Terms & Conditions

Please take a few minutes to read the legals (Terms & Conditions)

Money Back Guarantee

If we cannot complete your booking for any reason, we promise to refund your payment in full
We will send out drivers based on the information you have provided to us but we will be unable to refund in the instance that inaccurate information has been provided preventing us from being able to fulfil your move.

Access to the Website and content

We will endeavour to allow uninterrupted access to the Website, but access to the Website may be suspended, restricted or terminated by us at any time.

We reserve the right to change, modify, substitute, suspend or remove without notice any information or service on the Website from time to time.

Information/materials posted on our website are not intended to amount to advice upon which reliance should be placed. We disclaim all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on such materials by any user of our website.

Customer Responsibilities

Van Sizes

It is entirely the customer’s responsibility to choose the correct size vehicle. A guide on all the relevant measurements to help you make the right choice can be found on our Van Size Guide page

Packaging

It is the customer’s responsibility to pack everything properly (unless packing services are requested). t/a Shifters Midlands does not accept responsibility for damage or breakage caused by poor packing.

Parking

Providing parking is the responsibility of the customer, (try to reserve a space for the van outside before it arrives or call the local council and get a suspension or permit where necessary) If there is no parking pre-arranged any parking fines received will be the responsibility of the customer and must be paid by the customer on completion of the removal. Please take into consideration – The closer we can park to your property, the easier and quicker it will be for us to complete your job, costing you less money.

Furniture Dismantling

It is the customer’s responsibility to dismantle items before our arrival unless this service has been requested in the brief Notes Box located on the quote form. We carry basic tools. Any specialist tools required for the disassembly/reassembly of furniture should be provided by the customer.

Access to Property

It is the customer’s responsibility to make sure that all items are able to be moved into the new property (e.g bed, wardrobe, sofa etc). We are not insured for removing any windows or making new entrance possibilities to the property.

Customer Delays

If any delay is caused by the customer (e.g. everything is not packed, waiting for keys, incorrect address, etc) we reserve the right to add an extra cost to the final bill.

Collection Time Changes

If the customer wants to change the pick-up time to a confirmed booking we cannot guarantee availability.

Upon Completion of Booking

It is the customer & driver’s responsibility, to check and ensure that the interior of the van is empty of all goods before the van leaves the final address listed on the booking and the booking is then concluded.

Customer Conduct

No abuse will be tolerated to our drivers or staff.
If the driver is forced to terminate a job because of abuse from a customer, the customer will still be charged in full.
We retain the right to cancel a booking in the event that the customer is abusive to any of our staff.
No complaint will be handled by t/a Shifters Midlands if the the customer is abusive to any of our staff.

Dirty or Dangerous working conditions

Animal and Human faeces on furniture and in homes will not be tolerated. It is a health hazard and we are not equipped to deal with this situation. Mess, dirt and grime will be tolerated to a certain extent. If we are being dirtied by lifting or moving items then it is not clean enough to go in any of our vehicles and is not safe to be moved by us. We reserve the right to terminate any removal of this nature.

Recycling Centres

If you require the driver to attend a recycling centre, it is your responsibility to check with the centre you intend to use that a waste disposal licence is not required. Also, please check if there will be an additional fee for the van entering and using the centre’s facilities, as you will be responsible for this charge.

Travelling in the Van

Customers are able to travel in the van with the driver if this service has been requested in the brief Notes Box located on the quote form. Spare seats are based on your van size selection and the number of helpers you have requested. You are not charged extra to travel in the van and this service is offered as a courtesy by the driver. For this reason, no refund will be made for complaints in relation to the driving ability, nor the manner of driving. In addition, if a driver feels that a customer has been in any way rude or abusive to him, he is not compelled to carry that passenger in his van. In no way does travelling in the van constitute a private hire and the cab of the van does not constitute a public area. Therefore please be aware that no smoking rules do not apply.

Congestion Charge, Toll Charge, Ferry Costs etc.

All quotes provided on the website are exclusive of Congestion Charge, Toll Charge, Ferry Costs etc. (if applicable). Any such costs will need to be sourced by the customer and remain the responsibility of the customer. The customer is also responsible for the ferry cost of the van’s return journey.

Breakages

Damages will always be paid for where a situation is our fault. Please take into consideration that if the customer is undertaking the packing and items are not sufficiently packed we can not be held responsible for damage caused to that item. LCD televisions, screens and breakables need to be boxed or properly wrapped for transport. Items which are not protected sufficiently are void of our insurance cover if any breakages occur.

Cancellations

If you cancel your booking more than 5 working days (Mon to Fri) prior to your pick-up time we will refund any card payments in full. Cancellations made less than 5 working days (Mon to Fri) before the pick-up time will be charged a 30% cancellation fee.

There is no ‘cooling off’ period after booking and our cancellation policy applies immediately the booking is confirmed.

If you cancel your booking within 24 hours of the booking due to start you will not be refunded any monies that have been paid, any monies will be used as a cancellation fee because we will not have been able to receive any other confirmed booking for the time you had reserved them.

Postpone

If you choose to freeze (postpone) your booking, and subsequently ask to cancel it at a later date, please be aware that it will be cancelled as per the original booking and date.

Any frozen booking will need to be reactivated and used within 3 months of the date of the booking being frozen.

If your booking is unable to go ahead due to van size issues or other unforeseen problems which are outside of the service provider or t/a Shifters Midlands control, you will be charged a 30% cancellation fee.

If you are not present at the collection address, no person nominated by you is present and you are not contactable, the driver will wait for 50% of the booked time from the designated time of the booking if the booking has been paid in full. If a deposit amount only has been paid, or if the booking is an ‘all cash’ booking, the driver will wait for 20 minutes from the designated time of the booking. No refund will be made if the driver has attended as booked, and waited for the requisite period of time before leaving the booking.

Fees

Our site is a free site for customers. A deposit is paid when a service is booked by the customer by credit or debit card or via Paypal. The balance is then paid to the driver in cash at the conclusion of the job. Alternatively, the entire cost of the job can be paid at the outset with nothing being left due to the driver on completion of the job.

When booking with us you are booking for one trip only. If you wish the driver to make more than one trip for you, you are able to ask the driver to do this on the day, however, he will charge you a via stop fee for any additional trip, plus a mileage charge for the additional mileage.

Customers are responsible for payment of additional monies if a booking exceeds the time booked for. The half hourly rate for additional time is specified on the email confirmation you receive on booking. The driver will make you aware when your booking is about to exceed the time booked for and at that point, if you confirm that you wish the driver to continue and complete the booking, any additional monies for extra time should be paid in cash to the driver at the completion of the job.

Customers are responsible for payment of additional monies if they omit a relevant stair charge from their booking and subsequently require the driver to carry goods up/down stairs. The stair charge is clearly visible on the Quote Form and you are required to make a selection in this regard before being able to proceed with the booking.

Customers are responsible for payment of the booking, together with any additional overtime payment, at the conclusion of the booking. Should the drivers be required to wait for that payment, their half hourly rate for the booking will apply for all additional time they are required to wait.

Driver(s) are responsible for the collection of monies owed at the conclusion of a job and also payment of all VAT associated with the provision of services to the customer.

Links on our Website

Our website contains links to other websites and resources provided by third parties. These links are provided for your information only and we have no control over the contents of those sites or resources. We therefore accept no responsibility for those sites or resources or for any loss or damage that may arise from your use of them

Non-Payment

We reserve the right to hold your goods (lien) until all money owed under the contract including applicable interest, has been paid. This includes costs incurred for storage and legal costs.

If full payment of any monies owed by you to the service provider/ t/a Shifters Midlands is not received within 30 days, we shall be entitled to sell the goods or deal with them as we think reasonable and apply any proceeds towards our costs incurred and the outstanding money owed.

We also reserve the right to disclose any information to law enforcement authorities as we deem appropriate.

We do not store credit/debit card details as standard, however, we reserve the right to recharge a debit/credit card in the event of non-payment.

No Help Needed Bookings

If the customer chooses a no help needed service, they are solely liable for any damage to their items. Insurances will only cover your items in the event of a road traffic accident.

Minimum Charge

There is a 1 hour minimum charge on all bookings. After the first 1 hour, our service charge every half hour thereafter at the respective half hourly rate will apply.

No time will be refunded under any circumstances for any hours booked irrespective of how many hours have been used. When booking, you automatically block out the calendar for the period of time you book for and we are unable to take on any further bookings for that time period. We will therefore expect to receive full payment for that booked time. There is no refund for via stops not used.

Delays

We do our very best to be on time, but there may be delays caused by circumstances out of our control (for example, weather, traffic, etc). We do not accept responsibility for any customer losses due to out of our control pick-up/delivery delays.

Non-Attendance

In the very unlikely event the driver does not arrive at your pick up address as arranged, please contact us immediately, you will be refunded in full if the job cannot take place at all.

Losses/Damage

We do not accept responsibility for damaged or lost property once the job is complete and payment is made.

In the unlikely event of any damage to your items, all damage or loss must be reported within 24 hours of the completion of your booking.

It is essential that you have original dated photos of the item(s) concerned. Please note that any damage claims made after the 24 hour period expires will not be considered.

Any estimates in relation to replacement/repair of damaged goods or property must be provided within 28 days of the move date. Estimates provided beyond this time cannot be considered.

The service provider t/a Shifters Midlands will not be held liable for damage if it is determined that your goods were already damaged, or had an inherent defect.

In the event that the driver is assisted in a booking by a customer or other third party provided by the customer, the driver shall not be held solely liable for damage caused to goods or property. If a booking is booked as ‘no help required’, we cannot assist with any claim for damage.

Any complaint under investigation will be considered void if the customer fails to respond to correspondence from us for a period in excess of 14 days.

Any refund offer expires if not accepted within 14 days of the date that it was first offered.

Please remember any claim for damage carries a £200 excess and our maximum claim per item is £500.

Damage to Televisions

Please note that t/a Shifters Midlands/ service provider will not take any responsibility for any damage to a television without clear evidence of external damage to the television. Due to the sensitive nature of televisions, without clear evidence of external damage, it is impossible to prove who caused any internal damage.

Damage to Pianos & Damage caused by Pianos

Please note that Shifters Midlands/ service provider will not take any responsibility for damage caused to a piano during a removal. This includes any damage caused by the removal of a piano to a property. Pianos should be moved by a specialist piano mover due to the bulk, weight and awkwardness of the item. Although a driver will be prepared to move a piano on a customer’s instruction, no liability is accepted for any resultant damage.