Made my manege disaster into a website!

Wow, lots of interest!

I also sent an email to all the manege suppliers in the back of a H&H mag that I had to hand, & one has replied so far & wants to do a link to my site, so hopefully it will save more people from ending up with the heartache of saving spent lots of money on something not fit for purpose.

T x
 
Thank you for the link, I know this isn't PC but I would name and shame the directors of the now defunct company, so that others can avoid them. It isn't libel if it is true, you have stuck to the facts and people can check with companies house whether they are directors of the company they are considering. And add their location as a way of narrowing it down. Put them out of business by PR, and if they contact you to complain, point out that the defence against libel is the truth so they haven't a snowball in hells chance - but you will take down the website if they come and redo the job properly?
 
I thought about listing their current businesses - it is the same people as on the headed paper that my original quote was on & the same address, without any shadow of a doubt. The info is on Companies House, so is in the public domain. But I'm not sure that by 'processing' this info, i.e. by singling out a specific piece of info that refers to their entry on Co House, it would count as some sort of defamation? I don't want to get sued on top of having a c**p school!

Their current businesses are camping, B&B & wedding venue, all with FB pages, & again I was thinking of doing some factual posts on these pages. I also have their '**** off' email from last week.

It makes my blood boil every time I use my school, or have to do yet more bl**dy edge sewing as it is the least fun you can imagine, but I don't want to end up getting dragged into anything involving solicitors. I can barely pay my doctorate fees atm, let alone a lawyer!

T x
 
Sorry you must be sick of doing this now but please can I have the link too? I have had just had one built and very pleased so far but want to make sure I am watching for any problems arising.
 
Well, that's two arena installers who have now contacted me wanting to link to my site. One of them is Charles Britton - who gave me one of my three quotations! And I so nearly went with them! Arrrghhh!

T x
 
I *wanted* them to contact me - I am in 'spread the word - let's stop this happening to anyone else' mode, so I emailed them all pro-actively in case they wanted to use my story as a warning re what might happen if you go cheap! I would not wish my arena on anyone...unless they've got a sewing fetish...? Perhaps I should see if British Sewing Bee would like to hold an episode on it...who can sew 20 metres the fastest...? My fastest is about 3 hours.

T x
 
I did try emailing Rogue Traders, but got a bounce back. Maybe they're between series or something? Other suggestions appreciated!

T x
 
Corres with the company in question:


Good evening,





I contacted you some time ago about my arena issue. As you can see from your quotation, you said that all joints would be ‘welded’. As you can see from the photo, none of them were. The membrane was in fact just laid, with an interesting patchwork in one corner, presumably so as not to have to start a new roll. Obviously, the arena looked okay…until the edges started to emerge, and I was left with a totally unusable mess.





As you declined to respond to my emails, I sewed down the whole lot by hand, but obviously this is not as good as the promised (and not delivered) ‘welding’, and I have now spent far too much time re-sewing edges and hoping that my horse doesn’t trip over one that is emerging and break a leg, or indeed, my neck.





My solicitor informs me that you should have run-off insurance, which will cover the cost of you doing the job that you promised to do in the first place, namely installing the membrane properly. I have a lot more photos, should you wish to see them, or I would be more than happy to show around a loss adjustor, etc.





Perhaps you could let me know what you intend to do to sort this out. Or we could pop in, as you’re not that far away.


Response:

Dear Mrs Dawson



Further to your email below this is to inform you that UK Cushion Limited is no longer trading and we will not answer any further communications with regard to this matter.



Yours sincerely
 
Can I have the link too, please?

I feel so gutted for you. We had an arena built 4 years ago and know how tricky it was to navigate all the different quotes, methods of construction and guarantees. We ended up going with CB because they have several 15year+ old arenas around here which are still going strong. Also, we have no technical knowhow to adequately supervise a build and ensure that corners weren't being cut, so we played safe. We could easily have chosen another company, though, and perhaps been in your position now :(.

As a matter of interest, CB heat weld the strips of membrane together, with a generous overlap, and then fix the edges securely to the kickboards, so there shouldn't be any gaps in the membrane.

The two man team who installed our arena said they often get asked by customers if they could have done it cheaper if doing it as a 'foreigner' ie cash in hand, and ordering the materials separately. Apparently not, as although CB clearly have office overheads etc, and charge VAT, they buy materials in such bulk that they get a big discount, which someone building a one off arena couldn't get.

ETA just seen the link above in LeannePip's post, thanks, will take a look.
 
Last edited:
Have you spoken to Consumer Direct (now part of CAB)? I presume they will say your claim is against the non-existent company but they might have other ideas. Or Watchdog?
 
Having had a good read, just wanted to say well done for trying to help people avoid your pitfalls. I think all of us would go for the cheapest quote in most circumstances and their quote certainly makes them sound like they know what they're talking about so I can see why you chose them.

Just wondering, given the common misspelling of manege / ménage, whether it's worth adding that in somewhere so it would still come up if anybody googles "cheap ménage" or something similar? I don't really know how web seach functions work so don't know if it's possible!
 
Thats terrible, i hope there is some way to make the cowboys pay. Well done for sharing so hopefully others won't have to go through this.
Purchased a book too-sounds good☺
 
Well done for making the web site, I have seen a few home made ones and seen at least three of the problems you have.
We bought a house on the edge of the fens with a ready made manege shaped hole for the drainage, only problem is we are on clay and there is nowhere for the water to drain to so we had a 20x 40 pond complete with ducks in winter.
Have you thought have you thought of building up, using the existing slope that is moving your surface, putting down the pipework on top an then filling up with drainage material. Fennings Farm arenas are built up because they are so low lying.
 
Okay, so I've been busy! I've contacted:

CAB (Trading Standards are part of CAB)
Watchdog
Dom Littlewood

I have also sent brief details re website to H&H in case they want to stick it on their consumer news bit, & also Horse & YH.

I suspect that nowt will come of it from the perspective of getting my arena sorted, but it might help other people to avoid the pitfalls.

FWIW, CB said today that it might be possible to build on top, as Honetpot suggested, but until I've finished my doctorate, the manege-sorting fund is zero (give or take a few novel sales!) CB even remembered me from the original quotation. Now, if only I had a time machine...

T x
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top