There are some goods that a professional removals company will be unable to move or store, either for legal reasons or because they would not be covered by insurance.
For some of those items, special provision can be made if the items are declared and the removers insurer is willing to cover the goods. If this is the case, there will be an additional charge and a written confirmation from the insurer that the items are covered. However, not all removals insurers offer this additional cover, so you will need to check with the removals company.
Some of the prohibited items, such as jewellery, precious metals, passports and cash can be easily transported by the customer, or they may need to find a specialist door-to-door courier with appropriate insurance. This would be the customer’s responsibility to arrange.
Household plants and garden plant pots may be moved within the UK, but they still make the prohibited list for two main reasons. Firstly, if they are to be moved outside the UK, they will require certification or be subject to import laws. Secondly, they can not be placed inside a storage container or shipped without significant risk not just of deterioration and expiry, but of contamination to the rest of the goods in the container.
For short trips within the UK, removals companies can make exceptions but may have to provide an additional vehicle to move the plant pots and garden furniture. This would need to be by written agreement.
Because contamination may spread to other containers, the rules on storage are particularly strict with regard to perishable goods and anything that could encourage vermin. This also applies to odorous or flammable substances such as paint, aerosols and gas bottles.
AIM Members are required to indicate in their Terms & Conditions, the types of goods that are prohibited. Here is a typical example;
For all items listed below, all of which carry varying degrees of risk, you are required to make your own arrangements for their transport and storage.
- Passports, travel documents, wallets, handbags containing valuables, mobile phones, portable IT, electronic devices, currency, cash, bank or credit cards, jewellery, watches, trinkets, precious stones, money, deeds, securities, stamps, coins, valuable or fragile collections of any kind.
- Perishable items and/or those requiring a controlled environment.
- Dangerous, damaging or explosive items, including paint, aerosols, ammunition, firearms or weapons of any kind.
- Animals, plants or goods, including food, likely to encourage vermin or other pests or to cause infection.
- Goods which require special licence or government permission for export or import; and prohibited or stolen goods or drugs.
As previously stated, the reason removals companies can’t move the listed items is either insurance or law related.
If you are moving your goods overseas, you will also need to consider the laws and regulations not just of the country of origin, but of the destination country and any territory through which the goods are transported.
If you are in any doubt about what you can move and/or store, you should discuss it with your removals company and, where necessary, get confirmation in writing.
