£149 waiting charge after arriving…
£149 waiting charge after arriving three hours earlier than arranged
Unfortunately, what should have been a straightforward move has left me feeling pretty ripped off.
I paid around £900 for my removal. When booking by phone, I was initially asked if I could move the following day, which I couldn't. I was then offered 12pm or 2pm and chose 12pm, planning my day around that.
The removal team instead arrived at around 9am – three hours early.
I pointed out that I wasn't expecting them until 12 and was told "it's okay." I took that reassurance to mean their early arrival wouldn't become an issue later.
I'd arranged for four friends to help me finish getting organised and take items that weren't on the removal itinerary. Instead, I spent the morning rushing around on my own dismantling my bed, removing fridge doors and coordinating what was going in the van.
Crucially, that was also time I could have spent chasing up and arranging collection of the keys to my new flat. The properties weren't particularly far apart – around a 30-minute walk.
I'm now being asked to pay £149 for one hour of waiting time at the destination.
I don't dispute that removal companies can charge for waiting. I dispute the fairness of doing so in these circumstances. Had the team arrived at the 12pm time I'd selected, my morning and the sequence of the entire move would have been completely different.
There was also no mention on the day that I was accumulating a £149 waiting charge. After I'd specifically pointed out their early arrival and been told "it's okay", I reasonably thought there wouldn't be an issue if their altered timetable meant some waiting later.
Despite the rushed morning, I was happy with the drivers themselves. My friends and I helped unload at the other end and I gave the drivers a £30 tip on top of the roughly £900 I'd already paid.
I was called the following day about the charge, explained everything, and was told the man would phone me back. He didn't. A week later, I've now been contacted again asking for the £149.
That feels like a real kick in the teeth.
If I'd been told at 9am, "We're three hours early, but you'll still be charged £149 an hour if we have to wait later," I could have made an informed decision. I wasn't given that opportunity.
I hired a removal company to make moving less stressful. Instead, I rearranged my day to accommodate their unexpectedly early arrival and am now being asked to pay extra for the resulting wait.
My advice: get your arrival time and all potential additional charges confirmed in writing. I certainly wish I had.
