Terms and Conditions

Please take a moment to read my terms and conditions which describe my 
responsibility to you, but also what is expected of you, in plain English,
...so we can get the job done properly.

"SW Piano Movers" is a trading name for Stephen Willett of 145 Beauchamp Road, London SE19 3DA. I am a sole trader.

Quotation Procedures

Prices are quoted in writing on the basis that all obstacles or complications have been explained and discussed.

For example; you will have been invited to declare any stairs and steps, or any other obstacle. Measurements of lifts should exclude hand rails and be taken from inside the lift with the door closed.

There must be adequate parking facilities to allow the van to be left for the duration of our work. You need to discuss any legal or physical restrictions with me.

To protect against spurious valuations, You will be asked to estimate the value of the item to be moved for insurance purposes. In the event of a claim, you may be requested to support your estimate with bills of sale or invoices. No claim can be considered for any item greater than its purchase price.

Long distance work may involve a complicated schedule organised around your agreed needs and those of other clients on that day's route. In this case the price quoted will be specific to a particular day (once agreed) and not necessarily transferable.

The quote does not include carrying out any manoeuvre or traversing any obstacle not specifically mentioned, discussed, clearly understood and agreed by myself.

Arrival times are an indication and not a firm commitment, although I do undertake to advise you should timings run more than 30 minutes early or late of the advised times on the day.

Customer's Responsibilities

To ensure that the job has been accurately described, and that careful account has been taken of the number of steps, turns on steps or in corridors, working space measurements and obstructions (example the bottom step of a staircase intruding on a narrow corridor). 

To ensure that a key holder is present and contactable to grant access at the agreed times,

To ensure the piece(s) to be moved is accessible (unless clearly discussed). 

To ensure that buildings, floors and stairways are secure and safe for the work to be carried out...NB especially when building work is being carried out or is incomplete.

To ensure the piece is in a fit condition to be moved, for example when a piano's veneer is peeling or loosely attached on account of age or poor condition and so will inevitably be further damaged in the moving process.

If a move I undertake is part of a complicated shipment involving several businesses, the client will be responsible, for ensuring they have taken out their own adequate moving insurance. This is because liability for damage may be disputable by any handler in the chain and you therefore require cover which circumvents the need to establish blame. 

Failure to meet these conditions could invalidate any insurance or claim for damages.

Payment

Payment is currently accepted by cash, cheque or by arrangement, BACS, online or smartphone transfer.

Cancellations

Whereas I understand that emergency situations can arise; long distance work may have resulted in incurring expense (example: ferry bookings or equipment hire), the refusal of other work, and to hiring labour. Therefore you should regard your commitment to a date as a binding contract, once agreed in writing.

Cancellations may be agreed with a minimum of 24 hours notice, but deposits taken are not refundable.

Liability for Goods

Goods in Transit Insurance Cover for loss or damage to goods is limited to £25,000 per van load, and cover is from 'first to last touch'. However, failure to explain obstacles (such as steps or stairs) to me during the quoting process may be grounds to decline liability.

Copies of my insurance certificates can be viewed on this site. You will need to request the password.

If Customer's Responsibilities (see above) have been complied with: I undertake to make good on any smaller repairs costing under £500 caused by accidents or mistakes resulting in damage to your property in my care.                             

I will have a duty of care to deliver your piano or item undamaged. You need to know that my insurances, especially Goods in Transit insurance, are taken out for my own protection rather than for yours. It's an important distinction which does not affect your legal rights, but may not meet your need for insurance cover in your interest. See more discussion here.

My insurers expect a record of your estimate of the value of your piano; this can be difficult and imprecise, so if in doubt, you should discuss this with me and we can record the discussion in our emails for all our protection. Purchase or restoration invoices, or written reports can help.

Uninvoiced goods, such as pianos which are family heirlooms can be hard to value and my insurers will take a view according to the merits of each case. Recent maintenance or restoration work may be taken into account, but not projected values following planned work.

Should a piano be damaged in my care, especially where damage is superficial, we are likely to discuss the possibility of repair work taken out at my expense. No claim for will be considered for depreciation resulting from such repair.

Liability cannot be accepted for any item in such poor condition that the process of moving may further damage it.

Liability cannot be accepted for damage to any item caused during its handling and transportation, when that damage is caused by deterioration previously caused by age, storage, mishandling or substandard repairs.  

My insurers will not compensate on a "new for old" basis, but rather take account of the value as determined by age, condition and depreciation.

Exclusions 

I regret that I do not ever undertake work for moving companies or agents organising a piano move on behalf of a third party. I can only enter into an agreement directly with the client who is the owner, buyer or seller of the item(s), and who can be responsible for the accuracy of the details of the move.

Should we find on our arrival that the conditions of the move differ from those described, and should those differences increase the risk to the piano, we may decide to proceed at your risk or reserve the right to abandon the move, and seek to recover costs from you.

Pianos may be stored overnight on my van only at your risk unless I personally accept the risk of theft for a specified and agreed value in writing.

Complaints and Claims Procedures 

You should notify me by email as soon as possible should you notice a problem, and within 14 days of the move.

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