House Clearance Gone Wrong

Ladywriter1968

I would just like to warn everyone on here about bogus House Clearance Firms. As I dont want anyone going through what I did.

When you have never dealt with house clearance before and you are under a lot of stress on top. You arranged your parent their care for the care home and your partner is due operation and you live far away as well from parent. Its all extra stress. Plus your financial situation is real bad on top and you can only manage to go and visit when money permits basically. Taking all these factors into consideration. Plus that you are an only child and are doing the whole lot on your own as well cause other family cant be bothered to help. Also the emotional content on top. And lack of support as well.

So when you put up an ad on ebay about house clearance and someone comes along giving their name and number to contact them, then you do and they send a man round your parents to visit and offer you money for the stuff and also offer to do everything for you even take up the carpets you think great! Its like they are a godsend really.

On the day the firm did not show up and on numerous calls did not respond to me either. Even when hubby rang them later they pretended to be someone else.

After reading various articles about bogus ones and how they should be registered etc. Obviously at that time I didnt know this.

And realising now that house clearance charge you to take the stuff not offer to pay you to take it. I guess I was a bit naive there really. But I didnt know. I had no one to ask or turn to about it. So just did what I thought was right really at that time, which didnt work out anyway.

Of course I was very upset cause I had to leave dads stuff at the house as we had no more time to arrange anything else as hubby operation was coming up very soon. So I handed over the the council to clear the house out instead. I had no choice basically. There was no way I could get heavy stuff out alone. And no one was willing to help me with this.

I am only telling everyone on here as you all been kind in advising me with stuff and didnt want anyone else to go through what I did.

If you are in the process of having to sort out any house clearance. Please check they are ok and dont do what I did, assume and be trusting. Cause in this world, trust does not work obviously, and it seems you cant trust no one these days.

Fire_Fox

There are many charities that will collect furniture and white goods either to sell in charity shops, or to distribute to low income families.

GDB2222

You originally posted about this on this thread:
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=2081285&highlight=

You were given a lot of advice, none of which you took.

chappers

Ladywriter1968 wrote: »

I am only telling everyone on here as you all been kind in advising me with stuff and didnt want anyone else to go through what I did.

GB2222 I think the Op realises her mistake and has just posted to warn others.

sandiep

Fire_Fox wrote: »

There are many charities that will collect furniture and white goods either to sell in charity shops, or to distribute to low income families.

Unfortunately this isn't suitable in many many instances. Charities can only take items that meet current fire and safety regulations. They are also limited by what is sellable (for example everyone wants to get rid of wall units, but the charities simply can't take them all because no-one buys them and they take up a lot of space).

Anyone doing house clearances should have a Waste Carriers license, issued by either the Environement Agency or SEPA. Ask this question early in your conversation, and if they don't have one, don't continue the conversation.

YOU are liable for the fine if the company you employ illegally tips your waste. Tell the company that you want a carry of the waste transfer slips with your invoice.

Commercial companies will be paying between £45 per tonne and £85 per tonne in waste disposal costs. Costs vary tremendously around the country, and frequently it's the council sites that are the most expensive. (As for Ireland, you need a small mortgage to dispose of waste there).

A panel van carries around 1.5 tonnes of waste, so that's a good way to visualise how much the waste disposal costs are going to be.

Then allow for the time and labour associated with the job. Each company sets their own rates.

Hope this helps someone.

cavework

Ladywriter,
You can contact your local housing association and they can recommend a clearance company The company is usually one or more that they use themselves and is LA approved.
There is also a difference between a House Clearance Company and a Clearance Company.
LA approved Clearance Companies should give you a price to clear the property based on the time it will take to remove the contents and the tonnage for tipping.
A duty of care waste transfer sheet should be supplied with the invoice after the work has been completed.
They do not buy anything from you .

RAS

I had to do a house clearance - absolute nightmare of a job but several charities were able to take stuff.

Look here for local contact http://www.crn.org.uk/

They may not have done a full house clearance but the local hospice collected 2 van loads of stuff - selectively. Another charity took a lot of furniture and fabric for refurbishment and some small electrical goods.

I could not get rid of two almost unused beds however, because they did not have fire reg labels.

The other option is to post a house clearance on www.freegle.com and let people take what they want. It means one day's attendence but people will take all sorts that does not meet any regulations quite happily.

Jowo_2

To the OP, thanks for the warning. Until I read your post, I had no idea of the prevalance of time-wasting house clearance companies. Like yourself, and having never used them, I assumed there was no cost involved on the part of the householder because the company collecting it would make money from selling the goods.

Though I remember the old thread (haven't gone through it in detail), I'm not sure anyone highlighted the risk of companies with poor practices like you encountered. Hopefully you can put this all behind you and prevent other people from this experience.

Ladywriter1968

GDB2222 wrote: »

You originally posted about this on this thread:
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=2081285&highlight=

You were given a lot of advice, none of which you took.

Actually I am offended, as I am just warning others about this, as as to your comment about I never listened, you are the one who dont listen, when I got this advice it was simply to late then.

I was trying to warn and help others basically, but who needs sarcastic people like you around, maybe in future I just wont sodding bother then.

Ladywriter1968

chappers wrote: »

GB2222 I think the Op realises her mistake and has just posted to warn others.

Thank you, you are correct, I am just trying to warn others, but with people like one above being nasty, I really dont think in future I will bother. If thats the sarcy attitude I receive from them really.

Ladywriter1968

GDB2222 wrote: »

You originally posted about this on this thread:
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=2081285&highlight=

You were given a lot of advice, none of which you took.

I just replied but my message seems to have vanished anyway.

If you read my thing properly you would see that I am trying to warn others of my mistakes ok.

But with people like you around maybe I wont bother in future to try and warn or help others with my mistakes. As for you saying I had advice I ignored, by the time I got that advice it was simply to late.

If you have nothing nice to say, dont say anything at all, otherwise I shall remove my post trying to help others and not bother.