I had a protracted move with a few hiccups along the way so by the time our date was agreed it was 6 months after Caledonian visited. After paying the money up front I heard nothing until the day before so I must admit to being a bit concerned especially as they were 30 mins late arriving.
But I needn't have worried - from the moment they turned up they were excellent. Nothing was too much trouble. The guys out a real shift in and we're so polite and courteous to everyone they spoke to you would think they were butlers to the Queen. They even took time to play with the kids at one point. Really impressive and friendly.
They made a de-tour to a different address - no problem.
They sent someone to get a tool I needed to sort a lock - no problem.
They took down a bed and cot and out it back together at the other side - no problem.
Ask for regular updates but other than that have no hesitation in recommending them.
Broke my mums dressing table mirror and promised to repair it. 18 months later nothing, its ruined. Never responded to calls since. Damaged walls moving furniture in too. Disgrace.
Removals Scotland, Caledonian a few names, do not use the Howies.
All seemed fine with stuff in storage, though a little concerned they moved yard whilst storing my belongings. Originally thought my container would be moved but apparently all unpacked and repacked to new location..not one on website or looks anything like the flash pictures.
I moved into new house on 3rd April 2018, still waiting for a number of items to be delivered, verbally confirmed in April they had them..someone put them in a different container and didn’t update computer apparently.
Couldn’t deliver to me as van broken down, following week same excuse, never called me back when he was 40mins from office and would call me straight back to arrange..nothing since now July. Been to site and no one around, doesn’t answer my calls or messages despite being totally contactable before I’d paid final bill ahead of delivery day.
So mountain bike, soundbar, chair, wheelbarrow plus number of other items not materialising nor any compensation for damaged goods, when told just send us a pic and we’ll sort on insurance. Nor collection of the mystery box of someone else’s personal effects that were left with me obviously mixed up in my container!!
Total scumbags and worries me that they do this to elderly or more vulnerable people, disgusting and unprofessional to say the least.
These are thieves - do not use if you care about your belongings.
In July 2012, I placed antique furniture (family heirlooms), paintings, and other personal possessions in a climate-controlled storage unit with Caledonian Moving and Storage for an agreed four-weekly sum of £60, which I faithfully paid until May 2016. So a total sum of £3,015 (inclusive an overpayment of £60).
At that time, I made arrangements with Caledonian's owner for my belongings to be shipped to Germany, where I now live.I paid Caledonian £2,280 by wire transfer for the shipping, which Mr. Howie confirmed in an e-mail sent 9 May 2016 that he had received.
My belongings were scheduled to be shipped in June 2016. They never arrived. And Mr. Howie stopped answering e-mails and wouldn't answer the phone when he recognised my number.
Eventually, I reached him on the telephone and he claimed that everything had been in transit, but that due to the Brexit referendum, his drivers had all cancelled and refused to take the shipment. He also gave me a personal sob story about his business being in trouble and that he was really no longer in the moving business, rather only storage, but that he would see this one shipment through and I needed to just give him some time but that he guaranteed I would get my belongings back.
I never heard from him again. I have tried here and there to reach him, but he never answers the phone and ignores all e-mails. Once, I caught him on the telephone and he again spent a long time explaining his woes and that he's in a period of difficulty and that I just needed to be patient. It has now been years since I have been trying to get my belongs back. Quite frankly, my depression over the loss of so many family treasures - paintings by my grandmother and great-grandmother, a four-poster bed that has been in the family since the 18th century - has had me paralyzed with inaction, scared that if I "upset the apple cart," that I would never see them again.
Somehow he has managed to get away with the theft of tens of thousands of pounds worth of furniture and heirlooms. The financial loss is nothing, however, compared to the sentimental loss. This was everything I owned in the world. There is not a day that goes by that I don't think about something I used to have and will never see again.
David was wonderful and prompt when I contacted him about a fast, turn-around move I needed from Glasgow to Indiana. I was stressed about the international move and it being so fast, and he was pleasant and affordable and worked well with what we needed. On the day of the move, he and his men were quick and efficient and professional.
But, since he left with our things, the story has changed. He said He would email me customs forms to fill out. He didnt. When I updated his with our new address, it took 2 emails and a phone call to reach him to verify. He said again that he would send the customs forms and call me the next day with an update. Then nothing. I've called again, but cannot reach him. I've emailed several times with no reply. I'm desperate at this point.
The material possessions that we shipped are irreplaceable. Our children's baby books and childhood artefacts. Our family photo albums with only copies of some pictures. My Christmas ornaments collection, with ornaments from my grandparents who recently passed away. Everything we own that couldn't fit into the suitcases we took on the plane are in that shipment. Our clothes, shoes, tax documents.. So much. I can't imagine it all just gone. It's seriously heart-breaking.
I would love to hear back from them and get our things and update this rating. I would love advice on how to proceed. We just want our things!! I'm desperate at this point!
Helpful resources for researching Caledonian Moving & Storage.
The current operators of Caledonian Moving & Storage and MoveCare (both of which have been used as "trading as" names for Move Store (Glasgow) Ltd., as well as "trading as" names for Air Road Sea Experts Limited) have created a gordion knot of associated companies (stretching back more than a decade), with several now involved in active disputes with customers in Glasgow, the greater UK, and abroad.
Both of the men running the company have been involved with operating a string of associated limited liability removal and storage companies as Directors, de facto Directors, company Secretaries, and ex-Directors. More recently, the owners have stated their intention to cease trading as Caledonian Moving & Storage and MoveCare, and instead return to trading as SmartSpace Storage (which was struck-off in 2017). It's unclear what the interrelated nature of the companies actually looks like from a legal standpoint.
This complicated set of unfortunate events has resulted in a facebook support group found here:
Both men demonstrate a basic understanding of corporate/company law (their earlier companies were initially compliant with filing regulations), and would recognise that continuing to operate struck-off companies, and/or actively enabling a family member to run the struck-off company and conduct day to day financial transactions without oversight, could result in Director disqualification.
Over the past week, the companies have instructed their web content hosts to remove web pages and other sources of publicly available information about the companies and relationships. This includes social media accounts, web content on the company domains, and third party listings at removals and storage advertising websites. The companies have attempted to influence removals customers who post unsupportive reviews, and repeatedly stressed that customers would violate some aspects of their legal obligations if they attempted to make contact with the authorities or consumer rights enforcement bodies.
It appears this action has been taken because the Herald Scotland article (and a possible follow-up later this week, and interest by STV to do a story) has generated new interest by enforcement bodies, and a steady stream of new victims. The editor of the Herald tweeted his support by retweeting the story with a note that the Director of the companies had sent a legal letter and reported the reporter to the police in order to prevent the article from being published.
To summarise:
Since 2017, three jointly run and family owned/associated storage and removals companies have been operating out of a Lloyd St (Rutherglen) yard which holds unmarked shipping containers, skips containing household goods, a shiny Airstream trailer, and an assortment of goods vans. The companies appear to rely on shared vehicles, shared facilities, shared employees, and a single business bank account.
Move Store (Glasgow) Ltd (trading as MoveCare) appears to function as a “third-party” service provider for the other businesses, including processing payments into Move Store (Glasgow) Ltd accounts.
None of the companies has up to date account records listed at Companies House, obfuscating the details of any current agreements the struck-off companies (Caledonian Moving & Storage and SmartSpace Storage) have with Move Store (Glasgow) Ltd. These associations and relationships are quite obvious even from a distance, and one would expect to see the Directors of the respective companies declare the family members as persons with significant control on their Companies House record.
Most customers recall and have documents which suggest they interacted primarily with "DH" (the son). "JH" (the Dad) self-describes himself as retired and uninvolved in his son’s business ventures. That being the case, it appears that "DH" is currently tasked with managing all of the companies, and making sure that MoveCare customers got emails from hello@movecare.co.uk and the Caledonian customer replies had removals-scotland.com at the top. He has been the primary contact person when customers attempt to visit the Lloyd St location.
"JH", despite being the listed Director of MoveCare has refused to speak to people identifying themselves as storage customers on the phone, and insisted his only obligation is to pass on a phone message. "JH" is often mentioned as part of the preferred narrative "DH" provides to customers, but rarely seen.
Up until two days ago, the company which signed most contracts with customers (Caledonian Moving & Storage) was still claiming to be located in an entirely unrelated Possilpark industrial estate. There is ample evidence showing that this location was no longer in use by any of the companies in any form, but I wasn’t told this even after I went to the site and called the owner in a panic about his company not being at the address. I was not invited to come back out to see them at the correct location, I was not even told the location of the correct location. I was simply told they were unavailable and I could just wait for my property to be redelivered.
I started the process of claiming compensation for my losses (damaged furniture, damaged heirloom dollhouse, not knowing where my property was being stored) on 10 September 2019. The company had also failed to return an integral basement level of the heirloom dollhouse. "DH" attended my flat in person and verified that the damage was accurately reflected in the photos I had provided. It was clearly indicated that the damage was done while in his possession. He suggested a plan to repair the dollhouse at a shop in Alloa(?), replace the mattresses, and engage with Ikea for parts to repair the damaged bed (or he would replace it should the parts not be available). The insurance policy I insisted was necessary (and I was told was included in my weekly fees) did not actually exist. The £25000 policy for removals also does not exist. Without terms and conditions or a proper contract, I had no leverage once I had agreed to pay in advance.
My email requests for an update on 23 August and 2 September went unacknowledged. On 10 September I sent a “signed for” letter (based on advice from the Citizens Advice Bureau and sheriff court) stating my case to 21 unique addresses related to the companies and historic/current associates. I made these connections after referring to widely available company information at Companies House. Once I received the “Return to Sender” letters, I had a much better idea of where my property was being hidden, and how I could contact the various company owners about the compensation and repairs to which they’d agreed.
I waited until 1 October 2019 for a response to my correspondence. On that date, I went to the yard at Lloyd Street and asked for my property and compensation in person. "DH" was at the site and after I asked for my dollhouse basement, he unambiguously ordered me to refrain from contacting him again unless it was through a solicitor. My understanding was that I had apparently violated some unwritten terms and agreements obligation that said customers were not allowed to know the actual location where their property was being stored, and if customers attempt to go around the policy of hiding property at an undisclosed third party location, we forfeited all rights. Because that makes all sorts of sense.
Rather than argue, I have instead chosen to shine a light on his business practices, and those of closely associated family members who own and operate closely associated companies. The information I include below is widely and publicly available.
Indeed, the businesses are so closely related and the associations so fundamental that it’s not possible to review one company without references to the others. I hope this clarifies why my review is not for a single specific company, and instead documents the frustration I've felt trying to peel away shell companies and conflicts of interest and all the ways they've hidden in plain sight for almost ten years.
JH and DH close business associations, per Companies House:
- Caledonian Moving & Storage Ltd, SC392650, struck-off 15 May 2015
- Move Store (Glasgow) Ltd, SC594840, struck-off 24/09/2019 and restored 09/10/2019
- MoveCare, T/A name for Move Store (Glasgow) Ltd.
- SmartSpace Storage, SC538054, struck-off (involuntary) 28 - November 2017
- Air Road Sea Experts Ltd, SC626781, claimed to be dormant in Aug/Sep 2019
- Worldmove Ltd, SC379779, struck-off (involuntary) 25 May 2012
- Simply Store aka Simply Self Drive Ltd, SC418189, struck-off (involuntary) 19/10/2013
- Howie Transport, SC328658, struck-off 31 October 2014
- DH Carriers, earliest incarnation of Caledonian Moving & Storage
- Caledonian Worldwide Movers, Trading As name for Caledonian
- Glasgow Self Store, trading as name Simply Store
- Rutherglen Self Store, third party business listing
Company domain names (including but not limited to, most are defunct as of 17/02/2020):
Social Media: Facebook - @Caledonianmoving (defunct) Twitter - @CaledonianMove (defunct), most removed as of 18 Feb 2020
Company Phone Numbers (from the websites):
0800-130-3334
0141-336-3333
0808-123-8080
0787-999-1312
0792-337-03470 (?)
Locations:
Google maps supplies photographic evidence that the primary location for all related businesses is now Phase 1, Yard 4 Lloyd St, Rutherglen, G73 1NP. The companies ceased to use the Lomond/Denmark St facilities in 2017. Websites directly related to the company had contact details changed last week in anticipation of the news article, and have now been removed entirely. Third party website contact information varies wildly.
There are additional addresses on Balmore Road (but no evidence to back this up), Caledonia Road (there is evidence supporting this), Siemens Place (no evidence), the accountant/formations company on Bath St, and both Move Store (Glasgow) Ltd and SmartSpace Storage list Kinmount Ave as the primary correspondence address.
Agreements and Contracts with limited liability companies:
I had a simple contractual agreement with DH and JH for removal and storage services. I am unable to enforce any contractual obligations by the companies because the agreement was with Caledonian Moving & Storage and that company was struck off of the Companies House register in 2015.
I would have expected JH to tell me when he visited (to do an estimate for storage as a stated rep of Caledonian) that his goal was to convince me to use a company that he was running four years earlier, when it was involuntarily struck-off of the Companies House register. He'd like me to ignore all of that silly drama and kerfuffle because on this occasion he actively believes it's a good idea to enable his son to enter into financial agreements and sign contracts as a company which is not allowed to enter into financial agreements or sign contracts.
Paying MoveCare and not Caledonian:
The (more than) £1200 I paid between August 2018 and August 2019 was directed into a bank account belonging to JH and MoveCare/Move Store (Glasgow) Ltd. From my interactions with the companies and the available paperwork, it appears that Caledonian uses MoveCare for all aspects of running the business, save for contractual agreements. I still don't understand why the owners wasted my time trying to convince me that DH is just a MoveCare employee and gets a pay check from JH like everyone else. Why then turn around and announce that you’re the company owner on your facebook profile and then reiterate that fact to a journalist? NONE of this situation could be considered compliant with standard consumer protection law.
My complaint and damages:
My property was returned to me with water/condensation damage, including “tide lines” on my mattresses and mould coating the walls of an heirloom dollhouse. A hole was punched through the back of a solid wooden (not flimsy Ikea style) bookcase. A computer was fogged up by the condensation which formed INSIDE the display. The basement to the dollhouse has simply disappeared. The boxes had spent time with water standing on their lids, although it had dried long before redelivery to me.
The company failed to provide details of their chosen ADR scheme, and they did not offer to engage with me through an ADR organisation of my choice. I was just ordered to not attempt to speak to them because the defacto Director was worried I would compromise his rights. I am apparently the aggressor, the business is the victim, and they needed to protect the company from unreasonable customers and evil competitors. I’ve seen nothing to support that suspicion and I've corresponded with several customers the owners claim do not exist. I have concerns about what the owners say about me to other customers.
My own legal options are now limited due to the company failing to issue me with a set of terms and conditions that preserved my rights, and they refused to compensate me even after they admitted the damage occurred at their facility.
The last available terms and conditions provided on the Caledonian website were lifted from the British Association of Removers website and there is no evidence that any of the related companies were authorised to use them.
Published articles and widely available information:
This past week has seen a flurry of digital damage control activities. The company websites (addresses pasted below) were all changed to better support the preferred narrative of company directors. Since then, all but SmartSpace Storage have been removed entirely.
Even with the removals-scotland.com website now defunct, but the Wayback Machine offers a comprehensive look at Caledonian Moving & Storage, dating back a decade. Prior to this week, most websites related to the relevant companies pointed customers to a physical address in Possilpark.
Websites controlled and updated by the companies themselves now show all companies operating from Lloyd St (Phase 1, Yard 4, G731NP) in Rutherglen. Third party websites all reflect older location details.
Companies House records for the associated companies and Directors:
All but two of the associated companies have been struck-off, and the primary Dirctor has confirmed in the news article that they have been using the Caledonian and SmartSpace names and websites in an attempt to continue to trade after being struck-off. Those companies can’t have business bank accounts or insurance or pay employees or take fees from customers.
They ABSOLUTELY can’t be making financial agreements or entering into contracts with customers.
The various companies are all trading from the same location, with the same employees, using the same facilities and vehicles, and all of the money I was paying to store goods with Caledonian was shunted into a Move Store (Glasgow) Ltd account.
Smart Space (Scotland) Ltd (SC538054): https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/SC538054
Move Store (Glasgow) Ltd (t/a MoveCare) https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/SC594840
Air Road Sea Experts Ltd (SC626781): https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/SC626781
"DH": Current defacto Director for MoveCare, Move Store (Glasgow) Ltd, current Director of Air Road Sea Experts Ltd, former Director of SmartSpace Storage, defacto Director for Caledonian Moving & Storage: https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/officers/2WCn33QpZsjSus5u1F2XHobjbWU/appointments
"JH" The former Director of Caledonian Moving & Storage: https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/officers/yMONKzenu5jrvtg4MhGDw74Iahk/appointments
"JGH" Current director for MoveCare, Move Store (Glasgow) Ltd: https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/officers/v-ycxewqdBBDLVETehf0bSjVMAs/appointments.
I contacted this company in total desperation, the removal company I had booked to move me from Europe to the UK let me down at the last minute. I did notice they had bad reviews online after I booked them but it was too late as I'd paid upfront. My items arrived on time and David and his team were a great help and even spent time assembling furniture for me. I've since moved again and used them without hesitation. I've got them to carry out removals for my Mum and my Uncle, again they were hassle free removals. I'd recommend David to anyone that's moving house as you can drop your keys off and let him do the work. They'll also help you with boxes and packing paper and they'll come back later and take the used boxes away to save you any hassle. If you're in any doubt about the service just phone David and speak to him directly, you'll discover that he is straightforward and pleasant to deal with.
I received nothing but terrible service from the very beginning with poor attitude, demands for payment upfront and a total disrespect for my belongings and my property - My advise to anyone looking at using this removal company is to stay well clear.
Unprofessional and dishonest - AVOID AT ALL COSTS.
The owner/manager D.H. [name removed by request of the removal company] acts like a child trying to run a business. He happily took our money for almost two years to pick up and store our household items while we were living out of the country. However, when we returned to claim our items, it took almost four days (even though we had given 6 weeks notice) for them to provide us access to all of our items.
Mr H. [name removed by request of the removal company] avoided answering calls and actually ran away from discussions when we tried to have conversations in person.
Our items were not wrapped as promised so the soft goods came out damp and musty smelling after almost 2 years in storage. There were numerous items missing or damaged but Mr H. [name removed by request of the removal company] refuses to provide insurance details (even though we paid a monthly fee to maintain insurance on the goods).
He claims that no items were missing even though we provided the inventory list clearly showing the items were stored with him. One very important item was a box of family, wedding, baby photos. After he adamantly claimed that we had all of our items, we stopped by and saw a box sitting at the front of his storage unit. We saw our name on it and fortunately it was our photos.
We have contacted a solicitor as Mr H. [name removed by request of the removal company] is no longer returning calls or responding to emails (other reviewers on other sites state the same).
All that is left for me to do is to warn you, dear consumer to avoid this man and this business at all costs.
If you choose to ignore this review, then please be sure to get everything in writing from Mr H. [name removed by request of the removal company] in advance. We were dealing remotely and he constantly responded to emails with calls to avoid putting anything on paper..a good strategy for a dishonest person.
Caledonian Moving & Storage has registered their account, so they will be able to see and respond to your reviews publicly.
Their address is Unit 1 Possilpark Trading Centre Denmark Street, Glasgow, but removals usually cover a much larger area.
About the Business
Caledonian Moving & Storage reviews and ratings. Caledonian Moving and Storage is a Glasgow based removal company. Read Caledonian Moving & Storage removalists testimonials and consumer reports.
Is Caledonian Moving & Storage a registered company?
How to check if Caledonian Moving & Storage is trustworthy?
For extra peace of mind when hiring Caledonian Moving & Storage you may want to find one which is a member of one of the Removal industry trade associations or trade bodies.
These organisations have certain standards of operation which members must adhere to. Here is a list of some of them:
BAR – British Association Of Removers
NGRS – National Guild Of Removers And Storers
AIM – Association Of Independent Movers
SSA – The Self-Storage Association Of UK And Europe
FEDEMAC – Federation Of European Moving Association
FIDI – The International Federation Of International Movers
RHA – Road Haulage Association
BSI – British Standards Institute
RoSPA – Royal Society For The Prevention Of Accidents
What is Caledonian Moving & Storage cost for local moves?
We have calculated an approximate local moving market average price from 59 reviews of people moving within Lanarkshire to be £573.
From 16 local reviews for Caledonian Moving & Storage, we have calculated an average moving cost of £1006 for local moves.
This could mean that Caledonian Moving & Storage is more expensive with about 76% from the market average.
Take note that these local moving prices may vary from the prices you will get if you contact the company, since these costs are based on reviews data and not the movers themselves. Move prices can vary greatly as factors like home size and time spent moving as well as supplemental services like packing and assembly could influence your individual price.
To receive a more accurate moving quote from multiple local movers and compare the best pricing, we recommend you get an estimate from our cost estimator here.
What is Caledonian Moving & Storage cost for long distance moves?
From 321 reviews of people moving long ditance, we concluded that the market average costs are around £1747 when moving long-distance.
For Caledonian Moving & Storage, we estimate that their average long-distance moving costs will be around £696, based on 6 long distance moving reviews.
This could mean that long-distance moving services costs of Caledonian Moving & Storage for moving between states is cheaper with about 60% from the market average.
Note that these long-distance moving prices vary from the prices you will get if you contact the company, since these costs are extracted solely from reviews data and not the moving company. In addition, move prices can vary greatly because of factors like shipment size and distance between locations as well as supplemental services like packing and assembly. This is why you should compare competing moving quotes from licensed movers with our tool here.
Average service costs information
We generate average normalized moving cost based on information submitted by people who have reviewed Caledonian Moving & Storage. Take note that these prices may vary from the prices you will get if you contact the company, since these costs are based on reviews data and not the removals themselves. Please note that move prices can vary greatly based on factors like home size and distance between locations as well as supplemental services like packing and assembly.
The market averages are generated from reviews on our review sites from the last 3 years. To get more precise moving quotes, please consider using our moving estimator.
Community testimonials, ratings and consumer reports on Caledonian Moving & Storage - a professional company located in Unit 1 Possilpark Trading Centre Denmark Street, Glasgow. Discover Glasgow, Lanarkshire moving companies.
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