NOTE: if you plan to use an Almeria-based removal firm please contact me for full details of this story before you do so or you might get a cowboy!A recent client brought us a case which serves as a salutary reminder of how it doesn't pay to trust anyone in the commercial world however "above board" they appear to be. A couple paid a British removal company 3.000€ to move all their possessions from Almeria to another part of Spain. They had chosen the company because they had been burned by cowboy "man with a van" types before and were prepared to pay for a professional job. The company seemed to be a bona fide operator with an impressive website and SL in the title; they claimed to be fully insured. However the service was anything but impressive most seriously because several expensive and some irreplaceable items were lost or broken. The response to the client's complaints was almost non-existent and even when we sent a strongly worded legal letter demanding satisfaction they pretty much denied all liability. Clearly further action, such as a consumer complaint or even legal action, would seem to be be called for but the case is hampered by the lack of documentation - contracts, budgets, packing lists etc To me the lesson is: just because a company appears to be "legit" doesn't mean to say it is any good and you should take plenty of precautions, such as getting references and documenting everything, expecting the worst. And of course if you are thinking of using a removal company based in Almeria drop me line for further details!
As a footnote, my firm's English speaking Spanish lawyers will send a letter of complaint or make a formal written claim in Spanish or in English for between 50 and 100€. By setting out the complaint in a formal way, demanding a response within a set period and detailing the consequences of not responding properly, the results can be good.
Those poor people It's stressful enough moving house without all that distress.
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