Somewhere in the paperwork for your move, you may have noticed a name you do not recognise: a company in Sydney, Toronto or Dubai that will “handle destination services”. Or you may have read a review from someone whose UK remover said, once the container had sailed, that a problem at the other end was “the agent’s responsibility”.
It is a reasonable thing to worry about. You chose one company. Now it seems there are two.
The short version is that this is normal, and it is not a problem in itself. Almost every international removal is delivered by a partner company in the destination country. What matters is how that partner is chosen, who you speak to while they do their work, and who answers for the move if something goes wrong.
Quick answer: A destination agent is the removal company in your new country that clears your belongings through customs, collects them from the port and delivers them to your home. UK removers use them because the work needs local knowledge, licences and crews. Your contract is normally with the UK company you booked, and that company should stay responsible for the move and stay in touch with you throughout. Before you book, ask who your contact will be on delivery day.
Why does a different company deliver your belongings?
An international move crosses two countries’ customs systems, two sets of road and port rules, and often two languages. Customs clearance in most countries has to be done by a locally registered broker. Delivery needs a crew, vehicles and insurance in that country. No UK remover keeps crews in every city it delivers to, and no overseas remover packs homes in Surrey.
So international moves are built as a partnership. The UK company (the “origin agent”) surveys, packs, exports and ships. A company at the other end (the “destination agent”) imports, clears and delivers. Large international networks, such as the FIDI and IAM memberships, exist partly so that movers in different countries can find, vet and work with each other.
Definition: a destination agent (also called a destination partner or destination service provider) is the moving company in the destination country that handles customs clearance, port collection and delivery on behalf of the company you booked.
What does the destination agent actually do?
| Task | UK company (the one you booked) | Destination agent | You |
|---|---|---|---|
| Survey, quote and contract | ✓ | Agree what is included | |
| Packing, inventory, collection | ✓ | Set aside what travels with you | |
| Export paperwork and booking the sailing | ✓ | ||
| Briefing the destination partner | ✓ (inventory, access notes, your dates) | Receives the file | |
| Customs clearance at the destination | Prepares and checks the documents | Lodges them and deals with customs | Provide passport, visa, any forms; be available |
| Port collection, storage if needed | Arranges and monitors | ✓ | |
| Delivery, placing furniture, unpacking if included | Books the date with you | ✓ local crew | Be there, or nominate someone |
| Debris removal | Agrees it in the quote | ✓ | |
| Your contact before, during and after delivery | ✓ move manager | Works through the move manager |
The last row is the one that differs most between companies, and it is the one reviews complain about.
Who is responsible if something goes wrong at the destination?
In most cases your contract is with the UK company you booked, so that company remains your point of responsibility for the whole move, including the part its partner carries out. The UK company in turn has its own agreement with the partner. In practice that means:
- Damage or loss on delivery: note it on the delivery paperwork at the time, photograph it, and report it to your UK company within the time limit in your terms. If you have cover, such as MoveProtect, the claim goes through that.
- A delay at customs: your UK company should be able to tell you why, what is needed and what it costs. Our guide to belongings held at customs explains the common causes.
- A dispute you cannot resolve: if your remover is a member of the British Association of Removers, its Code of Practice applies, and unresolved disputes can go to independent dispute resolution through the Furniture & Home Improvement Ombudsman.
Check your own contract for the exact terms and time limits. Terms vary between companies, and the time to read them is before you book. Our guide to what happens if an international removal goes wrong goes through each situation in more detail.
What questions should you ask before you book?
Four questions tell you how a company handles the destination side:
- “Who will deliver my belongings in my new city?” A good company will tell you how its partners work there, even if the exact partner is confirmed later.
- “How do you choose your partners?” Membership of international networks, how long they have worked together, and how the partner is checked are all reasonable things to ask about.
- “Who will I call on delivery day?” If the answer is a phone number for a company you have never heard of, you will be explaining your move from the beginning.
- “How are claims handled if something is damaged at delivery?” The answer should name a process and a time limit, not “it depends on the agent”.
Want To Know Who Delivers At The Other End?
Your move manager can explain how delivery works in your destination city, what the partner there will do, and how you will be kept informed from port to front door. Ask in the first call.
How does it work with Gerson Moving Services?
We work with partner companies in the destination country too. That is how international removals are done well. What we have built around it is the part customers notice: your dedicated move manager stays your primary contact from the quote to the day after delivery.
In practice:
- Before your belongings sail, your move manager sends the destination partner your file: the inventory prepared on packing day, your customs documents, access notes for the new address (parking, stairs, lifts) and the dates you can be there.
- While your belongings are at sea, your move manager tells you when they have sailed and their estimated arrival, and confirms with the partner that the customs paperwork is ready before the ship docks.
- At the port, the partner lodges the paperwork and deals with customs locally. If customs ask for anything, your move manager tells you what and why.
- On delivery day, a local crew working for our partner delivers, places and (if included) unpacks your belongings. Your move manager has arranged the date with you and remains the person you call, during and after delivery.
Specialists do their part at each stage: the packing crew in the UK, the shipping line, the partner overseas. Your move manager holds the file, so you do not have to explain your move again at the hand-over. More on this is on our How We Work page.
Gerson Moving Services is FIDI FAIM accredited, an independently audited quality standard for international movers, and a member of IAM, the International Association of Movers. Both networks connect movers worldwide, which is part of how destination partners are found and checked. Our accreditations page explains what each one means.
What should you do on delivery day?
- Be there, or nominate someone and tell your move manager in advance.
- Check each numbered item off against the inventory as it comes in.
- Note any damage on the delivery paperwork before you sign, and photograph it.
- Ask the crew to place furniture where you want it while they are there.
Our guide to delivery day covers the day itself in more detail, including access and what unpacking includes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it normal for a removal company to use a destination agent?
Yes. Almost every international removal uses a partner company in the destination country for customs clearance and delivery, because that work needs local registration, crews and vehicles. The difference between companies is how the partner is chosen and whether you keep the same contact throughout.
Will I have to pay the destination agent directly?
Usually not for anything included in your quote. Some charges can arise only at the destination, such as customs inspection fees, port storage if paperwork is late, or access charges if a lorry cannot reach your home. Ask before booking which of these are included, which are not, and who would bill you for them.
Can I choose the destination agent myself?
Normally the company you book chooses and contracts its partner, because it is responsible for them and has to work with them. If you have a strong reason to prefer a particular company at the destination, ask before you book; some removers can accommodate it, but it can change who is responsible for what.
Who do I complain to if the delivery crew damages something?
Note the damage on the delivery paperwork, photograph it and report it to the company you booked within the time limit in your terms. If you have move liability cover such as MoveProtect, the claim goes through that. With a BAR member, unresolved disputes can go to the Furniture & Home Improvement Ombudsman.
Does the destination agent clear customs for me?
They lodge the paperwork and deal with customs on your behalf, usually as a licensed broker. They cannot provide documents only you can supply, such as your passport, visa or residence permit, and some countries require you to be in the country before clearance. Your move manager will tell you what is needed and when.
What happens if my belongings arrive before I do?
They can usually be held at the port or in the partner’s warehouse until you arrive, but storage is charged, and in some countries customs will not clear them until you are there. Your move manager can time the sailing so this is less likely, and tell you in advance what storage would cost.
Related Topics
- How We Work
- What happens on delivery day
- What happens if your international removal goes wrong
- How to choose an international removal company
Want to know how delivery works in your new city? Your move manager can walk you through what happens from the port to your front door, and who does what, in the first call.
Gerson Moving Services is a member of the British Association of Removers (with the BAR Advance Payment Guarantee), IAM accredited, FIDI FAIM accredited and part of the AGM Group of companies.
