I have dealt with this company for three years and I can't say it has been a positive experience overall. The biggest problem has been their operatives consistent failure to lock and secure the bins after collection. Because our bins are opposite some social housing, this caused a consistent problem with fly-tipping, which resulted in Fresh Start either refusing to collect the bin concerned and/or applying excess weight charges to our account. Placing signage on the bins, asking for them to be locked after collection, made no difference whatsoever. On occasion, during storms, the wind caught one of the empty bins, taking in down the street onto the main road into the path of traffic, which could have caused serious consequences for our business, as we would no doubt bear liability for an any accidents resulting.

Just recently, the pin in the lock wore down on our general waste bin and we have been unable to lock the bin after collection. Despite reporting this problem 2 months ago, the issue was never resolved. Subsequently, the fly tipping increased substantially, almost doubling the charges on our account. This caused a direct debit to fail, whereon Fresh Start applied an immediate stop on collections and applied a penalty charge, then they left it over a month to deal with the issue. In contrast, the other bin, which we were able to keep locked, did not suffer any fly-tipping. Therefore, it could not be more obvious as to why this problem occurred.

Of course, when in the past, when collections have been delayed or missed, no credit is applied, which seems hypocritical at best. We are expected to simply understand operating issues within their company and accept them without complaint.

We are a small hospitality business operating in currently quieter times than usual. If anything, we should be well below weight limits in all our bins.

Fresh Start's excuse is that our glass bin is not kept in the garden, which has never had a lock on it and has never really been a problem in respect of fly tipping. It is the large general waste bin and cardboard bins that are most affected and these are the ones we need to keep locked.

Fresh Start have offered to exchange the faulty bin but only when the 'full' charges are paid, including all the excess weight charges, plus another month's charges contractually due, even though they haven't been collecting any of the bins.

I just don't think that's good enough. As far as I am concerned, the onus is upon their operatives to lock a bin after collection when they find it locked on arrival, and to secure the brakes on bins that they find the brakes applied on, but most of all, to have dealt with the issue of the broken lock in a timely fashion, rather than leave the bins to overflow and then apply excess weight charges!