Terms and Conditions
Guarantee Terms
Safety
General
Payment
Limited Companies
Other Companies, Individual Traders or Partnerships
Planning
Planning Permission
Important Information
General Product Information
Timbers
Fabrications
Fixings
Chainwork
Rope-Work and Netting
Surfacing
Insurance
1 Equipment produced by this company carries a twelve-month guarantee
unless some other time period is clearly stated on the contract.
2 Guarantee date commences at completion of works by this company, or
in the case of supply only contract, at the time the goods are received
in good condition and in full by the client.
3 All responsibilities toward goods and equipment cease upon termination
of guarantee period, unless a subsequent contract for maintenance is
agreed upon in writing.
4. Any guarantee applies to the goods sold to the client by the company,
on the understanding that the goods are not in any way abused, or used
by persons for whom the equipment was not intended.
5. The client should at all times maintain a responsible attitude towards
equipment with respect to ongoing inspection of equipment in line with
recommendations outlined by the British Standards Institution, (B.S.
E.N.1176 & 1177.), R.O.S.P.A. and any other body who have advised
on day to day monitoring of play equipment which has been installed
on a permanent basis. Any faults or defects should be reported to the
company at once, and equipment should be put out of commission until
faults have been rectified by the company. Upon receipt of payment in
full, PlayQuest shall issue our Operators Inspection Form and our Accident
report form which must be put into operation to comply with B.S. E.N.
1776 & 1177.
6. Equipment which has been put out of commission for a period owing
to product failure, due to manufacturing or installation failure that
is proven to be our responsibility, will have its guarantee extended
to compensate for the period of none-use.
7. The company reserves the right to make a charge for any repairs or
call out time involved where product failure is considered to be the
result of equipment abuse.
PlayQuest endeavours to comply with current standards. Our operatives
receive on-going training through recognised professional bodies. Our
equipment is regularly inspected by RoSPA, and changes made when agreed
upon. However, some controversy exists over issues concerning play equipment,
and agreed interpretations are issued from the British Standards Institution
on a regular basis. To the forefront in matters of establishing a safe
play environment is the method of ‘Risk Assessment’. Provided
that our equipment is installed in a suitable environment, all of our
equipment would be deemed ‘low risk’ (‘medium risk’
at worst). It is our understanding that this should be the goal of all
play providers.
Therefore the following applies to any equipment sold by this company;-
1. British Standards. As active members of the API (Association of
Play Industries) PlayQuest manufacture and install play areas to conform
to BS EN 1176 & 1177 as interpreted by this company, making changes
when notified by the API as the standards progress. We also work closely
with RoSPA to verify the equipment is installed as low-risk to BS EN
1176 & 1177. BS EN 1176 & 1177 are complex standards. Strict
compliance may in some cases be overly restrictive, and even increase
risk. Where this is so PlayQuest have chosen
a lower risk method over strict compliance. Customers requiring strict
compliance to BS EN 1176 & 1177 should be specific in requesting
this and it will be clearly written into the contract to avoid any confusion.
2. In circumstances where the company agrees to install equipment which
does not conform as low-risk to the British Standard (B.S. E.N. 1176
& 1177), the customer will entirely bear the responsibility for
this decision, and will have no claim against the company in the event
of an accident. The insurers of this company will only accept liability
if this company adheres to these safety standards as and where they
are seen to apply. (For full rounded discussion of these matters please
consult the booklet ‘Play ground Safety Guidelines’. published
by the Dept. of Ed. in conjunction with the Welsh Office, and The Children’s
Play and Recreation Unit).
3. The equipment designed and manufactured by this company is not suitable
for universal usage. It is “Adventure Play Equipment “ and
as such by its very nature carries an inherent risk of injury. This
is reduced by responsible design, installation and usage. This company
does not generally recommend some of our equipment to be suitable for
children of seven years and under, (eg Fitness Equipment).
Equipment contracted for children under seven years, should not in
any circumstances be used by children who are unsupervised by a responsible
adult. Any decision to offer any of our equipment for use in an unsupervised
setting, will be the responsibility of the customer, who becomes the
play area provider from the time of installation onwards. Equally, this
company will not accept responsibility for injury, for authorised usage,
or miss-use of equipment, by anybody. The purchaser should provide all
that is required to limit the use of the equipment. Necessary signage
and restrictive fencing should be used to prevent the use of equipment
by persons for whom it is neither suitable or intended for.
4. The customer is advised to ensure that they are covered by their
insurers as to injuries and actions which may be brought against them
as a result of the general usage of the play area.
5. The customer should have in force the program for ensuring that
the equipment in the play area is REGULARLY MONITORED, It is the customers
responsibility to use the Operators Inspectors form in line with the
standards set out by the British Standards Institution (B.S.E.N. 1176
& 1177), and that any faults observed should be immediately dealt
with by decommissioning the offending apparatus, until repairs have
been executed. If the equipment is under normal or extended guarantee
or if the equipment shows signs of negligence on behalf of this company
beyond the term of guarantee, then this matter should immediately be
reported to us.
It is considered by some authorities that the type of equipment produced by the company can not always be measured against B.S.E.N. However, it is the policy of this company to apply where possible those points contained in B.S.E.N., as they can be seen to apply.
1. All equipment supplied by this company remains its property until
it has been paid for in full, by the customer according to the terms
of the contract. The company reserves the right to repossess any equipment
which is not paid for in full. This will include situations in which
part payment has been received, but the balance of payment remains outstanding.
The company in this circumstance reserves the right to repossess the
whole, or to sell on to a third party all equipment, in order to recover
the outstanding monies owed, including legal and administrative costs
and interest on monies owed.
2. Should the repossession and sale of the equipment as outlined above
fail to realise the full extent of the debt, the company reserves the
right to pursue the balance through whatever means. It is logical that
the customer should realise that the resale value of the equipment will
be only a fraction of its value at time of first sale, because the equipment
is purpose-built and very difficult to remove.
3. The customer has no right whatsoever to sell on any of the equipment
sited, unless:- a. All equipment has been paid for in full according
to the terms of the contract. b. The customer has obtained permission
to do such (in writing), by this company. Any attempt to do so will
be considered to be in breach of The 1978 Theft Act, and will be treated
accordingly.
4. Payments not received on time by this company will be liable to
the following additional costs:-
a. Statutory Late Payment & Intrest Charges, under The Late Payment
of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998, as ammended and supplemented
by the Late Payment of Commercial Debts Regulations 2002. These at present
are a one off fee + Intrest at 8% above Bank of England base rate. Should
this company have incurred other financial penalties as a result of
the customer non payment to us this will also be passed on to the customer.
b. Administrative charges. In the case of our directors involvement
these will be charged at no less than £50.00 per hour.
c. All legal costs, incurred by this company in recovering the debt.
d. Other cost involved in recovering the debt.
5. The customer has no rights whatsoever to interfere with the equipment
in any way, which may damage its potential resale value, unless the
equipment has been paid for in full. No matter what the circumstances
it shall not be removed in part or in full without the permission of
the company.
6. The company reserves all rights to repossess equipment either directly
or through a third party, without making good the damage done to the
site through the removal of such, as this would only incur further costs
to the company. The customer in signing any contract with this company
agrees not to interfere with a walk on repossession arrangement in case
of default of payment as outlined elsewhere in this document.
1. This company will not do business with Limited Companies, PLC‘s,
unless the following conditions apply:
a. The person or persons signing the contract will become personally
liable for the debt. This will mean that the person signing will personally
guarantee the payments in case of default by the Limited Company, (PLC.).
b. The person signing on behalf of the Limited Company (PLC.) will
provide evidence prior to installation that the funds are available
and set aside for payment. This may involve appointing a trustee. Also
a deposit will be required prior to the commencement of works. Failure
to meet with the conditions outlined above, will invalidate the contract.
c. Any persons entering into a contractual agreement with this company
on behalf of a Limited Company or PLC., will supply full details of
the company’s name as registered at Companies House, the position
or title of the person signing, and will need to be clearly presented
as a supplementary part of the contract.
d. References regarding a company’s financial standing or credibility
will be supplied at the request of this company, if deemed to be necessary,
prior to commencement of works.
Other Companies, Individual Traders or Partnerships
1. Any person entering into a contractual agreement with company, will make themselves , personally responsible for the debt. By signing a contract with this company they are acknowledging the fact that this company will act with all the legal means at its disposal to recover Monies owed to it according to the contract. This often involves a persons personal belongings or privately owed property.
1. By signing a contract the customer acknowledges that any complaint
against this company does not give the customer a right to
withhold payment, Valid complaints against the goods purchased from
this company, shall be dealt with as a separate matter, and will be
presented by the customer in writing. In turn this company agrees to
deal with any complaint promptly and fairly.
2. In the case of an unresolved dispute, the customer agrees to have
the matter resolved by arbitration. An arbitrator most likely to be
familiar with the nature of the complaint will be appointed. The person
appointed will be seen to be wholly impartial, and will if necessary
be appointed by a disinterested third party. The two sides will agree
in advance to abide by the decision of the arbitrator, whose costs will
be met to reflect the balance of his decision. The arbitrator will be
instructed to be balanced in his decisions, to take the opinions of
both sides on board, and to reach a position of compromise (a proportioned
judgement), if he should feel that this is the fairest decision. Both
parties must abide by the decision of the arbitrator and act on these
decisions immediately. An agreement signed by both sides will be made
prior to arbitration commencing.
3. Complaints regarding equipment will not be valid beyond the guarantee
period.
4. The company reserves the right to replace equipment or to make a
refund to the customer of payments made.
The choice of siting of the equipment is solely the responsibility of the customer and the customer will be held fully responsible for any damage to underground cables or pipes due to the installation of the equipment.
The obtaining of Planning Permission for the siting of equipment, as it may be deemed to be required by any local planning authority, is solely the responsibility of the customer. This company will act on instruction of the customer, and will not be in any way held responsible if a planning dispute occurs.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION WHICH AFFECTS ALL PRICING THROUGHOUT THIS WEBSITE
1. All prices are exclusive of V.A.T.
2. Prices within this catalogue are a guide, made as accurately as
possible, but can be subject to variation.
3. Unless stated otherwise, Prices are subject to delivery and installation
charges which will vary depending on the following criteria.:-
a. Distance of installation from home base.
b. Condition of site (Ground condition, Accessibility etc.)
c. Amount of equipment to be ordered
d. Seasonal offers
e. Whether customer is able to offer our operatives food and/or accommodation,
during period of installation.
f. Flexibility, e.g. If a playground is ordered whilst we are working
in a particular area, obvious savings can be made, which will be passed
on to the customer.
4. This company offers standard guarantee terms. The standard guarantee
is for a one-year period. The prices contained within this catalogue
are for our standard guarantee terms.
5. Equipment ordered directly from the catalogue, without the requirement
for the involvement of sales personnel, will generally be subject to
some discount. Generally a site visit only will be required for measuring,
discussing layout etc. (although this is not absolutely necessary).
6. This company retains the right to make offers, reductions, or even
in extreme circumstances, to apply price loading.
Equipment manufactured by this company carries a standard guarantee of one year from time of installation. For the vast majority of our customers, our standard guarantee has proved sufficient, as it has been seen that the equipment remains sound well after guarantee has expired. For reasons of peace of mind, or for insurance purposes, customers often will take out a maintenance agreement for subsequent twelve-month periods. This will be quoted for by request.
PlayQuest has gone to much endeavour to supply the best timber available
for rustic play equipment. With this in mind, we now offer our range
of equipment (with few exceptions) manufactured from Quarter-sawn, machine
rounded or planed square edged timber, (with the exception of walkways,
which are manufactured from sawn timber for anti-slip). This is pressure
impregnated, treated timber with a life expectancy of up to twenty years.
This treatment is against insect attack or fungal decay. We believe
that with proper, recommended maintenance the timber would last indefinitely.
PlayQuest is a market leader in the use of quarter-sawn timber, which,
because of the removal of heartwood, is relatively split free. It should
be noted, however, that in spite of seasoning and timber selection,
all timbers will develop some air cracking which will occur as the timber
dries. No play company can guarantee completely against such, this is
the nature of timber, but we attempt to purchase timbers which have
had a proper drying period in order to keep air cracks to a minimum.
Air cracking will normally have ceased after a single summer has passed.
Although quarter-sawn timber is more than double the cost of timber
containing heartwood, it represents value and peace of mind for the
following reasons: 1. The timber cost in providing a play area is usually
about 20% of the overall cost, so to use the very best timber only increases
this portion of the cost. 2. The cosmetic appearance is improved due
to the lack of splitting. 3. The preservative treatment is even more
effective because minimal splitting occurs. 4. We guarantee to replace
any timber that develops any splitting in excess of 8mm width within
the first twelve months after installation.
Heartwood full round timber is still available. Ninety-five percent
of our playgrounds to date are built from this, with little complaint.
However, if you choose our standard range, built from slow-grown pine
containing heartwood, we will not guarantee this timber from splitting
whatsoever. Timber that does split and need replacing will be done at
cost to the customer.
All timbers will benefit from regular timber care, equipment which
has not been treated for a period will start to look jaded. With all
timbers, the area most susceptible to rot is where the timber meets
the ground. With this in mind, your maintenance program should allow
for timber treatment.
All fabrications, as well as any other steelworks, are produced to a very high specification by fabricators contracted by this company. All are designed to be able to function to specifications well beyond normal requirements. All are finished with a hot or cold anti corrosion treatment, or may be epoxy coated.
All fixings and fittings are either Bright Zinc Plated or Galvanised. Where possible, fixings are recessed and covered with a plastic ‘bung’ as a tamper resisting method. Nylon-insert nuts are also used to prevent tampering, (without the use of specialist tools).
Chainwork is made from 8mm short link galvanised chain. (Shrink wrapped plastic sheathed chain is available upon request.)
Two types of rope-work and netting are available. 1. Polypropylene. Nets- 18mm knotted rope to form squares, secured with 12mm BZP eyebolts. Ropes- Climbing ropes are 20mm. 2. Combination. Nets- 16mm Steel reinforced rope with huck and ball fittings, secured with 12mm plated compression stud fittings. Ropes- 16mm Steel reinforced rope with plastic climbing blocks.
PlayQuest is able to offer all types of safer surfacing, all complying to BS EN 1177.
Safety
The principle body advising on safety standards in this country is probably the British Standards Institution. The National Playing Fields Association, also plays a keen part in advising on safety standards. R.O.S.P.A. (The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents,) is also increasingly becoming involved in such matters, as are Play Wales, and The National Play and Recreation Unit. The accepted standard for determining if a playground is safe, is B.S.E.N. 1176 & 1177. This company endeavours to design and install our equipment in accord with the recommendation of these well established bodies.
This company carries five million pounds public liability insurance, and five million pounds products liability insurance.
Additional insurance cover is available upon request, at additional cost.
