07/09/2026
Life has been very busy at FORGE HQ! The school holidays are savage. I don’t seem to get a minute of peace. I did block off a week on the calendar though to allow me to get the box to the garage for a service and to sort a few bits out, including a repair in the cab.
I don’t know if I have less patience this year but I seem to have been plagued with issues recently. So thought I should flag up a few things. These are all covered in the communications sent to hirers.
If you damage the box you need to inform us. Lack of continuity on the yard when it came to handing over the box meant that the damage in the cab, mentioned above, wasn’t spotted straight away and we couldn’t pinpoint the exact day it occurred. There was a bit of shortfall there on our part during a busy week. But whoever damaged it must know what they did and they didn’t confess. That really is sad. It wasn’t very expensive to fix but I shouldn’t have to cover that cost.
The security fee of £250 is paid and returned by bank transfer. I need your bank details to send it back. Please don’t get cross with me if you haven’t yet sent your bank details as requested.
I am a small business. As requested please communicate any changes required with respect of pick up and return. If you come at the wrong time the gates might be locked and you can’t pick up the box without myself or a member of yard staff present. And we much prefer to be present when the box is returned so that the keys are safe. From the school and stables we can’t always hear a vehicle come up the drive so please come and find us to hand over the keys.
Please be fair to the person who is coming to hire it after you and refill the fuel at one of the two designated fuel stations, not 20+ miles away. Fill it until it clicks off, not when you think you’d put in enough. And then press the trigger again to make sure it really is full. £100 miles is around £30 but lots of factors will affect this.
Ditto about cleaning it properly. Unlike a hotel room which is cleaned after your leave, this is DIY. I would have to charge a lot more if after each hire I am required to clean it again to hotel room standard. Sweep out the cab with the dustpans and brush provided. Take your rubbish out. Keep the floor in the tack area clean and swept. Leave the horse area immaculate and disinfected.
Lastly please don’t book the box and then not pay for the hire and ignore communications. I am a small business with one hire box and bills to pay. Once it’s booked nobody else can book that date so if you then change your mind I stand to lose a days hire fee. I like to give people the benefit of the doubt and I don’t automatically cancel the booking if payment wasn’t immediate. I will always check first, which creates me extra work. Mostly when I message to check if it’s still required I’m ignored. What has happened to good manners?
To balance this out, I have so many lovely people hire the box. Thank you to those who understand what I offer and also uphold your end of the deal. I love to hear about your trips out and I love receiving photos from you.
