Skip Hire Companies Exploit Consumers

[Keenmind]

Skip hire companies have a trick they almost always use to exploit customers. This is how it is done.

 

Say for example if a skip was hired for a week and that duration ends on 5Aug, they will not collect on that date if there is no demand from another customer. So instead of collecting the skip, disposing the content and taking it back to their own site, they delay collection. In effect they use the customer’s driveway to "store" their heavy bulky stock. The customer "rents out" their driveway to them totally free. 

 

Reason:
Skip are large and very heavy objects. During peak times they are in great demand and companies would love to have a lot of these to rent out. Their problem is space on their depot but more importantly, it is the significant costs involved in moving them in terms of fuel and drivers. They would also need to have a good number of heavy vehicles to keep moving the skips. 

During slow times, it is works better for them to move lesser number and save hugely on costs involved in movement. 
 

What to do:

1. Haggle for price reduction if you need skip for a shorter duration than usual. Chances are they will not budge on price unless there is huge demand and their supply cannot meet the demand. So definitely try that.

2. When your collection date comes, call them and ask for collection on that date. If they refuse or give ambiguous answers, tell them, you will demand compensation for obstructing your driveway, rental for using your driveway as storage, and for inability to use the driveway to park your car as mandated as a condition in your car insurance. 
 

In my experience, the booming voice of their staff tried to bully and shut me up - "We give no guarantee when it will be collected and it will definitely not be today." 
But after I said the above, the skip was gone within an hour. 
 

IMPORTANT: make a video fo your driveway when the skip is being lowered. The person who holds the switch to lower the skip will now be extra careful not to damage your driveway. And if the driveway is damaged due to improper technique, for example a faster drop than acceptable, you can claim for repair.