you have purchased our Blinds from our website we will fit them from £15.
Q. Do you repair Blinds?
A. Yes we repair all types of Blinds. You can bring the Blind into our Factory Showroom for repair, there is a charge of £20 per repair (excluding Perfect Fit & Roof Blinds) or alternatively we can collect & refit at a Callout Charge of £25 plus £20 per repair.
Q. What are your Factory/Showroom opening times?
A. We are open Monday to Friday from 8am to 5pm and Saturdays 8am to 4pm
Q. Do you offer Child Safety Devices?
A. Yes we can supply Child Safety Devices for all type of Blinds.
Q. Do you have any Virtual Books available for viewing your fabric ranges?
A. Yes, we have several online Virtual Books available. We have a book containing fabrics for 'Roller, Roman & Vertical' fabrics here - and also, from another supplier - The Fabric Box here (Roller, Vertical, Panel, etc.).
Why Choose A1 Blinds
What makes us different to other Window Blind Companies and why choose A1 Blinds?
- We have been manufacturing and fitting Window Blinds in the North East for over 33 years.
- All our staff are employed by A1 Blinds, unlike many other Blind Companies we do not use Self Employed Agents who work on commission only sales basis.
- We reward our Sales Team in customer satisfaction rather than commission on sales or quantity, making the consumers choice an enjoyable, pressure free experience.
- We will undercut any genuine like for like quote on production of proof. When finding a cheaper quote, what you must take into account is: On Vertical Blinds other companies usually quote for the less popular 127mm width (5 inch) this means less fabric is used as well as less trucks, less bottom weights & chain. All our Vertical offers are on the more modern/popular 89mm (3.5 inch) width. They might offer unpopular colours so when you choose White or Cream the price goes up. All our offers are on the popular White & Cream Colours. Most other companies Vertical offers usually have Glued Top Hangers and Bottom Weight Pockets, this is a much cheaper option but glue dries out quickly, especially in sunny south facing windows and therefore fall apart. All our Drapes are machine stitched by experienced machinists and unlike glued Drapes won’t fall apart. Some Companies use cheaper components, for example cardboard tubing on Roller Blinds. All our head rail & tubing components are made from the highest quality Aluminium or steel.
- All our Blinds are manufactured in the North East from the finest quality components.
- We do not use "Cut Downs" unlike some Companies who buy in cheap Ready Made Blinds from China and cut them down to size. All our Blinds are made from scratch with the finest quality components ensuring many years use.
- Some Companies only give a 3 or 6 month guarantee and give no guarantee on commercial use. All our Blinds carry a 12 month "No Quibble" guarantee.
- We monitor our energy and recycle waste to save costs which means we are able to pass the savings on to our customers through low pricing and price matching.
- We monitor our competitors so that we lead the way in value for money and we continually strive to set standards in customer care.
- We attend trade shows both nationally and internationally to source the latest fashions and trends in window dressings, choosing the most popular new season styles so our customers are offered a host of inspirational designs and collections.