Hide & Seek Kids Monkey Bars

Hide & Seek Kids Monkey Bars - Some things to know – I bought this Monkey Bar set for Christmas 2023, but it wasn't assembled until Aril 2024. The set was installed near Nowra which is not an extreme weather location. Be aware, you will very likely need to provide your own fixings/footings to the ground, AND you will need to treat the metal bars when they show rust (hoping that will do the trick). ANCHORS/FOOTINGS - The fixings/anchors for the set are very flimsy and not suitable for supporting the wooden poles off the ground to prevent rot in the future. Do not go by the images on their website - your footings will not match. - You will definitely require more solid footings from the hardware store - so you will be looking at about another $100+ at least to cement in solid footings. Do your costings first. - The owner's manual (that came with the monkey bars) gave a wise instruction to have a minimum gap of 5mm between the ground and timber, to safeguard from the effects of moisture. So it seems the structure is meant to be off the ground. However, H&Seek stated in their email to me that the anchors provided were not suited to supporting the structure off the ground: "The anchors supplied with the Monkey Bars are of a generic style, primarily suitable for use on hard soil lawns. They are designed as anchors only and aren't intended to raise or support structures off the ground"

So, why do they provide unsuitable anchors that cannot comply with the instruction manual supplied: to ensure the equipment is off the ground min 5mm? Notice all the images they have of the equipment on the web have more solid footings.

RUST - Within 8 months, all the green metal joints on the monkey bars showed rust - probably coming from within the joint. It looks like the weld is not solid, and the gaps allow moisture. See pics. I tend to think the manufacturing design is poor - allowing gaps between the cross bar and long bar - which allows moisture. - I contacted H&Seek and they said: "I understand your concern regarding the rust you noticed on the joints of the cross bars. Please let me assure you that this is completely normal and common with outdoor metal equipment, especially in areas exposed to the elements. What you’re seeing is likely surface rust, which doesn’t compromise the structural integrity of the set. To address this, I recommend using a product like Rust-Oleum® Rust Reformer, available at Bunnings. It’s a simple spray application that will seal the surface and prevent further rust development, keeping your set looking great and protected for years to come."

I think the monkey bar set, painted green, looks great in the garden, amongst the trees. We wanted to buy Australian too. However, I am disappointed with the information given and excuses after. They are not phased about rust - it's normal - but this is probably not what any customer would expect within the first year. My question to them is why did they not treat and seal the metal joints during manufacture, to prevent rust? Especially when it is an easy procedure. I am not confident in their assurances.

The reason I gave a BAD experience is I found H&S more interested in making excuses than dealing with the issues and improving for future customers. Their advice was inconsistent with the product supplied. I was disappointed bc it was a present from us (grandparents) to our grandkids. It caused a lot of hassle for me, my daughter (mum) and friends who helped install then rectify the job.

The 2 issues I had are easy issues to remedy and to ensure a better quality product and experience for customers - if H&Seek want to take it on board.

See the screen grab of Hide & Seek's response... Apparently what I'm experiencing is what nearly all will. So you are now informed.