Paddington Removals Complaints Procedure

Paddington Removals is committed to providing a professional and reliable moving service for home and business customers. We recognise that, on occasion, things may not go entirely to plan. When this happens, we want to know about it so that we can put matters right where possible, learn from what has gone wrong, and continuously improve our removals and storage services.

This complaints procedure explains how you can raise a concern, how we will handle it, and what you can expect from us at each stage.

Scope of this complaints procedure

This procedure applies to any dissatisfaction you may have with the services supplied by Paddington Removals, including but not limited to household moves, office relocations, packing services, storage, or associated customer service before, during or after your move.

It covers complaints raised by private individuals, tenants, landlords, business clients and any authorised representatives acting on their behalf. It does not cover employment-related grievances raised by staff, which are subject to separate internal processes.

Our complaints principles

We aim to handle every complaint in line with the following principles:

Fairness – We will treat every complaint impartially and consider all available evidence before reaching a decision.

Timeliness – We will acknowledge your complaint promptly and work to resolve it as quickly as possible, taking into account the complexity of the issues raised.

Clarity – We will explain what we are doing and why, and provide clear responses in plain language without unnecessary jargon.

Confidentiality – We will handle your information sensitively and only share details with team members who need them to investigate and respond.

Improvement – Where a complaint highlights areas where we can improve our services or processes, we will take appropriate action to prevent similar issues in the future.

How to make a complaint

You can raise a complaint about Paddington Removals in the way that is most convenient for you. We recommend that you provide as much information as possible to help us investigate, including:

Your full name and, if applicable, the name of the person the move was arranged for.

The service you received, such as home move, business relocation, packing or storage.

The date of your move or the dates on which the issue occurred.

A clear description of what went wrong and how it has affected you.

Any relevant reference numbers or booking details issued to you by Paddington Removals.

You may also provide photographs or other supporting information if it helps to explain the problem. If you are raising a complaint on behalf of someone else, please confirm that you are authorised to act for them.

Stage one – Informal resolution

Where possible, we encourage you to raise any concerns at the earliest opportunity with the Paddington Removals staff directly involved in your move or with our customer service team. Many issues can be resolved quickly and informally, for example by clarifying arrangements, rectifying minor errors or agreeing a practical solution on the day.

At this stage, our focus is on understanding your concern, putting immediate matters right where we reasonably can, and confirming any agreed actions. If you are satisfied with the outcome, the complaint will be recorded as resolved.

Stage two – Formal complaint

If your concern cannot be resolved informally, or you remain dissatisfied with the initial response, you may make a formal complaint. When we receive a formal complaint, we will:

Acknowledge receipt within a reasonable timeframe, normally within five working days.

Assign your complaint to an appropriate member of our management team who was not directly responsible for the original issue.

Review the details of your complaint along with any relevant documents, booking records, removal inventories, photographs or staff accounts.

Contact you if we need further information or clarification to complete our review.

We aim to provide a full written response within 20 working days of acknowledging your complaint. If, due to the complexity of the matter, we require more time, we will explain the reasons for the delay and indicate when you can expect a full reply.

Our response and possible outcomes

Once we have completed our investigation, we will provide a clear response explaining:

What we understand your complaint to be about.

The steps we have taken to investigate the issues raised.

Our findings, including whether we uphold your complaint in full, in part, or not at all.

Any actions we have already taken or propose to take to put matters right where appropriate.

Any changes we intend to make to our procedures, training or service delivery to reduce the likelihood of similar issues occurring in future.

Where a complaint is upheld and loss or damage has been identified, any settlement will be assessed in line with our terms and conditions of business and any applicable insurance arrangements discussed with you at the time of booking.

Escalation if you remain dissatisfied

If you are not satisfied with our formal response, you may request that your complaint be reviewed at a higher level within Paddington Removals. In this case, a senior manager not previously involved with your complaint will review:

The details of your original complaint.

The steps taken during the initial investigation.

The conclusions reached and any proposed remedy.

Following this review, we will issue a final response explaining whether we agree with the initial outcome or whether any changes are appropriate.

Time limits for complaints

To allow us to investigate effectively, we encourage you to raise any complaint as soon as reasonably possible after the issue arises. In cases involving loss or damage to items, we may apply time limits consistent with our terms and conditions and any insurance requirements. These will normally be highlighted in your booking documents and service agreement.

Using complaints to improve our removals service

Paddington Removals uses the information gathered from complaints to review and improve how we plan and deliver our moving and storage services. This may include additional staff training, changes to packing or handling procedures, updates to vehicle allocation and scheduling, or refinements to our customer communication before and after your move.

By raising a concern, you help us identify what is working well and what we need to improve, supporting better outcomes for all our customers.