McGimpsey Brothers Removals - Newtownards

Georgian A.

July 2024

We arranged for McGimpsey Removals to deliver an antique wardrobe and bookcase from our antique warehouse in Scotland to an existing client in Northern Ireland, who had been happy with her previous purchases of antiques from us. Both items were fully traditionally restored and sold online from multiple professional photographs on our website and were in excellent condition for antiques that are over 100 years old. On collection their driver asked a secretary in an office (rather than our porter staff who carried out the two items, or myself) to sign a collection document that had ticks in boxes indicating damage (marks, scratches and chips) to both items. I was actually present when they were loaded and both were in excellent condition, as described on our web-page.
On delivery, a 20cm piece of the cornice was broken off and lying inside the wardrobe, a foot was badly damaged and multiple deep gouges, scratches and French polish damage were present on the doors, cornice, and sides. The doors were closed with adhesive tape directly on the French polish! The client quite rightly would not accept the badly damaged wardrobe.
The McGimpsey staff told our customer that they could not find the shelves of the bookcase and so she refused to accept it also. McGimpsey staff later contacted her to say they had found them - they were present in the bookcase all along. However, she was upset by the damage to the wardrobe and the poor transport service that she refused to accept the bookcase also.

McGimpsey Removals stated that these extensive damages were present when they uplifted them from our warehouse – although they have a separate damage category for broken (BR) and dented (D) which the wardrobe was – that had not been ticked on collection. Having extensively damaged our wardrobe, we had to pay them for transport of the wardrobe to Northern Ireland (£564) and then we had to pay (£468) for cabinetmaking repairs and French polishing to repair the wardrobe, that was devalued by the repaired damage.

To think that we would send a broken, gouged, and scratched wardrobe overseas knowing that under the sales of good act and we being members of the main antique trade body LAPADA (London and Provincial Antique Dealers Association) that a refund would be immediately due is beyond belief.

It is interesting that the collection document also indicated that the bookcase was damaged on collection (marks, scratches, and chips)–However, it was perfect when it left us and when they delivered it back.

Do not sign any documents this firm asks you to on collection, because if they damage your goods – they will have a document showing that the goods were already damaged on collection. This is a totally untrustworthy transport firm and the worst transporters we have used in 45 years of business.

We raised an action against them in the small claims court in Edinburgh Sheriff Court for our losses.
Unfortunately, McGimpsey's terms and conditions only allow claims to be made against them in Northern Ireland and so at a hearing on 24th April 2025 Sheriff Gill of the Small Claims Court in Edinburgh could not proceed with the case.
It is interesting that another of their terms and conditions is that their maximum payment for any damage is £40.00 and so it will not be worthwhile raising an action in Northern Ireland.
The repairs and transport of our damaged wardrobe were £1032.00 as well as loss of a £2770 sale to an existing customer who we have now lost and also, damage to our reputation.

The first photograph is of the wardrobe as it left our warehouse. The remaining photographs are of the wardrobe following delivery by McGimpsey Brothers Removals.

Mark S.

Very happy with everything. Items were delivered ahead of estimated delivery timeline. The team (especially Josh) were really helpful scheduling a specific day that suited. The delivery team were excellent. Items were assembled and packaging taken away before I arrived myself! Very happy. A+

Hilary M.

Just wanted to say a huge thank you & congratulations for a job very well done by Sam & his team last week. All 5 of them were polite, friendly, helpful, flexible, careful, thoughtful, & extremely hard-working. They all set about our job without any fuss, & kept going professionally until the job was completed. They had to carry some heavy & awkwardly-shaped items around some tight corners, but did so with no damage to the items or the paintwork on the walls. Sam lead by example, but each of them clearly knew what to do without needing told.

Thanks very much to them all: they’re a real credit to your company.

Matthew

We recently hired the McGimpsey Brothers to help us with our house move.

Our completion date was decided last minute so we were grateful to McGimpsey’s for arranging the removal at such late notice to help us complete the move before the stamp duty increases. We were impressed with the efficiency of the process as a representative came to review and discuss our requirements, and we received a quote and moving date the very same day.

In terms of the move itself we found the staff to be polite, professional and very accommodating. All furniture arrived in our new house in the same condition it left the old.

McGimpsey provided an excellent service and we would definitely recommend to anyone requiring removal services.

Alan F.

Really wanted to write a positive review as everyone I have dealt was great.
However, the packing service and removal overall was very poor. In the move I had 2 broken mirrors (over £300), a destroyed rattan garden furniture set (worth over £600), a broken chair, broken food processor and 4 lost items. There was very little care or expertise when packing the van and sorting the issues has been a lot more complicated than it should have been. Unfortunately, I would avoid.

Olivia R.

We used McGimpseys for our house move a couple of weeks ago and I couldn’t recommend them enough.
The lads were so helpful, careful and incredibly efficient, I couldn’t have asked for a better group of removals men. They disassembled beds, cots, sofas, chairs etc and put them all back together at the new house, which was a lovely surprise when you’ve got two tired small children knocking about (and was the last thing I wanted to do myself at the end of the long day). Expecting a “dump and run” strategy like many other removals, they put all the boxes in the right rooms/areas which again, made our lives so much easier.
They worked so tirelessly and professionally the whole day, thank you Mark, Josh and Bailey!

Ian P.

I don'y usually write reviews, but having read a few which were so negative, I thought I might balance it up a bit with a glowing report.
I purchased a very large garden statue originally from a chateau in France, from Lorford's in Gloustershire. Given the exceptional quality, I went with their trusted courier suggestion, which involved collection by Simon Hall who then packaged the item. I assumed they would be the company bringing it over to Northern Ireland, but I noticed a discrete sticker indicating it was McGimpsey Removals who did the transportation. The packing was exceptional, but obviously it also required extreme care by the courier, to play their part and they certainly did. Not only was it wheeled in as far as possible, but the guy's took photographs to record how the package had been left, as there was no-one at home to accept the delivery. These were then forwarded to Lorford's and ultimately also to me, so lovely to have this record of the final stage, which would otherwise have been unknown to me. The whole operation and the part played by all three companies working together was remarkable and could not be bettered, so thanks are more than due, to all involved.

Holly A. M. C.

Horrific experience with McGimpseys. On the day our container was due to arrive at our home in Australia, I was called at 9am to be told they had determined they couldn't get our container to our property due to low bridges (you would think they would know this ahead of time). Told I needed to pay £1k to have the container emptied into another vehicle or they wouldn't deliver. Basically a ransom. It took them about an hour to transfer the stuff, so I am not sure if their CEO was doing the work personally or how they justify £1k for an hours work. When we called to have them come and collect the boxes after emptying them we were told they wouldn't come and get them as they are wet. Not sure if they have noticed but we live in Northern Ireland. It rains constantly here, not sure how they can't collect and deal with boxes that are obviously going to be recycled anyway due to a bit of moisture. I would avoid.

Note their response ~
1. It’s my job apparently to organise the delivery details between the international agents. This despite the fact I paid a significant amount to have the two companies complete a service.
2. No attempt to justify the obscene cost to do an hours works to change trucks. It was almost a thousand pounds paid immediately or they wouldn’t deliver.
3. No attempt to explain why they won’t pick up a box that is damp in a country where it constantly rains.

AVOID! You can see they have zero customer centricity. Empty words, rubbish service.