1st Move International

We were very distressed after using this company to move overseas. Our belongings were over 2 months late and when our things arrived we had valued items missing. 2 of my designer handbags were missing, a Chanel one and a Louis Vuitton one. We paid 1st Move International to pack up all our things for us and I had pictures of my handbags at home in my wardrobe. When I asked 1st Move to help me find them, they told me they probably never existed. Both bags had over 1,000-pound resale value.

Service cost: £5000

They gave me a quote based on the exact size of the boxes that I had stacked up myself in my house in a perfectly precise cubic meter. When I talked to one of their Sales Executive on the phone, he said I will pay exactly for what I have an nothing more. He sounded polite and assuring and gave me a good first impression of a reliable moving company. After they picked up my items, they sent me a new quote that showed a different way of calculating the size and the fees than what I was initially told; and almost 200 GBP extra on top of the old offer. When I called the company about this, my call was immediately transferred to a Move Coordinator who I found very rude, unprofessional, and sarcastic.

I do not recommend using this company to anyone. They are not the cheapest in the UK and certainly not honest nor respectful of their customer.

Service cost: £700

I used 1st Move International to move from the UK to Australia. It cost me double what they quoted, and when I finally unpacked the pallets in Australia, three valuable persian rugs collected on my travels were all missing. The company provided me with the packing inventory which showed them having packed them onto the pallets, but as they were large, rolled area rugs, they wouldn't have even fit into the pallets I collected. The company stood by the packing inventory and refused to accept that they didn't get packed, so either someone lied about packing them to steal the rugs, or they overlooked them and they got missed out and then they covered it up and didn't correct their mistake. As my pallets were in storage at this end for more than 60 days, the insurance expired and I can't even claim on them. So disappointed.

Service cost: £4000

You will pay about double of what they quoted you for. The company gives you the illusion of it being a door to door service - their sales representative will NOT tell you that their service is only half of what's needed to get your shipment to your destination. They do pick up from your home in departure city, but the shipment will only get to some port in vicinity of your arriving city. On top of that, their shipping partner is just as terribly reviewed as they are. Please avoid this company at all cost. Their entire strategy is preying on consumers not reading the fine prints.

Service cost: £1100