Removals and Professional conduct with quality staff
Choosing a quality removals company is a decision for you to take alone. However, when the time comes, only take the decision after making sure you are aware of the possible warnings signs when analyzing potential removal companies.
With that in mind, our intention is to shed some light on what options are out there from an insider’s point of view. We would like to clarify misconceptions and to expose the truth about what is actually being offered to the general public. Our focus is mainly on companies that are offering exceedingly low prices (advertising 15€, 20€ or 30€ per hour). We will give you our response to some frequently asked questions.
25 years' experience
Generally speaking, former customers and
employees of companies offering these
‘amazing’ prices verify that the advertised
prices are impossible to practice by
companies that offer a professional, qualitybased
service. By accepting such prices,
one must also accept the following probable
consequences:
- A lack of compliance to scheduled
deadlines;
- Missed scheduled appointments, followed
by an inability to contact the company.
Phones are turned off or simply not
answered;
- Original arrangements, for example,
include three men, but, in reality, only two
show up that are well-versed in saying “he is
coming”, “he is lost”, “he can't find the
place”, etc. when referring to their missing
colleague. Even if the company ultimately
charges for only two men, they have already
clearly jeopardized the service;
- Temporary staff that is unqualified,
inexperienced…that is here today and gone
tomorrow. Most likely these employees are
working off the books (i.e. not legally
employed) and without any professional
credibility;
- Companies that lack legal licensing;
- Lack of insurance for the staff and for
your belongings;
- Lack of adequate protection for your
material goods. It's simply not enough to
have some old blankets or a few sponges
and rags in the car to properly pack your
belongings in the twenty-first century;
- Lack of overall responsibility in providing
the service. At such low prices, any incident
that occurs will not necessarily be
guaranteed in terms of compensation.
Further, the company would charge for the
service regardless of the incident;
- Offering a removals service does not mean
just buying a new or old truck and begin
loading it up;
- The great ‘advantage’ of low hourly prices
wanes quickly when you experience a
situation in which everything becomes a
nightmare;
An “Alvará” is an operating license/permit
issued by the Institute for Mobility and Land
Transport (formerly known as the General
Directorate of Land Transport).
On August 16th 2007, rules and regulations
regarding the issuing of this license were
introduced
To receive this license, companies must
meet the following requirements:
- Idoneity – ensuring that the
company's manager/owner does not
participate in illegal behavior in the running
of his/her business.
- Professional Ability - stating that the manager had to attend a training course in
transportation services and has been
qualified.
- Financial Ability – states that the
company has a minimum equity capital of
125.000,00 Euros.
- Complies with all fiscal obligations.
Frequently Asked Questions
- I'm looking into the possibility of using a
rent-a-car service and the help of some
friends to assist me in my move. What are
the advantages and disadvantages?
Although, at a first glance it appears to be
the cheaper option, that's not always the
case. Further, the financial difference does
not always compensate for the time and
effort that you spend.
Benefits:
- Managing the removal schedule;
- Being in full control of your goods;
- Enjoying day spent in the presence
of your family and friends;
- Lowering your moving cost (cost=
only financial costs) at least at the onset;
Disadvantages:
- The physical effort and weariness of moving furniture;
- In exchange for your friends’ and family’s help, you commit yourself to help them move home. Consider whether their house(s) is/are bigger and more difficult to access. Evaluate the potential effort you will have to make;
- You may need to pay for their meals (breakfast, lunch, snack and dinner);
- The risk of injury is much higher as they are not professionals;
- You will spend time and money collecting and delivering the rented vehicle as well as paying for fuel and insurance. Furthermore, you would have to pay the deductible if an accident were to occur.
- Packing the goods properly in the vehicle is complicated. With each curve, acceleration and/or sudden use of the brakes, comes a moment of risk. Beyond the protection of your belongings, you must also be very vigilant in your care of the rented vehicle as insurance deductibles tend to be high;
- Rent-a-car services do not normally provide blankets and straps to tie the loads;
- If everything does not fit in one load, you will have to make additional loads which will result in higher travelling expenses.
There are some companies advertising both removal and distribution services. What should we think about these?
Distribution services usually involve the delivery of various packages/goods from different customers to different destination. These companies do not use assistants (i.e. employees to pack, load, and unload) to aid the driver when distributing. Therefore, when offering removal service, these companies often hire temporary staff.
Which is the risk of using temporary staff?
The biggest risk is that temporary workers do not have an established relationship with the company. Therefore, their main interest is just to work a few hours and receive the money at the end of the job. The commitment is usually not satisfactory and the risk of injury and theft is high.
