On the surface, the fact that there are literally thousands of house clearance and rubbish removal services currently in business across the UK appears to be nothing but a good thing. Prices are coming down all the time, availability has never been higher and quality standards tend to be fantastic – all of which bodes well for those seeking professional rubbish clearance in London.
Unfortunately however, this vast arsenal of providers has made it easier than ever before for the somewhat dodgy dealers out there to slip through the net and go into business for themselves. After all, all you really need these days is to at least claim to be a professional business with a suitable vehicle and a cheap website. It’s therefore less than surprising that so many customers every day fall victim to unreliable, dodgy and in some cases downright fraudulent service providers who end up proving to be more trouble than they’re worth.
So assuming these are exactly the kinds of services you need and you’d rather stay as far away as possible from the dodgy dealers, what kinds of things should you be looking out for?
First Impressions
Well, first of all it is a good idea to go with your gut – if the first impression you get isn’t one that fills you with confidence, it’s probably a good idea not to go any further. It’s usually pretty easy to tell which businesses are professional and indeed run by professionals from the moment you first get in touch. In fact, you can usually tell a lot about a business by the way it presents itself via its website – does it appear as if you are dealing with professionals, or is the website nothing less than amateur hour? Go with your gut – it’s not as if there’s a shortage of competing service providers out there.
Suspiciously Low Prices
Something else to be very much aware of is the way in which any offers/services that appear too good to be true are probably exactly that. There’s something of a set average that you can expect to pay for any given removals or clearance service, at least in the instance of the industry’s very best service providers. The simple fact of the matter is that these vehicles, their upkeep, the company’s employees, labour, insurance, marketing and so on and so forth do NOT come free of charge. Far from it in fact, which is why when and where services appear to be up for grabs for peanuts, alarm bells should quite rightly start ringing.
No Paperwork
It’s a legal requirement for any clearance services of any kind to make sure that everything they do is accurately and comprehensively logged with hard copies being kept of everything. Suffice to say therefore, one of the most immediately obvious signs of a dodgy dealer is one that appears to be in any way reluctant to provide any kind of paperwork at all. Whether it’s a request for an initial quotation or an official invoice for payment, these are exactly the kinds of things that should be provided as standard and shouldn’t technically have to be asked for. And if it still seems like they are reluctant after being asked, walk away.
Cash in Hand
Still on the same subject, any kind of offer with the word cash in hand in exchange for a lower price or better service package should be avoided at all costs. Of course it can be tricky to turn down what seems like a fantastic deal, but by working cash in hand they are both breaking the law and leaving you as the client wide open to a world of trouble. More often than not, those working cash in hand are not what you’d call the most professional providers on the market and it’s extremely unlikely they will be carrying any kind of insurance to be doing what it is they do. Suffice to say, this does not bode well for the client.
Dodgy/Absent Feedback
Last but not least, those in this kind of work rely on word of mouth and the feedback of their clients to secure their next jobs – this has always been the way the industry works. As such, it should be relatively easy to access as much feedback as necessary to gain a comprehensive idea of the kinds of services they offer and the quality thereof. Of course it goes without saying that to come across dodgy feedback isn’t exactly reassuring, but at the same time if there is a distinct lack of feedback altogether, this should be treated with just as much suspicion. And if the provider in any way appears reluctant to provide you with feedback upon request, chances are this is a sign that they have something to hide…and nothing good.
