Anyone know anything about these guys?

[junior]

http://www.gunl.co.uk/#

 

Having looked on and off for a few months at the rental market, i've never noticed or heard of these guys.

 

Until today, when they appeared at the top of ApolloDuck listings.

 

Does anyone know anything about them? It seems they will rent you a boat, all above board, for you to CC.

[bottle]

Never heard of them and when there is no land address or phone number, only e-mail contact, I worry.

 

They may well be legit and if they are then good luck to them.

[JonL]

CC'ing as long as you stay inside the M25 without giving one months notice !( see FAQ's)

Seems a little restricted.

Broadly £1000 a month during the summer months sounds like a very good deal not quite so convinced that's it's good deal through the winter.

[NobbyNomates]

Its a new company only formed on 10/09/2012 registered addressee Gravesham Marina Albion Parade Gravesend, DA12 2RN.

Very poor credit rating. "Cash transactions only" according to Experian UK

[alan_fincher]

Be very careful that this has nothing to do with the infamous John Driver (aka Eddy Rayner)! (Look it up, if that means nothing).

 

Seriously I would be very worried about any "firm" that tells yu almost nothing about themselves, gives no phone number, and limits contact to a fairly anonymoud email address.

[tafelberg]

They look like quite a new company. Their domain was not registered until the 1st of this month.

 

But they are a limited company no 8204085 and the address given:-

 

GRAND UNION NARROWBOAT LETTINGS LIMITED

THE BUSINESS CENTRE 36 GLOUCESTER AVENUE

PRIMROSE HILL

LONDON

ENGLAND NW1 7BB

Company No. 08204085

So they look legit but have not been going long!

I would say the boats on Apollo duck look really nice so I hope they do really well because I do think that long term NB lettings / boat lettings are a completely untapped market!

 

 

Edited December 7, 2012 by tafelberg

[mayalld]

http://www.gunl.co.uk/#

 

Having looked on and off for a few months at the rental market, i've never noticed or heard of these guys.

 

Until today, when they appeared at the top of ApolloDuck listings.

 

Does anyone know anything about them? It seems they will rent you a boat, all above board, for you to CC.

 

With a secured tenancy, apparently.

 

Given that they appear totally unaware of the basics of tenancy law and how it doesn't work for a narrowboat, I would have to hazard a guess that they are equally clueless about the legal niceties of hiring out boats, and that this will prove to be another setup that attempts to create a legal fiction to legitimise a dodgy arrangem,ent.

[Ralph Claydon]

Am i right that you can set up a company for only £4.99??

[PaulG]

http://www.gunl.co.uk/#

 

Having looked on and off for a few months at the rental market, i've never noticed or heard of these guys.

 

Until today, when they appeared at the top of ApolloDuck listings.

 

Does anyone know anything about them? It seems they will rent you a boat, all above board, for you to CC.

 

It's a very new company with a £100.00 share capital, so their credit rating will naturally be low.

 

Grand Union Narrowboat Lettings Ltd

THE BUSINESS CENTRE 36 GLOUCESTER AVENUE

PRIMROSE HILL

LONDON

ENGLAND

NW1 7BB

 

Property details

 

Status: Active

Date of Incorporation: 06/09/2012

 

Country of Origin: United Kingdom

Company Type: Private Limited Company

Nature of Business (SIC):

None Supplied

Accounting Reference Date: 30/09

Last Accounts Made Up To: (NO ACCOUNTS FILED)

Next Accounts Due: 06/06/2014

Last Return Made Up To:

Next Return Due: 04/10/2013

 

Directors and Secretaries

Nathan Johnson

6 Sep 2012 ⇒ Present (3 Months) Company Secretary

Nathan Johnson

6 Sep 2012 ⇒ Present (3 Months) Director

Scio Investments Ltd

6 Sep 2012 ⇒ Present (3 Months) Director

Adam Washbourne

6 Sep 2012 ⇒ Present (3 Months) Director

Edited December 7, 2012 by PaulG

[deletedaccount]

Shockingly bad photography on that site.

[Laurie Booth]

With a secured tenancy, apparently.

 

Given that they appear totally unaware of the basics of tenancy law and how it doesn't work for a narrowboat, I would have to hazard a guess that they are equally clueless about the legal niceties of hiring out boats, and that this will prove to be another setup that attempts to create a legal fiction to legitimise a dodgy arrangem,ent.

Scio Investments Ltd are listed as one of the directors. They appear to be a property rental company.

[kevinl]

I could buy a 3 bed semi in my bit of the world for £150,000 and rent it out for £700-£800 PCM.

I'm guessing looking at these boats they're secondhand and in the £40,000 - £50,000 price range, get 3 for the price of a house and rent them out for nearly £1,000 a month each so 3K ish total PCM, not a bad idea this one, anyone got any cash they want to invest?

[tafelberg]

Nah, we own boats, boat = no cash.

[mayalld]

It's a very new company with a £100.00 share capital, so their credit rating will naturally be low.

 

Grand Union Narrowboat Lettings Ltd

THE BUSINESS CENTRE 36 GLOUCESTER AVENUE

PRIMROSE HILL

LONDON

ENGLAND

NW1 7BB

 

Property details

 

Status: Active

Date of Incorporation: 06/09/2012

 

Country of Origin: United Kingdom

Company Type: Private Limited Company

Nature of Business (SIC):

None Supplied

Accounting Reference Date: 30/09

Last Accounts Made Up To: (NO ACCOUNTS FILED)

Next Accounts Due: 06/06/2014

Last Return Made Up To:

Next Return Due: 04/10/2013

 

Directors and Secretaries

Nathan Johnson

6 Sep 2012 ⇒ Present (3 Months) Company Secretary

Nathan Johnson

6 Sep 2012 ⇒ Present (3 Months) Director

Scio Investments Ltd

6 Sep 2012 ⇒ Present (3 Months) Director

Adam Washbourne

6 Sep 2012 ⇒ Present (3 Months) Director

 

So, a couple of directors that we haven't heard of (and have never been a director of anything else), and an investment company listed as a director.

 

If you drill to the investmant company, you get back to another individual who seems to have a couple of near worthless companies and one seriously worthless one under his belt.

 

Doesn't inspire confidence.

 

Scio Investments Ltd are listed as one of the directors. They appear to be a property rental company.

 

Scio Investments appears to be a property company set up earlier this year by an individual who is already a director of a property company with a negative net worth.

[kevinl]

Scio Investments appears to be a property company set up earlier this year by an individual who is already a director of a property company with a negative net worth.

Have you noticed both companies have the same address too?

[BargeeSpud]

It's a very new company with a £100.00 share capital, so their credit rating will naturally be low.

 

Grand Union Narrowboat Lettings Ltd

THE BUSINESS CENTRE 36 GLOUCESTER AVENUE

PRIMROSE HILL

LONDON

ENGLAND

NW1 7BB

 

Property details

 

Status: Active

Date of Incorporation: 06/09/2012

 

Country of Origin: United Kingdom

Company Type: Private Limited Company

Nature of Business (SIC):

None Supplied

Accounting Reference Date: 30/09

Last Accounts Made Up To: (NO ACCOUNTS FILED)

Next Accounts Due: 06/06/2014

Last Return Made Up To:

Next Return Due: 04/10/2013

 

Directors and Secretaries

Nathan Johnson

6 Sep 2012 ⇒ Present (3 Months) Company Secretary

Nathan Johnson

6 Sep 2012 ⇒ Present (3 Months) Director

Scio Investments Ltd

6 Sep 2012 ⇒ Present (3 Months) Director

Adam Washbourne

6 Sep 2012 ⇒ Present (3 Months) Director

The Scio Investments Ltd element is also from the same address & CH shows they were incorporated on 8/5/2012 with a £1000 statement of capital. They have no web presence that I could find, but I didn't bother with purchasing the company info that details names etc. from CH.

 

Looking at the website hardly inspires considering they say they're a group of canal enthusiasts. Unless anyone knows anybody directly involved with the company or boats advertised, it looks like one to avoid.

[RLWP]

All three boats are on Jim Shead's boat listing, non are identified as hire boats - but then I don't know if you can spot hire boats on Jim's lists

 

Richard

[Grace and Favour]

I guess they will have had to register with C4RT as a canal business, and that they obviously will have had the appropriate BSS inspections and will have the relevant hirers insurance.

 

Does anyone on CWDF know the best way to check on the above?

[RLWP]

I guess they will have had to register with C4RT as a canal business, and that they obviously will have had the appropriate BSS inspections and will have the relevant hirers insurance.

 

Does anyone on CWDF know the best way to check on the above?

 

Short answer - ask them

 

Richard

[BargeeSpud]

Anyone with serious worries could contact C&RT to check whether the boats named or the company itself, are known to them from a commercial sense. They'll need to have some sort of licencing won't they? The boats especially I'd have thought.

[RLWP]

Anyone with serious worries could contact C&RT to check whether the boats named or the company itself, are known to them from a commercial sense. They'll need to have some sort of licencing won't they? The boats especially I'd have thought.

 

Or you could ask the company themselves. I know it looks odd, however they are advertising and are apparently waterways enthusiasts themselves. Just because we don't know doesn't make what they are doing wrong

 

Richard

[twbm]

Just postulating for a moment that this is an genuine enterprise - and there is absolutely no evidence to suggest otherwise - just how the hell do you expect new businesses to establish themselves and build trade when folk are recommending leaving them alone because they were only incorporated recently and have not yet reach the point where they need to submit their first years accounts?

 

Do any of you ring the DVLA before hiring a van, or ABTA before booking a holiday?

[KevMc]

Just postulating for a moment that this is an genuine enterprise - and there is absolutely no evidence to suggest otherwise - just how the hell do you expect new businesses to establish themselves and build trade when folk are recommending leaving them alone because they were only incorporated recently and have not yet reach the point where they need to submit their first years accounts?

 

Do any of you ring the DVLA before hiring a van, or ABTA before booking a holiday?

 

Good point - and if you are renting then you are happy to fork over the cash agreed for use of the boat for the period - I can't actually see a problem but maybe I am still naive

[BargeeSpud]

Or you could ask the company themselves. I know it looks odd, however they are advertising and are apparently waterways enthusiasts themselves. Just because we don't know doesn't make what they are doing wrong

 

Richard

Absolutely nothing to suggest wrong doing at all Richard, but then if you ask the company, they're hardly likely to say they're not legit are they? Advertising & saying you're enthusiasts isn't proof of legitimacy either. I'm afraid I'm a suspicious bar steward when I come across things like this, I got caught up in the Aynho Wharf shenanigans back in 2000 & was lucky to only get singed.

 

I suppose I shouldn't care either way, but until someone on here comes out & says "yes, I know some of them, they're good people", I'll reserve judgement & err on the cautious side thank you.

 

Just postulating for a moment that this is an genuine enterprise - and there is absolutely no evidence to suggest otherwise - just how the hell do you expect new businesses to establish themselves and build trade when folk are recommending leaving them alone because they were only incorporated recently and have not yet reach the point where they need to submit their first years accounts?

 

Do any of you ring the DVLA before hiring a van, or ABTA before booking a holiday?

That's a very fair point, but I still think something about their website doesn't quite ring true to me. I could easily be wrong of course.

[debbifiggy]

Short answer - ask them

 

Richard

 

Agreed, phone and check that the company are authorised to trade by the Trust.

 

The CRT licensing website says "If it is a waterway managed by us, your next decision is on the type of licence. If you intend to use the boat commercially, you need a business licence. Otherwise a standard licence, ranging in length from three to 12 months, is sufficient."

 

http://canalrivertrust.org.uk/media/library/723.pdf

 

 

New business are welcome and all the information to get started is on the website.

 

http://canalrivertrust.org.uk/boating/boating-businesses

 

 

"The Trust aims to increase visitors to the waterways and ensure that they have an enjoyable experience, so they want to return with friends and family. We believe that waterborne businesses, in all their richness and diversity, can make a significant contribution to achieving this aim. We want to encourage and support boating businesses to thrive and offer high quality services which add life and vitality to our canals and riverside destinations.

 

We have a dedicated Boating Trade Team whose role it is to assist new entrants to boating businesses and help both new and existing operators to trade profitably on the waterway.

 

Please note that enquiries to set up businesses on the towpath or other Canal & River Trust land should be made to enquiries.hq@canalrivertrust.org.uk.

 

Whilst we make every effort to provide relevant and accurate information, this website is only a guide and should not be relied upon as your sole source of information.

 

We welcome feedback on this site. Please send any comments or suggestions you have to boatingtrade.enquiries@canalrivertrust.org.uk."

 

 

http://canalrivertrust.org.uk/boating/boating-businesses/starting-a-new-boating-business/self-drive-hire

 

is the part relevant to hire boats.

 

Personally if I was hiring/renting a boat I would check first that the craft has the correct type of licence, insurance, boat safety etc. but then I would wouldn't I ;-)

 

D