I recently purchased, on line, a cheap cantilever umbrella. Below are my criticisms. Choice does not have reviews of market umbrellas, but they are sorely needed. I consider these to be a dangerous weapon in high winds as well as not being engineered to fulfill their intended purpose.
The aluminium structure of the umbrella is so weak I can bend it with my own hands, and I am a 78 yr old woman!
The base itself was bent when trying to lift it up. There was nothing in the advertising or the instructions to say that the base needed to be attached to concrete or decking.
the instruction page was hard to follow. The images were too small to check properly
there was no instruction at all showing how to place the umbrella itself onto the cantilever arm.
Because there was no instruction, the wire was caught three times when trying to attach the umbrella
the handle to wind up the umbrella falls off frequently. There is nothing to hold it in place.
because of the flimsy nature of the whole umbrella, it is likely to blow away even if the umbrella is lowered and tied down.
Since it is located on a balcony overlooking the main street, it is likely to cause damage to other nearby properties in a gale-force wind. I consider any third party damage to be your responsibility following the inadequate nature of this purchase.
because of its danger to the public it would be irresponsible of me to resell it.
What a disaster. Have you considered returning it for a full refund. One of our family purchased one from Bunnings and returned it as too difficult to use in her court yard (stability).
Who was the seller and was there a brand or other details?
Knowing who/what to avoid for now might help others. Surely it is not a universal failing of all cantilever designs?
You could return it under the Australian Consumer Law as being of unacceptable quality. Since you bought it online it might not be as easy as attending your local shop, and the vendor may push back; but if the vendor is an Australia business you should get a refund. If it isn’t you should still get a refund although it could be more difficult. Barring that you could dispute the transaction with your credit card issuer (ACL dispute) assuming you did not purchase with a direct deposit.
If you need guidance on navigating the ACL please let us know.
It seems that many products, ‘cheap market umbrellas’ being among them, can be easily purchased without brand identification, and the same product can be offered with multiple ‘brands’ none of which is a real trade name brand. While I know many consumers who have bought market umbrellas locally having name brands, none has been dissatisfied with their purchase, and for the rest I suggest it would be somewhere between difficult to impossible to publish a meaningful report beyond a buying guide because of the difficulty in identifying a particular product in the market.
I bought it through Paypal and have taken the issue up with them. The vendor offered replacement parts! They would still be under-engineered for the canopy.
Thanks for the ACL tip. that will be my next move.
Metals can flex and often designed to allow such do that the frame can take the force applies to it, such as wind in the case of an umbrella. If the mast or structure didn’t have some flex, it is possible under a load that the structure gives way catastrophically. A slightly flexible structure means it will move slightly under load and then return to its original shape when the load is removed. A normal personal umbrella also exhibits such characteristics when wind load is applied to the structure.
In relation to under-engineered, it is very difficult to assess this as a layperson unless one is a qualified metallurgist or structural engineer. While I have some knowledge in both areas, I wouldn’t be placed to pass judgement on the adequacy of the cantilever umbrella structure.
This doesn’t necessarily mean something is not wrong with the umbrella, just that if you decide to take it further, you will need to have proof to substantiate your claims.
Do you have the made and model of the umbrella? Such is useful to determine if there is a pattern of failures with such umbrellas and to also understand better the product you have purchased.
If a metal structure breaks with expected use, then it is clearly under-engineered. The is no need for a metallurgic stress test. Incidentally.it was not the cantilever pole itself that broke but the additional units that were either welded to the pole or attached during the erection of the umbrella. The mosr serious of these is the supposed base of the unbrella.
There was no indication in the advertising that the four-arm cross base needed to be either nailed to a base or that only certain types of weights would work effectively. There was no indication of the diameter of the cantilever pole. The pole diameter is larger than usual. This meant that the granite base I had purchased was too small for the cantilever pole even tbough it was a standard size. In fact, it is difficult to find a suitable weighted base. Whether the cantilever pole itself is flexible or not, I have no idea but it would be difficult to argue that it was the source of the problem.
I maintain that the key problem was a totally inadequate base and that there were no instructions as to how to strengthen the base. two minor problems: (1) a winding handle that fell off and (2) a track for the wire from cantilever to umbrella was also able to be bent by hand.
I had, nevertheless, put the granite base on top of the provided cross base. The cross base merely bent and split around the granite base (and also rusted within 48 hours)
I purchased the umbrella through Catch.com. It is also sold on Deals Direct, and, I think, eBay
VidalXL has offered to replace the broken parts. This is of no help if new parts are just as flimsy.
A buying guide is essential. It should include knowing the pole diameter before buying extra weights, the weights needed for different umbrellas , the durability of those weights (for and or water-filled ones and the pros and cons of fixing the umbrella in one spot when securing the base to the ground. I, for one prefer to move an umbrella according to the sun.
Thanks for adding the details. While there may be some discussion on aspects of your opinion on the umbrella, it is clear you are not satisfied with its quality, and as a consumer you are entitled to that opinion.
The consumer guarantees are
If you choose to seek a refund and they decline, your next step would be sending a receipted formal letter of complaint. There are many posts relating to that process, including links to tools, on the Community - use the Community search for Australian Consumer Law, ACL, letter of complaint to find them.
You may also be well served by how the business side interprets it.
Such information is usually in the user manual or installation guide. Did the umbrella come with à manual/guide and what did it say?
If the umbrella was installed (such as using a weight on one supporting member) differently to that outlined by the manufacturer and it failed as a result, it could be seen as misuse under the Australian Consumer Law and potentially a warranty exemption.
If only one member bent, it could be that it was taking the full load rather than being spread over all 4 members. It is likely to be designed such that the load is spread evenly over the four through the manufacturer nominated fixing method.
What did the manual/guide sat about the handle? Did it need to be bolted or screwed or did it fall off because screws/bolts has loosened through handling/transit?
Was it bent through use of the handle or through using one’s hands to see if it could be bent? If it was the later it may never have been designed for such treatment.
I am not defending the product but trying to ascertain if the problems is due to doing things in contrary to the manual/guide, rather than the product failing per se. Establishing such will be important in determining your rights under the Australian Consumer Law.
It is obviously intended for out door use. There is no mention of any need to weight, anchor or secure the base in the marketing.
Is it really fit for purpose as a free standing out door cantilever umbrella as supplied?
A suggestion here is that it is not as even the slightest breeze is likely to see it topple (just a guess). The manufacturer is silent on the wind conditions for the design, and there is nothing to suggest it is designed to have a weighted or anchored base. Hence is it most suited to outdoor use in an enclosed court yard when there is no breeze! The marketing says nothing to clarify.
@PhilT has made the suggestion that you might prefer a full refund. Also pointed to the consumer guarantees.
As an aside one of the family purchased a similar product from Bunnings based on price. It was returned as not meeting her performance expectations for a refund. It may be worthwhile looking to the heavier duty designs used by numerous outdoor cafes if you need a regular use umbrella. They offer a guide to what size and weight the construction needs to be for a regular use item. Unfortunately the cost will also be much greater. Too many retailers and online sellers provide products that appeal, priced down to a mass market, only to prove themselves a throw away accessory.
Hi
I bought an standard outdoor umbrella from Made in the Shade Australia
I bought a Made in the Shade umbrella 18 months ago and its expensive rubbish. The Vic ash stem swelled in Qld weather, after 6 months one of the struts broke and I was told by the owner to send it from an island in Qld back to Victoria or pay a local subbie to install the $170 . Tardy responses, expensive product (1500) and inferior product. Trying to buy Australian product -not fit for its purpose -Beware.
If the item is bulky and the defect is covered by ACL rights then it is the retailer/manufacturer (depends on who it is being returned to but if at all possible it should be to the retailer) who needs to pay the cost of transport. If the product is found not to be covered by ACL rights then the consumer must reimburse the retailer/manufacturer.
If it isn’t bulky and is covered by ACL rights then the consumer pays the transport/postage costs and is to be reimbursed by the retailer/manufacturer (so keep receipts of transport/postage costs so they can be submitted for reimbursement). Again, if the fault is determined not to be one covered under ACL rights then the cost of transport/postage will be the consumer’s.
I suggest you read your rights here send the company a formal ‘Letter of Complaint’ stating your rights, reiterate the claims they make about their products, and what you want and when they need to reply. There is a lot of advice on the Community regarding how to do that. Use the Community search tool.
The company appears to have a good reputation but as with many things in Australia, regardless of their statement ‘Designed for Australian conditions’ every product is not always suitable for every locale and that could be the case with your umbrella on an island off Qld. Yet because of their advertising that should not be your problem having bought in good faith. Keep everything formal and in writing and please keep the topic updated with how you go or if you need further advice on how to proceed toward rectification/resolution.
I spent some time browsing the ‘madeintheshade.com.au’ web site.
Assuming the business (Seaford Victoria) is the same, there are a couple of unanswered questions.
The link towards the bottom of the web pages that references ‘terms and conditions’ does not provide any. It links to the privacy statement. I tried several ways to get to the same content without any different an outcome.
I failed to find any advice on the designed outdoor conditions or recommendations for out door use. EG maximum design safe wind speed if folded and wrapped, maximum design safe wind speed extended, or any other limitations on use pertaining to the weather conditions. The use of galvanised end caps on the struts suggests the umbrellas IMO are not best suited to coastal or sea air environments.
There are no ‘Warranty’ details listed on the web resource or in the downloadable brochure. Using the ‘search tool’ returned a partial response, that is incomplete and clearly inadequate.
Perhaps there are issues that need resolving with their web services provider?
I downloaded the umbrella brochure. It has a brief icon that simple states 10 year fabric warranty. There are no further warranty details on the brochure. There is a one liner ‘designed for Australian conditioners’, without further qualification. The product is promoted as a quality product, (made to last a lifetime’). It appears the purchaser is being asked to make their own subjective judgements on the suitability of the product base solely on incomplete details of the materials of construction.
Can we assume that having placed an order the manufacturer will supply a copy of the warranty provisions, suitable environmental conditions and the T&Cs applicable. All would compared to other online sites be readily available before proceeding to purchase.
Hopefully the quality of the products is more reliable than the web site.
