Removal Company Problem

ouchmyback

Hello all

I'm posting this on behalf of my father. He's just moved house from London to Kent.

He paid a removal company to come and pack for him and then transport his things to Kent. Before this happened an estimator came round and gave him a price based on how much stuff he had in his house. He agreed to this price.

Today, they have come to pack up his things and discovered that the estimator has got it very wrong. They couldn't fit everything in their van so had to pack up what they could and then transport it to Kent and go back. They came back with the second load and demanded that he pay an extra £300 cash or they would not give him his things. He doesn't have the money available - he doesn't get paid until the end of the month - so they took his things away and have put them in storage until he can pay. They are also charging him for this storage. His TV, and his and my stepmother's clothes are in there as well as other things (he didn't tell me everything that was in there).

Is this legal? Can he take any action against them? Surely they shouldn't be able to hold his things hostage until he pays?

Any advice would be much appreciated.

McKneff

Did he get anything in writing?

arcon5

I'd call the police. Tell them you hired them to transport goods for you and they have stolen them.

ouchmyback

He has nothing in writing unfortunately. Could it be classed as a police matter?

MamaMoo_2

ouchmyback wrote: »

He has nothing in writing unfortunately. Could it be classed as a police matter?

I would say yes, you paid for a service, and instead they have stolen your fathers goods and held them to ransom.
They should have, at worst, invoiced him to be paid within x amount of days.

McKneff

I really think the police would say its a civil matter.

See a solicitor to get advice, they usually give you half an hours free consultation.

arcon5

If the police tell you it's a civil matter, don't take no for an answer!

This isn't the usual goods paid for but not received situation. They've taken your property which should have simply been transported and instead stolen it and declared a randsom.

texranger

they should of transported what was paid for 1 van load and then invoiced for the remaining if you wanted this shifting. but you should of had it in writing what was agreed as basically they wont have anything in writing, so you paid then to deliver your items from a to b and they refuse and hold onto your items. this is theft which is a criminal matter

wendy_

If it was an estimate then it is not a fixed price and therefore they may well be in their rights

arcon5

texranger wrote: »

they should of transported what was paid for 1 van load and then invoiced for the remaining if you wanted this shifting. but you should of had it in writing what was agreed as basically they wont have anything in writing, so you paid then to deliver your items from a to b and they refuse and hold onto your items. this is theft which is a criminal matter

I agree -- they never should have loaded the second van knowing they was unwilling to transport it without being paid more.

arcon5

wendy_ wrote: »

If it was an estimate then it is not a fixed price and therefore they may well be in their rights

No, an estimator estimated how much work was involved then quoted accordingly. Depends how their quote was worded, if the estimator determined 1 load is sufficient and they said 'it will cost £x to deliver this 1 load' they would be within their rights to charge more for a second trip. But what trips them up here is they don't have a contract with the customer for a second journey, so had no rights or justification in loading their van with a second load of stuff and then taking it away and demanding money. If it was worded as in we will transport all this stuff for £x, they have no right to retrospectively demand more money -- if this is the case, if the chap could get hold of some money then they could pay 'under protest' and then get the money back via the courts.