Another landscape architects board in Islington, North London
Related articles
Here is our landscape architects board in Ealing, West London
Contact us
The curse of the internet free trial offer strikes again. This time it’s a company called QSL, which gives subscribers the details of UK and EU contracts that have been put out to tender.
South Shields family firm Architectural Entrance Systems Ltd, which makes steel security doors for shops, was tempted to give the site a whirl, found that it didn’t suit them and forgot all about it.
That was until they got a bill for £795 plus VAT from QSL because they’d forgotten to cancel the deal at the end of the trial period.
“We wanted to increase our scope for business by looking at tender procurement sites,” said Christian Ryan-Munden of Architectural Entrance Systems.
“We found their tenders to be not really related to our industry and, in any case they were available for free elsewhere.
“QSL would send emails every day regarding useless tenders but they did not contact me to discuss payment terms or warn that the free trial was almost over and we would be charged if we didn’t cancel.”
QSL is run from Market Harborough by director Gordon Hosie, 54, (above) and company secretary David Hosie and is notching up furious online complaints for its sales tactics, known as inertia selling.
We met Gordon, who denied that all the tender details that they provide are available for free on Government websites.
He also insisted that subscribers are warned that they will be charged if they don’t cancel after four weeks.
Gordon: “When people sign up for this subscription we send them two emails saying when the trial expires.”
Penman: “That’s at the start, four weeks later it hasn’t worked for them so they’ve forgotten about it – why not send the email at the end of the four weeks saying ‘cancel now or you’ll get an invoice’?'”
Gordon: “We could look at that.”
Penman: “If your service really is that good, why not bill subscribers monthly rather than demand a full year’s fee the moment the trial ends?”
Gordon: “That’s standard subscription practice.”
Penman: “There are a lot of highly critical online comments about QSL.”
Gordon: “I’ve got no comment.”
Penman: “How often do you sue companies that refuse to pay your invoices?”
Gordon: “No comment.”
After we stepped in, QSL offered Architectural Entrance Systems a reduced bill of £238.50 – and the South Shields company told them where to shove it.
Read it here
Not sure the intended can read such a long word or know what it means….
The Olympic’s have passed with great success, the sport was of course the catalyst, but the Architecture and Landscape provided the setting for games. Without exceptional facilities and organisation an event such as this, serving so many would indeed be doomed to failure or subject to lots of complaints.
Until you visit site you won’t fully appreciate the scale and how the location of the different facilities and buildings help with movement. It was important to spread the buildings creating breathing space and the landscape acts as the body for the Olympic Site, holding all the vital organs (stadium and arenas) together so they can all function harmoniously.
We have an account on Pinterest here which is a great tool for collating visual imagery and for mood boards and the like. When we designed the recent Eco House in Ealing we created a Moodboard of images we liked as inspiration, a very quick and effective tool for any designer, view it here.
Some of our other main feature pages are :
Create and account with Facebook or Twitter and get Pinning…
The first section of new modern fence screen that is designed to hide an ‘ugly’ concrete wall – at our scheme in Islington. These were taken a little while ago but shows the screen under construction – then the finished article. Think they look pretty neat and the bespoke metal brackets holding the posts also good, there is allot of lighting going in too, so the whole effect should look neat.
Worrying in certain respects that its taken until now for someone to say or do anything about this, but its a good thing that is been publicised never the less. I remember when graduating there was a distinct lull in work and its was extremely difficult to find a placement. I did all sorts of things to keep me busy, taught myself basic web design and started working on small freelance projects.
Dont forget there are many jobs that have transferable skills so if you dont find your dream job in a landscape practice then what you do in the meantime can and will help you in the future. The key is to be pro active and don’t sit on your hands but use the time productively.
The financial crisis over the last 4-5 years has been a trying time across the world for the landscape architecture profession with many landscape architects loosing their jobs due to slow downs, firm mergers & consolidations and government budget cuts. Many landscape architects have taken various actions to keep earning an income, but there are many
If you have seen its, its worth a look quite a nice movie to music..
The 100ha Gardens by the Bay in Singapore took the top prize at this year’s World Architecture Festival, winning the accolade ‘World Building of the Year’.
Architect Fletcher Priest has won the LI’s High Line for London ideas competition with a proposal for a mushroom farm under Oxford Street.
StudioConcept Landscape Architects
