Job Discussion Forums

[dynow]

So I'm in the final stages of shipping out of Poland for good and need to hire a mover to ship my stuff from here to the USA. The UK companies seem to have the best prices (probably due to the sheer volume of shipments they deal with) but the thing is that I'm doing all my correspondence through email, so once I decide on a company, how to I check if they're legit?

I received a nice quote from a UK company this week and I think I'm going to go with them for the move but he wants a 50 pound deposit to secure the pick up date, and a week before they come pick up my stuff, he wants to be paid in full. I checked their website, it seems legit and all....but how can I find out for sure?

In the USA we have something called BBB, or the Better Business Bureau which allows you to check and see if a company is legit or not. Anything like this in the UK?

[lundjstuart]

Dynow,

At the bottom of their website or in "contact us", they will have all of their company's info there (ex. NIP, REGON, etc.). Take those numbers and google them. If those numbers come back with the same listing name and address, it's legit!

Good Luck!!

[Richfilth]

yes Mr Lund, I'm sure a UK company asking for payment in pounds have a NIP and a REGON...

Anyway Dynow, all UK companies must register at Companies House (http://www.companieshouse.gov.uk) and all details can be searched for using their WebCheck service. If the company is professional, their company number should be included in the footer of their emails. Be aware, however, that shipping companies may be registered at a lawyers office in a strange place, because of the international nature of their business.

A WHOIS search on their internet address should also yield similar information regarding owner, address, and contact numbers (but not always.)

[lundjstuart]

[dynow]

i checked my emails from them and the website, i don't see any of their company info.

here's the company:

http://removalgroup.com/

[lundjstuart]

I think that if you just asked them for it, they would give it to you. If they won't give the info to you, it's a scam.

[dynow]

I used the companieshouse.uk website and it asks for the company number, maximum amount of digits is 8. the vat/tax number I received was 9 digits.....

i have in fact found some posted complaints on the internet about this company, but nonetheless, this proves the company exists. maybe it's done some bad business in the past (like just about all companies) but it is an actual company.

hmmm.

[lundjstuart]

Dynow,

Just get a qoute from Allied Polska, it's an American company in Gdynia.

[Richfilth]

If they haven't provided a Company number, then they are not a registered limited number, which means you're probably dealing with a sole trader (similar to the dzialalnosc gospodarcza over here.) His tax number should be in the format AA 11 11 11 A (letters and numbers) and all tax details are dealt with via HM Revenue & Customs, the UK version of Urzad Skarbowy.

Unfortunately due to Data Protection, it's not easy to get their personal details from their tax number, but you are dealing with an Unlimited Liability person which means, should they mess things up and a court case ensues, their entire life is up for grabs (car, house, pet cat) unlike a limited company.

Just make sure you get a good insurance policy on your stuff, and you'll be fine. Any shipping company; Brit, US or Pole, will screw you hard in the event of a f*ck-up anyway; it's the insurance that matters most.

[dynow]

the tax number he gave me was all numbers, no letters.

and i can't find it anywhere online.

i was considering insurance but i would imagine it costs a fortune to insure everything in the shipment, no?

[spiral78]

There's only one real solution to this problem: don't go!

[corij]

that website is for an agency,not an actual removal business. personally i would look for a business with online photos of their own trucks with the business name on the truck.

[dynow]

richfilth wrote: