1st Move International - Bristol

Phil P.

From beginning to end 1st Move provided an excellent and professional service. Every aspect of my move from the UK to USA went well. The guys packed my property really well and communication was great throughout the entire process. I had two pallets in total and the final delivery was perfect too. Not one item damaged at all. I highly recommend 1st Move to anyone looking for a top quality international mover.

Daria N.

Most deceptive company and an unpleasant experience overall. My furniture has still not arrived.

I was moving all my furniture and belongings from the UK to Singapore while
being 33 weeks pregnant. Because of this, it was important for me to find a reliable service, which could deliver as fast as possible. 1st Move were more expensive than others, but offered a delivery in 26 days, which was shorter than others.

Before placing the order I called them multiple times to make sure that 26 Calendar days was meant rather than Business days. I also expressly discussed several times that my furniture will be delivered by end of year 2024 if it s collected on or before 18 November 2024 - 1st Move reassured me of that several times. This was the condition upon which I made the decision in favour of 1st Move.

Nevertheless, today is 31 January 2025, my baby has already arrived but we are still waiting for the furniture. 🤷🏼‍♀️
Apart from that, there were several disappointing things in the process:
- well in advance did I inform representatives of 1st Move of the fact that in front of my building was a double red line which restricted parking. Nevertheless, the guys who arrived to collect the furniture had no idea about that on the day and spent two hours discussing what to do and whether they could collect it at all or not (quite a stressful moment for me as you can imagine)
- the collection guys had nothing, absolutely nothing to help them cope with the collection of furniture, no equipment whatsoever: they didn’t have any straps to help them carry heavy things, no platform on wheels, nothing, except from their bodies and hands. Really surprising considering the price of the service and the level of service that was expected and claimed to be provided.
- so far 1st Move took absolutely no responsibility for the delays in delivery. They didn’t care about personal circumstances, didn’t care about multiple delays (currently amounting to over a month), didn’t provide explanations, proper apologies or discounts. Surprisingly, the only emails I receive are along the lines of “the new expected arrival date is “X”” and always a new date 🤷🏼‍♀️ obviously they will claim that nothing of that was their fault (I wonder who then is giving deceiving promises, who is choosing providers etc), in any case all customers should bear this in mind when placing an order with them, which I would not recommend doing).

Certainly, I will not choose 1st Move when moving back to Europe from Singapore.

Paula S.

I wanted to share my feedback based on the exceptional service provided by your team. From my recent experience, it is clear that your staff is committed to delivering care with great attention and professionalism.

Every interaction reflected a genuine focus on detail and customer satisfaction, which made a significant positive impact. The team’s ability to handle everything with such precision and thoughtfulness speaks volumes about their dedication and expertise.

This level of care truly stands out and is a testament to the high standards you uphold. I would highly recommend your services to others based on this remarkable experience.

Thank you again for all that you do.

Best regards,

Pia

The good: My shipment from the UK arrived on Vancouver Island with no losses or damages. The sales rep, the transport manager, and the team who came to collect my shipment were all helpful and personable.

The not ideal, but acceptable: My shipment was delivered almost nine weeks after collection, longer than communicated but not terrible in the scheme of things.

The bad: Communication from the Move Coordination team representative ranged from highly confusing to dangerously incorrect.
I was misadvised on customs documentation, and was glad that I had done my own research and took documentation I was explicitly told by 1st Move that I didn't need.
Insurance offered was pretty poor, but probably not worse than industry standard given the lack of options. Essentially, if you opt for anything but basic coverage, everything you want covering for loss is charged at the higher coverage rate, but only those items which are professionally packed by 1st Move are covered for damage or theft. Anything self-packed that is to be covered for loss is still charged at the same higher rate even though it's not covered at the higher level ie for damage/theft.
Communication from the move coordination team rep on professional packing and what would be charged was pretty terrible and outright contradicted by the team who actually came to collect my shipment.
The volume of my goods ended up probably 25% bigger when wrapped in all of 1st Move's bubble wrap. I understand why the packing materials are necessary, but worth bearing in mind when budgeting for a move.
Communication from the Canadian agent arranged by 1st Move was pretty minimal despite specific questions which should have been easily answerable (such as the location of the customs office for clearance in Vancouver - I am sure this is not new and doesn't change). No accommodation made for my requirements or personal circumstances, and storage and detention charges were raised unnecessarily which created additional stress. Honestly not a pleasant experience dealing with this team, and not a good reflection on 1st Move who subcontracted them.

Overall the experience was made a lot more stressful and complicated than it needed to be or than it easily could have been, but my shipment did arrive safely in the end.

Brandie S. C. S.

Absolutely perfect! I cannot reccomend 1st Move International enough! Phenomenal customer service, constant updates, exceptional communication. From general questions to quotes, to packing advice to coordinating pick up, to custom forms and other paperwork, to shipment updates to delivery (which was to the exact day they quoted!!).....1st Move International is worth every penny! My husband moved from Milton Keynes, UK to Calico Rock, Arkansas, US. Full confidence in their team and give them the highest comendation! You will not regret your investment and trust in them.

Lucas L.

So I moved to Canada, and needed to move all my stuff, including computers/screens/audio equipment and guitars. They weren't the cheapest or the fastest, but overall they were really great! They came to my flat in London, took all my stuff in 15 minutes, and 45 days later, all my stuff was at my door, perfectly packed. Extra care was taken for my guitars and I really appreciate. Not a single item was damaged! I would recommand them to anyone! Just make sure you ask them for kerbside delivery if you don't want to have surprise if you actually need kerbside delivery. For me, not a single penny had to be paid over what we agreed.

Dejan S.

We recently moved from the UK to Australia, and unfortunately, our experience has been disappointing. While the ladies in the office did an excellent job, the rest of the process was far from satisfactory. To give some context, we moved our entire household, but many items arrived damaged, and a large number did not arrive at all. Additionally, despite initially quoting a lower price, they increased our cost at the last moment—making it clear that Legacy Movers, who quoted a bit higher at the start, would have actually been a more affordable option in the end.

Jamie G.

Good customer service, speedy delivery to Cayman Islands from London - door to door within 8 weeks!

However, it would have been useful to know a bit more information about the destination country, i.e. what goods can / can't you import, the import fees, additional freight and travel fees incurred at the other end.

Paying for a one off invoice you would assume that is the total cost, however it was not. An additional invoice was raised by their agent at the destination country which was unexpected and not initially advised when consulting with ShipIt.

This is not necessarily a ShipIt issue, more their agent abroad and lack of communication from then, but this ultimately comes down to them as they choose their agents.