[Steve Barnett (Carpet Care Plus)]

Let her claim for lost revenue................. and then let her prove it  :



Steve

[will01]

GlynE:

Looking at the pics the shrinkage dosen't seem that bad.

I'm very suprised that even an average fitter couldn't rectify the problem relatively easily.

This lady sounds like she's after new carpets and will do almost anything to get them.

Were you present when your fitter was there? If not I would arrange for another fitters 2nd opinion and make sure you're present.

Call the lady and inform her that you're getting another fitter "Just for final confirmation". Then the both of you turn up together.

Tbh I smell a rat and would't be suprised if she has "softened up" your first fitter to tell a few wee white ones (If you get my drift). Plus if he had fitted the carpets previously he probably knows her already.

Again the shrinkage dosen't appear to be that bad which is the reason why I'm extremely skeptical.   Bout 6 years ago i shrunk a BW in a restaurant while trying to remove blacktop. Believe me it was alot worse than that but with a good powerstretcher got it back all the way the next day.

Don't give in to her demands so easily becasue I get the impression she's not a very nice person.

[Nigel_W]

Did either of these carpet fitters try to stretch the carpet using a power stretcher? A few of us have pointed you in this direction earlier in the thread.  I am not saying that it would definitely work , however, it is the most likely solution. A knee kicker just doesn't cut the mustard when it comes to problems like this.

Nigel
www.designcare.co.uk

[Steve Barnett (Carpet Care Plus)]

I agree with Nigel.

Having fitted this type of carpet before, you wont get that amount of stretch out of it just by using a knee kicker. A power stretcher is a must.

Steve

[GlynE]

Unfortunately they have both reported that they will not stretch, although we weren't there at the time when they looked at them. It appears they have shrunk some more since when the photos were taken. Neither fitter tried to stretch them, just supplied report verbally & by email. One carpet was a flat weave & the other "Manx Portobello" & they state that these have shrunk "in width" making a re-stretch "impossible". I suppose we are reliant on what insurance assesor comes up with. We have also been told that if it is found to be "operator error" / "workmanship error" then the insurance may not pay out - oh dear......

[cleaningmaster]

As Steve/Nigel have said you really need a power stretcher on it, as a rule of thumb you can usually get 9" of stretch on 27' of carpet without doing any damage to the carpet.

If anyone has been doing this job for as long as i have, they will remember that in the late 80's, early 90's, carpet fitters power stretched carpets as a matter of course, as the trend was to have "flat"carpets.

Regards

Daryl

[Simon@arenaclean]

GlynE.

Not sure where you're from but maybe there is someone near enough to come over and try it with a power stretcher. Right now you're looking at a claim so if a stretcher fails at least you have tried everything. As has been mentioned you will not have to pay for new carpets only their value at the time.

I know this feel like a kick in a guts and it's easy to take this personally, sadly it's human nature when a vulture senses prey they strike and it often seems easier to just take it on the chin, but be firm get a fitter with a stretcher you have nothing to lose by exploring every avenue. The assessor will not take any of her nonsense about loss of earnings either she's going for the full monty with a poser pouch your plan is for her to keep her mac on.

There has been some fine advice on this thread, thanks to everyone who has taken part.

Good luck & best wishes

[Steve Barnett (Carpet Care Plus)]

Simon

How are you getting on with the airflex.

I've been looking into it on the website, but I am concerned that there appears to be no heater.

Steve

[Carpet Dawg]

Steve, you can get a clip on heater as an option (similar to the heat and run from prochem)

[Steve Barnett (Carpet Care Plus)]

Thanks Tony, think I need to give Matt a call.


Steve

[fitz2kleen]

Hi
srry if i sound ignorant here, But tried to call Crucial Tradings press department today [02.02.10] and was buffeted around until they decided to take my number and call me back [[ which they haven't]]
In the mean time im sure everyone is aware that there are two types of sisal, natural and synthetic with the natural being the issue here regarding shrinkage,
Forgive me once again if im going over something thats been picked up already.
I suppose the only way to tell the difference is to be able to identify which is natural sisal and which is synthetic.
Hopefully they will ring tomorrow of which i will pass the conversation on through the forum
Regards Marc

[Simon@arenaclean]

Simon

How are you getting on with the airflex.

I've been looking into it on the website, but I am concerned that there appears to be no heater.

Steve

Steve going well no complaints and performs really well. Go over and give one a try if you can. Before I ordered one I spent some time over there trying it out, give Matt a ring.

Simon

[carpetfitta]

shame to hear about this one, ive never cleaned one of these carpets, but ive fitted a few and you dont seem to get much stretch out of the width much like a wilton.so although i would advise getting someone in with a power stretcher to have a go, its not looking good if its shrunk by 6" in the width, with this particular type of carpet.i hope you sort something more agreeable out with the custy...gd luck
bazx

[John Kelly]

You should try and get written cleaning instructions from the manufacturer/supplier. If it states HWE then you might have grounds to fight this.

[Tony Gill Carpet Smart]

Steve whats up with the TM ??

Cheers Tony

[GlynE]

Thank you sooooooo much everyone for all your advice. You have been amazing. We will take on board all the advice that has been offered & will let you know the outcome...Thank you

[fitz2kleen]

Have had a call from crucial tradings press office regarding the issuse over sisal.............. im awaiting a call from crucial tradings technical adviser and will pass any relievant information over.
Regards Marc

[Hilton]

You should try and get written cleaning instructions from the manufacturer/supplier. If it states HWE then you might have grounds to fight this.

I doubt it,

It may well be wet cleanable but they will argue and win that it was not cleaned professionally,

It their view it would be up to the carpet cleaner to have the necessary expertise to be able to know how much moisture can be applied.

Your carpet fitters were right, this carpet can not, and should not, be power stretched back, there is not enough body in the carpet and  it will almost certainly open up or at least pull off the griper again leaving loose yarn. as already shown, if the carpet is attempted to pull back on to this it will just pull the pile away from the body of the carpet. You don't want this as exposed gripper is a hazard, they will blame you if some has their feet ripped open, it was probably another reason why the fitters turned it down.

We have cleaned loads of this carpet and its rubbish, its a low moisture clean only using pads and as such it just glides across the top surface, the end product is not great and we always qualify this with the client.

Its not £65 -£70 a sq mt job whether its from CT or not, £15-20 at best.

Get your insurance involved, put it down to experience and move on, if not you will be for ever going back and forth to this customer and neither of you wants that 

 

[GlynE]

It certainly looks as though there may be a problem with insurance paying out (because of suitability of carpet for HWE) & as carpet is less than 2 yrs old & cost around £68 per sq metre, it looks as though we may have a hefty bill to try & somehow pay ourselves. As you say you have to put it down to experience & learn from it...

[richy27]

It certainly looks as though there may be a problem with insurance paying out (because of suitability of carpet for HWE) & as carpet is less than 2 yrs old & cost around £68 per sq metre, it looks as though we may have a hefty bill to try & somehow pay ourselves. As you say you have to put it down to experience & learn from it...

if you dont mind me asking what sort of insurance do you have. is it just basic pub liability or do you have the treatment risk also 

also a questions for those more in the know ( than i am)would treatment risk cover this sort of situation.

on another note hope it all works out for the best for you