Removals disaster!

MBY88

Hello all, I’m after some advice. We recently moved house (move out date was last Weds - 16th Dec). Struggled to find local removal companies who had availability so we ended up booking with an online company called AnyVan (they appear to act as a management agent who then pass the job onto actual removal companies). With our buyers moving in on the 16th, we decided to get everything removed (was all going into storage) on the 15th, would sleep on blow up beds on the night of the 15th ready to get up in an empty house on the 16th, give it a thorough clean for the new owners and then vacate. So, we booked AnyVan in for the 15th Dec with an arrival time of between 12-14.00. Cutting a very long story short..... After many panicked and stressed phone calls, the removal van finally pulled in to my driveway at 16.00 (despite being told that the storage place was closing at 18.00). Upon pulling into my drive, it promptly reversed back back out and drove off again! I, once again, called AnyVan to find out what was going on to be told the driver felt unwell (diabetic) so had gone home! Again, many conversations followed and the best that AnyVan could offer was to get someone to me at 08.00 the following morning. With no other option I had to accept this but expressed concern about what would happen if the driver was still unwell and was assured that they would send a different driver so this would not be an issue. 08.00 the following morning came and went with no one showing. I called AnyVan and was told that following his illness yesterday, the driver had gone to hospital - they had not rearranged a different driver at all, they had booked the same driver in again despite assuring me that they would arrange a different driver! Again, many conversations followed with the end result being that a van and 2 guys finally arrived at 10.00am (we were supposed to vacate the house at 11.00am). They had a look around, said they couldn’t take it all in one so ended up doing 2 runs to the storage place (during which time I had irrate new owners waiting to get into their new house and legal threats from their solicitor). The removals guys finally finished up at 16.00 with the house emptied and everything in storage.

Apologies for waffling on, the above is actually a very condensed version and only touches the surface of the whole saga full of lies from AnyVan. It was, without doubt the most stressful 2 days of my life, wife and kids in tears, etc. I contacted AnyVan customer service who offered £20 compensation! Then upped it to £100 and have now offered £200 (saying it’s their final offer). So, being slightly ignorant on these situations, where do I stand? Should I just accept the £200 (I paid just over £700 for their service) or take further action? 

dreamypuma

Are you at a tangible loss? If so can you quantify it?

custardy

You paid and got a service. you had some inconvenience (though mainly it was the new owners)
So what are you measuring £200 at not being enough against?

Potbellypig

You're very lucky to be offered £200. Snap their hand off.

MBY88

Thanks very much for your replies. Yes I did receive a service but not as agreed (the T&Cs state ‘ The Partner will arrive at the address provided by you and on the date agreed in your Booking or any subsequent date and time notified by you to us and AnyVan confirm their acceptance of such change.’) . The inconvenience was not down to the new owners, it was down to AnyVan in its entirety- the inconvenience was caused by them not turning up on the 15th as agreed. Again, thanks for your responses, I think it’s confirmed my decision!

Barny1979

As you've spent £700 I'd consider small claims court, as they are a shambles it appears and did provide a service, but not on the times and dates stated.

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

Personally I'd take the £200 as they did eventually perform the service. 

Manxman_in_exile

Barny1979 said:

As you've spent £700 I'd consider small claims court, as they are a shambles it appears and did provide a service, but not on the times and dates stated.

But they're offering him £200.  Do you think he'd get sufficiently more in court to bother with the hassle?

couriervanman

your first mistake was using AnyVan who basically auction you job off to the highest bidder and then a couple of chancers in a van/lorry turn up at your house......pay extra/wait a bit longer and use a decent company

Snap their hands off for the £200

MBY88

All, thanks for the responses, after the first couple of responses I thought it best to accept their £200 offer. To be honest I just wanted to put it behind me. Couriervanman, you’re absolutely correct, what a mistake it was employing AnyVan, unfortunately we could not find anyone else to do it, spent a couple of hours calling around all the local companies but everyone was booked up. Learnt my lesson now though, never again!