These Terms and Conditions set out the basis on which Man and a Van Richmond upon Thames provides moving, transport, delivery, collection and related services to customers in the UK. By making a booking, you agree to be bound by these terms, together with any written quotation, confirmation email, or service note issued by us. Please read them carefully before placing an order. For clarity, the words “we”, “us” and “our” refer to the service provider, and “you” or “customer” refer to the person or business making the booking.

These terms apply to all van hire with driver services, single-item removals, multi-item collections, light relocation work, and similar assignments. They are intended to provide a fair framework for both parties, covering the booking process, payments, cancellations, liability, waste handling, and the legal rules that apply in England and Wales. If any part of these terms is found to be invalid or unenforceable, the remaining terms shall continue in full force.

We may amend these terms from time to time to reflect changes in law, insurance requirements, operational practice, or service structure. The version in force at the time of your booking will apply to that booking unless a later written agreement is made. Any special conditions agreed for a particular job will take priority over these general terms only where expressly stated in writing.

1. Booking Process

A booking is only confirmed when we have accepted your request and issued a booking confirmation. Enquiries, estimates, and availability checks do not amount to a confirmed service. When you request a quote for a man and van service in Richmond upon Thames or any other UK location we cover, you must provide accurate information about the items, access conditions, loading and unloading points, parking restrictions, number of floors, and any lifting or assembly requirements. If you later change the details, the price, timing, or suitability of the vehicle may need to be revised.

We reserve the right to decline a booking where the job is unsafe, unlawful, outside our operational capacity, or materially different from the description given at the time of enquiry. This includes, without limitation, circumstances involving prohibited goods, excessive weight, inadequate access, unsafe stairways, or parking restrictions that would make the service impractical. Our quotation is based on the information supplied by you and may be adjusted if the actual work differs from that description.

The customer is responsible for ensuring that all access arrangements are ready for the scheduled time. This includes arranging permits if needed, securing permission from landlords or managing agents where applicable, and ensuring that someone authorised is present to release goods, confirm instructions, or complete the handover. Man and a Van Richmond Upon Thames may, at its discretion, refuse to wait excessively where access has not been arranged properly, and such delay may be treated as a cancellation or waiting-time chargeable event.

2. Service Scope

Our services generally include the transport of lawful goods, furniture, boxes, household items, small office equipment, appliances, and similar items suitable for a van-based operation. Unless otherwise agreed in writing, we do not undertake specialist handling for pianos, safes, hazardous materials, highly fragile antiques, or items requiring cranes, dismantling beyond basic disassembly, or specialist packaging. The customer must notify us in advance if any item is unusually large, heavy, valuable, delicate, or subject to special handling instructions.

We will use reasonable care and skill in performing the service. However, the service is not a white-glove packing service unless expressly agreed, and you remain responsible for protecting items adequately before collection. It is your duty to ensure that drawers are emptied, loose parts are secured, and items are prepared for transit where needed. We may refuse to move items that are poorly packaged or likely to cause damage to other goods, the vehicle, or our personnel.

Any estimated arrival or completion time is provided in good faith but is not guaranteed. Delays may occur due to traffic, road closures, weather, previous job overruns, loading difficulties, or events beyond our reasonable control. We will endeavour to keep you informed where practicable. Time-sensitive jobs should be discussed in advance so that we can assess whether a suitable arrangement is possible.

3. Payments

Unless otherwise agreed, payment is due on completion of the service and must be made by the method accepted at the time of booking or as stated on the invoice. We may require a deposit, pre-authorisation, or full advance payment for certain bookings, especially where the job involves long-distance transport, high-value items, weekend work, or limited availability. A booking is not secured until any required deposit has been received.

Prices may be fixed, hourly, or based on a written quotation. If the service is charged by time, the clock will usually begin at the agreed start time or when our vehicle arrives at the collection point, whichever is specified in the booking confirmation. Waiting time, additional stops, extra labour, tolls, parking charges, congestion-related charges, and costs caused by inaccurate booking information may be added where applicable and communicated in a reasonable manner.

You must pay all sums due without deduction or set-off unless required by law. If payment is not made on time, we may charge interest on overdue amounts at the statutory rate permitted under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998 where applicable, or otherwise at the rate allowed by law. We may also suspend future services, retain goods lawfully where permitted, or take reasonable steps to recover unpaid sums, including any associated recovery costs.

4. Cancellations and Amendments

If you need to cancel or reschedule a booking, you should notify us as soon as possible. Cancellation charges may apply depending on the notice period and the work reserved for your job. Where substantial time, labour, or vehicle allocation has been committed, we may retain some or all of a deposit or charge a proportionate cancellation fee. The fee will be reasonable and based on actual or estimated loss resulting from the cancellation.

If you cancel at short notice, fail to provide access, are not present at the agreed time, or are unable to proceed because the goods are not ready, we may treat the appointment as a late cancellation or failed attendance. In such cases, charges may still apply to cover travel, waiting, loading preparation, and loss of available work. We may also cancel a booking without liability if continuing would breach law, safety standards, or insurance conditions.

Requests to amend a booking, including changes to collection address, delivery address, time slot, vehicle size, or item list, are subject to availability. We will use reasonable efforts to accommodate changes, but any amendment may affect the price and timing. No amendment will be binding unless confirmed by us in writing, by email, text, or another durable form of record agreed at the time of booking.

5. Customer Obligations

You are responsible for ensuring that the goods are owned by you or that you have authority to arrange their transport. You must not book the service for stolen, counterfeit, illegal, or dangerous items. You must provide accurate descriptions of the items and declare anything that may require special care. You must also ensure that all items are packed, marked, and ready for collection unless packing is part of the agreed service.

Where access is difficult, you must tell us in advance about narrow roads, restricted parking, height barriers, weak flooring, lift restrictions, controlled-entry buildings, or other limitations. If you fail to disclose a material access issue and the job cannot be completed as booked, additional charges may apply or the service may be terminated. You are also responsible for informing us of any goods that require temperature control, upright transport, or extra security measures.

All instructions must be lawful and reasonable. We may refuse to follow an instruction that would expose our team to risk, breach a regulation, or exceed the agreed scope of work. The customer must provide a safe working environment and must not request unsafe lifting, carrying, or loading practices. We may pause or stop the service if conditions become unsafe for any reason.

6. Liability and Damage

We will take reasonable care when handling your goods, but liability is limited to losses caused by our proven negligence or breach of contract. We are not responsible for pre-existing damage, ordinary wear and tear, defects in goods, insufficient packaging, or loss arising from incorrect instructions. If an item appears damaged before loading, we may note this condition where possible. Our team may also refuse to handle items that are already unstable or unsafe.

To the fullest extent permitted by law, we are not liable for indirect or consequential losses such as loss of profit, loss of business, loss of opportunity, emotional distress, or missed deadlines, unless such liability cannot lawfully be excluded. If we are found liable for loss or damage, our liability will normally be limited to the lower of the repair or replacement cost of the affected item, or the amount recoverable under any applicable insurance policy, subject to any policy terms and proof of value.

Nothing in these terms limits or excludes liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud, fraudulent misrepresentation, or any other liability that cannot be excluded under English law. If you believe damage has occurred, you should notify us promptly and provide supporting evidence, including photographs, a description of the item, and any relevant documentation. Claims made long after the event may be harder to assess fairly.

7. Insurance

We maintain insurance arrangements that we consider appropriate for a professional man and van service. However, unless otherwise stated in writing, our service does not include goods-in-transit insurance covering the full replacement value of all customer possessions. Customers with high-value or specialist items should arrange their own suitable cover, or request written confirmation of any additional cover before the booking is accepted. Any insurance discussion must be confirmed in writing to be relied upon.

Insurance does not apply where loss or damage arises from prohibited items, inadequate packaging, ordinary leakage, inherent vice, vermin, deterioration, or the customer’s own acts or omissions. If a claim is submitted, we may require evidence of ownership, value, pre-loss condition, and mitigation efforts. Failure to provide reasonable cooperation may delay or reduce any settlement.

8. Waste, Recycling, and Environmental Regulations

Where our service includes the removal of unwanted items, you must tell us whether those items are to be reused, donated, recycled, or disposed of as waste. We will only carry and dispose of waste where permitted by law and where the arrangement has been agreed in advance. We do not act as an unlicensed waste carrier. Any waste-related collection may be subject to separate rules, pricing, and documentation requirements.

You must not present hazardous, clinical, electrical, chemical, or contaminated materials for disposal unless we have expressly agreed and confirmed that we are authorised and equipped to handle them. Examples of controlled or restricted waste include asbestos, solvents, oils, paints, batteries, fridges containing regulated components, medical waste, gas bottles, and other items subject to specific disposal laws. If such materials are disclosed without prior agreement, we may refuse collection and charge any reasonable wasted time or travel costs.

Where waste is removed under a lawful arrangement, you acknowledge that disposal may be carried out through approved transfer stations, recycling facilities, or other lawful routes. We may request a waste description, transfer note, or other details needed to comply with environmental law and record-keeping obligations. You remain responsible for ensuring that the waste presented is accurately described and that no prohibited materials are concealed among other goods.

9. Force Majeure

We are not liable for failure or delay in performing the service where such failure is caused by events beyond our reasonable control. These may include severe weather, accidents, road closures, strikes, traffic disruption, fire, flood, government action, acts of terrorism, public health restrictions, or breakdowns not caused by negligence. In such cases, we may reschedule the job, suspend performance, or cancel the booking without liability for indirect loss.

If a force majeure event affects the booking, we will aim to agree a practical alternative date where possible. Any sums already paid may be retained only to the extent they reflect work completed, unavoidable costs incurred, or another fair adjustment. Nothing in this clause prevents either party from relying on rights that arise under general law where performance has become impossible or fundamentally different.

10. Termination and Refusal of Service

We may refuse, suspend, or terminate the service immediately if you breach these terms, provide misleading information, behave abusively, create an unsafe environment, or request unlawful conduct. We may also end the job if continuing would place personnel, property, or the vehicle at risk. If service is terminated due to your breach, you may still be liable for costs reasonably incurred up to the point of termination.

Likewise, you may terminate the service if we materially fail to provide the agreed work and do not remedy that failure within a reasonable time where remedy is possible. Any termination rights must be exercised fairly and in accordance with applicable law. Where a dispute arises, both parties should act reasonably and seek to minimise unnecessary loss.

11. Data, Records, and Communication

We may keep records relating to quotes, bookings, invoices, collections, deliveries, and communications for operational, legal, tax, and evidential purposes. We will handle personal data in accordance with applicable UK data protection law. For service administration, communication may take place by telephone, email, text message, or other agreed method. By booking with us, you consent to essential service communications for the purpose of delivering the contract.

Where we need confirmation of access, identity, delivery instructions, or payment details, you agree to provide accurate and timely responses. Failure to do so may result in delay or cancellation. We are entitled to rely on instructions reasonably believed to come from the customer or an authorised representative.

12. Governing Law and Jurisdiction

These Terms and Conditions, and any dispute or claim arising from them or in connection with them, are governed by the laws of England and Wales. The parties agree that the courts of England and Wales shall have exclusive jurisdiction, except where mandatory law provides otherwise. If you are a consumer, you may also benefit from statutory rights that cannot be limited by contract.

Nothing in these terms affects your legal rights under applicable consumer legislation, including rights relating to services performed with reasonable care and skill. If any dispute arises, both parties should first seek to resolve it amicably and in good faith before taking formal action. These terms are intended to be interpreted consistently with applicable UK law.