Booking and Service Terms

Part A: General terms applicable to every Booking

1. About Bities and these terms

1.1 Bities Ltd (Bities, we or our) supplies the agreed Service. Our legal registration, address, VAT status and contact details are set out in Company Information and Contact Details, supplied with these terms. You means the customer contracting with Bities.

1.2 These terms apply to quotations and to transport or removal services arranged directly with Bities by telephone, email, WhatsApp, written message or another channel agreed by Bities. They govern services supplied to consumers and to Business Customers, with additional provisions for Business Customers in clause 20.

1.3 A Consumer is a person acting wholly or mainly outside their trade, business, craft or profession. A Business Customer engages Bities for business purposes. Mandatory legal rights take priority over any inconsistent wording in these terms.

2. Meaning of key expressions

2.1 Goods means the furniture, possessions, parcels, equipment, motorbike or other items we have agreed to transport. Service means the agreed transport, relocation, courier, loading, unloading or logistical work. Quotation means our price and scope offer. Booking Confirmation means our written acceptance setting out the agreed Service, price and arrangements. Booking means a booking formed under clause 3.2.

2.2 Confirmed Time means the start or collection time we have confirmed in writing. A preferred time requested by a customer is not a Confirmed Time. A Confirmed Time is not a guaranteed arrival time (see clause 11.4).

2.3 Third-party costs means external costs such as agreed parking, permits, tolls, congestion or clean-air charges, ferries or necessary storage.

2.4 Arrival means the arrival of our vehicle at the first collection address or other agreed starting location for the Booking.

2.5 Specialist Services means Film, Sport, Music and Events services.

3. Quotations and formation of the contract

3.1 We prepare quotations using the information you supply. This includes the chosen Service, job date, requested start time and duration, full collection and delivery addresses and postcodes, the nature and quantity of Goods, floors, stairs, lifts, parking, access, personnel and handling requirements. We may ask for photographs, measurements or other relevant details. Unless we expressly state otherwise, a Quotation is not based on an on-site survey.

3.2 A Quotation does not itself reserve a vehicle or create a binding Booking. A Booking is formed when you accept our offer and Bities confirms acceptance in writing, identifying the agreed Service, date, Confirmed Time, collection and delivery locations, expected duration and price.

3.3 We will not change an already confirmed time without seeking your agreement, except where lawful and necessary for safety or because of another material operational disruption. Arrival within the window described in clause 11.4 does not change the Confirmed Time.

3.4 If Bities receives money before a suitable time has been confirmed, and no mutually acceptable time can be agreed, it will refund that payment without undue delay. We may keep only the price of separately authorised work already supplied, or make another lawful deduction.

3.5 The contract consists of the completed Booking Confirmation, the accepted Quotation and the identified versions of the applicable terms and schedules supplied before acceptance. If they conflict, the following order of priority applies:

1. an expressly agreed Booking-specific variation;
2. the Booking Confirmation;
3. the accepted Quotation;
4. the Additional Charges Schedule, for extra charges not stated in items 1 to 3;
5. the applicable service-specific schedule in Part B; and
6. these Booking and Service Terms.

3.6 The Additional Charges Schedule governs extra charges. The Cancellation and Rescheduling Policy governs cancellation and refunds. The Damage Claims and Refund Policy governs reporting and remedies. No document overrides mandatory legal rights.

3.7 The Insurance and Liability Information explains insurance. It does not create a separate customer insurance contract.

3.8 A later website update does not change an existing Booking.

3.9 The person placing the Booking must be at least 18 and authorised to arrange transport of the Goods. If they act on behalf of an organisation or another owner, they must have appropriate authority.

4. Scope and duration of the Service

4.1 We perform the work included in the Booking Confirmation. Unless otherwise agreed, a Man & Van removal is an agreed door-to-door relocation using a suitable large panel van and one experienced driver who assists with ordinary loading and unloading. Additional porters, specialised handling, packing or equipment must be separately agreed.

4.2 Unless expressly included, the Service does not include:

• packing or unpacking;
• disassembly or assembly;
• electrical or plumbing work;
• appliance disconnection;
• IT migration;
• hoisting;
• structural alteration;
• waste disposal;
• storage; or
• specialist lifting.

4.3 Our standard Man & Van service has a two-hour minimum, unless the Quotation states a different minimum. Booked duration normally includes loading, travel between the confirmed addresses, unloading and customer-caused waiting. Specific start slots depend on actual availability. We do not impose a universal out-of-hours surcharge merely because the start is outside an advertised slot.

4.4 Vehicle capacity, lawful payload, suitable access and manual-handling limits are safety constraints. We may decline an unsafe lift, an unsuitable item or an overloaded journey. If more Goods are presented than were disclosed, we may offer additional time or journeys at a mutually agreed price, subject to availability.

4.5 Up to two accompanying customers may travel with their goods where requested and expressly accepted for the Booking, subject to lawful seats, seatbelts, capacity and appropriate insurance. Passenger carriage is incidental to the transport of goods. We offer no standalone taxi, airport transfer or passenger-only service.

5. Customer information and preparation

5.1 You must provide accurate, complete information and tell us promptly about changes to items, addresses, parking, access, floor levels, stairs, lifts, weights, deadlines and the people available. Material changes may require a different vehicle, crew, schedule or Quotation.

5.2 Unless otherwise agreed, Goods must be properly packed, closed, labelled where appropriate and ready at the agreed collection point. You must secure loose parts, empty furniture where necessary, disconnect and drain appliances, protect fragile goods and identify unusually heavy or high-value items. Please identify open containers, loose items and electronics so that we can handle them suitably.

5.3 You must arrange the necessary property, building, seller and venue permissions, keys, entry codes, loading bay bookings, lawful parking and suitable access. Where a building or gated site requires advance vehicle registration, you should coordinate with its managing agent or concierge at least 24 hours before arrival and request our vehicle details in good time. An authorised adult should be present or reachable at collection and delivery, and able to approve practical decisions.

5.4 You must warn us about site hazards, narrow or restricted passageways, fragile surfaces, weak floors, unsafe stairs and other foreseeable handling risks. Children, pets and unrelated persons must stay clear of the loading route.

5.5 If you or a third party helps with loading, they must follow reasonable safety instructions, and Bities may stop unsafe assistance. We remain responsible for our own lack of reasonable care and skill.

5.6 For removals, please, where practical, make furniture available first, followed by closed boxes, then loose bags, open containers, electronics and fragile items for separately protected handling. This is preparation guidance and not a fixed loading sequence. The driver decides the safe loading order, weight distribution, protection and securing of Goods.

6. Charges and variations

6.1 The Quotation and Booking Confirmation identify the total agreed price, the pricing basis, the minimum duration and the included services. Our VAT status is stated in Company Information and Contact Details. Consumer prices include all unavoidable charges applicable to the disclosed Booking. Extra charges are governed by the Additional Charges Schedule version supplied before acceptance, or by a later expressly agreed variation.

6.2 We may use travel and mileage internally to calculate an all-inclusive quote, and they do not automatically become separately payable. We charge additional mileage, labour, waiting, additional stops or journeys only where they are outside the agreed scope and the basis has been disclosed or separately accepted. For Film services, additional mileage beyond the mileage included in the Quotation is charged at the rate in the Additional Charges Schedule.

6.3 Changed requirements may need a revised price under the Additional Charges Schedule. Before discretionary additional work begins, we explain the changed work, the charging unit and the total or calculation, and obtain your agreement. An undisclosed rate cannot become payable merely because a later website schedule contains it.

6.4 Parking fees, permits, tolls and other external charges are handled under the Additional Charges Schedule and the accepted Quotation. You must not instruct unlawful parking. Parking fines and penalty charges received in connection with the Booking are passed on to you, as set out in the Additional Charges Schedule. If you cannot provide agreed lawful parking, we will advise where we may park. If the only option is a place where a fine is more likely, we will tell you first. If you agree and we park there, you must pay any resulting fine or charge immediately on request. Notices received later, for example from camera enforcement at a block of flats, are also passed on to you. Unpaid fines and charges may lead to legal action to recover them.

6.5 Where immediate action is necessary to protect people or Goods, we take proportionate steps and seek instructions as soon as practical. Any resulting charge must have a lawful, fair basis and be explained with supporting details. This does not create an automatic emergency fee.

6.6 For Business Customers, changes may be instructed by a named authorised business or production representative. Instructions given during a job, including oral instructions, may form an agreed variation where the authority, the work and the price basis can be established. Bities will seek to record and confirm them promptly by message, job log or supplementary invoice.

6.7 The Additional Charges Schedule is the central source for extra-work rates and third-party charges. A Booking-specific price may be agreed instead and must be recorded. We do not charge twice for the same time, work or cost.

7. Payment

7.1 Unless a different arrangement is agreed in writing, the full agreed Booking price is payable no later than the evening before the Confirmed Time. Same-day or urgent Bookings must be paid before dispatch. Payment may be made using the method and by the due date stated on our Quotation or invoice.

7.2 Payment alone does not reserve a requested time unless we have confirmed the Booking. We may withhold dispatch while an agreed advance payment remains unpaid.

7.3 Cancellation is free before Arrival. A cancellation fee of £35 per Booking applies if you cancel after Arrival. Reasonable work already performed may remain payable. These matters are governed by the Cancellation and Rescheduling Policy.

7.4 Approved additional charges are invoiced on completion, or when they are reasonably ascertainable, and are payable according to the supplemental invoice. You may raise a genuine billing dispute, and the undisputed portion remains payable.

7.5 For qualifying Business Customer debts, Bities may rely on rights under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998. Consumers are not subject to that business-to-business regime.

8. Parking, access and failed arrival

8.1 You must make lawful access reasonably available at each confirmed location and give us relevant instructions early enough for us to plan the Service. Where advance vehicle registration is required, please arrange it with your property manager or concierge at least 24 hours before the Booking. If promised parking or access is unavailable, we may use the nearest lawful alternative, wait, propose extra carrying charges or offer a rescheduled visit.

8.2 If access is impossible or unsafe, an item will not fit or you are not ready, we will reasonably try to resolve the problem and may pause or decline affected work. Actual waiting or other work may be charged only on an agreed, fair basis under the Additional Charges Schedule. We apply no separate failed-attendance penalty. If you cancel after Arrival, the cancellation fee in the Cancellation and Rescheduling Policy applies. Time caused solely by our early arrival or fault is not customer waiting.

9. Packing, unusual and valuable Goods

9.1 Unless packing is included, you remain responsible for suitable packaging and preparation. Your packaging does not remove Bities’ responsibility for damage that Bities causes by failing to use reasonable care and skill.

9.2 You must disclose unusually heavy, fragile, valuable, irreplaceable or specialist Goods before acceptance. Bities may request photographs, stated values or special handling arrangements, and may decline Goods that cannot be transported safely with the accepted vehicle, crew or equipment.

9.3 Please keep cash, jewellery, passports, keys, essential medicines and unique documents with you. Computers and other data-bearing equipment must be backed up. We transport the physical equipment and do not undertake IT or data-recovery work unless separately contracted.

10. Prohibited and restricted Goods

10.1 Unless specifically accepted in writing after full disclosure and lawful assessment, you must not present dangerous, illegal, stolen, controlled or hazardous Goods. Examples include firearms, ammunition, explosive or flammable items, fuel, compressed gas, corrosive chemicals, hazardous waste, leaking containers, infectious materials, live animals, human remains and temperature-controlled medical goods.

10.2 Bities may reject undisclosed prohibited items or stop handling an unsafe load. We may recover reasonable direct costs caused by your breach where legally permitted, but not for loss caused by Bities’ own lack of reasonable care.

11. Arrival times, delays and safety

11.1 We aim to attend at the Confirmed Time and to perform the Service with reasonable care and skill. Traffic, vehicle failures, weather, road closures, ferry schedules, venue controls or earlier-job overruns can affect timing. We will communicate material changes as soon as reasonably practicable. We will make reasonable efforts to complete a booked job on the agreed day, or propose a fair alternative if that becomes impracticable. We do not give an unconditional same-day completion guarantee.

11.2 Unless Bities expressly accepts a particular completion deadline in the Booking Confirmation, estimated journey and completion times are not guaranteed delivery deadlines. You must identify key handovers, flights, performances or similar time-critical requirements before acceptance.

11.3 We may require lawful breaks, rest, replacement personnel or revised arrangements where continuing would be unsafe or unlawful. Operational difficulties do not excuse a failure by Bities to exercise reasonable care, maintain vehicles or meet obligations required by law.

11.4 The Confirmed Time is the slot we have available when you accept the Booking. It is not a guaranteed arrival time, because arrival times can change during the day’s operations. We may arrive up to two hours earlier or later than the Confirmed Time. On the day, we send you an estimated time of arrival (ETA) message. Arriving within that window is not a breach of contract and does not entitle you to a discount, refund or compensation. This does not affect your statutory rights.

11.5 We do not give a discount for late arrival caused by traffic conditions, or by delays on earlier jobs for other customers. If you need a particular arrival or handover time, you must tell us before you accept the Booking, as set out in clause 11.2.

12. Extra time and working instructions

12.1 Additional work and time are governed by the Additional Charges Schedule and the agreed Booking-specific price. The charging unit must be clear before you agree. Substantial changes require a revised Quotation. No undisclosed hourly rate or premium is implied.

12.2 For Specialist Services, driver duty time includes agreed driving, loading, unloading, waiting and standby until vehicle release or final completion, as described in the Additional Charges Schedule and Schedule B. The people authorised to give chargeable instructions should be agreed in advance.

12.3 For Man and Van, student and marketplace Bookings, any scope adjustment must meet the requirements of the Additional Charges Schedule. No surcharge is automatic merely because the vehicle has been dispatched or has arrived. The only charge that arises from cancellation is the cancellation fee in the Cancellation and Rescheduling Policy.

13. Customer cancellation and rescheduling

13.1 You may cancel at any time. There is no cancellation fee if you cancel before Arrival. If you cancel after Arrival, a cancellation fee of £35 per Booking applies. The fee is not charged in the circumstances set out in the Cancellation and Rescheduling Policy, including where we are unable to supply the Service.

13.2 Tell Bities promptly through your booking contact channel or the contact details in Company Information and Contact Details. Written confirmation helps us act on the request, but it is not a condition of a valid statutory cancellation.

13.3 Some contracts for transporting goods on a specified date or period are exempt from the statutory 14-day cooling-off right. Our voluntary cancellation terms still apply to those Bookings. Where statutory cancellation rights do apply, they are preserved.

13.4 Cancellation does not remove your obligation to pay for work already actually and reasonably performed at the agreed price, subject to statutory rights and any service failure. We refund payments attributable to unprovided work in accordance with clause 7 of the Cancellation and Rescheduling Policy. There is no automatic forfeiture of a deposit or minimum Booking charge as a cancellation penalty.

13.5 There is no fee for rescheduling. A new date and time depend on availability. Any different scope or price for the new Booking must be agreed. The Cancellation and Rescheduling Policy contains the detailed procedure.

14. Cancellation or disruption by Bities

14.1 We may pause or end work where necessary because of non-payment due before dispatch, prohibited Goods, material misdescription, unlawful or unsafe instructions, abusive behaviour, unsafe premises or failure to provide essential access. We will consider reasonable alternatives where practicable.

14.2 If we cannot provide the Service for a reason not caused by you, we will offer an appropriate alternative or reschedule where possible. Where no acceptable service is provided, we will refund the unperformed part without undue delay. This does not remove your other legal remedies.

14.3 For events beyond reasonable control, Bities will communicate promptly, mitigate disruption and act fairly regarding the remaining performance and payment. Calling an event “force majeure” does not by itself make any retained charge lawful.

15. Delivery, proof and failed delivery

15.1 An authorised recipient should be available to receive Goods and raise any visible concerns. Collection and delivery may be evidenced by signatures, timestamps, messages, photographs or similar reasonable records. A signature confirms receipt but does not conclusively establish that there was no concealed damage.

15.2 If delivery cannot be completed, we contact you and seek a safe, lawful solution, such as return or an agreed later delivery. Storage is not an advertised service under these terms. Any emergency safeguarding arrangement requires appropriate facilities and insurance, and does not create an automatic storage charge. Reasonable additional work is subject to the Additional Charges Schedule and applicable law.

15.3 Goods are left unattended only following a clear instruction and a lawful, reasonable assessment. An instruction to leave Goods in an agreed safe location does not exclude liability for damage or loss caused by Bities’ breach.

16. Loss, damage and responsibility

16.1 Bities will exercise reasonable care and skill. We remain liable for direct, reasonably foreseeable loss or damage caused by breach of contract or negligence, subject to lawful limitations and applicable consumer rights.

16.2 Bities is not responsible to the extent that loss or damage was actually caused by inadequate customer packing, inherent defects, wear, pre-existing weakness, inaccurate material instructions or the acts of other parties. These circumstances do not excuse damage resulting from Bities’ own failure to exercise reasonable care and skill.

16.3 Tell us about unusually valuable, fragile or specialist Goods before you book. Supply a customer-signed itemised inventory with individual values for items worth £500 or more, plus the approximate total load value, so that we can assess acceptance and insurance requirements. Disclosure alone does not confirm insurance. We do not promise separate customer insurance, new-for-old replacement or an automatic compensation amount. Our legal responsibility is not automatically limited to an insurer payment or policy limit. The Insurance and Liability Information gives further detail.

16.4 Nothing excludes or limits liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 that cannot legally be excluded, or any other liability that cannot lawfully be restricted.

17. Complaints and damage claims

17.1 Please report missing goods, damage, service problems and billing concerns promptly using Company Information and Contact Details. The Damage Claims and Refund Policy explains evidence, investigation, remedies and escalation. Prompt reporting helps our investigation. It is not an automatic short deadline that extinguishes legal rights.

17.2 Preserve relevant goods, packaging and evidence where reasonably possible, and take proportionate steps to prevent further loss. Do not postpone action needed for safety. A delivery signature, or the absence of a note at delivery, does not conclusively rule out concealed damage.

18. Third-party collection and marketplace purchases

18.1 When Bities collects an item from a seller, shop or another third party on your instructions, we supply the agreed transport service. We do not supply the underlying sale, valuation, authentication or product inspection. You must verify the seller arrangements, the item, lawful release, availability, dimensions, collection access and payment for the purchase.

18.2 Bities is not responsible for the seller’s own misdescription, undisclosed defects or failure to hand over the item, except to the extent that Bities expressly assumes responsibility or causes loss by breach or negligence.

18.3 For marketplace collections, the separate Marketplace Collection and Delivery Terms also apply, when we provide them before the Booking is confirmed.

19. Bities staff

19.1 Bities staff perform the agreed services. We share relevant job information internally only where needed to quote, coordinate or perform the work, subject to the Privacy Policy.

19.2 Bities remains responsible for its contractual and statutory obligations. These terms do not give a general permission to substitute an independent transport contractor without further agreement.

20. Business Customer provisions

20.1 A person arranging work for a Business Customer confirms that they are authorised to bind the organisation. The Business Customer must identify authorised on-site decision-makers, provide accurate work schedules, site access and safety information, and ensure timely instructions and purchase order requirements.

20.2 Unless Bities expressly assumes responsibility, and to the extent the law allows, a Business Customer remains responsible for its own production scheduling, business continuity, confidential information and data backups. A separately negotiated project contract or an explicitly accepted deadline may alter these arrangements.

20.3 In business-to-business contracts only, and subject to clause 16.4 and applicable law, Bities does not accept liability for indirect loss of profits, revenue, opportunity, production or business interruption. Direct physical loss or damage caused by Bities remains governed by clause 16 and any clearly agreed lawful limits.

20.4 Business Customers must pay undisputed invoiced amounts on time. A genuinely disputed item should be notified promptly and discussed in good faith.

21. Personal information

21.1 We process personal information to quote, arrange and perform work, communicate with customers, receive payment, evidence collection and delivery, handle complaints and comply with legal obligations. More information is set out in the Bities Privacy Policy at www.bities.co.uk.

22. Communications and changes to these terms

22.1 Booking notices may be given through the channel used for the Booking. Company Information and Contact Details provides the central contact information for formal complaints, cancellations and legal correspondence.

22.2 We may amend these terms from time to time. The version provided or made available before a Booking is formed governs that Booking, unless the parties lawfully agree a later change.

22.3 If any provision is unenforceable, the remainder continues so far as lawful.

23. Governing law and consumer protection

23.1 These terms are governed by the law of England and Wales. The courts of England and Wales have jurisdiction, subject to any mandatory consumer protection, governing-law or court rights that apply to customers elsewhere in the United Kingdom.

Part B: Service-specific schedules

These schedules supplement Part A. The Booking Confirmation identifies the exact Service and scope. A schedule applies only where Bities has accepted that Service.

Schedule A: Removals and relocations

A1 Man & Van. Normally one van and one driver assisting with normal loading and unloading. The minimum chargeable period is two hours unless separately quoted. Additional crew, heavy or awkward objects, dismantling, packing and specialist lifts must be agreed.

A2 Student Move. Normally up to 10 separately handled packed items, entrance to entrance at the agreed collection and delivery addresses. Internal carrying, extra items and oversized loads require an upgrade or a separately agreed extra service.

A3 Inter-city relocation. Nationwide journeys are quoted independently. Unless a shared or staged arrangement is expressly agreed, the intended journey is direct, subject to lawful rest, refuelling, diversions and safety requirements. Any additional arrival fee must be explicitly included in the accepted Quotation. None is automatically payable simply because both addresses are outside London.

A4 Office relocations. You must secure confidential records, back up data, shut down equipment, arrange access and identify destination positions. IT migration, electrical work and specialist machinery handling are excluded unless expressly accepted.

Schedule B: Film, Sport, Music and Events

B1 Film, music, sport, exhibition and production support is quoted individually, based on the confirmed scope, route, vehicle and crew, standby needs, duration and other requirements. The Booking Confirmation states whether there are separate collection and return visits, continuous standby, overnight attendance or other duties.

B2 Driver duty runs from the agreed arrival at the initial collection or loading point until final drop-off, unloading or vehicle release is completed. It normally covers the agreed arrival, driving, loading, unloading, waiting, standby and final delivery or vehicle release. Unless the accepted Quotation states a different package, including a split service, the Additional Charges Schedule applies. Under it, the extra-time rate applies after 10 hours of driver duty. A different package must state its included time and its extra-time calculation in the accepted Quotation.

B3 Unplanned extensions, delays caused by the client or the production, later release, changed routes, extra attendance, overnight work and other changes beyond the supplied schedule are charged under the Additional Charges Schedule, where the client has expressly accepted the rates and calculation before the work begins. Those charges apply automatically and are calculated and invoiced after the job. Work or charges with no previously agreed rate or calculation require a separate agreement. The client should identify representatives authorised to request chargeable changes, including oral instructions, which Bities will seek to record promptly. Clause 6.3 and clause 6.6 apply.

B4 The client must provide schedules, location changes, inventory, vehicle passes, authorised contacts and safe access. Bities may require rest, extra crew, accommodation or a revised arrangement to avoid unsafe or unlawful duty hours. We do not guarantee that a production or event itself will succeed or proceed without interruption. Airport work is equipment-led transport for events or exhibitions, and any accompanying customers are subject to clause 4.5.

Schedule C: Courier and freight

C1 This schedule covers accepted dedicated courier, parcel, business goods, furniture and freight movements. It is not a guaranteed postal network, and it does not cover specialist controlled-temperature, hazardous or international services unless separately contracted.

C2 The sender must supply adequate packaging, accurate delivery details, labels, handling instructions, weight and dimensions, and relevant documents. A recipient must be available where required. A failed collection or delivery may lead to a fair additional charge as described in Part A.

C3 Palletised freight, groupage, shared transport and other specialist work require express acceptance and confirmed arrangements. We do not promise storage or international transport under these general terms. They require separate confirmation of suitable cover and conditions before acceptance.

Schedule D: Motorbike and urban mobility

D1 Motorbike transport requires you to disclose, before booking, the make and model, dimensions, approximate weight, keys, ownership and release authority, running and rolling condition, known defects, leaks, ground clearance and loading access.

D2 The motorbike must be safe to load and secure. Loose accessories and luggage should be removed or listed. You must identify alarms, steering locks, modifications and any hazard. Bities may decline unsafe loading or require a separately agreed recovery solution.

D3 We may record visible condition before and after transport. Bities is not responsible for unrelated pre-existing defects or internal mechanical breakdown, but remains responsible where physical damage or other loss results from its breach or negligence.