House removals conditions

FloraMac

Hi, just had to find another removals company as date moved a week and the original one could not do it. Happy with new one, we are packing all and its on!y 3 miles. But received the written quote and one of the conditions is "two hours free waiting time for keys then £40 per hour". Is this standard, I have not heard of it??

Paully232000

FloraMac wrote: »

Hi, just had to find another removals company as date moved a week and the original one could not do it. Happy with new one, we are packing all and its on!y 3 miles. But received the written quote and one of the conditions is "two hours free waiting time for keys then £40 per hour". Is this standard, I have not heard of it??

This was on our contract too when we moved a year or so ago. Cant remember the actual cost per hour but remember there was one.

Not saying this will be the case with you, but our removal men were waiting from about 1pm until just before 5pm for the keys to be released at our new house, and they didn't charge us anything.

FloraMac

Thanks, just wanted to be sure!!! Hopeful that we get in sharpish as only three of us in chain and buyer is round the corner in rented and our seller moves into an empty house! Fingers crossed, 8 days to go 😊😀

AdrianC

So there's a delay in getting the keys. How long would you expect them to wait outside, twiddling their thumbs, before they charge you? Two hours, then £40/hr after that, sounds more than fair to me...

Guest101

AdrianC wrote: »

So there's a delay in getting the keys. How long would you expect them to wait outside, twiddling their thumbs, before they charge you? Two hours, then £40/hr after that, sounds more than fair to me...

Exactly, and really it's not even that bad.

At 3 hours it actually works out at £13.33 an hour, at 4 hours, £10 an hour.

( i know the 2 free hours is build into the quote ), just mean there's atleast 1 person, more like 2 or 3, + the vehicle, out of action for an hour, easily 'cost' them more than £40.

Seems very generous, i'd bite their hand off!

FloraMac

OK OK . it wasn' t detailed in any of our other quotes so just wanted to ask the question. Was not moaning!!!

Paully232000

FloraMac wrote: »

Thanks, just wanted to be sure!!! Hopeful that we get in sharpish as only three of us in chain and buyer is round the corner in rented and our seller moves into an empty house! Fingers crossed, 8 days to go 😊😀

I hope that it is quick for you, nothing as boring and worrying as waiting around for keys.

We thought the same as you, three in our chain, FTB not moving into our house on the day below us, and an empty house we were moving into. Best laid plans:)

pinkteapot

Just one thing though... Normally that clause is a per-hour charge after 5pm or 6pm.

When they say "two hours waiting", two hours from when exactly? That's a little odd.

FloraMac

Yes Pink teapot that was my question.
The answer was, two hours from when they are fully loaded and at the property?

pinkteapot

Hmmmm. They often have to sit around eating their lunch for a while between finishing loading and the next people finishing their moving out. It's easy for that to reach a couple of hours. We completed and were done packing up at 11.30am and didn't get access to our new house until about 1.30pm as the people were still loading their removals. I wouldn't have expected to pay any extra had it been half an hour later than that!

Normally you're paying them for a day, but they put the bit in about extra after 5pm or 6pm in case it runs past a normal-length day. With the quote you've had, if you don't get the keys until say 4pm, you could have a huge extra charge whereas it would only be 1-2 hours' worth with a normal firm.

You could just keep delaying them from completing their loading of your stuff ("Oh, wait, I just need to double-check the loft is empty") until you know you've got the keys for the next house.

FloraMac

Yes exactly what I was concerned about!! Have asked for a copy of their T and C's to see how it is exactly worded!