The truth about warranties
There are a lot of statements made about warranties but what do they all mean? Professional indemnity, Public Liability… 5 millions of this and 1 million of that but what would happen if you actually had to claim and what would happen if your contractor ceased trading?
Professional Indemnity and Public Liability have to be taken out by Employers and companies giving ‘professional’ advice, however neither of these policies will cover you in the event of re-growth of Japanese Knotweed (JK) on your development site. In the event of Professional Indemnity you would have to prove that the advice given not only wrong but proven to be factually incorrect – very difficult to prove with JK.
Some companies cite a policy which covers for any damage to hard surfaces and buildings. This is simply not possible. No insurance policy could possibly cover each and every job to the value of a potential re-build should building foundations be damaged – imagine the premiums per project? How could a job of say £5K have an insurance cover of £25 million. Somebody is lying when they suggest that this is possible!
April 29th, 2008 at 7:38 pm
Always a tricky one that - also concerns raised in hortic week recently by Complete Weed Control (?) Maybe not them, but someone anyway.
So where does that leave everyone then??
At the end of the day we are talking about trust and relationships more than litigation.
Thats what I think anyway
April 30th, 2008 at 10:28 am
Yes - I agree - my concern and the reason for the post is the number of new companies coming in to the market making all sorts of claims to have warranties which dont exist! At the end of the day the service that the better companies provide is undermined by false promises made by the less scrupulous!
Thanks for the post Phil!
May 2nd, 2008 at 3:30 pm
I guess the issue surrounding the legitimacy of warranties is also strongly interlinked with the legitimacy and credibility of the company involved. Certainly the plethora of new companies springing up making inflated and unfounded claims about their abilities and guarantees are devaluing the efforts made by genuine companies to raise their credibility in an industry which at times has had a dubious reputation. At JKSL we are constantly striving to improve our credentials; environmentally, professionally and in our research. We have recently become BASIS registered, which is going to become increasingly important as a benchmark of quality as more companies are formed to catch a lift on the JK bandwagon.
May 6th, 2008 at 11:30 am
Thanks Emma,
As you are aware one of the main issues with Japanese Knotweed management is the re-visiting and checking of sites that have been treated. My main concern when discussing with our insurers how best to offer peace of mind to our customers was ensuring the continuity of service for a ten year period.
I strongly believe that this is why we have so many returning clients who know they can put a tick in the box and forget about JK when they use our services.
It would appear from other web sites that some companies simply click on our details and copy the ideas!
I suppose imitation is the sincerest form of flattery but it gets a bit irritating!!
May 16th, 2008 at 3:19 pm
Mike, enjoyed the blog - very good idea!
As you know we have spoken on the phone about our frustrations about companies cloning the ideas of what I would call the knotweed businesses that have been established for many years and have proved themselves.
I find it very interesting how people can offer numerous years of guarantees when they have only just started.
Like yourselves we have developed 2 forms of rhizome verification methodologies of which we have patents pending on both. One has been developed at Bath University and the other we have worked with Writtle College, as we secured a KTP with them.
We have already gained a huge amount of intestest from clients who we both have clients with and also from those we have lost potential jobs with.
To come in and verify the work that they have understand with some of the outragous claims that some of the companies have made, I think it is this standard of professionalism which will keep our companies above these people.
As we all know the country is heading into a recession and any building or planning magazine is warning of a slow-down of developments across the country. This may cause for us to be concerned that cowboy operations will come in and slash prices to get work, I actually think it will work in reverse for established companies as there is nothing better than going into recession with a strong client list.
Look forward to hearing from you soon.
May 20th, 2008 at 9:51 am
Howard,
I agree and reiterate my point about established companies with the appropriate professional bodies and experience behind them being potentially undermined by less scrupulous contractors. I think you are correct in assuming that the upcoming slowdown will serve to separate the wheat from the chaff in our business and will hopefully ‘weed out’ some of the cowboys.
I am proud of the academic links JKSL have build up in collaboration with Lancaster University, which itself is presently the most prestigious for Environmental Research and Teaching in the UK and arguably in Europe. My present trials involve the use of CT technology to model the rhizome system of Japanese Knotweed in 3D both pre and post chemical treatment to gain a greater understanding of how herbicides act on the plant and how we can improve on this. Additionally, I am developing my own chemical stain to identify the point of rhizome cell death, with a technique I used during my PhD. We are currently awaiting review of a substantial funding application with the North West Development Agency to continue these trials and other exciting projects on a more commercial scale.
Our upcoming seminar, in association with Lancaster University and Envirolink entitled ‘Hot Topics in the Contaminated Land Sector’ will cover timely issues and recent developments within the Contaminated Land Sector, including the formal recognition of Japanese Knotweed as a land contaminant. It will provide an arena for communication within the contaminated land industry to evaluate the potential to work together for mutual benefit. The seminar will form a starting point for a Lancaster University based Contaminated Land Forum, with regular meetings and events to forge continuing and beneficial interactions.
Those interested in attending, please contact emma.morley@sltd.co.uk
May 20th, 2008 at 1:08 pm
Howard, thanks for your comments and hope you will continue to check in and get some dialogue going!
Like you, I believe that the reason that TCM and Japanese Knotweed Solutions continue to be succesful is based on a sound understanding of how invasive weeds continue to spread - using management and eradication strategies that both companies have developed over years of experience. As you note one wonders how companies that have only traded for a few months can quote years of experience and gaurantees of success!
I recently noted a company stating ‘30 years of experience’ when the company owner was only 28….? Obviously you are far older than that Howard???
Mike