Terms of business

1. About these terms

These terms apply to every removal, packing and storage service provided by Hayes Removals ("we", "us") to you, the customer. Together with your written quotation and its schedule of services, they form the contract between us. If anything in the quotation conflicts with these terms, the quotation takes priority.

We deliver only to addresses in France, Italy, Spain and Portugal, collecting from addresses in Great Britain.

2. Surveys and quotations

Every quotation follows a survey of the goods to be moved. The quotation is a fixed figure for the goods, addresses, access and services recorded at survey and listed in the quotation.

A quotation remains open for acceptance for 28 days from the date it is issued. After that we may need to re-check the details before confirming.

If the volume of goods, the addresses, the access at either end or the services required change after the survey, we will tell you before the move and may revise the quotation. You are not obliged to accept a revised quotation.

3. Your responsibilities

You must tell us at survey about anything that affects the move, including restricted access, parking limits, items of particular value or fragility, and anything that may be restricted by customs.

You must not ask us to carry dangerous, flammable or illegal items, including paint, fuel, gas bottles and ammunition, or anything prohibited in the destination country.

You or someone you nominate must be present at collection and delivery, and you must check the inventory before signing it.

4. Customs and documents

We, or our customs agent, prepare the UK export declaration and the transfer-of-residence relief declaration for the destination country, based on the inventory and the information you give us. You must supply accurate information and any documents the customs authorities require, such as identity, visa or residence evidence.

Eligibility for transfer-of-residence relief is decided by the customs authority of the destination country, not by us. If relief is refused or limited, or if duty or taxes are charged on goods outside the relief (such as alcohol or tobacco), those charges are payable by you.

We are not responsible for delays caused by customs inspections or by missing or inaccurate documents supplied by you.

5. Packing

Where we pack, we use materials suitable for an international move. Where you pack items yourself, we are not responsible for damage to the contents of those boxes unless the box itself shows external damage caused by us.

6. Goods-in-transit cover and liability

Your goods are covered while in our care on the terms set out in the certificate of cover sent with your quotation. Please read it before you book, because it sets out the level of cover, any excess and any exclusions.

You must report any loss or visible damage in writing within 7 days of delivery. Please note obvious damage on the delivery receipt at the time of delivery.

We are not liable for loss or damage caused by events outside our reasonable control, for normal wear on items in good condition, or for the mechanical or electrical working of appliances unless the damage is caused by our handling.

Nothing in these terms limits liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, or any other liability that cannot lawfully be limited.

7. Storage

Storage at either end of the move is charged separately, on the terms set out in your quotation. Goods in storage remain covered on the terms of the certificate of cover.

8. Payment

Payment terms, including any deposit, are set out in your quotation. The balance for the move is due before collection unless the quotation says otherwise.

9. Your right to cancel

If you accept our quotation by phone, email or online, you have a legal right to cancel within 14 days of acceptance without giving a reason, under the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013. If you ask us to start work within that period and then cancel, you pay for the services provided up to the point you cancel.

After that period, you may still cancel or postpone by telling us in writing. If you cancel more than 10 working days before the agreed collection, we refund any deposit less costs we have already incurred, such as booked ferry crossings or materials delivered. If you cancel within 10 working days of collection, we may charge for costs incurred and for work we cannot reschedule, up to the value of the quotation.

10. Delays

Transit times depend on route, ferry and tunnel schedules, customs clearance and whether goods travel on a shared load. Any timing in your quotation is an estimate. We are not liable for delays caused by weather, closures, industrial action, customs or other events outside our reasonable control, but we will keep you informed and minimise disruption.

11. Complaints and law

If something goes wrong, please contact us first at contact@hayes-removals.co.uk so we can try to resolve it. These terms are governed by the law of England and Wales, and the courts of England and Wales have jurisdiction, without affecting any rights you have as a consumer.