Terms and Conditions

1About these terms

1.1 These terms form the contract between Southern Logistics Ltd (company number 12570088), trading as The Yellow Van Company (“we”, “us”), and the person who books our services (“you”).

1.2 In these terms:

Goods

means the items we move, pack, unpack or store for you.

Services

means the removal, packing, dismantling, storage and related services we agree to provide.

Booking Confirmation

means the confirmation we send you. It shows the service, Booked Hours, crew, van and price.

Job Completion Form

means the form the crew give you at the end of the job.

1.3 If your Booking Confirmation says something different from these terms, the Booking Confirmation applies. These terms can only be changed by agreement in writing, and email counts.

1.4 If you are a consumer, nothing in these terms affects your legal rights. That includes your right to have the Services carried out with reasonable care and skill. Nothing in these terms limits our liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, for fraud, or for anything else the law does not allow us to limit.

1.5 If you book for a business, clause 7.7 also applies to you.

2Our services

2.1 Move Only. You pack and prepare everything, including wrapping and protecting your furniture (see clause 4.3). We provide the van and crew you booked to load, transport and unload your Goods as you present them to us. Move Only does not include packing, packing materials, furniture wrapping, or floor and door protection.

2.2 Full Pack and Move. We bring packing materials, including bubble wrap and furniture wrap. We wrap your furniture before moving it, pack your Goods, and dismantle and reassemble furniture as shown in your Booking Confirmation. Any boxes you pack yourself are treated as owner-packed (see clause 7.4).

2.3 Storage. Storage is covered by clause 12.

2.4 Dismantling and reassembly. We dismantle and reassemble standard flat-pack furniture, of the kind sold by IKEA and similar retailers, on the following terms.

• When it is included. Dismantling is included where it is shown in your Booking Confirmation or agreed with us in writing before the move. If you ask on the day, the crew may agree if they judge it can be done safely. The time is charged as part of your job, and the request is logged in our job system.
• Checking first. Before taking an item apart, the crew will check it. They will tell you if it looks poorly assembled, damaged, loose, previously repaired, missing parts or fixings, or made of particle board that has already weakened. They may note this and photograph it. You can then ask us to go ahead at your risk, have the item moved whole where that is possible, or arrange a specialist.
• Flat-pack wear. Flat-pack furniture is not designed to be taken apart and rebuilt. Joints, cam locks, dowels and particle board can loosen, split or crumble when dismantled or reassembled, even with care. We are not liable for this kind of damage unless it was caused by our failure to take reasonable care.
• Poorly assembled items, missing instructions or missing parts. Where an item was badly put together before, has missing or damaged parts or fixings, or has no manufacturer’s instructions, we will reassemble it as well as we reasonably can. We cannot promise it will go back together exactly as before, or be as sturdy as when new. We are not liable if it does not, unless that was caused by our failure to take reasonable care.
• Fixings. We bag and label the fixings we remove. We do not supply replacement parts or fixings. If an item cannot be fully reassembled because parts are missing or broken, we will leave it safely in pieces, and the time spent is charged.
• Wall fixings. We do not fix furniture to walls. Wardrobes, bookcases, chests of drawers and similar items that need anti-tip fixings must be fixed by you before they are used.
• What we will not dismantle. We do not dismantle custom, antique, specialist or high-value furniture, or anything fixed to the building. Please arrange a specialist for these. Items we do not dismantle are moved whole, with reasonable care.
• Drawers. Please empty drawers before the move. If you would like drawers taken out before an item is moved, ask the crew.

2.5 Not included unless agreed in writing:

• disconnecting or reconnecting appliances, fixtures or fittings;
• taking up or laying fitted floor coverings;
• taking down or putting up curtains, blinds or window coverings;
• moving items from a loft that is not properly lit and floored with safe access;
• dismantling or moving garden structures and equipment, such as sheds, greenhouses, play equipment, paving slabs and planters;
• moving storage heaters that have not been dismantled, or fridges and freezers that are still loaded.

2.6 If we agree to disconnect and reconnect a washing machine, dishwasher, dryer or similar appliance, we are not responsible if it does not work afterwards. This does not apply if the fault was caused by our failure to take reasonable care. We never carry out gas, electrical or plumbing work beyond simple disconnection and reconnection.

2.7 Our crew may decline any task that is outside your booking, or that they reasonably believe is unsafe or likely to cause damage or injury. If that happens, we recommend you use a qualified and insured specialist.

2.8 On large jobs that may run over, the crew may offer you the chance to help so the job finishes sooner. Helping is never required. Saying no does not change the service you receive.

3Booking, prices and time

3.1 Choosing your van, crew and hours. You choose the van size, the number of movers and the Booked Hours when you book. We will help you choose, but our guidance is a best estimate based on what you tell us. If the van is too small or the job needs more time, extra time and extra journeys are charged. Items that do not fit can be moved on a further trip at extra cost.

3.2A Extra time. If the job goes beyond your Booked Hours, extra time is charged at the hourly rate shown in your Booking Confirmation, in blocks of 30 minutes. Any part of a 30-minute block is charged as a full block. For example:

We do not charge or refund extra time by the minute, and no refund is given for the unused part of a block.

3.3 How time is counted. Time starts when the crew arrive at your first address and ends when everything has been unloaded from the van at your last address. It includes driving between addresses and any waiting time. The start and finish times are written on the Job Completion Form.

3.3A Being ready when we arrive. Please be ready for the crew from the start of your arrival window.

• The clock starts when we arrive. If you are not ready, or you ask the crew to wait or come back later, time still runs from when they arrive. Waiting counts towards your Booked Hours, and any time beyond them is charged under clause 3.2A.
• We cannot leave and come back. Each crew’s day is planned around other customers, so they cannot leave and return later.
• If we arrive early. If we arrive before your window and you are not ready, the clock starts at your booked time instead.
• If the job cannot start. If the crew still cannot start after 1 hour, for example because there is no access, no keys or the goods are not ready to move, we may treat the booking as cancelled on the day under clause 10.2.

3.4 What affects how long a move takes. Many things affect job length, including:

• access, and the distance from the van to the door;
• stairs and lifts, and parking;
• traffic between addresses;
• how well packed and ready your Goods are;
• items you did not mention when booking;
• waiting for keys;
• instructions given on the day.

Time spent on any of these is part of the job and is chargeable.

3.5 Arrival times.

• A preferred time, not a guarantee. The time you book is your preferred arrival time. We plan our day around it, but we cannot guarantee it.
• One-hour arrival window. We work to a one-hour arrival window that starts at your preferred time. For example, if you book for 10:00, we aim to arrive between 10:00 and 11:00.
• Why we may arrive later than the window. Many things affect when a crew can reach you, including:
  • traffic, road closures and diversions;
  • weather and vehicle breakdowns;
  • access or parking problems at an earlier job;
  • an earlier job running over.
• Earlier jobs that run over. If an earlier move takes longer than booked, our crew will finish it properly before coming to you. That customer’s belongings cannot be left half-moved, just as yours would not be if your move ran over.
• Keeping you updated. If we expect to arrive after your window, we will contact you as soon as we can with an updated time.
• You do not pay for our lateness. Your time starts when the crew arrive, not at your booked time (clause 3.3).
• Fixed deadlines. If your move depends on a fixed time, such as a key release, a lift booking or a building’s moving hours, please tell us when you book. Leave enough time in your day for the arrival window.
• If we cannot attend. If we cannot attend on the booked day at all, clause 10.3 applies: you can have another date or a full refund.

3.6 Quotes are valid for 30 days and depend on availability.

3.7 Extra charges. Unless they are included in your quote, extra charges apply where:

• access needs special equipment, or we cannot park within 20 metres of the door;
• we have to pay parking charges, or a parking fine because you did not arrange parking (clause 4.7);
• you add Goods or addresses;
• the work is on a weekend or public holiday, or outside 08:00 to 17:30.

We do not pass on fines caused by our own crew parking illegally. Where we can, we will tell you the charge before doing the extra work.

4Your responsibilities

4.1 Be present, or have someone represent you, for the whole job at both collection and delivery.

4.2 Have everything packed and ready, with boxes sealed, before the crew arrive.

4.3 Move Only: protecting your furniture. Before the crew arrive, wrap and protect:

• your furniture;
• any item with a surface that could mark, such as polished, painted, glass, mirrored or upholstered surfaces;
• anything you consider valuable or delicate.

Our vans carry blankets. Crews use them at their discretion to secure and protect items inside the van. Blankets are not a wrapping service and are not used to wrap furniture before it is carried through a property. If you would like us to wrap your furniture, please book Full Pack and Move.

4.4 Protecting your property. Before the move:

• remove pictures, mirrors and ornaments along the route through your property;
• tell us about newly decorated areas, delicate floors, narrow access and lifts.

Floor and door protection is not provided unless agreed in writing.

4.5 Empty, defrost and clean fridges and freezers. Drain washing machines, dishwashers and garden equipment, and fit transit bolts where an appliance needs them.

4.6 Remove fragile and valuable items from drawers and wardrobes (see clause 7.4).

4.7 Arrange parking for the van: reserve a space, or arrange a suspension or permit with the council. If no parking was arranged and the van is given a penalty notice, you must pay it.

4.8 Give us correct contact details and keep them up to date, including while your Goods are in storage.

4.9 Check that nothing is left behind and nothing is taken in error.

4.10 We do not tolerate abuse, threats or violence towards our staff. If the crew have to stop a job because of this, the full Booked Hours are charged.

4.11 If you do not do these things, we are not responsible for any loss, damage or extra cost that results, and any extra time is chargeable.

5Items we will not move

5.1 Unless a director agrees in writing, we will not move:

• dangerous items, such as gas bottles, aerosols, paints, oils, fuel, firearms and ammunition;
• valuables, such as jewellery, watches, cash, precious metals and stones, deeds, bonds, securities, stamps, coins, collections and fine art;
• mobile phones, laptops and other portable devices;
• perishable goods, goods needing a controlled environment, and goods likely to attract pests;
• animals and plants;
• illegal or stolen goods;
• anything excluded by our goods-in-transit insurance.

Please carry valuables and portable devices yourself.

5.2 We may open or inspect Goods for health, safety or security reasons, or to check that clause 5.1 is being followed. If we find any of these items, we may refuse to move them. If we find them later, we will make them available for you to collect. If you do not collect them within a reasonable time, or they are dangerous, we may dispose of them. You must pay the reasonable costs of disposal.

6How we look after your Goods

6.1 We will carry out the Services with reasonable care and skill.

6.2 On Full Pack and Move, we are responsible for packing what we pack with reasonable care and skill.

6.3 Condition before the move. The crew may note and photograph the condition of items before loading, including any existing marks, damage or loose joints. These records are kept in our job system and are available to you on request. We are not liable for damage that was already there, or for an item’s existing defects or weaknesses.

6.4 Unwrapped furniture on Move Only. Unwrapped furniture can pick up light surface marks during normal careful handling: scuffs, rub marks and small scratches through doorways, hallways, stairs and lifts, and in the van. If you have not wrapped an item, we are not liable for such marks unless they were caused by our failure to take reasonable care.

6.5 Minor Marks to your property. Moving large items through a property carries a risk of light contact, even when done with care. “Minor Marks” means superficial scuffs, scrapes, rub marks or small dents that can be put right by cleaning, filling or touching up. This covers walls, paintwork, door frames, banisters, skirting, floors, lifts and communal areas. We are not liable for Minor Marks unless they were caused by our failure to take reasonable care.

6.6 Tight access. If the crew believe an item can only be moved with a risk of damage to it or to the property, they will tell you before moving it and explain the risk. An example is an item that only just fits through a doorway or stairwell. You can then choose to:

• ask us to go ahead;
• have the item moved another way at your cost, for example dismantled or hoisted;
• leave the item.

If you ask us to go ahead, we are not liable for damage that results from the risk we explained. We are still liable for damage caused by our failure to take reasonable care in how we move it. We will record the warning and your choice in our job system, with the time and a photo, and may confirm it to you by text or email. The crew may decline to move the item if they believe it cannot be done safely.

6.7 Electrical and mechanical items. These can develop faults when moved, even with care. If an item stops working but shows no sign of external damage, we are not liable unless the fault was caused by our failure to take reasonable care.

7Our liability for loss or damage

7.1 Where we are responsible for loss of or damage to your Goods, we will pay the lower of:

• the reasonable cost of repair; or
• the cost of replacement, taking the item’s age and condition into account.

We may choose to arrange the repair ourselves. If we pay the full value of an item, we may take the damaged item.

7.2 If the item is part of a pair or set, we pay for that item alone, not for the whole set.

7.4 Owner-packed items and contents. We are not liable for damage to the contents of boxes, containers, drawers, wardrobes or appliances that we did not pack, unless:

• the outside of the box or container shows damage caused while in our care; or
• the damage was otherwise caused by our failure to take reasonable care.

This includes boxes you pack yourself on Full Pack and Move.

7.5 We are not liable for:

• normal wear and tear, or gradual deterioration;
• particle board crumbling;
• damp, mould or infestation;
• leaks from Goods;
• data held on devices;
• events outside our reasonable control (clause 15).

These exclusions do not apply where the loss or damage was caused by our failure to take reasonable care.

7.6 We are responsible for loss you suffer that was a foreseeable result of our breaking this contract or failing to take reasonable care. We are not responsible for loss that was not foreseeable. If you are a consumer, we are not liable for business losses, such as lost profit or business interruption.

7.7 Business customers. If you book for a business, we are not liable for indirect or consequential loss, or for loss of profit, revenue or business opportunity.

7.8 Our staff are not personally liable to you. Any claim is against us.

7.9 Any goodwill payment we offer is made without admitting liability.

8Damage to property other than your Goods

8.1 If we damage your property beyond Minor Marks through our failure to take reasonable care, we will repair the damaged area. For example, we will fill and paint the affected section of wall. We will not redecorate a whole room or replace matching undamaged items, unless no other reasonable repair is possible.

8.2 Other people, such as tradespeople and other occupants, are often on site during a move. We are not liable for damage they cause.

9Reporting damage and complaints

9.1 Before the crew leave, please check your Goods and the property where you reasonably can. Note any damage on the Job Completion Form. The crew will photograph it and log it in our job system.

9.3 If you find damage later, for example when unpacking, please tell us in writing within 7 days of the move. Include photos and a description. The sooner you report it, the easier it is for us and our insurer to establish what happened and whether it happened while your Goods were in our care. We will still consider later reports, but we may not be able to establish the cause.

9.4 Please keep damaged items and their packaging until we have inspected them, or have agreed that we do not need to.

9.5 Send complaints to enquiries@theyellowvancompany.com. We will acknowledge your complaint within 2 working days. We will give you a full response within 14 days, or tell you why it is taking longer and when you will hear from us.

9.6 Complaints about time or the pace of work. How long a job takes depends on the things listed in clause 3.4, and many of them are outside the crew’s control.

• During the job: if you are concerned about the pace, please speak to the crew leader and call our office on 020 7870 1041. We can then look into it while the job is happening.
• Afterwards: please write to us within 7 days. Say what happened and include any evidence you have, such as photos, video or timings.
• Our review: we will look at the times on the Job Completion Form, our vehicle-tracking and job records, any photos, and your evidence.
• The outcome: if we find that time was lost through our crew’s fault, we will refund or waive that time.

A job taking longer than you expected is not, on its own, a reason for a refund.

9.7 Please pay for extra time when it is due, even if you have complained about it. If your complaint is upheld, we will refund the amount.

10Changes and cancellations

10.1 You can change your booking free of charge if you give us at least 2 working days’ notice in writing; email counts. Changes with less notice depend on availability. If a late change means we lose the booked slot, clause 10.2 applies as if you had cancelled.

10.2 If you cancel, the following applies.

If we re-book the crew and van for that slot, we will reduce the charge to reflect what we actually lost.

10.3 Our right to decline or cancel.

• Declining a booking. We may decline any booking request without giving a reason. A booking is accepted only when we send your Booking Confirmation.
• Cancelling a confirmed booking. We may cancel a confirmed booking if:
  • the job is materially different from what you told us, for example far more goods, extra addresses, or worse access or parking than declared;
  • access, conditions or the goods make the job unsafe;
  • the goods include items we will not move under clause 5;
  • you or anyone at the property is abusive, threatening or violent towards our staff, before or on the day;
  • we reasonably suspect fraud, illegal activity or a problem with your payment;
  • you owe us money from a previous job;
  • events outside our reasonable control prevent the job, such as a vehicle breakdown, crew illness, severe weather or road closures (clause 15).
• What you get back. If we cancel before the moving day, we will tell you as soon as we can and refund everything you have paid. Where the reason is outside our control, we will also offer you another date. If the job cannot go ahead on the day because of you, clause 10.2 applies instead.
• Other costs. If we cancel for one of the reasons above, we are not liable for any other costs you incur as a result. Examples are a replacement remover, storage, or time off work.

10.4 Removals are booked for a specific date. This means the 14-day cancellation right under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 does not apply to them. Box Shop purchases and storage contracts made online are different (see clause 11.6).

11Payment

11.1 Payment is made by credit or debit card before the crew arrive, unless you choose the deposit option in clause 11.3. Any other payment method must be agreed with us, and payment made, at least 7 days before the move.

11.2 Extra time and extra charges are paid by card at the end of the job.

11.4 Late payment. We charge interest on overdue amounts daily, at 4% a year above the Bank of England base rate, plus our reasonable costs of recovering the debt. For business customers, the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998 applies instead. This replaces the old 100% surcharge.

11.5 Holding your Goods. If our charges are unpaid, we may keep your Goods until they are paid. Storage charges apply while we hold them. Before selling any Goods, we will give notice under clause 12.4.

11.6 Box Shop and online storage. If you buy goods from our online Box Shop as a consumer, the law gives you 14 days from delivery to cancel. To cancel, tell us within that time and return the goods unused, at your own cost. We will refund you within 14 days of receiving them back. We may reduce the refund if the goods have been used or damaged. Storage contracts made online also carry a 14-day cancellation right. If storage starts within the 14 days at your request, you pay for the days used.

12Storage

12.1 We send notices by email or text to your latest details. They count as received on the next working day. Notices sent by post count as received 2 working days after posting.

12.2 If we send you an inventory or receipt, it will be treated as accurate unless you tell us about any errors within 10 days.

12.3 We will give you 3 months’ written notice of any increase in storage charges. You may end the storage before the increase takes effect, without any extra charge.

12.4 If storage charges are in arrears, we will give you 3 months’ written notice to pay and collect your Goods. If you do not, we may sell or dispose of them. The costs of sale come out of the proceeds. We will pay you any surplus, and you must pay us any shortfall.

12.5 We may end a storage contract by giving you 3 months’ written notice. You may end it by giving us 10 working days’ notice. Storage charges are payable up to the end of the notice period.

12.6 If we cannot deliver your Goods through no fault of ours, we will put them into storage at your expense.

13Sub-contracting, route and method

13.1 We may sub-contract some or all of the work. These terms still apply, and we remain responsible to you.

13.2 Route. We choose the route and method. Our vans do not use toll roads or charged tunnels, bridges or crossings unless this is agreed with us in writing in advance. Examples include the Dartford Crossing and the Blackwall and Silvertown tunnels. Any agreed charges are added to your bill. Some routes are also restricted for our vehicles.

14Ownership of the Goods

14.1 You confirm that the Goods are yours, or that their owners have authorised you to make this contract and know about these terms. If that is not true, you must cover any claims or costs this causes us.

15Events outside our control

15.1 We are not liable for delay or failure caused by events outside our reasonable control. Examples include severe weather, road closures, accidents, fire not caused by us, industrial action, war and terrorism. We will tell you as soon as possible and offer another date. If we cannot provide the Services, we will refund what you paid for the Services not provided.

16General

16.1 These terms are governed by the law of England and Wales. If you are a consumer living in Scotland or Northern Ireland, you may also bring a claim in your local courts.

16.2 If a court finds any part of these terms invalid, the rest continues to apply.

16.3 Send notices to us at enquiries@theyellowvancompany.com, or by post to our registered office.

16.4 We may update these terms. The version that applies is the one in force when you booked.

16.5 Insurance. Our goods-in-transit insurance covers your Goods up to £20,000 for each vehicle used on your move. Damage to property is covered by our public liability insurance. If your Goods are worth more, please arrange your own insurance.