We had a very bad experience using the company Top Removals and I wanted to share it briefly with you so that you can avoid the same stress that we had. The company (supposedly 100% positive customer rating) was recommended by a colleague, but we would recommend you simply avoid them.

They had loaded half of our items into their van when they called to say they were charging us extra as they 'hadn't been told' that we were moving boxes(!), and that there were items of furniture that weren't mentioned in the brief phone conversation I'd had with their office on calling for a quote (at the time of the quote I had explained we were moving a 1-bed flat and listed some of the larger items to give them an idea). They insisted that it was all our fault and denied any culpability, despite NOT having asked for a detailed inventory or conducting a site visit to inform the quote. At one point they said they would only move the items I had mentioned on the phone in passing and leave the rest if we didn't pay up! During this infuriating conversation, their men were AWOL, time was ticking on our completion day, and they already had half of our stuff in their van. With no other option we had to pay up. They were rude via email after this also, so sadly it wasn't a one-off glitch in communication.

We will be following this up with the ombudsman and the National Guild of Removers and Storers (NGRS).

Tips? 1) when seeking a quote, ask the removal company if you need to provide a detailed inventory of every item. 2) Ask them what their policy is regarding how many steps constitute first or second floor. 3) seek reviews across the web, not just word of mouth.

Hope this helps.