AnyVan reviews and alternatives?
Posted by lunarnotebook@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 17 comments
Hi, I am relocating from Sunderland to Exeter, and am looking into trying to ship my things using a van/removal service (360 miles). I have about 3 large bags, 2 suitcases, and 3 boxes.
I tried to find a number of man with a van service providers, and found really good prices and a convenient website with AnyVan.
While reading reviews for Anyvan, I found a mix of good and bad. Has anyone used AnyVan before? What was your experience like in terms of punctuality and trustworthiness? Are there any other alternatives I could consider?
Thanks a lot!
Sidebiatch@reddit
They're dreadful, you'll never talk to a person, everything is automated and they do everything in their power to stop a refund, they're scammers
Vivid_Physics_7365@reddit
This company are crooks, we paid them a fortune to bring some furniture and sentimental items over from abroad. They faked a van fire in the UK and we didn't receive ANY OF OUR BELONGINGS nor receive any compensation due to their watertight contracts. BEWARE OF USING THEM!!!!
I have attached the picture of the alleged 'Van Fire' in case this is used for someone else.
aykevin@reddit
In case anyone finds this thread, here's my review of AnyVan I've posted. I thought it's important for people to know:
MUST READ! DO NOT USE THIS SERVICE, THIS COMPANY IS A WASTE OF SPACE, TIME AND MONEY. FIND INDIVIDUAL MAN & VAN INSTEAD.
TLDR (DO NOT USE):
• They outsource to individual labourers/driver who aren't trained to handle objects.
• Crazy fee
• Abysmal insurance compenstation.
I used AnyVan for a move from London to Manchester, which is about a 5 hours drive. The price was £1700 but the issue is, they just "provided" me with individual Labourers who have no association with AnyVan except get paid by them. Think of AnyVan as a recruitment company, you aren't associated with the recruiter, but they connect you with employers. You can easily find Man & Van who would be willing to do the job for around 25% the price, which means AnyVan is putting an insane fee on top.
Additionally, as the labourers aren't trained, they took WAY TOO long to load/offload and my wife and I ended up having to help with the full loading and unloading.
You'd think with such a fee, there would be decent insurance provided for a peace of mind. But unfortuately that's not the case. A few products got damaged during transit, and during the claiming process, the max they would pay out is £45.
Honestly at that price, I was expecting AnyVan to provide decently trained professionals who know how to handle products.
DO NOT USE THIS SERVICE, THIS COMPANY IS A WASTE OF SPACE, TIME AND MONEY. FIND INDIVIDUAL MAN & VAN INSTEAD.
Fit_Twist_5798@reddit
I had the same. 2 coloured men turned up, in an 'oversprayed' van which had an odd company name on, they obviously had no experience, caused endless damage to my newly decorated house and couldn't even speak english !!!!!! Infuriated
WrongLead857@reddit
Do not use AnyVan whatsoever, we had whole house move , and my wife did a walk through house to see all stuff !! We paid for premium service to move everything and they pack , agreed we would pack 50 boxes they would do rest , However instead of taking our drawers with clothes still in them like all movers do and said they do ! They used the allowance of there boxes to just empty clothes in … Also instead of bringing hanging boxes for wardrobes ( which they said they would ) they used rest of allowance of there boxes My kids ikea cubes with light soft toys in them , just emptied into boxes . So when it came to kitchen , after doing a few cupboards, they said no boxes left (even though AnyVan said they would bring spares ) and not to worry of two vans get filled they will bring another van . ( BULL) The guys doing move kept working to this list !?? Yet we are moving house everything needs to go . Once they did there list they said not taking anything else . They had extra boxes but they said this was for another job that day !!!! And reluctantly gave my 75 year old mother 1 after begging them for one for kitchen items . The lads have good laugh at my mother lugging heavy boxes to my car as it was 2pm by now and should have been out house by 1pm On rage call to AnyVan, they were really bad and said extra items needs to be separate order… WTF we are moving house !!! You can’t just delay that and do separate order !!.. plus they compiled that list from video , they are going to miss some items .. ANYVAN got over 2 grand , yet drivers saying they only get ?£70 each . ANYVAN wins customer and drivers lose .
Ok_Knowledge_7184@reddit
The worst experience I ever had with AnyVan and customers service team they’re very rude. I booked a job couple of days before but they didn’t tell me that anything is wrong with the booking; until they sent the driver out to pick up the job and then they started telling me that the address is incomplete. I also spoke to the manager she was very rude and not willing to help at all. They charged me £55 for reschedule fee and they still delivered my job 6 hours late then time I told them to be delivered.
This has been the biggest headache I ever had with this company. I’m very disappointed and I will never recommend anyone to this company. They are absolutely zero customer service
Job reference no: AV 867 4857
If you don’t want to waste your money and time avoid this company and not helpful at all.
Regards: Monir
girlwithnojob_980@reddit
The customer service team is incredibly rude
frenchi82@reddit
anyvan un dia fue bueno, cambiaron el sistema en españa y estan explotando a los conductroes. comision del doble de lo que les pagan...una estafa. ademas garantia cero. busca otras plataformas.
Bubbly_Plankton_6187@reddit
THE MOST INCOMPETENT COMPANY
totally incompetent and amateurs causing damage and leaving the job undone, one of them smelling marijuana.
They left the sofa standing half way through the door blocking multiple entrances, as well as causing damage to the velvet fabric and frame of the sofa and extensive damage to the door and door frame.
The 2 Anyvan employees stupidly tried to take the sofa out of the room through the door with the sofa tilted the wrong way - the sofa bed’s pulling system facing downwards instead of upwards and pushing it through at a straight angle.
After damaging the door frame and the sofa, one of them became stressed calling head office and trying to claim the excuse that the sofa’s pulling system has a defect, which is untrue. He then tried to make me sign a damage waiver in order to carry on with the job, which I refused to sign.
One of the employee even highlighted they should stop the job as they were not feeling comfortable proceeding to bring the sofa downstairs.
The employees were rude, aggressive and threatening as soon as they realised about the damage, shouting on the street as they were leaving leaving.
I tried to call Anyvan customer service today but have received no answers and resolution so far.
As an update:
Their quality team's response to the significant damages was a rather underwhelming offer of a mere £100, presented as their final word, which is less than the cost of removal service paid upfront of £120.-, hence no compensation.
SKGibbo@reddit
If I could rate 0* I would. Turned up 4 hours late. In a van smaller than promised. Was told another van would turn up, which didn't. We ended up moving all our items into the drive as we had to be out by 1, in the rain. They then broke untold amount of items: tv, units, boxes, sofa, babies cribs, chairs, and more. To which they tries to offer us coins out their pockets to pay for the destroyed items. Now trying to recoup some reperations from this will take "6-8 weeks" absolute joke stay as far away as you can
PrestigiousLog7647@reddit
DO NOT EVER USE ANYVAN!I’ve just had the most infuriating experience with AnyVan, and I cannot stress enough how utterly appalling their service is. I booked two separate appointments for home moves—one for my girlfriend’s belongings, and one for mine, both within the same week, and both going to the same location. What a colossal mistake that turned out to be.First appointment: Two drivers showed up in a DPD van—fine, whatever. They were polite and punctual, but that’s where any shred of competence ended. The job? Simple: remove a bed, a fridge, and a TV stand. One major issue: They flat-out refused to dismantle the bed (even though this was part of the job). The fridge was the real disaster. It was going down a flight of stairs, and the so-called movers kept telling me it was their first day. Are you kidding me?! By the end of the entire ordeal, my £900 American fridge (which I’d purchased only seven months ago) was left with scratches, dents, and chipped paint. After I complained to AnyVan, they had the nerve to offer me a pitiful £50 in compensation. That was their solution. £900 worth of damage and they offer me peanuts?Second appointment: This one was even worse. I paid an extra £26 to have a driver arrive between 9 am - 12 pm. What do I get? A message at 1:30 pm saying the guy was running late, with no apology and, of course, no refund for the delay. The driver, a guy named Siddiq, was flustered and unprofessional from the second he arrived. I asked if he wanted to see the items before loading. His response? “Bruv, I’ve been doing this for 15 years.” Great attitude, huh? As he loaded my things, he was aggressive, argumentative, and rude. When I politely asked if he could be careful with my items, he snapped at me, saying he was “running late” and needed to leave soon. How is that my problem? But it gets worse…I specifically paid for 1st-floor-to-1st-floor delivery (it was right there on the booking confirmation). Siddiq flat-out refused, claiming he would only collect or deliver from the ground floor. So not only did I have to haul my stuff down a flight of stairs, but I then had to drag it up to my new property. Unbelievable!And then the absolute final straw: Siddiq broke some of my belongings in transit. He barely acknowledged it, and when I pointed out that my TV and stand were ruined, he nonchalantly said, “It will probably just clip back in.” When I told him that the damage was irreparable, his response was to tell me to “call the company” and “tell them you had the worst driver ever.” That’s when it hit me—this isn’t a one-off. This is just how AnyVan operates. They don’t care. No responsibility, no accountability.Let me make it crystal clear: AnyVan is a scam. They sell themselves as cheap, convenient, and simple. But when it comes to handling your belongings, they are a nightmare. The drivers are subcontracted and frankly, many of them are so unprofessional they wouldn’t last a day with a reputable moving company. And don’t expect any real customer service if things go wrong—because it won’t happen.I will NEVER, ever use AnyVan again. I’d rather pay more for a professional, reliable company that actually values my things. AnyVan is a cowboy operation that belongs on the Rogue Traders website. Stay away at all costs.
No_Hyena_3483@reddit
I was looking forward to using AnyVan as their response time was so quick to deliver a sofa to our house. However after trying to cancel the booking after realising the sofa was too wide for our living room, I was told that there was no refund as the van operators were currently preparing to move my sofa....in two days time....The word "currently" is used as an excuse to keep my money. This is completely unacceptable behaviour from any company that's been given 48 hours notice of cancellation. It would appear that they are a bunch of scammers so please find another van company.
theketobootybuilder@reddit
I booked a removal with AnyVan three weeks in advance, providing my full address and postcode. The booking was confirmed, and payment was taken promptly. However, the evening before the agreed removal date, AnyVan called to say they could not find a team to do the job in my postcode area and cancelled the removal entirely.
We insisted they resolve this, as we had to vacate the property and hand over the keys. Finding another service with such short notice was impossible. They rescheduled for two days later, only to cancel again ON THE SAME DAY as the new agreed date, leaving us in an incredibly stressful situation.
When we sought a refund and compensation for the significant inconvenience and damage caused, they only offered a refund and outright refused any compensation.
This level of unprofessionalism and lack of accountability is unacceptable. We have now referred them to the consumer protection association. Avoid AnyVan at all costs!
RelokuOfficial@reddit
Anyvan are a gig economy aggregation website, meaning all work is subcontracted to 3rd party owner drivers.
This seems fine for use cases like courier work but they get many bad reviews (and even Watchdog complaints/TV shows) for house and flat moves, where the drivers are not happy about climbing stairs or heavy lifting. Check the reviews on indpendant review sites, especially the bad ones!
However in your case they might be fine, or Shiply.com are a similar alternative. But if you need to travel with the items or have anything heavy or valuable I would recommend using a company who use their own teams and branded vans to ensure consistancy and safety, for example reloku.com , Aussie Man & Van or one of the other reputable man and van type companies in London.
Possible_Fishing4403@reddit
Anyvan company is disgusting. They flaked, did not contact me until after the delivery date/time scheduled with a copy of this email below. However they also lied to my sister saying their van had broken down and would call her when they were able to show up but never contacted her again.
They lied, they flaked and I found out after the event - AVOID THIS COMPANY AT ALL COST.-----Hi Amira,
I trust this email finds you were well.
I tried giving you a call to better discuss your AnyVan booking AV8032618.
We have been unsuccessful in getting you a driver to come and accommodate you with your move today, due to low availability on drivers within your collection area. Is it possible for us to reschedule your booking for either Wednesday or Thursday.
I understand this is not ideal, however we do have confirmed drivers available for these days.
Could I politely request that you reply directly to this email with the requested information. Alternately you can reach out to our Live Chat Team. Please click on the link below and wait 5 seconds for the Initiate chat option to appear:
https://www.anyvan.com/contact-us#
With Gratitude,
StaceyCustomer Care Executive
Few-Marsupial2900@reddit
Here is a break-down of my experience with the awful company:
At collection (where the driver arrived late), I had prepared and labelled the items to move. I was friendly, and offered the men a drink. Very shortly after starting the job, the driver claimed that my flat was on the 4th floor (not the 2nd as described on the booking). I immediately and robustly refuted this since it is untrue. As can be seen in the attached image (digby-cres.jpg) the flat only has two floors. His claim that the collection flat was on the 4th floor is unambiguously and demonstrably untrue.
The driver also claimed that AnyVan had put house moves on his route in error. However, I booked a house move with AnyVan, so that claim may also be false.
These were the only complaints that the driver raised at collection.
After his bogus claims to do with the ‘4th floor’, we suspected that the driver might choose to put us in a difficult position at delivery, so as a gesture of goodwill we moved most of the items down to the landing, and helped with some of the items (including the heaviest item) by bringing them to the ground floor.
At this point, I tried calling AnyVan to raise a complaint about the bogus claims to do with the ‘4th floor’. I managed to arrange a call back. The driver was not aware that I had initiated this complaint.
Upon arrival at the delivery location, the driver parked immediately outside the building entrance. He immediately claimed that the delivery flat was on the 2nd floor (not the 1st floor as described on the booking). Again, this claim is unambiguously and demonstrably untrue. Furthermore, he refused to bring the items any further than ground level and began to pile it up in the building entrance.
At this point, the driver began to make other spurious claims including about delivery distance. For a 1st floor flat, the distance from the road to the door is entirely typical - if anything it’s quite close. He cited a figure that was not specified in the T&Cs. What’s more, on measuring, the actual distance is considerably less than the figure he cited.
At this point, the driver enlisted the help of two other men. He did not introduce them to the recipient or explain who they were.
The recipient of my consignment was on his own. Having left most of my consignment strewn all over the building entrance and with some left in the van, the driver knew he was in a position of power. He coercively asked my recipient to transfer additional funds directly to him in order to complete the job. My recipient was not happy to make any additional payment, least of all directly to the driver.
The driver then asked my recipient to sign a Proof of Delivery. I booked a house move - the most significant part of that is not the collection (carrying downstairs), or the drive (1 mile); it is the delivery where the consignment is delivered upstairs, against gravity. The delivery up the stairs is the most significant part of the job, and the driver left that to us. The T&Cs say that the signature of the PoD is to confirm that “that the Transport Services were provided to a satisfactory standard”. Given that the job was very far from being completed in full (having not been delivered to the location in the agreement), I could not and will not agree to sign the Proof of Delivery.
The driver, having refused to complete the job, loitered in the building entrance whilst my recipient and I completed the job ourselves.
In summary: The driver’s claims that the collection was not on the 2nd floor, and the delivery were not on the 1st floor are unambiguously and demonstrably false. Further spurious claims of delivery distance being excessive were false. The driver asked for additional funds to be sent directly to him. The AnyVan FAQs clearly state: “The amount you are quoted on AnyVan, is the total amount you pay for the job. There are no hidden extras. Transport providers’ quotes are also all inclusive of all the services they offer.” They also state: “You do not pay the provider more than the amount of the quote you accept.” The driver acted in an unprofessional manner and an increasingly intimidating manner throughout. The driver did not complete the job in full - not even close. The cheek of the driver to request additional funds after the job is breathtaking!
To rectify this situation: I request to be reimbursed for the job not being completed in full; and for providing, hands down, the most appalling consumer experience I have ever had. I strongly advise you to ban this driver from your platform. Failing to do so would risk more vulnerable customers becoming another victim of his dishonest approach. It also exposes AnyVan to significant reputational risk.
This is what I wrote to the Customer Complaint team upon which they closed the case and told me they won't refund me.
The business model is flawed: a very basic platform that hooks you up with all sorts of unprofessional busybodies. So the world of sham business meets the world of the lowest non-skilled people. When you go on anyvan website you see all these men in appropriate branded matching uniform and nice branded vans. That's not what you get in reality!
The men that I booked for the job even said they don't do house removals! One of them was wearing skinny jeans and didn't do anything'
So question is: why use Anyvan? Go straight to Gumtree, TaskRabbit etc. You get the same risk levels you might fish out a useless person that just wants to get your money and not do the work but at least you can choose to not pay them or give them a direct bad review
Anyvan "flags" my reviews on trustpilot so they remain hidden!!! And you can buy trustpilot reviews as well! So what the heck! In the current climate do we really need scmbag businesses like this one?
Jwillow84@reddit
Shiply as rule of thumb half the price of anyvan for me