Removale - Are Pickfords worth the extra £?

[Sallypuss]

We're moving a week on Friday (god, saying that sounds scarey), at least we are if our bloody buyers every get their mortgage offer through in time for us to exchange ....and we've had several quotes from removals firms. As expected, Pickfords come in £'s above the other quotes but somehow seemed a bit more on the ball (or at least their quotation guy did). Anyone used them and think they're worth the extra cash or should we just save the cash and go with a local cheaper company?

We're moving about 60 miles up the road if that's a propos to anything...

Pickfords ruined a fair amount of my MILs stuff on a 500 mile move, took 18 months and court proceedings to get some money back

I've always used the cheapest firm I can find and think that the savings from this will allow me to replace any item that needs it BUT I pack everything myself, and move anything I really care about in my own car. So far nothing has been broken other than the overly complicated cotbed needs a new screwfitting now due to excessive use of force.

No. You're paying for their glossy literature, their corporate brand and you're getting an average service (if you're lucky). We went with them once, had to argue for a discount on their invoice and never used them again (and we've moved around the UK quite a bit). I'd ask around locally and get a good word-of-mouth recommendation instead.

I've now had 5 quotes (3 local, 2 national) and I'm using one of the 3 local (not yet moved though so don't actually know what the service is like from any of them). I feel that the local ones have got to be good because its word of mouth and they can't afford to sit on their laurels whereas the big national ones can just charge what they like and fall back on the large company when they don't provide a good service. Also though, the local ones I was most impressed with their flexibility and understanding of my own family situation and their ways round the issues. The 2 national ones weren't so flexible.

Just twigged, you're local to me, doh! Will see if I can work out how to message you with who we've had round and my impressions and maybe we could compare notes.

Doh - you're not local to me!!! Its been a long evening and my brain isn't engaged clearly.

No. They comepletely fucked me over on a move from Scotland down south. Long protracted story, but I have absolutely nothing positive to say about them. I have since used two really good local removal firms.

Good luck with the move .

I have moves with local companies and Pickfords before, Pickfords were by far the best, I have moved 14 times in the last 17 years and now I would not move with anyone else. I think like with everything in life sometimes you can get a bad experiance but for Pickfords to still be the size they are and have the reputation they do they must be doing something right. Also you can get alot of cowboys out there and you are trusting with all your belongings!!! In my opinion I would only use a repitable company which I know can offer protection and insurance for my belongings and that has to be Pickfords!!

How long is your bargepole?

Only go on recommendation in your local area - if your local Pickfords is OK then fine. Or if you have to do it becasue your company is paying. Really, it pays to do your local research here.

We were moved once by Pickfords, and have used local firms since. I haven't any complaints about Pickfords or their service, but the best service I have ever had wasn't from them, it was from a local company - even though it wasn't a local move (we were moving from the South East to Scotland).

They did all the packing up for us, and made a stressful process a lot less stressful than it could have been.

Mind you, dh was a little taken aback when they wanted to start unloading before 7am - both he, ds1 and the cats, and they had driven up during the afternoon/evening/night, with them arriving around 1am and dh arriving around 4.30am. He got an hour's sleep after settling ds1 and the cats, and when he woke, he looked out of the kitchen window to find the chief remover prowling round looking for signs of life, so he could get his ramp down and start unloading! In fairness, they did have another long drive ahead of them to get home.

They were a great bunch of blokes, hard workers, good senses of humour, very careful with our stuff, and way, way better than Pickfords.

"They were a great bunch of blokes, hard workers, good senses of humour, very careful with our stuff" is what you are looking for, not a (very much devalued over the years)brand name.

And a good price

I am only going on my experiance, which has been lots of moving and Pickfords have always been great, I have very valuable items and fragile items marble tables, grandfather clock, pool table and a grand piano and never had a problem with Pickfords, we did use a local company before and they did not know how to move the piano after assuring us they have done it loads of times and I ended up paying £1500 to have it repaired as they had no cover in place. They sell a liability but it is worth nothing as I found out to considerable cost to me. I am sure therre are a lot of good smaller companies out there but I would only go for Pickfords!!

Another vote for Anyone But Pickfords here...

Pickfords have packed and moved me long distance twice - they were really good, no damage or loss to anything, and their packing is amazing.

Not sure if you live near London but the best removals company in my opinion are Burke and Wills. they are not cheap but fabulous. From the smiley cheeriness of the aussie removers who told us to go out and have breakfast / lunch so they could pack up the stuff to holding our stuff in storage for 2 months and then bringing it back and placing furniture in the house, they were fab. DH was about to kill me as I changed my midn so many times but they were quite happpy to move stuff from room to room.

Not a thing broken, scratched, damaged - highly recommend them if they are within your vicinity. Worth every single penny.

Another vote for local recommendation.

We're done international moves, long-distance UK ones as well as local and have used a variety of movers.

With Pickfords it really does depend on the quality of the local depot. We have had stuff damaged mid-move by them, a grandfather clock incorrectly wrapped and little niggly things.

Best movers were a local company who took lots of time to get the details right and weren't in a hurry to get on to their next job as most of the others seemed to be.

Whatever you decide to go with, would heartily recommend getting them to pack for you. Doesn't add that much to the final bill and removes a hell of a lot of hassle.

Re packing up - Burke and Wills would not allow us to do the packing since their argument was that if something broke then they would only replace it of their movers packed it. they were fine for books to be put in boxes etc but anything potentially breakable like glasses they had to paack up.

This is great. Thanks so much. Can anyone recommend a great 'local' removals company on the Herts/Essex border please?

twolittlekings I will look up Burke and Willis and see if they'll cover my area. Thanks for the recommendation.

Another vote for Burke and Wills - they've moved us a few times and are the best by far. The owner has dc's so understands all that entails too.

They were so bad, took 4 weeks to respond to my request for a quote and visit and then said they could do no evenings or weekends so that excluded them straight away!