Heartbroken Edinburgh couple furious as £1,000 fence 'bends like a bow'

Katie Williams

29 June 2024 at 4:25 pm·2-min read

An Edinburgh couple have been left 'heartbroken and disappointed' after their garden fence started showing 'signs of fault'.

Joyce and Douglas Henderson moved to Liberton three-and-a-half years ago 'to downsize and to save the pennies'. But they feel like they wasted over £1,000 on fence boards that have started to crack and warp.

After being told there was a 10-year warranty on the boards, they contacted the seller only to be told Screen With Envy had gone into liquidation in November 2022.

Joyce, 77, explained she 'unusually' paid with her direct debit card, rather than her credit card, and feels frustrated that the warranty isn't being honoured.

Showing the massive crack in the boards and the warped panels, Douglas, a retired builder, said: "It's really annoying. We bought them in October 2021 and a few months ago we noticed they were bending into our daughter's garden. It was like a bow. These are meant to be good quality and withstand the weather - but they are ruined."

Joyce added: "It's a shame because I really love them. When they first arrived, they were perfect and the people we got to fit them did a great job, they were so helpful."

Douglas attempted to fix the warped panels by taking them out and refitting them. He said: "I'm disappointed and heartbroken. It was a lot of money. We spent £975 on the boards and around £500 on the labour and there's clearly a fault in the materials.

"We moved here to save pennies, we can't just buy a new fence after this cost so much," Joyce added.

Join Edinburgh Live's Whatsapp Community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages.

Only when they contacted Screen With Envy earlier this year to raise their concerns, were they informed that the company had gone bust. Documents lodged at Companies House confirm the London-based firm fell into liquidation.

Joyce and Douglas said they were offered 30 per cent off their next order, but claimed that wouldn't cover the cost. "It was meant to be good for ten years and it's just so frustrating," said Joyce. "We can't get anywhere and we're left with a broken fence. They say they don't have my details but I still get emails from them advertising their offers."

Screen With Envy has been approached for comment.