Just a warning .......

[arbogrunt]

crooked?...about 50% or more of firms out there have no tickets or insurance...if your freelancing only work for people you know. Some of these people get you in because they are not capable of doing the job themselves...fair enough...but you have to think about insurance and aerial rescue/first aid...have they got it?...could they do it if the brown stuff hit the fan.?.

As for not getting paid, its never happened to me (not by a tree company that is). Had a mate who got knocked in Manchester years ago. He turned up on site, dropped the Boss and took an MS880 in payment!...ouch!

[swinny]

crooked?...about 50% or more of firms out there have no tickets or insurance...if your freelancing only work for people you know. Some of these people get you in because they are not capable of doing the job themselves...fair enough...but you have to think about insurance and aerial rescue/first aid...have they got it?...could they do it if the brown stuff hit the fan.?.

As for not getting paid, its never happened to me (not by a tree company that is). Had a mate who got knocked in Manchester years ago. He turned up on site, dropped the Boss and took an MS880 in payment!...ouch!

 

nowadays the scum would get you for theft and assult theres no winning with arseholes...

[Andy Collins]

Cheers Andy, you make a good point, and you put it well. Totally get where you're coming from mate.

 

I know I'll learn from own personal experience and make sure I'm adequately covered from now on. Must confess though that whilst I would'nt have instigated any action myself, if it had been 'offered' I would have gladly accepted.

 

Apologies to OP, we seem to have totally derailed his thread. Sorry.

 

Unfortunately, I know a chap who is currently in a lot of bother healthwise. Almost word for word what I described happened to him. His thoughtful boss paid him off to the sum of £100 ten years ago, rather than let him claim on his insurance. He is a wealthy landowner and a JP. I can think of another case, a farmhand fell through the asbestos roof he was working on, breaking both ankles badly. He was even more fortunate, his boss was good enough to keep his job open for him when he recovered, so long as he didn't report it!!! This is the kind of misguided "loyalty" that employers can rely upon. One person I have worked for, when a climber slashed his hand on a saw badly, would not allow the accident to be written up in the accident book, in case it made the company "look bad". Oh yes, it happens, and all these employers are respected pillars of their communities, not shady fly-by-night dodgy geezers.

[Joy Yeomans]

I'm finding there to be more crooked tree surgeons out there, for new and some old do your reasearch on who you work for, just thought I'd put a reminder out there, as I've been bitten more than once now

 

well i know the feeling you ask for qualified experienced climbers to come and help out you pay travelling up front you put them up in your luxury caravan feed n water em. treat em well and you end up stopping em cause they cant do work and are dangerous ...... yes paul as combined tree services says we now ring round local people n check references so it goes both ways

and i wont get done again!

 

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[Joy Yeomans]

i would also add dont big yourself up cause it comes back n bites you on the arse

 

eh paul?

 

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[Rich Rule]

Sounds personal Logbaron? I take it the Paul you are referring to is on the forum?

[Joy Yeomans]

the people i refer to know who they are . and after contacting others like combined tree services and others seems we were both done by same lad.

 

ill leave it there ive aired my grievance to this thread

 

joy

 

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[Andy Collins]

I think some people forget what a tiny little industry Arb is, in the grand scheme of things. A tiny pond may have only so many fish swimming about in it, and it's not long before those fish have all bumped into each other in the course of time. The Internet makes it even quicker and easier to know who's who, who can be trusted and who can't.

[Joy Yeomans]

I think some people forget what a tiny little industry Arb is, in the grand scheme of things. A tiny pond may have only so many fish swimming about in it, and it's not long before those fish have all bumped into each other in the course of time. The Internet makes it even quicker and easier to know who's who, who can be trusted and who can't.

 

very true - we know alot of forestry guys, treeemen and firewood guys and they know us as honest folks - who dont big ourselves up and dont bull.

[arbogrunt]

So true...having been both a freelancer and a Company owner before, I've had both sides of this. I'm very lucky to only get in climbers who I have worked with before....I've never had to 'chance it' on a job to see how good or bad they are. As for freelancing...I've had a few unpleasant surprises over the years..some from supposedly good companies.. who have turned out to be very poor.

Its harder if your just starting out...if you know any experienced climbers..phone and ask for their opinions before you get up a tree for them......I've also had times when work has been slow and I've had to take risks to earn a days money..no aerial rescue, uninsured, no traffic control, groundies with no tickets, PPE etc...its a hard call....work or don't pay the mortgage.

This has been a big factor in my starting up my own business again...I can do things the way I want to do them...and not end up getting shafted doing it!