Terms & Conditions

These Terms and Conditions apply to removal, moving, storage and related services provided by Loadshifters.

By accepting a quotation, making a booking or instructing Loadshifters to provide services, you agree to these Terms and Conditions.

Nothing in these Terms affects any legal rights that you have as a consumer which cannot lawfully be excluded or restricted.

Loadshifters provides removal and moving services including:

1. Home removals
2. Office moves
3. Student moves
4. Storage
5. Piano moves
6. Specialist moves
7. International moves

The precise services included in your booking will be confirmed in your quotation or booking confirmation.

You are responsible for:

1. Being present at the collection and delivery properties at the agreed times, or ensuring that an authorised person is present on your behalf.
2. Providing accurate information about the properties, addresses, access arrangements, number and type of items and any other information relevant to the move.
3. Ensuring that all items that need to be moved are identified before the move. Loadshifters cannot accept responsibility for items that you have not identified to us and that are consequently left behind.
4. Keeping cash, jewellery, important documents, personal records and other valuables in your possession unless we have expressly agreed otherwise in writing.
5. Taking reasonable steps to secure appliances, electronic equipment and other items before they are moved.
6. Ensuring that furniture and other large items are suitably prepared for moving. Where agreed, Loadshifters may provide dismantling and reassembly services.
7. Informing us in advance about stairs, lifts, restricted access, parking restrictions, narrow entrances or other circumstances that may affect the move.

Unless packing services have been specifically included in your quotation, you are responsible for packing your belongings appropriately.

We will take reasonable care when handling items, but we cannot accept responsibility for damage resulting from inadequate packing or preparation carried out by you.

Where our team has packed an item, our responsibility will be assessed according to the circumstances and the service agreed with you.

For health, safety, legal or practical reasons, certain items may not be transported or stored by Loadshifters.

These may include:

1. Illegal drugs or prohibited substances.
2. Explosives or other dangerous substances.
3. Firearms and ammunition unless their transportation has been lawfully authorised and agreed with us in advance.
4. Stolen or unlawfully held goods.
5. Items requiring specific governmental permits or specialist transportation arrangements where the required permissions or arrangements have not been provided.
6. Other items which we reasonably consider unsafe or unsuitable for transportation or storage.

You must tell us about any item that may present a health, safety, legal or transportation issue before the move.

Where agreed as part of your quotation, Loadshifters may dismantle and reassemble furniture.

We will take reasonable care when carrying out this work.

We cannot guarantee that furniture will return to precisely the same condition, alignment or structural characteristics it had before dismantling, particularly where this is affected by the furniture's original construction, age, condition, manufacturer design or an existing defect.

We will not be responsible for defects that existed before our work was carried out.

Where storage is provided, your belongings will be stored in accordance with the storage arrangements agreed with you.

You must not place prohibited, dangerous, illegal, perishable or otherwise unsuitable items into storage.

You must provide accurate information about goods being stored and inform us of anything that requires particular handling or storage conditions.

Any specific storage charges, minimum periods, access arrangements and insurance arrangements will be confirmed separately where applicable.

1. We prepare quotations using the information provided by you.
2. A quotation will state the services and pricing assumptions on which it is based.
3. Where the quotation is expressly described as an estimate, the final price may differ where additional work or circumstances arise that were not reasonably apparent from the information provided.

This may include:

1. Additional items not included in the original information.
2. Additional floors or access requirements not disclosed when the quotation was prepared.
3. Additional dismantling or reassembly work.
4. Additional waiting time caused by circumstances for which you are responsible.
5. Changes to the agreed date or time that affect the cost of providing the service.
6. Additional services requested by you.

We will explain any material additional charges before carrying out additional chargeable work wherever reasonably possible.

We will not use an undisclosed charge or unexpected price increase to circumvent the agreed quotation.

We will make reasonable efforts to provide the services at the agreed time.

Delays can sometimes occur because of traffic, weather, access restrictions, property issues, third party delays or circumstances outside our reasonable control.

You are responsible for ensuring that suitable access is available at the agreed collection and delivery locations.

If we are delayed because you or someone acting on your behalf is not available, keys are unavailable, access is blocked or required information has not been provided, additional reasonable charges may apply where these have been explained or were reasonably foreseeable.

We will provide the agreed services with reasonable care and skill as required by applicable consumer law.

We will use reasonable care when handling your belongings.

Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits liability where doing so would be unlawful, including liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, or any consumer rights that cannot legally be excluded.

If your belongings are damaged or lost while in our care, we will consider the circumstances and our contractual and legal responsibilities.

You should provide accurate information about items being moved and notify us of fragile, valuable or specialist items before the move.

We will not be responsible for damage caused solely by inadequate packing carried out by you, pre-existing defects, normal wear and tear, or circumstances outside our reasonable control, except where applicable law provides otherwise.

Nothing in this section removes any liability that cannot legally be excluded.

Loadshifters maintains goods in transit insurance subject to the terms, conditions, exclusions and limits of the relevant insurance policy.

The current level of cover offered for your particular move will be confirmed before the move where applicable.

Where you require cover for particular high value, fragile or specialist items, you must tell us before the move.

Insurance does not automatically mean that every type of loss or damage is covered. Claims are subject to the applicable insurance policy and its terms.

If you believe that an item has been damaged or lost, please notify us as soon as reasonably possible and provide details of the item and the circumstances.

Where an insurance claim is applicable, we may request photographs, receipts, valuations, an inventory or other reasonable evidence needed to assess the claim.

Any contractual claim notification period will be clearly communicated to you and will not remove any rights that you have under applicable law.

1. If you need to cancel or postpone your move, please contact us as soon as possible.
2. Our standard contractual cancellation notice requirement is 7 working days, unless your quotation or booking confirmation states otherwise.
3. Where you cancel with less than the required notice, we may charge a reasonable cancellation amount reflecting costs or losses we have reasonably incurred as a result of the cancellation.
4. We will not automatically retain a payment or deposit where doing so would be unfair or contrary to your legal rights.
5. Where applicable law gives you a statutory right to cancel, that right will continue to apply.
6. Certain contracts may be excluded from statutory cancellation rights, including certain transport of goods contracts where the agreement provides for a specific date or period of performance. We will provide information about any applicable cancellation rights when the contract is made.

If you need to change your moving date, please contact us as soon as possible.

We will try to accommodate the requested alternative date, subject to availability.

A change of date may affect the price where the new date involves different service requirements, working hours, weekends, public holidays or other additional costs. Any material price change will be explained before the change is confirmed.

We may refuse to start or continue a service where reasonably necessary because:

1. The service would be unsafe.
2. The goods include prohibited or unlawful items.
3. Required access is materially different from the information provided.
4. The condition of an item creates a significant risk of damage or injury.
5. Continuing would require us to act unlawfully.

Where reasonably possible, we will explain the reason and discuss an appropriate alternative with you.

If you are unhappy with any part of our service, please contact us as soon as possible.

We will review the complaint and aim to resolve it fairly and reasonably.

Nothing in our complaints process prevents you from exercising any legal rights available to you.

Where storage is included, arrangements for access, collection and delivery will be agreed with you.

You must provide accurate information about the goods stored and comply with any reasonable storage requirements communicated to you.

We reserve the right to refuse storage of goods that are illegal, dangerous, prohibited or unsuitable for the agreed storage facility.

Pianos, antiques, artwork, unusually heavy items, fragile items and other specialist belongings may require additional planning, equipment or handling arrangements.

You must tell us about such items before accepting the quotation.

We may require additional information or agree additional charges before accepting responsibility for specialist transportation.

International removals may involve customs requirements, import or export documentation, duties, taxes, inspections and requirements imposed by the destination country.

You are responsible for providing accurate information and documents required from you.

Where third party customs agents, carriers or other providers are involved, their terms may also apply.

Any international service will be subject to the specific quotation and arrangements agreed for that move.

We will not be responsible for failure or delay caused by circumstances outside our reasonable control, provided that this does not remove any rights or remedies that you have under applicable law.

Such circumstances may include severe weather, road closures, traffic incidents, government restrictions, industrial action, natural events, serious vehicle failures or other circumstances that could not reasonably have been prevented.

We will take reasonable steps to communicate significant delays and discuss alternative arrangements where possible.

Nothing in these Terms is intended to exclude, restrict or replace any statutory rights that cannot legally be excluded.

Where you are a consumer, services will be provided in accordance with the applicable requirements of the Consumer Rights Act 2015, including the requirement that services are performed with reasonable care and skill.

Where the customer is acting for business purposes rather than as a consumer, different legal rules may apply.

The quotation or contract provided to a business customer may contain additional terms appropriate to the particular service.

We may update these Terms from time to time.

The Terms applying to your booking will be the version provided to you when your contract is formed, unless a later change is required by law or is agreed with you.

These Terms are governed by the law applicable in the relevant part of the United Kingdom.

Where you are a consumer, you will retain any mandatory rights and protections available to you under the law applicable to your circumstances.

For questions about these Terms, your quotation or your move, please contact Loadshifters.