How do I choose my removal company?

in Expat Tips and Hints, General, Moving to … Expat Guides, Tips on Stress Free Removals

Considering how many times you may move in your life, it’s no real surprise that you’re not an expert at choosing a removal company. So you may very well say ‘how do I choose a removal company?’

When you’re planning to undertake a major move abroad, it’s even more important that you make the right choice. You can do this by using services you can rely on and completely trust. Not choosing the correct removal company could cost you thousands of pounds and loads of heartache.

To help you in this I have a simple two step process I’d like to share with you. This will ensure that you don’t have any problems. And reading this, you’re already ahead of the game, as you obviously want to do things right from the very beginning. Read on for a full explanation of what you should pay attention to, and you can relax in the knowledge that everything should go smoothly.

Step 1 – Membership

Professional removers who want to ensure they give the best service will join trade groups or organisations. This is to show you that they are answerable, trustworthy and have been vetted to reach minimum standards of service and support.

Probably the best organisation that your removal company could be linked to is the Trading Standards ‘buy with Confidence’ scheme in the UK. This is a government run scheme that helps you, as a consumer, find reputable and responsible companies that are the best of the best in their own field of expertise. The criteria for joining the scheme is very strict, with vetting, checks and then an audit visit by a qualified trading standards officer. Only if the company passes all these checks are they allowed to join the scheme and then use the Trading Standards ‘tick’ on their advertising.

Step 2 – Insurance

A little mentioned component of a professional Removal Companies’ service is their comprehensive insurance cover. This protects both you and them if things happen to go wrong. So, when asking ‘how do I choose a removal company? this is a vital thing to check. This insurance, taken out with specialist brokers dealing in the Removal Industry, is called Goods In Transit (GIT) insurance. It is specifically to cover your belongings whilst they are in the possession of the removal company. It offers the same sort of cover as you would find in your home contents insurance policy. All professional removal companies will have GIT insurance, and will have no problem providing proof of this insurance for you to check.

There is also another insurance that is also important to consider when you are choosing a remover – public liability insurance. It covers a business against injury or property damage to the public in the course of their business activities.

However, not all removal companies are created equal – some have GIT and public liability insurance, and some do not. Goods in Transit Insurance can be quite expensive, especially if European moves are to be covered, so you will find that it is one of the first things to be ignored by removal companies that don’t have their customers’ best interests at heart.

What price peace of mind? – that is the real question here. Your removals company is going to be in charge of all of your belongings and precious memories, gathered over your whole lifetime. So therefore you need it all to be in the hands of people you can completely trust.