Unregulated Removals Industry
The removals industry in the UK is unregulated, which means anyone can advertise and start a business as a mover. The lack of regulation means anyone with a van can offer to move all a family’s worldly goods without having to train in handling, packing and loading or without having the necessary materials and protective equipment. Such a business is unlikely to have adequate insurance or a customer-friendly complaints procedure. This means if the service is bad or there is any dispute, the only recourse is through the Small Claims Court, which can be expensive and time consuming.
Self-Regulation through a Trade Association
Professional movers will usually be a member of a Trade Association, such as the Association of Independent Movers (AIM). All members are required to adhere to a Code of Practice and participate in a dispute resolution scheme run by the Furniture and Home Improvement Ombudsman (FHIO).
The Code of Practice ensures that the mover works to a standard that provides a high level of service, while giving the customer a clear path to resolve disputes if anything goes wrong.
As AIM is a not-for-profit Association, membership is dependent on the quality of the mover’s business, rather than just their willingness to pay the fees. So all applicants have to provide evidence of their professionalism and service standards before they are accepted.
Members that breach the Code may be expelled from the Association, which can do serious reputational harm.
Not All Trade Associations are Equal
Technically, for a trade body to have the word Association in its name, it needs to be a company that is limited by guarantee with no share dividend, or in other words, a not-for-profit.
The problem with profit making trade bodies is that they have a financial interest in attracting as many members as possible so they can increase their income. They could allow members that do not meet basic consumer-friendly levels of service. Although it would be unfair to suggest that they all work this way, it is a clear vulnerability.
On the other hand, the UK’s two Associations for the removals industry (AIM and BAR) are primarily concerned with maintaining their good reputations while providing valuable services to their members and the public.
Movers that join AIM are proud of their professionalism and have often spent many years building a good reputation. Some require a little assistance to get their administration or documentation up to standard and some join for business networking opportunities. Mostly, however, they join because they are already excellent businesses and just want to show their customers that they are dedicated to providing the best service. Joining an Association that insist on quality is a good way to demonstrate that.
The AIM logo doesn’t just mean “This mover joined our club”, it means “This mover is dedicated to providing a high quality service.”
