
Frequently Asked questions
/ Terms and Conditions
Please read the following terms and conditions carefully. The ordering of goods from Protech Shelters indicates that you are in agreement them.
Some reasons to choose Protech Shelters.
- We are the largest UK importer and distributor of these products at this time.
- We are based in the UK and ship direct - this allows us to deliver rapidly and offer the highest level of service possible to customers based in England, Wales and Scotland.
- We aim to provide a friendly service, replying promptly and accurately to any enquiries received.
- Our products are designed for purpose. We see increasing numbers of companies selling substandard party tents as garages and field shelters. Buyers beware!
- We will only recommend a solution we believe will meet your needs. Customer satisfaction is more important to us than simply closing a sale!
- Heavy Duty ground fixings are supplied as standard based on information supplied on all Portable Shelter products.
- We use terms such as Heavy Duty sparingly. Our shelters vary in grade based on size, price and intended use. We class them as Standard, Heavy Duty and Industrial. We believe this helps you make an informed decision. Again, beware of suppliers using these terms very loosely!
Pricing, VAT
and delivery charges
All prices shown on our web site exclude Delivery and VAT.
Estimated shipping charges are shown during checkout and 17.5% VAT is added after your delivery details have been entered.
Standard UK Mainland Delivery - 4 working days or less (including day of order)
Next-Day UK Mainland Delivery - Next working day following order (if received before 1pm).
For delivery prices to:
CHANNEL ISLANDS / ISLE OF MAN / SCOTTISH ISLES / IRELAND / N. IRELAND / REST OF EUROPE.
Please email or telephone for pricing quoting the model you are interested in and your address.
We reserve the right
to make changes to price and specification of products
as necessary. If ordering from outside of the United Kingdom,
please contact us for delivery charges prior to ordering.
Items ordered at zero price will not necessarily be valid as errors can occur.
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Stock, Ordering
& Payment.
Stock availability
Items are usually in stock if the 'Add to Cart' button is displayed. We may allow Pre-orders for items which are due to arrive shortly and will display expected dispatch dates in this case. If an item says 'Call for Availability' please contact us as we can advise on lead times.
Online ordering
Our web site has been designed to offer safe
and simple online shopping. Your should have any trouble ordering online however, if you do please follow these steps or contact us by phone for assistance. To place your order online, simply follow
these steps:
- Click the
'Add to Cart' button on your chosen item.
Wait for the Checkout screen to appear or the 'Checkout' icon near the top of the screen.
- The checkout screen confirms your chosen product and quantity. It also shows an estimated shipping price. Prices are ex VAT at this stage. Click
'Checkout' to proceed.
- Enter your contact details, including a valid e-mail address.
Add any additional notes which may help. I.e. Do not delivery before such a date etc.
Read our terms and click the box to say you have done so.
- Select a Payment method and Click
'Checkout' to proceed.
You will be reminded that the name field needs your full name. Check and Click 'OK' close this message.
Click 'Checkout' to proceed.
- Select a Delivery option. Click
'Checkout' to proceed.
- You should now see a summary of your order details including the item cost, delivery charge and VAT. This is the Grand total for your order. . Click
'Checkout' to complete the order.
- You will now be directed to a secure* payment processing system web page (either WorldPay or Paypal). Please follow the onscreen instructions to enter your card details. Once complete you will receive an email confirming your order (from Protech) and a second email confirming receipt of payment (from the Payment processor).
You have not committed to buy until the stage 6 is complete. At any stage before this you can click the checkout icon and revise your order.
*Completely secure transaction environment where your payment
details are captured and processed on secure servers, protected
by a host of encryption techniques which are continually
updated. No information is retained by the transaction provider following the transaction.
Phone orders
- We are happy to accept your order by telephone (during office hours). Please contact our sales team on 01278 447080. We do not charge extra for this service.
Cheque Payment
- If you would like to pay by Personal Cheque.
Please order online and select "Cheque " as payment method
. Please make cheques payable to " Protech Shelters Ltd.
". Your order will be dispatched as soon as payment is cleared.
This usually takes one week. This option adds delay to your order as banks unfortunately rely on the postal system to verify your cheque. If you can, please pay by card if you wish to receive your order faster.
Post cheques to:
Protech Shelters
Unit 3, East Quay Mews,
East Quay, Bridgwater,
Somerset, TA6 4AE.
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Selecting
a shelter
How do I choose a shelter?
All shelters are multi-purpose however we have categorised
them by size to make your selection easier. Not all shelters are suitable for all applications. If you would like confirmation that your intended use of the product is reasonable. Please contact us prior to ordering.
- First measure the space you have available to build
the shelter.
- Then measure the size of what you intend to store (for
cars, ensure you add space for opening doors).
- Next, select an 'intended use' from the Product Menu. i.e. Small Cars
- Review the sizes on the list and select accordingly.
- Shelters marked 'Heavy Duty' or 'HD' have benefits over Standard shelters. See below.
If you cannot find a suitable shelter give us a call and
we will happily guide you through the options available. There are many shelters available which are not featured on our website as they are not usually held in stock.
Do you make custom shelters?
We cannot offer customisation to products listed on the website. However, we have an extended 'made-to-order' catalogue of products we can order from and you can often customise these. To discuss your requirement
please call our sales team. Customisation is subject to certain conditions.
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Features
All shelters are designed for convenient assembly and use.
A typical shelter consists of three boxes containing a frame
of powder-coated, interlocking steel tubes, a high quality
Tarpaulin cover and all fixings including appropriate ground
fixings. Our shelters are classified as temporary structures,
and therefore should not require planning permission to erect.
Covers
Is the material waterproof?
The Tarpaulin used on all shelters is fully waterproof and
on garage designs the side walls are designed to allow water to run-off
away from the shelter. Flaps, where included allow rain water to run-off or can be buried to drain the water.
Will the material protect against sun damage?
The material is treated with a coating on both sides to
protect it from the harmful effects of UV rays and form
a barrier, this not only protects the contents of your shelter but prolongs the useful life of the material.
Is the material fire retardant?
All covers are tested and meet US and UK standards.
How strong is the material?
The material is a multi-layer, cross woven core construction with very high tensile strength which means high resistance to tearing. The construction is such that even if the material is torn, the damage will not spread.
What material options are there?
There are colour options on some models, also on the Multi-purpose
models you have a choice of covers depending on use. Shelters are supplied with either a Standard 200 g/sq.m or Heavy Duty 300 g/sq.m Polyethylene (PE) tarpaulin.
What colours are available?
Sand, Camouflage, Green, Greenhouse, Silver and White are offered subject
to availability.
  
  
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Frame and Ground Fixings
All shelter frames are constructed of Steel which is Powder Coated or Galvanised to inhibit corrosion. The tube size usually reflects the size of the shelter. I.E. the larger the shelter, the bigger the diameter and thickness of the tubing & the stronger the frame. On home-use shelters, the frames slot together easily and are secured by a cover tensioned into position. On Industrial shelters the tubes slot together and are fixed by conventional nut and bolt, before further tension is applied through the cover.
What Ground Fixing options are available?
Most Shelters have either a base frame which bolts together and is pre-drilled to accept our ground fixings or has Foot plates (also pre-drilled. Most shelters have a choice of ground fixings however some stock is pre-packed with one type or another. It is your responsibility to ensure your shelter has the correct ground fixings and that it is secure fixed to the ground. Please ask if unsure which type is best.
- Ground Stakes are suitable for Gravel, Hardcore & Tarmac bases.
- Earth Augers are recommended for Earth/Grass but are unsuitable in rocky areas.
- Concrete Bolts are suitable for fixing into concrete.
Stakes and Earth Augers from a PS-815-300
Click picture to enlarge.
Assembly
All Protech shelters are designed to be easy to assemble and disassemble.
A straight-forward assembly manual is included which includes
detailed drawings and instructions on how everything fits together. The steel
tubes
of the frame are also numbered to make things easier.
You should always read the manual prior to assembling a
shelter and take sensible precautions to ensure personal safety and avoid damage to any of the shelter components. .
How long does it take to build?
With no prior experience, most portable garages can be constructed
in between 1-3 hours, with two people. Some smaller
shelters can be built in less than an hour such as the PS-511-300. Please allow extra time when using Earth Auger ground fixings.
For our Industrial grade shelters allow more time and more people for safe assembly. We do offer an assembly service on large shelters at additional cost. Please contact us to obtain a quotation.
Do I need any tools to build the shelter?
You will require spanners and a ratchet to secure the frame
and a mallet of some kind to hammer in the ground stakes. If you have Earth Augers a tool will be provided in the kit. For concrete bolts you will need a drill.
A ladder may also be required for attaching apex covers or
when fixing certain roofs.
How many people does it take to build a shelter?
Most shelters are best assembled with two or more people, please
check before ordering or before you start assembly. It is not recommended you assemble a shelter single-handed due to the size of most shelters you may injure yourself or damage components of the shelter.
Will I need planning permission?
Not unless you intend to use the garage as a permanent structure
and set permanent ground fixings. Whilst we have checked with various council officials around the country we cannot guarantee this is the case for all areas. If in doubt we suggest you contact your local council prior to ordering.
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Having difficulties?
We try to ensure your shelter reaches you in perfect condition
and assembly is trouble free. However should you encounter
any problems with a damaged or incomplete delivery or with
assembly, please feel free to contact us.
Boxes have arrived damaged
It is very important you sign for any missing boxes or note any damage when your shelter is delivered. Failure to do so will enable the delivery company to deny responsibility. It is also very important that damage or incomplete deliveries are reported on the day of delivery.
Wrong tubes are supplied!
Sometimes tube labels come unstuck and it is not obvious which tubes are which. If in doubt please check with us before you start to assemble. If an incorrect part is supplied we will replace it, subject to Warranty conditions (see below).
Tubes are too big for the frame. If I compress it to fit the tubes will snap!
Is is normal for the base frame to be smaller than the
archway. Only when it is curved and compressed will it
fit within the base frame. Compression is a key factor
in the overall strength of our shelters.
There are parts missing.
If you suspect parts are missing it is important you note whether your shelter boxes arrived in good condition. It is also important you notify us as soon as you are aware of the problem. We do stock spares so will be able to quickly make up any shortfall in most cases.
You SHOULD NOT attempt to assemble your shelter until you have all the correct poles as partial assembly may lead to product failure which will be your responsibility.
Warranty
All products carry a limited 12 month Manufacturers warranty against manufacturing defects. Unless otherwise stated on product detail pages.
Warranty covers Frame and Main Cover components only. It is the customers responsibility to locate the shelter in suitable location where it will not be exposed to winds higher that the products rating. It will be the customers responsibility to cover the cost of repair or replacement for any damage as a result of general use / wear and tear / extreme weather or failure of the shelter or components thereof through incorrect or incomplete assembly.
Shelters (excluding Pop up, Canopies & Party Tents) are designed to withstand wind force up to Gale force 8 (moderate
Gale). Heavy Duty and Industrial grade shelters are designed to withstand up to Gale force 10. ABTech Europe Ltd. does not accept responsibility for any damage caused by extreme
weather. It is your responsibility to ensure the shelter is sited in a suitably sheltered location and additional precautions are taken in the event of issued weather warnings. .
Customised shelters
If you or a previous owner has customised a shelter and altered it beyond original dimensions and specification the warranty will be null and void.
What if my order is damaged in transit or I have
parts missing?
Please inspect your order on arrival and
notify us immediately if your order arrives damaged so we
can organise a replacement. If you notify us of missing parts
within 30 days or order we will send replacements free of
charge.
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Delivery Options
UK Mainland:
Standard Delivery takes 4 working days or less (including the day you order).
For orders received before 12:00pm Midday we aim to dispatch same day.
Next-day delivery is available at an additional cost. (For orders received
before 12:00pm Midday.)
Saturday delivery to most locations can be arranged at additional cost. Please
call to arrange.
N. Ireland / Channel Islands / Ireland / Rest of Europe:
Fast delivery is available at additional cost. Please email or call for a quotation before ordering.
Most items are supplied in 3 boxes and due to
their size and weight we recommend they are handled by at
least 2 people. For the larger shelters, a forklift may be
required. If this is the case we will advise at the time
of ordering.
Can you deliver to a home address?
We can deliver to a home or business address. Please bare
in mind a signature is require and the boxes are heavy, (typically
up to 60kgs each) so we recommend they are handled by a minimum of two people.
Non-UK Delivery
We can offer fast delivery outside the UK. Please contact
us by phone or email to discuss your requirements.
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Dealer / Reseller
programme
If you are interested in stocking or selling our products we would
be delighted to hear from you. We offer an attractive reseller program subject to certain qualifying requirements. Please give us a call for further details.
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Returns Procedure
Protech Shelters Returns
We hope that you will be 100% satisfied with your order and make every effort to ensure we meet your expectations however
we accept that occasionally things may not be to
your
liking and you'll need to return something.
How to return your order:
1. Please contact us, either by writing or preferably by
email to tell us that you wish to return your product within 14 Days of receipt of the product..
You can do this at sales@protech-shelters.co.uk please
quote your name, address and order reference number plus
why you
wish to return it.
2. We will issue you with a returns number, by return of
email, to include with the product when you send it back.
- We ask you not return any items with out a valid returns
number -.
3. You must take reasonable care of the item, retain all
original packaging and return it without signs of use or
damage. We will have to charge for any damaged or missing
items.
4. Any costs incurred in returning the item are the responsibility
of the customer. We recommend that you contact us so we can
collect the item at the best rate or you may use a courier
of your choice.
5. All returns are subject to a restocking fee of 20%. We can exchange your product for a similar product (if a
different size is required) or exchange the product for another
of similar price if you so wish. Please see above for how
to send the product back.
If you product is faulty we can arrange replacement parts to correct the problem or offer a refund.
We adhere fully to the Distance Selling Regulations, please
see below.
Distance Selling Regulations
You have a right to cancel your order for any item purchased
through our web site with or without reason, under the distance
selling regulations for refund. This does not apply to any
perishable goods, software or item personalised or made to
your specification. To cancel any item, you can e-mail or
write to us within 7 (seven) working days of the day following
delivery of your order being made, quoting your order number.
You must take reasonable care of the item, retain all original
packaging and must not use them. Any costs incurred in returning
the item are the responsibility of the customer. We will
refund within 30 days of your cancellation. A refund
(less 20% restocking fee) will be given for items returned to us within this period,
items not returned will have the direct cost of retrieving
the item(s) deducted from the refund value.
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Protech Shelters
Privacy Statement
Protech Shelters is committed to safeguarding the privacy
of our users while providing the highest possible quality
of service. We will only use the information that we collect
about you lawfully (in accordance with the Data Protection
Act 1998). If you have any requests concerning your personal
information or any queries with regard to these practices
please contact data@protech-shelters.co.uk
Information collected
We collect the information you supply to us through our registration forms,
and every time you e-mail us.
We also collect information automatically about your visit
to our site. The information obtained in this way, which
includes browsing patterns, is only used in aggregate form,
and as such cannot be used to identify you.
This aggregate information is used to:
* aid strategic development
* audit usage of the site
Use of personal information
We process personal information collected via Protech Shelters for the purposes
of:
* providing the best possible service
* processing any orders you may have made
* providing you with information about products and services we offer
If you do not wish to receive information about our products
or services, please tick the appropriate box on the registration
form.
Use of cookies
Cookies (tiny text files, temporarily stored on your computer) are needed to
allow us - and every other on-line shop - to put the items you've chosen
into the right shopping basket. We're sorry if this offends you but there's
no other way for us to make it all work.
Disclosures
We will not pass your information to any third parties.
If you have any queries about our Privacy Statement you
should contact us by e-mail sales@protech-shelters.co.uk
Copyright ©
All contents including images, artworks and reviews on the Protech Shelters
web site are automatically copyright protected. For more information, please
click here.
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Protech Shelters reserves the right to change product designs
and specifications without notice.
Protech Shelters is a division of ABTech Europe Ltd. Reg. England & Wales No.
4094448.
www.abtech-europe.com 08/08/07
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