Neither of us · 5
Neither of us controls it
Every removals contract has a list of things it cannot promise, and most firms bury it in a clause near the end. This is that list, on a page of its own, with what we actually do about each.
A firm that guarantees around a building's goods lift is promising you something it does not own.
What sits in this column
What we do instead of promising
We survey a second standing point, so a blocked bay becomes a longer carry rather than a cancelled day. We book lifts and confirm the booking in writing. We ask for freeholder permission early enough that a refusal is a problem in June rather than on the morning.
And where something goes wrong anyway, we tell you at once and work out the best remaining option with you. That is a genuine commitment and it is a different thing from a guarantee, which is why it is written this way round.
Waiting time, which is the honest version
On a chain, keys are released once money has moved and the household at the bottom is paid last. Crews wait. That is chargeable almost everywhere, it should be written into your quotation, and a quotation silent on it is incomplete rather than cheaper.
Tell us how many households are in the chain when you book. It changes what we plan for and it is the piece of information most often missing from an enquiry.
Buildings with management
Goods lifts, booked windows, fobs, bay height limits, permitted hours and a facilities manager who needs notice. Everything here is manageable once you have the booking and impossible before it.
A covered or underground loading bay excludes a removals vehicle by headroom more often than people expect, and it is the first thing we ask about a block we do not know.
Why this page exists
Because these are the things customers are most often surprised by, and because putting them on a page rather than in a clause is the difference between a policy and a get-out.
Nothing here is legal advice. The corresponding clause in the terms is the one that governs, and it says the same thing in less friendly language.
Neither of us controls it
Questions about neither of us controls it
01 What happens if the lift is out of service?
We carry, or we reschedule, and we work out the best option with you. It belongs to the building and nobody in your contract has authority over it.
02 Somebody parked in our suspended bay.
It happens, sometimes with the cones still there. That is why a second standing point is surveyed — the job becomes a longer carry rather than a cancelled day.
03 Can a freeholder stop a move?
They can withhold or withdraw permission, which is why we ask for it early. A refusal in June is a problem with options; a refusal on the morning is not.
04 What if the chain fails?
The load stays secured on the vehicle while we work the problem with you. Waiting time is chargeable and should already be on the quotation.
05 Is bad weather your risk?
Protecting goods from it is ours. A road being closed by it is not. We tell you at once rather than treating it as your bad luck.
06 Will a vehicle fit an underground bay?
Frequently not. The headroom limit excludes a removals vehicle more often than people expect and it is the first thing we ask about an unfamiliar block.
Ask us for it in writing
Both addresses, roughly what is going, and whether you are packing any of it yourself. Ask for the policy summary in the same message and we will send it without being awkward about it.