# Bad Removal Companies to Spain



## Guest (Jul 24, 2009)

I recently moved to spain and used a well known british removal company. This company sold me the option of export wrapp my things and they would take particular care of our belongings, especially furniture. Looking after the customer was their strength

In reality what happened was that they damaged furniture and they way we were treated by them was awfull. In one converstaion when i took them to task at their warehouse in spain, they stated they had staked my belongings incorrectly and would repack them (A little late i thought after 4 weeks in storage and a valuable chest was stood on its side). Packing materials were inadequate or damaged from staff clearly stacking to heavy items on delicate wrapping(Also not to spec in the order). One member of staff had stated that they packed my belongings in this way as they had to make a profit. 

I took this up with a director of the company who just stated , claim on your insurance we have done what we promissed. What he failed to see was how you feel when someone treats your property wrongly especially when you pay almost £3000 for them to do it and they justify it by telling you they need to make a profit. After reading his email it was obvious why their company operate in this fashion. The directors mantra is make money and don't care for the customers.

Issues we had were.
Inadequate wrapping (called export wrap)
Damaged furniture from staff stacking boxs incorrectly , not transit.
On the day of removal , ordered crates not available and no one knew where they were.
In adequate number of staff sent to load and pack
Ran out of packing materials and had to transport items to a warehouse to pack and then they used a paper bag.
Instructions for items staking and ignored lost and not communicated to depot in spain.
Depot in spain (English staff) not willing to retrieve items from crates even though this was promissed in sale.

I will post the email from the director in good time. But for now so you all don't get caught. snip/


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## Guest (Jul 24, 2009)

mucus said:


> I recently moved to spain and used a well known british removal company. This company sold me the option of export wrapp my things and they would take particular care of our belongings, especially furniture. Looking after the customer was their strength
> 
> In reality what happened was that they damaged furniture and they way we were treated by them was awfull. In one converstaion when i took them to task at their warehouse in spain, they stated they had staked my belongings incorrectly and would repack them (A little late i thought after 4 weeks in storage and a valuable chest was stood on its side). Packing materials were inadequate or damaged from staff clearly stacking to heavy items on delicate wrapping(Also not to spec in the order). One member of staff had stated that they packed my belongings in this way as they had to make a profit.
> 
> ...


If you want to know who it was email me:clap2:


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## Guest (Jul 24, 2009)

If you can't name and shame why can you recomend. Seems a little biased!!!


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

mucus said:


> If you can't name and shame why can you recomend. Seems a little biased!!!



Maybe, but we all have different experiences and one bad experience could jeopodise someones whole livelyhood and this forum could then be held liable and responsible I guess??!

But I'm happy for you to point out the pitfalls that you've encountered as this will give others an insight into how difficult moving to Spain can be

Jo xx


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## Stravinsky (Aug 12, 2007)

Removals companies. Where do I start!

Well, if you go for the cheapest quote then you risk disaster. Theres so much involved in a removal, planning and infrastructure. There are good removals companies and bad ones. But within that is the added complication that a lot of removals companies subcontract their work. So one removals company might have any number of self emplyed "teams" working for them. One mans good experience with a removals company could end up a terrible experience for another, just because they got a different team.

You should see if the removals company you choose is a member of BAR ( Welcome to the British Association of Removers ) and / or BIFA ( The British International Freight Association ) 

At least you know you have someone to complain to if it goes wrong. Theres also a removals ombusman you can go to ( THE REMOVALS INDUSTRY OMBUDSMAN SCHEME )

Sorry you have had a bad experience. If I were using a removals company (I did mine myself) I would be looking to ensure that the vehicle it was loaded on was the vehicle it was delivered on, and letting the goods go unpacked to the removal companies warehouse was, in retrospect, probably your first mistake. Having said that you would normally expect them to treat the goods with respect!!!

Regarding naming & shaming, its the unfortunate truth that if a bad experience is posted here with a name then it leaves the site owner open to legal action ...... whereas of course no one is going to take legal action if a recommendation is made


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## Guest (Jul 28, 2009)

*Livelyhood*

The point re: livelyhood should be considered the otherway round. Should a business who clearly does not deliver be allowed one. The only way to get them to improve is to threaten their livelyhood. 

If you recommend a removal company and this leads to someone losing all their belongings arn't you as liable and culpable as if you state the truth about a companies opertaion.


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

mucus said:


> The point re: livelyhood should be considered the otherway round. Should a business who clearly does not deliver be allowed one. The only way to get them to improve is to threaten their livelyhood.
> 
> If you recommend a removal company and this leads to someone losing all their belongings arn't you as liable and culpable as if you state the truth about a companies opertaion.



There is the issue that if we allow everyone who has had a bad experience with a company to report it on here then the flood gate would open. It would also allow competitors the right to pretend they're peaved customers who've had bad experiences etc... Sorry, but thats how it has to be

Jo xxx


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## SteveHall (Oct 17, 2008)

I'm with Jojo and Strav all the way. IF (and you did not) Taliban, for example, had siad "Oh you must use ABC Removals - they are the best /cheapest etc" and you then found out that they were illegal, useless and her brother-in-laws I'd have more sympathy but it's not right that you just come on and say "XYZ are crooks" 

If I shamed every bad bar/hotel/shop/Carrefour etc that I'd used over many years there'd not be a lot more on here! I prefer to look at the positive. 

Really sorry that you have had a raw deal but here is not the place to solve it.


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## Tallulah (Feb 16, 2009)

Absolutely - one should complain to the association to which said company is a member (if indeed it is) and you may be entitled to a degree of compensation. Unfortunately public forums are not the place. Frustrating I know, but rules is rules I guess.


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

Its not just this forum, or any forum. Its the law regarding any public publication. Unless the offending company is given the right to reply knowing that its public

Jo xxx


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## Normatheexdiva (Jan 29, 2009)

A word of caution to anyone moving...our stuff was packed by a very highly recommended firm in our last city in the UK. Couldn't recommend them highly enough, they were wonderful.
But...the unpacking was done by a team of guys who came up from Alicante and who had no idea of what was in our boxes and crates. 
We'd lived in Indonesia before the UK and we had a lot of furniture from there, which weighed a ton. The wood is really heavy. We have a piano and these guys didn't know about this at all.
In the end we had to pay the people who were supervising the unloading to help these two men unload.
The lorry had been loaded by a team of four beefy guys and a supervisor. 
If you are moving to non-expat areas, try to ensure that the unloading team knows about your furniture. If you can't be there to supervise unloading yourself (we couldn't), then try!!! 
Ask to see the unloading instructions sent to the unloaders at the other end and make sure your bum is well covered.
Nothing got broken. But it was really, really hard work for the guys up from the south and it wasn't their fault, but a breakdown in communications.
We had warned the UK end that our furniture weighed much more than normal stuff and they were ready for this. 
xxx


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## Guest (Jul 29, 2009)

jojo said:


> There is the issue that if we allow everyone who has had a bad experience with a company to report it on here then the flood gate would open. It would also allow competitors the right to pretend they're peaved customers who've had bad experiences etc... Sorry, but thats how it has to be
> 
> Jo xxx


ok i will delete


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## shawbags (Aug 19, 2009)

I used to drive for a removals company delivering to malaga and the driver most of the time would not see how it was loaded.There are good , bad and down right ugly companys out there trying to make a living,ask for references from other customers and if they refuse look elsewhere .To make a profit in transport you always have to as they might say (get it done yesterday) but to do a good job you should not rush,this is not always the case,cheers Chris.


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## Twopints (Jan 1, 2008)

Hi Everyone,
Sorry to hear of bad experiences with removal companies, i do not think it is always best using companies that are acceredited to bar or one of the other associations, this can mean an impersonal move where you will not come into contact with the company owner, just dealing with employees who have no real interest can mean no one will be accountable

(advertising removed by moderator)


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## Stravinsky (Aug 12, 2007)

Twopints said:


> Hi Everyone,
> Sorry to hear of bad experiences with removal companies, i do not think it is always best using companies that are acceredited to bar or one of the other associations, this can mean an impersonal move where you will not come into contact with the company owner, just dealing with employees who have no real interest can mean no one will be accountable
> 
> (advertising removed by moderator)


Errr .... I have to disagree with the premise. I couldnt really care if it is impersonal, I'd just be interested in my furniture getting to the end in one piece. Using a man in a van can have disasterous consequences, or it can go like a dream. The difference is that if you use an accredited company you at least have some form of comeback if it should go horribly wrong.

Ive often said on here, my experience tells me that to find a removals company that performs really well all the time is hit and miss. Even the big names can fall over.

If you choose to use a one man band then you have to be very careful about their insurance cover and legality as there are so many "experts" that have set up as removals companies running back and forwards to the UK


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Twopints said:


> Hi Everyone,
> Sorry to hear of bad experiences with removal companies, i do not think it is always best using companies that are acceredited to bar or one of the other associations, this can mean an impersonal move where you will not come into contact with the company owner, just dealing with employees who have no real interest can mean no one will be accountable
> 
> (advertising removed by moderator)


I agree with you about Companies accredited to BAR. The Company we used to move from the UK to Prague was a member of BAR but they used an untrained, inexperienced subcontractor in Prague and our furniture etc. arrived late and some of it damaged.
I do not agree with your comment about 'contact with the owner'. Do you really think you can easily come into contact with the 'owner' of any large Company? Most large Companies are not owned by one person. They employ Managers to deal with the public, Managers who should be able to carry out their job professionally.
Any half-way decent Company will ensure that it has responsible, trained employees who do their job in a professional manner.
It's the small, man-with-a-van Companies I would steer clear of. If they are so good, why are they so small? And can they afford comprehensive insurance to cover any damage to goods in transit?
Best to stick with well-known names who have reputations to protect.


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## chris(madrid) (Mar 23, 2008)

shawbags said:


> I used to drive for a removals company delivering to malaga and the driver most of the time would not see how it was loaded.


This surprises me a little. 

I've made four major international moves. The first involved only clothes and small stuff - So I did it. Volvo 245 Estates are wonderful things.

Thereafter I've used one company called I*******N who AFAIK only do international moves, and the loading etc was supervised by the driver. Oddly in two moves the same driver!

No they were not cheap - but the only damage was a slight scratch when a bit I packed fell of a motorcycle and rolled about a bit. At both ends there was a local team - Packing and unpacking. Dis/Assembling furniture. Also 2 overseers who ticked of every box one by one. They dutifully noted the bike scratches too.


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## Stravinsky (Aug 12, 2007)

mrypg9 said:


> I agree with you about Companies accredited to BAR. The Company we used to move from the UK to Prague was a member of BAR but they used an untrained, inexperienced subcontractor in Prague and our furniture etc. arrived late and some of it damaged.
> I do not agree with your comment about 'contact with the owner'. Do you really think you can easily come into contact with the 'owner' of any large Company? Most large Companies are not owned by one person. They employ Managers to deal with the public, Managers who should be able to carry out their job professionally.
> Any half-way decent Company will ensure that it has responsible, trained employees who do their job in a professional manner.
> It's the small, man-with-a-van Companies I would steer clear of. If they are so good, why are they so small? And can they afford comprehensive insurance to cover any damage to goods in transit?
> Best to stick with well-known names who have reputations to protect.


Often the reason for this is even the larger removals companies sub out work to others. Therefore even if a company does a really good job for you, they are only as good as the people they subbed it to so cant guarantee that the next person who uses them gets the same level of service.


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## dgjamison (Jul 6, 2009)

mucus said:


> I recently moved to spain and used a well known british removal company. This company sold me the option of export wrapp my things and they would take particular care of our belongings, especially furniture. Looking after the customer was their strength
> 
> In reality what happened was that they damaged furniture and they way we were treated by them was awfull. In one converstaion when i took them to task at their warehouse in spain, they stated they had staked my belongings incorrectly and would repack them (A little late i thought after 4 weeks in storage and a valuable chest was stood on its side). Packing materials were inadequate or damaged from staff clearly stacking to heavy items on delicate wrapping(Also not to spec in the order). One member of staff had stated that they packed my belongings in this way as they had to make a profit.
> 
> ...


Hi are allowed to pm the name of this company? If you are could you let me know as I am looking into removal companies now. Thanks:clap2:


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## dgjamison (Jul 6, 2009)

mucus said:


> If you want to know who it was email me:clap2:


Hi where do I get your email address thanks


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

dgjamison said:


> Hi where do I get your email address thanks


click on the poster's name & a box will drop down with the option to 'send private message' click that & you're away


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## dgjamison (Jul 6, 2009)

xabiachica said:


> click on the poster's name & a box will drop down with the option to 'send private message' click that & you're away


Thank you very much, will do:wink:


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