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Buzzwords, De-buzzed: Removal Company jargon explained

Posted by Bournes Moves - August 3, 2015

Moving house? Confused by all the jargon and terminology that goes with it? If you're in the early stages of planning your move and want to know what it all means then check out our Removals Company Glossary.

Not got time to read them all? No worries, here are some of the most frequent and important terms you'll hear!


Move Consultation (also referred to as a pre-move or in-home survey):

One of the first terms you'll hear when you ring any removal company to start arranging your move is this. And it's a pretty important one. In a nutshell, a Move Consultation is a free, no obligation visit by one of the company's Move Consultants (see below), of which the primary purpose is to ascertain how much you wish to move in order to provide you with an accurate quotation.

Move Consultations usually last around an hour, and give both you and the consultant the chance to ask each other any questions about the move - for example, they will want to know about things like the distance between your current and new properties, what the access is like, whether you have any valuable items that need special care and what your packing requirements are. It will also give them the chance to accurately measure the volume of goods you want to move so they can allocate all the right resources.  In return, you might want to ask them about anything that is worrying you about the move, or simply just gain a greater insight into how the company handles a move like yours.  

Download our full guide to Removals Company Surveys

Move Consultant:

Sometimes referred to as a Surveyor, a Move Consultant is the person who will visit you to carry out your Move Consultation as above! Meeting a company's Move Consultant face-to-face is a great way to get more of an insight into how that particular company works, as well as being able to pick their brains about the removal process. Their expertise in the field of removals should enable them to answer any question you have, and allow you to feel relaxed and confident about moving with the company that they work for. They will also be your initial point of contact during the quotation process, so make sure you take their details incase something you'd like to talk about comes to mind once they've left. 

Move Coordinator:

move-coordinatorSome companies also provide dedicated move coordinators to plan and manage your move as well as to help you prepare. It's the Move Coordinator's job to make sure the company deliver the service you were promised. They will oversee all aspects of your move - from the logistics and organisation of transportation, through to the resources needed, your special requirements and any other queries you might have in the run up to and on the day; in short, they are there to take the stress away from you, and will be your first point of contact for any questions you have pre and post move. 

Volume:

One of the words you're most likely to hear when moving house, and probably the one you're already familiar with. Volume simply refers to the amount you're moving. How much you move will determine the overall cost of the move, which is why it's so important that it's calculated accurately by the Move Consultant in the initial stages of preparing your quotation. 

British Association of Removers:

This is the leading professional association for removal company's and dictates the standards of service you will receive as well as offers you pre-payment protection and an independent arbitration service in case something goes wrong. Find out why it's important.

Removals Insurance:

The price your removal company charges are based on the level of risk they are willing to take in undertaking your move and the services they expect to provide. Most likely they will of course accept liability for any damage they cause, but they may not expect to be held liable for accidental damage (for example if a neighbours runaway dog trips them on their way to the van and they drop a box, is it their fault?). They will also likely limit the value they will accept to be liable for, as they don't know the true value of each of your individual items.

So the basic level of cover you have as standard in a companies terms and conditions is often limited liability and may for example say there is a limit to the amount you can claim per box or item (i.e. £40) if you can prove they were negligent.

Some removers offer to extend the level of risk they are willing to take on for an additional charge: Removals Insurance, which will mean you are covered to the true value of your goods without having to prove negligence. This can offer extra peace of mind that you wont be hit financially if the unexpected happens.  Find out why Removals Insurance is important

Acceptance Form:

This forms the legal contract between you and the removal company and is your acceptance of their quotation and service proposal including their and terms and conditions. Having a contract protect both you and the mover and is vital in the event of a dispute so make sure you have a written quotation and contract before paying for your move.

removal-van-driverCrew / Driver / Porter:

Your crew will be responsible for moving you on move day and for providing all the pyhsical services you have requested. The crew will typically be made up of a Driver and his porter(s). The Driver will drive the truck as well as help to pack and load your items and unload them at destination. The Porters will ably assist the driver in packing and loading the vehicle and travel with them to unload too.

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