NORNIMISIERVALS
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Rearden-Cord would not want payment until after the move.
As recommended by Normans I rang Meldrum's in Manchester for an estimate as a back-load. A figure of £250£300 was given but I would have to arrange the packing myself. Normans said it could not do just the packing for the job and suggested that I used cardboard boxes or bought some tea-chests, which cost about £1.50 each.
The two-day hire of a nonhgv 7.5 tonne gvw boxvan (fitted with a tail-lift to make life easier) for a d-i-y move would cost around £185 including the mileage charge for the 400-mile round trip, the diesel and insurance.
Most of the estimators explained that if we did the packing ourselves the insurance did not cover damage sustained as a result of inadequate packing, whereas professionally packed moves were covered for this.
Liability limits ranged from £6,000 to £20,000. The smaller figure is rather low for the value of the contents of the average three-bedroom house; £10,000 is nearer the mark if replacement costs are considered. Liability limits can be raised on payment of an extra premium. ACR and Greyhound said their insurance is included free while the other companies charged around five to eight per cent of the removal charge for insurance.
Which estimate would be accepted? Pickfords would be the easy, "safe" choice but we would be paying a little extra and would not have the same crew throughout the job.
On balance, Martells would probably be the first choice. Its price was mid-range, the written estimate was business like (if a little stilted), the estimator seemed competent and it was a friendly company to deal with on the phone. It is also a member of the BAR. Pickfords and Rearden-Cord are members, too, but do not promote this in their advertisements. One of the other companies told me that it would be BAR member if the association was actually effective.
Greyhound would be the second choice on the basis of a very competitive price and a good estimator's visit.
The removers expressed conflicting opinions on the suitability of tea-chests. While cardboard cases are widely used, none of the companies offered the really versatile plastic crates that are easy to handle and can be stacked or nested. These are mainly used for office removals but some companies will provide them for domestic removals, too.
I subsequently phoned all the companies that sent estimators to tell them that I would not be accepting their quote. None had contacted me and although all thanked me for taking the trouble to ring none asked why I would not be "favouring them with my instructions."
Generally, I feel that the removals industry emerged with credit from CM's exercise. All the companies responded quickly to the request for an estimate and most convinced me that a professional move would be desirable, and that includes the packing too. It also underlined the importance of the estimating procedure. Subjective impressions gained at this stage of the job play a significant part in determining which remover wins the business.