Swimming Pool and Allied Trades Association (SPATA) members are committed to providing customers with a first class service. SPATA members include pool construction companies and suppliers which provide filtration, heating, water treatment systems, pool covers, pool enclosures and pool equipment, for instance.
As part of the SPATA membership, contractors are provided with a comprehensive set of Standards to provide guidance on pool construction standards expected by industry experts.
Only pool installation companies that have been trading for at least three years can apply for full installer membership and only these members are covered by the SpataShield scheme. All SPATA pool builder members will be part of an inspection programme to periodically check on the quality of the work undertaken.
SpataShield is an insurance backed Bond and Warranty scheme. Subject to its Terms and Conditions, the Bond can provide you with some protection in the unlikely event of a member becoming unable to complete a contract to build a pool or spa.
For valid claims, the Bond can provide for the additional cost of completion, up to the contractors' Bond limit. Another SPATA member will be appointed to complete the job.
Please take the time to read a copy of the Terms and Conditions of the Bond and Warranty to ensure that it does apply to your contract.
For cover to apply, the Bond certificate must be signed by both the member and the party with whom the member is in contract. A copy of the completed Bond certificate should be kept by both parties; the customer copy will be required as evidence for a claim.
The SpataShield Warranty also provides a three year guarantee that your completed installation will comply with SPATA Standards. In the event of a claim that any aspect of the work is not up to standard, a SPATA inspector will investigate and if the claim is upheld, the insurance can guarantee the cost of bringing the work up to standard, again within the agreed limits of the scheme.
All full member SPATA contractors are covered by the SpataShield scheme and will usually be able to display the SpataShield logo.
The majority of swimming pool installation contracts run without a hitch from start to finish. Should a situation arise where the customer requires reassurance that the work will be completed once the contract fee, or an agreed portion of it, has been paid, they can take advantage of the SPATA Stakeholder Account.
SPATA has developed the stakeholder account facility as an independent holding account designed to give complete peace of mind to the customer and to assure the contractor that finance is available to cover the costs. The agreed balance due to the contractor would be paid into the account and only released upon satisfactory completion of the work, ensuring complete security for both the customer and the contractor. In the event of a dispute regarding what constitutes satisfactory completion, it is also possible for the matter to be decided by an independent Mediator appointed through SPATA.
Occasionally, there may be unusual aspects of the project where a supplier requests advance payment for a major item of equipment which needs to be specially purchased. In these circumstances, the appropriate sum can be paid by the customer into the Stakeholder Account where it would remain until delivery was imminent, or returned in the event of the contractor failing to deliver.
The Stakeholder Account service is free to both contractors and customers, and is funded from interest accrued by SPATA while the funds are held in the account. Experience has shown that it is an effective way of dealing with the transfer of large sums of money and underpinning the confidence of both parties. A written agreement must be signed by both parties before the money is transferred to SPATA.