Avoid The Cowboys - How to Spot A Cowboy Bouncy Castle Hire Company
Why You Need To Avoid A Cowboy Bouncy Castle Company
It is important to stay away from a cowboy bouncy castle company. The biggest reason is safety. These companies don't care for the rules and often use equipment that is not up for the task. This mean they are putting your children and guests at risks of injury. Equipment must meet BS EN 14960-13. This is the British standards for Bouncy castles. Also if it is not setup correctly the castle can be knocked over or even worse it could be caught by the wind and blown over to next doors garden. There are lots of rules that must be followed for set up and for the equipment that can be used, all for safety.
We at SoSoft Play know it is difficult for people to know what to look for to avoid the Cowboys so we recommend 3 thisgs to ask for when booking a inflatable.
1. Has it come directly from a Chinese manufacturer or UK manufacturer
2. Has it go a professional test like PIPA or RPII
3. Have they got insurance.
Chinese Manufacturers VS UK Manufacturers
We buy our bouncy castles and other inflatables from a UK based manufacture/distributor. This is because they are held to the rules of this country so have to make sure their products meet the BS EN 14960-13 standard. If they don't then they can be breaking the law and be liable for fines not to mention compensation to their customers. So buying from a UK based Manufacture you can guarantee it meets British standards BS EN 14960-13.
Cowboy companies often buy directly from China in a bid to save money as the products are a lot cheaper, but this is for a reason. Chinese companies produce for the world market and can't cater for individual countries rules. They often use inferior materials that won't stand up to strong forces like strong wind gusts. Also they can be made in a way that they don't meet our safety standards eg the front step being to small (this can be dangerous as it stops children getting injured should they fall)
So if they say they buy from a Chinese manufacturer this is a red flag and you should stay away.
Has The Inflatable Have A Professional test
When booking an inflatable, you should be asking to see the full up-to date copy of the chosen inflatables PIPA / RPII test, this is the inflatable equivalent of a cars MOT. Ask yourself this question, 'would you willingly get in an unsafe non MOT'd car?' you’re probably answer 'NO', so why subject your loved ones and children to the same dangers. These tests are carried out yearly. Non-tested equipment can be very dangerous, increasing the chance of injury and equipment failure such as deflation or the inflatable un-tethering from the ground. These tests look at issues with design such as entrapment areas, anchorage systems on the inflatable, step and blower tube length as well as air pressure to ensure its safe to bounce on. There are thousands of untested and unsafe inflatables within the UK. Don't fall short on your party, be prepared, be safe and be happy. We are glad to say at SoSoft Play, we have the Rolls Royce of tests on all our bouncy castles and slides, Not only did they all fly through testing this year AGAIN, you can search on the National PIPA data base. Best of all, we have made it even easier for you, our products on our website have links direct to PIPA website and products test certificates for you to view.
Cowboy companies won't get this done. They usually buy products that don't conform to safety standards so can't get a yearly test as they would just fail. They are doing everything on the cheap to make as much money as they can with no regard to the safety for the users. So they start with unsafe equipment and don't test it to make sure it has not deteriorated. This is very dangerous.
Having test on bouncy castles is probably the number 1 way to make sure you are not hiring a Cowboy company.
Insurance
This is important to have incase a accident arises. Luckely at SoSoft Play we have never had an accident. But it is still important to have, as no one knows what will happen in the future. Kids being kids will have minor accident like bumping heads and while there are things that can be done to avoid this this is not what insurance is for. This is for serious accidents due to set up or poorly maintained equipment. It is important to understand if accidents occur due to improper use and poor supervision then this would be down to the hirer. However we do provide advise on the proper use of all our equipment when we arrive to set up.
Cowboy companies may not have insurance and so if anything were to happen that causes injury then you may not get any compensation that you are entitled to or you may have to go through the courts and this may take a long time. But it is worth noting if a Cowboy company has insurance they may not be insured and the insurance company may not pay out. This is because they have to say their equipment complies the British standards BS EN 14960-13. Its like having a car that has been involved in a crash and the insurance company finds it was an import and doesn't have an Mot. As discussed above their equipment most likely does not complied.
Save yourself any stress and make sure the company you hire from has insurance. Ours can be found at Terms
Conclusion
If you ask for these 3 items you can rest in the knowledge you have hired form a professional company that isn't just in it for the money but has your best interest at hart. Professional companies like SoSoft Play pride ourselves on providing the best bouncy castles and other inflatables. We buy from the best UK manufacturers, we have yearly inspections performed by PIPA, our certificates our shown on each product page. Lastly we have insurance with £5m liability so if needed we are covered.
We always make sure everything and everyone is safe. Using a Cowboy company puts you and your guests at risks. Don't leave it to chance. Speak to us and we be happy to advise what to look for to avoid a Cowboy.
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