You’ve probably already read the reviews. Someone whose belongings took six months to arrive. Someone whose removal company stopped answering emails the moment the deposit cleared. Someone who got a bill for charges nobody mentioned at the quote stage. If you’re weeks away from booking an international move and those stories are sitting in the back of your mind, that’s a reasonable place to be – and it’s worth getting a straight answer before you commit to anything.
So here’s a straight answer. International removals can go wrong – not often, and rarely in the way the worst reviews describe, but it happens. The honest version of “will my move go smoothly?” isn’t a guarantee; it’s knowing what protections, processes, and people stand behind your move if it doesn’t. That’s what this article covers: what actually goes wrong, what to expect from any company, what accreditation really does, what move protection covers, and what Gerson Moving Services does when something doesn’t go to plan.
What Actually Goes Wrong in International Removals (and How Often)
It helps to separate three different problems, because they’re not equally common and they’re not equally serious.
Loss or significant damage is the least common of the three, but dominates the worst reviews because it’s the most distressing when it happens. A box goes missing in transit, or an item arrives broken because it wasn’t packed or handled correctly. Across the volume of moves a removals company handles in a year, this affects a small minority – but “rare” isn’t the same as “never,” which is why move protection cover exists rather than being an optional extra nobody needs.
Delays are more common, and aren’t always the removal company’s fault. Customs clearance timelines vary by country and can be affected by paperwork queries, port congestion, or public holidays at the destination. A well-run company builds realistic time into your schedule and tells you when something is running behind – a poorly run one either doesn’t know, or doesn’t say.
Communication failure is, by a wide margin, the most frequent complaint in the reviews we looked at while researching this article. Not “my items were damaged” but “I agreed a collection date and then heard nothing.” This pattern shows up again and again in negative reviews of removal companies generally: not one catastrophic failure, but silence at the moment reassurance was needed most. It’s also the most preventable of the three, because it isn’t about shipping logistics – it’s about whether a company has built a structure where someone is actually responsible for telling you what’s happening.
What You Should Be Able to Expect From Your Removal Company
Regardless of which company you choose, there’s a baseline standard worth holding every quote against:
A named point of contact, not a department or a shared inbox. You should know who to call, and that person should already know your move when you call them – not need the situation re-explained from scratch.
A written inventory taken at collection, ideally with condition notes on higher-value items. This is the document that protects you if something is damaged – without it, a damage claim is your word against theirs.
Customs documentation handled or clearly explained. International moves require destination-specific paperwork, and you should know before collection day whether your removal company manages this for you or expects you to.
Proactive updates during transit, not updates you have to extract. A move that takes six to ten weeks door to door shouldn’t mean six to ten weeks of silence.
If a quote doesn’t make clear who your contact is, whether an inventory is taken, and how customs is handled, those are reasonable questions to ask before you book – not after.
Want this kind of accountability behind your own move?
Get a quote from Gerson Moving Services – no pressure, just a clear answer on who’s responsible for your move and what happens if something needs sorting out.
What Accreditation Actually Means When Things Go Wrong
Accreditation badges are easy to put on a website. What’s worth understanding is what each one actually does for you if something doesn’t go to plan.
BAR (British Association of Removers) dispute resolution is the most directly useful one if a disagreement happens. BAR membership gives customers access to an Alternative Dispute Resolution scheme, independently operated by the Furniture & Home Improvement Ombudsman (FHIO), if a complaint can’t be resolved directly with the company – a dispute doesn’t have to end in small claims court. BAR members are also financially vetted under the BAR Advanced Payment Guarantee, which protects your deposit if a company fails financially before your move.
IAM (International Association of Movers) standards apply at the industry level, covering professional conduct and best practice across cross-border moves. Membership signals a company operates within an internationally recognised code of practice, which matters when your move crosses jurisdictions with different consumer protections.
FIDI FAIM audit is the most rigorous of the three. FAIM (FIDI Accredited International Mover) is an independent, third-party audit – not a self-assessment – of a company’s financial stability, operational quality, and claims handling, renewed periodically rather than earned once.
What all three have in common: they’re external checks, not marketing claims. It’s worth verifying accreditation directly on the accrediting body’s own website rather than taking a logo at face value. Gerson Moving Services holds BAR and IAM accreditation and is part of the AGM Group of companies.
What Move Protection Covers – and What It Doesn’t
This is the part most quotes gloss over, and it’s worth slowing down on.
Basic carrier liability is the minimum legal cover included by default in most removal contracts, typically calculated by weight or a low fixed amount per item – regardless of what that item actually cost or means to you. A damaged box of kitchenware and a damaged box of family heirlooms could be compensated at the same low rate, which is rarely what anyone moving their whole home wants to rely on.
MoveProtect move liability cover is Gerson Moving Services’ move protection option, and it works differently: it insures your belongings at their declared value, so a claim reflects what an item is genuinely worth. Your move manager will talk through the cover level appropriate to what you’re moving – high-value furniture, electronics, or anything irreplaceable usually warrants a closer look than the legal minimum.
The detail of cover matters more here than on almost any other purchase most people make, because of what’s being moved: everything you own, for weeks, across borders. Ask exactly what’s included before you sign – don’t assume “insurance” means the same thing at every company.
What Gerson Moving Services Does When Something Goes Wrong
Here’s the honest version, specific to how we actually work, not a general promise that nothing will go wrong.
If a box arrives damaged: you report it to your move manager – the same person who has held your file from the quote stage – with the condition noted against the original inventory. They open the claim, confirm what’s covered under your protection level, and handle it directly rather than passing you to a separate claims department who’s never spoken to you before.
If a delivery is delayed: your move manager should already know before you do, because they’re tracking the milestones of your specific move, not waiting for you to ask. If a delay happens, you get a reason and a revised timeframe from the person who knows your situation – not a generic “deliveries may be delayed” notice.
If a customs query holds things up: this is one of the more common snags on an international move, and it’s rarely anyone’s fault – it’s simply how customs processes work in some destinations. Your move manager coordinates with our destination partner to resolve the query and keeps you informed of what’s needed and how long it’s likely to take, rather than leaving you to find out your delivery is stuck from a tracking number that hasn’t updated in days.
The reason this works is structural, not aspirational. Your move manager isn’t a customer service layer added on top of the move – they’re the person who has known your move since the quote stage, so if something goes wrong, you’re talking to someone with context, not starting from zero with whoever picks up the phone.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is my removal company liable for if my items are damaged?
By default, basic carrier liability, which is limited and often calculated by weight rather than actual value. This is why move liability cover, such as MoveProtect, exists. Check what level of cover applies to your move before you book.
What should I do if my belongings don't arrive on time?
Contact your named point of contact as soon as a delivery date is missed and ask for the reason and a revised estimate. With Gerson Moving Services, your move manager monitors transit milestones and will usually contact you first – but if you haven’t heard anything by your expected window, call them directly.
Does my home insurance cover items during an international move?
Almost never. Standard UK home contents insurance is designed for belongings inside your home, and most policies exclude items in transit, in third-party storage, or outside the UK. Check your policy’s exclusions before assuming you’re covered.
What is BAR dispute resolution?
An independent Alternative Dispute Resolution scheme the British Association of Removers offers to customers of member companies, operated by the Furniture & Home Improvement Ombudsman (FHIO), if a complaint can’t be resolved directly – a route to resolution that doesn’t require going to court.
What does FIDI FAIM accreditation actually check?
An independent, third-party audit of a removal company’s operational, financial, and quality standards – staff training, claims handling, financial stability. It’s renewed periodically, not a one-time badge.
What's the difference between basic liability and MoveProtect move liability cover?
Basic carrier liability is the legal minimum, usually capped by weight regardless of actual value. MoveProtect insures your belongings at their declared value, so a claim reflects what an item is genuinely worth.
Also see:
- : what it covers, what it doesn’t, and how to choose the right level for your move
- : what your move manager actually does at every stage, from survey to final delivery
- : the full overview of our international removals service
- : what happens if your move date and your destination readiness don’t line up
Before You Book
The companies that handle international removals well aren’t the ones with a flawless record – nobody who has moved thousands of households can honestly claim that. They’re the ones who can tell you, specifically, what happens if something doesn’t go to plan, and who’s accountable for fixing it.
If you’d like to talk through what that looks like for your move – including the move protection options available and who your point of contact would be from quote to delivery – . Your move manager would rather answer these questions now than explain them for the first time after something’s already gone wrong.
