If something goes wrong, tell us early

While we are still there

If you can see a problem on the day — something damaged, something missed, something not where you asked for it — say so before the crew leaves. Point it out to the crew lead. A scuffed door frame takes ten minutes to sort while there is still a van outside and a fortnight of email once there is not.

Take a photograph. Not because we will argue about it, but because a picture taken at the time removes the whole question of when something happened.

How to complain

Ring 07346 595376. Answered at any hour, including nights and weekends. This is the fastest route and the one we would rather you used.

Or email bookings@metrocitymoves.co.uk. Useful when you want photographs on the record. Put your move date and either postcode in the subject line so it reaches the right job straight away.

Whichever you use, it helps to tell us:

• the date of the move and the two addresses
• what went wrong, plainly — you do not need to phrase it carefully
• photographs, if there is anything to photograph
• what you would like us to do about it

That last one matters more than people expect. If you tell us what a good outcome looks like to you, we can usually get there faster than by guessing.

What happens next

Within one working day — we acknowledge that we have got it, and tell you the name of the person handling it. Not an automated reply.

Within five working days — we come back with an answer, or with a clear explanation of what we are still checking and when you will hear again. If we need to speak to the crew who did the job, that is what the time is for.

Within twenty working days — a final written response, including what we are going to do and why. If a claim needs to go through an insurer, that can take longer than twenty days, and we will tell you that rather than let the clock run quietly.

We will not ask you to accept anything in exchange for taking a review down, and we will not make a resolution conditional on you not writing one. Both are practices we think are wrong, and the second is unlawful.

Your legal rights

This procedure is in addition to your rights in law, and nothing on this page reduces them.

Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, a service must be carried out with reasonable care and skill. Where it is not, you are entitled to have it put right, or to a price reduction where repeating the work is impossible or disproportionate.

Where you booked at a distance — by phone, by email, or through this website — the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 also give you a fourteen-day right to cancel, running from the day the contract is made. Our terms and conditions will set out how that works alongside a booked move date; until they are published, ask us and we will tell you.

Free, impartial advice is available from Citizens Advice consumer service, who can also refer a matter to Trading Standards. You do not need our permission to contact them, and doing so does not stop us dealing with your complaint.

If we have not put it right

Reply to our final response and say so, and ask for it to be looked at again by someone who has not handled it so far. Small firms do not have a separate complaints department, so what this means in practice is that the owner reviews it personally.

If you are still not satisfied after that, you retain every right described above, including taking the matter to the county court. We would much rather it never got there, which is the whole reason for the timescales on this page.