When considering the length and details of any Guarantee on offer from any particular Company, it’s important to consider the following. How likely or otherwise do you think it is that the Company will still be in business in the years to come? Will they still be around to actually honour that Guarantee?
Honouring Guarantees
In best stock and shares tradition, our official line is that past performance gives no indication of future performance. But you may think otherwise. And if that’s the case, then let us fill you in with some information you may not be aware of.
For any Company owner trying to make a quick buck, one simple way to do so may be to give long guarantees, or guarantees on low-quality products that simply won’t last. They have no intention of being in business in the years to come when those guarantees are likely to be called upon. When choosing who to buy from, the customer will mentally assign an increased value to the goods based on the length of the Guarantee offered when originally buying. The buyer assumes that a longer Guarantee automatically means a better quality of goods. This means that Company will gain a higher profit at the point of sale. The owner can then wind up the Company a few years later (within what normal Companies would offer as a Guarantee period). They can then pocket all of that profit as a tax-efficient Capital Gain rather than paying higher Income taxes. They will also have no ongoing liability to the customers who bought thinking they would have a longer length of Guarantee.
Unfortunately, they are then free to do so again and again over the next few decades. In doing so, it seems that they also establish a record which they can then refer back to as an ‘Established’ length of time for the business. Although this is not the same as the actual number of years the current Company has traded.
How do you know when a Company really formed?
This is an important distinction and one that most people probably won’t realise. You may well consider that a Company that says it has been ‘Established’ for the last 50 or even 150 years is a Company who has actually been in business for all of those years. And has been honouring their guarantees for that length of time as well. But it isn’t.
If you want to find out the length of time that a Company has actually been trading as the current Company, then the date that you really should be looking for is the ‘Incorporation’ date. Or in other words, how many years ago a Company was ‘Incorporated’.
Our Company, to the best of our knowledge, is the oldest of the major Garden Product Companies in the UK. Dunster House Ltd was ‘Incorporated’ in April 1994. The Companies that say they have been ‘Established’ for decades or even centuries are generally less than 5 years old. So they’ve only been honouring their current Guarantees for 5 years.
Since most companies don’t freely give their ‘Incorporation’ date on their websites and prefer to use the term ‘Established’, it may be something that’s not so easy to find. You’ll need to use the government website in order to find how long they’ve really been trading. It’s quite easy to use. Simply type in the name of the Company that you’re thinking of buying from. If you’re having trouble finding the name of the Company on their website, try looking in their Terms and Conditions. The service will give you all sorts of information, including the ‘Incorporated On’ date. You may also want to check out the financial reports of the Companies you’re considering. This way you can see how financially stable they are, or not.
Pressure Treated Timber Guarantee
Guarantee Details
Dunster House Ltd. (“the Guarantor”) hereby guarantees all pressure treated timber components against damage caused by insect infestation and fungal decay for the duration of 10 years from the first date of delivery.
Covered is the cost of re-supplying an identical or comparable component to replace a component that is proven to have failed as a result of fungal decay or insect attack. This includes the cost of transport of any such component to the customer’s original delivery address providing that this is within the territorial scope of this Guarantee. It does not cover the cost of installation of those components and does not cover the cost of dismantling and/or collection of the defective components. Consequential costs or losses are not covered.
The term ‘fungal decay’ as used in the Guarantee refers to wood-destroying fungi that feed on and degenerate the wood cell walls. It excludes staining and mould fungi associated with the weathering of wood.
The term ‘insect attack’ refers to attack by wood digesting insects that destroy the timber structure.
The term ‘failed’ refers to damage caused by insects and/or fungi to such an extent that the component is no longer structurally sound.
This does not affect the statutory rights of consumers or exclude or restrict the liability of the Guarantor for death or personal injury caused by negligence, or for fraudulent misrepresentation.
Conditions
1. Any claim must be made in writing and accompanied with a proof of purchase, details of failure and photographic evidence of failure.
2. Should the timber be cross-cut or in any other way cut into, then exposed surfaces are to be brushed with ‘Ensele’ end grain wood preservative in accordance with the instructions on the Ensele container. (Ensele is a wood preservative that is specifically designed to be used with Tanalith ‘E’ pressure treated timber). Ensele can be purchased from multiple retailers and to find a supplier enter ‘Ensele end grain wood preservative’ into an internet search engine.
3. The products must have been correctly installed and only subject to normal domestic use.
4. No Guarantee is offered on products subject to abuse, negligence, improper use, modifications or attachment to equipment other than our own.
5. Fence Post and Gravel boards (for Fences) are pressure treated to Class 4 usage, and should only be used for in-ground contact situations. Use Class 4 usage
6. All products (other than Fence posts and Gravel Boards) are pressure treated to Class 3 usage, and should only be used for out of ground contact situations. Use Class 3 usage
7. Fence Posts must not be pointed.
8. The shortening of timber posts should be avoided, if possible. If shortened, the cut end must never be used in ground contact and Ensele should be applied.
9. The territorial scope of this agreement is the United Kingdom Only.
Exclusions
1. Any timber removed from its original installation and re-used at another location.
2. Natural changes to timber, such as splits, twists, warps, knots and knotholes.
Guarantor’s name and address:
Dunster House Ltd.
Factory 1
Elms Farm Industrial Estate
Caxton Road
Bedford
MK41 0LF
E-mail: [email protected]
Hot-Dipped Galvanised Steel Guarantee
Guarantee Details
Dunster House Ltd. (“the Guarantor”) hereby guarantees all hot-dipped galvanised steel components against damage caused by corrosion for the duration of 10 years from the first date of delivery.
Covered is the cost of re-supplying an identical or comparable component to replace a component that is proven to have failed as a result of corrosion. This includes the cost of transport of any such component to the customer’s original delivery address providing that this is within the territorial scope of this Guarantee. It does not cover the cost of installation of those components and does not cover the cost of dismantling and/or collection of the defective components. Consequential costs or losses are not covered.
The term ‘corrosion’ as used in the Guarantee refers to oxidisation of the iron contained within the steel.
The term ‘failed’ refers to damage caused by corrosion to such an extent that the component is no longer structurally sound.
This does not affect the statutory rights of consumers or exclude or restrict the liability of the Guarantor for death or personal injury caused by negligence, or for fraudulent misrepresentation.
Conditions
1. Any claim must be made in writing and accompanied with a proof of purchase, details of failure and photographic evidence of failure.
2. The products must have been correctly installed and only subject to normal domestic use.
3. No Guarantee is offered on products subject to abuse, negligence, improper use, modifications or attachment to equipment other than our own.
4. Should the metal component be cross cut, notched, drilled or in any other way cut into, after it has been supplied to the customer, then the Guarantee will be void.
5. The territorial scope of this agreement is the United Kingdom Only.
Exclusions
1. Any metal component that has been used in a location which submerges/covers it in water or other substance which will cause it to corrode in a way that was unintended by the design of the product and its intended purpose.
Guarantor’s name and address:
Dunster House Ltd.
Factory 1
Elms Farm Industrial Estate
Caxton Road
Bedford
MK41 0LF
E-mail: [email protected]
Sealed Unit (Double Glazing) Guarantee
Guarantee Details
Dunster House Ltd. (“the Guarantor”) hereby guarantees all sealed unit components against visible condensation inside the sealed unit for the duration of 5 years from the first date of delivery.
Covered is the cost of re-supplying an identical or comparable sealed unit to replace a sealed unit that is proven to have visible condensation inside it. This includes the cost of transport of any such sealed unit to the customer’s original delivery address providing that this is within the territorial scope of this Guarantee. It does not cover the cost of installation of the sealed unit and does not cover the cost of removing and/or collection of the defective sealed unit. Consequential costs or losses are not covered.
The term ‘visible condensation’ as used in the Guarantee refers to water droplets forming against the inside surfaces of the panes of glass that are at least 0.5mm in diameter.
This does not affect the statutory rights of consumers or exclude or restrict the liability of the Guarantor for death or personal injury caused by negligence, or for fraudulent misrepresentation.
Conditions
1. Any claim must be made in writing and accompanied with a proof of purchase, details of failure and photographic evidence of failure.
2. The products must have been correctly installed and only subject to normal domestic use and maintenance. This includes ensuring that drainage holes are kept free of obstruction and that packers are used underneath the sealed unit to hold it up from the bottom of the sash.
3. No Guarantee is offered on products subject to abuse, negligence, improper use, modifications or attachment to equipment other than our own.
4. The territorial scope of this agreement is the United Kingdom Only.
Exclusions
1. Any sealed unit with broken glass or seals that have been tampered with.
Guarantor’s name and address:
Dunster House Ltd.
Factory 1
Elms Farm Industrial Estate
Caxton Road
Bedford
MK41 0LF
E-mail: [email protected]
EPDM Guarantee
Guarantee Details
Dunster House Ltd. (“the Guarantor”) hereby guarantees all Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer (EPDM) membranes against water permeation through the membrane, from one side of the membrane to the other, caused by the decay/deterioration of the membrane for the duration of 10 years from the first date of delivery.
Covered is the cost of re-supplying an identical or comparable EPDM membrane to replace an EPDM membrane that is proven to have failed as a result of decay/deterioration. This includes the cost of transport of any such component to the customer’s original delivery address providing that this is within the territorial scope of this Guarantee. It does not cover the cost of installation of those components and does not cover the cost of dismantling and/or collection of the defective components. Consequential costs or losses are not covered.
The term ‘decay/deterioration’ as used in the Guarantee refers to decay/deterioration which arises directly from a defect in the material or manufacturing workmanship of the material.
The term ‘failed’ refers to a situation where water has passed through the membrane from one side to the other side.
This does not affect the statutory rights of consumers or exclude or restrict the liability of the Guarantor for death or personal injury caused by negligence, or for fraudulent misrepresentation.
Conditions
1. Any claim must be made in writing and accompanied with a proof of purchase, details of failure and photographic evidence of failure.
2. The products must have been correctly installed and only subject to normal domestic use.
3. No Guarantee is offered on products subject to abuse, negligence, improper use, modifications or attachment to offices or equipment other than our own.
4. The territorial scope of this agreement is the United Kingdom Only.
Exclusions
1. Any EPDM removed from its original installation and re-used at another location.
2. Any EPDM that has puncture hole(s), cut(s), rip(s), tear(s), or similar caused by something other than the decay/deterioration of the material, such as; screws or nails, high winds or tree branches.
3. Visual imperfections, such as creases, or bubbles formed under the membrane when it is laid, providing that such visual imperfections do not cause the membrane to allow water to permeate through it.
Guarantor’s name and address:
Dunster House Ltd.
Factory 1
Elms Farm Industrial Estate
Caxton Road
Elms Farm Industrial Estate
Bedford
Bedfordshire
MK41 0LF
E-mail: [email protected]
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