British Association of Removers (BAR)

The British Association of Removers (BAR) is the recognised voice of the professional moving and storage industry in the UK. BAR's members range in size and all are inspected and matched against criteria for membership that cover premises, vehicles, staff, operational procedures, contractual and insurance arrangements.

Through an annual inspection programme and coupled with its membership of the Approved Code Scheme, BAR constantly seeks to raise standards in the industry so customers may receive the most efficient and trouble free move possible.

SEARCH : Find a BAR Removal Company

CERTIFIED

Approved Code of Practice

This is to certify that the published Consumer Code of Practice of the British Association of Removers (BAR) was officially granted APPROVED CODE status in 2008. Since then, the relevant provisions, processes and procedures have been continuously monitored and regularly audited by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) - the representative body of the UK Trading Standards profession, since 1881, and one of the primary Government-endorsed consumer protection bodies in the United Kingdom - operating on behalf of the Approved Code Scheme (see Code Audit Record, below).

Approved Code Registry :

Code Sector	Removals and Storage
Code of Practice	Click here to view (pdf opens in new tab)
Year of Approval	2008
Members	380 at over 500 locations (May 2024)
Last Audited	January 2024
Code Audit Record	BAR Audit 2023 (pdf opens in new tab)

More about the British Association of Removers (BAR)

VERIFY A COMPANY : If you want to check that a business displaying the Approved Code Scheme logo is genuinely a member of the scheme, please enter their details in the search box at the top of the page (or use the main search box on the Homepage).

The BAR Code of Practice

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The British Association of Removers (BAR) and its Members recognise that moving home is a stressful experience and the purpose of this Code is to ensure that Members trade in a fair and reasonable manner.

In the event that this does not happen, the Code sets out in-company procedures that should enable complaints to be resolved. If this fails, then BAR as Code Sponsor provides a low cost independent Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) scheme aimed at resolving problems quickly and fairly. Under this scheme the case will be determined by an independent accredited ADR organisation. There are a range of disciplinary processes and sanctions built into the Code including expulsion for persistent or serious failure to comply with the Code.

Only bona fide Members of BAR, or approved partners, may legally use the BAR logo on vehicles, signage, websites, letterheads and promotional or packaging material. Compliance with this Code is mandatory upon BAR Members who are also required to advertise their adherence to this Code.

Read BAR's full Code of Practice here (pdf)

Why is a Code of Practice so essential in this Sector?

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With BAR members carrying out more than 250,000 UK home moves in the UK every year it is inevitable that there will be some that end in dispute for one reason or another.

The moving industry is pretty unique and what is absolutely true is that one size most definitely does not fit all, rather each move is an individual experience that is determined by a unique set of circumstances (a selection might include; death; divorce; schools/children; career; family issues; upsizing/downsizing; financial issues/considerations etc etc) and so any solution or move plan should be tailored to meet the specific needs of the task in hand.

It also needs to be recognised that moving house is documented to be the third most stressful experience behind death and divorce and so we can very soon see that the consumer is going to need a service provider who not only has the technical knowledge and skills, but who can also be empathetic with those ‘feeling the strain’. That service provider must also provide appropriate consumer protections that are transparent and measurable, such as are described within the Code of Practice.

BAR takes all customer complaints involving its Members seriously and whilst the Association continues to regulate Members in line with membership Criteria and the CTSI Approved Code of Practice, there is also an alternative dispute resolution procedure available that is operated by an external, independent body.

Summary of the BAR Code of Practice

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For over 100 years the British Association of Removers (BAR) has been the recognised voice of the professional moving and storage industry in the United Kingdom. BAR Members range in size from small family businesses to multinational companies, but involvement in the industry alone does not qualify a company for membership.

BAR inspects and investigates all potential Members and matches them against criteria for membership that cover premises, vehicles, staff, operational procedures and insurance arrangements. BAR also has a programme of ongoing inspection during membership to ensure standards are maintained. Through this programme and through this CTSI Approved Code Scheme, BAR constantly seeks to raise standards in the industry so Customers may receive the most efficient and trouble free move possible.

This Code applies to all furniture removal activities for UK consumers dealing with a UK based BAR Member and the purpose of this Code is to ensure that Members trade in a fair and reasonable manner. In the event that this does not happen, the Code sets out in-company procedures that should enable complaints to be resolved. If this fails, then BAR as Code Sponsor provides a low cost independent Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) scheme aimed at resolving problems quickly and fairly. Under this scheme the case will be determined by an independent accredited ADR organisation.

There is a range of disciplinary processes and sanctions built into the Code including expulsion for persistent or serious failure to comply with the Code. Only bona fide Members of BAR, or approved partners, may legally use the BAR logo on vehicles, signage, websites, letterheads and promotional or packaging material. Compliance with this Code is mandatory upon BAR Members who are also required to advertise their adherence to this Code. You may always contact BAR Head Office on 01923 699480 to check that the company is a Member or you can visit the BAR website at www.bar.co.uk

Read BAR's full Code of Practice here (pdf)

What types of businesses are Members of BAR?

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BAR membership isn’t for every removal company and isn’t just a pay-as-you-go scheme. To become a BAR Member a removal company has to prove that they can meet the high standards of our existing Members, otherwise the membership itself becomes devalued and the badge would no longer represent the benchmark for quality that it currently does.

For any moving company to join the ranks of BAR membership, they first have to meet in full the requirements of an extensive Criteria of Membership, as well as its stringent Code of Practice and, understandably’ not all movers can meet those standards. All BAR Members are audited annually, at every operating centre, and full and ongoing compliance with the Criteria of Membership and Code of Practice is a mandatory requirement. Failure to do so will invoke specific and timely remedial actions for the Member in question, or they face having their membership status terminated.

In addition, the performance of BAR Members is uniquely monitored by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) to ensure the Member is operating as they should be, in the interests of their customers. In short, only the most professional of moving companies are Members of the BAR.

How are businesses vetted - before and after joining?

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All Members of BAR are VAT registered, so we know they are not simply fuelling the black economy, and they are required to comply with 2 sets of ‘rules’ with compliance being both mandatory, and tested every year at every operational location for each Member. Those rules are laid out below.

1) The Criteria of Membership

This consists of compliance in the following areas:

Finance - Members and Applicants must be able to demonstrate that they have the financial resources to operate a legitimate removal business, and be of good financial standing, providing to the Association or its authorised agent whatever evidence is reasonably required to establish this.
Good Repute - Proprietors, partners, directors, shareholders or any person concerned in the management of the business of Members and Applicants must not have a police record, have been declared bankrupt and/or have been disqualified as a director.
Insurance - Members and Applicants must protect the customer against loss or damage to their goods submitted for removal and/or storage, by an approved method, namely: Offering and arranging insurance for the benefit of the customer [Insurance Terms] or Promising to compensate the customer for loss or damage and having insurance in place to back up that promise [Liability Terms]. In each case the insurance policies referred to must meet the prevailing minimum standards set by the Association.
Premises - Members and Applicants must have a dedicated office area (with safe exclusive external access, if contained within a residential premises), for customers, and the facility should be appropriately signed, and provide a professional, disciplined and well regulated appearance. Offices should be staffed during normal office hours. If storage facilities are offered, then these must be completely suitable for the purpose, and safe, secure, well maintained and administered.
Staff - Members and Applicants must be able to demonstrate that all staff employed, hired or engaged, are suitably trained and qualified. An induction programme including full health and safety procedures must be in place for all staff, and written records must be kept of the training undertaken by each employee. There must be evidence of a complementary, and continuing, training programme. All staff directly employed by a Member or Applicant, whether they are permanent, temporary, full-time or part-time, or provided by an Agency or other third party (and paid by the employer), must be paid through PAYE and all staff must have a relevant formal contract.
Vehicles - Members and Applicants must be able to demonstrate that they have suitable vehicles and the capability and resources to maintain, adequately equip, and safely operate those vehicles and associated plant and equipment. They must either: possess a Standard National Operator’s Licence where legally required or where an O-Licence is not legally required, employ a person holding a Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) or equivalent qualification/exemption (e.g. NCRM or higher qualification).
Packaging, Materials and Equipment - Packaging and materials must be of appropriate shape, size, and strength, and of a quality maintained throughout the life of the material. Access must be readily available to all removals equipment necessary to the task and this equipment to be properly inspected and maintained at all times.
Administration - Members and Applicants must maintain adequate procedures to cover the key elements of the removals process, for example; Quotations and acceptances; Bookings and confirmation; Job sheets or equivalent; After sales service; Customer correspondence, complaints record, claims record, and satisfaction responses.

The above listing is simply a snapshot of the areas where we require evidence of compliance, the actual criteria and annual audits are much more detailed of course.

2) The Code of Practice

The British Association of Removers Code of Practice is the only code in the moving industry that’s approved and monitored by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute and the purpose of the code is to ensure:

The standards of service the consumer will receive
The quality of the materials used
The standards of vehicles and warehouses
Staff training requirements
What will happen if something goes wrong.

What happens if a business breaks the Code of Practice?

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The BAR, as Code Sponsor, will investigate all alleged breaches of this Code. An independent Disciplinary Committee ensures that the Code is enforced effectively and disciplinary procedures are effective, fair and impartial. In addition the Committee deals with serious cases of noncompliance with the Code. Where a potential breach of this Code has been identified during the course of investigating a consumer complaint, BAR will normally endeavour to resolve the complaint before addressing the alleged breach.

If the facts alleged against the Member are adjudged to constitute infringement of this Code, either the Association or the Disciplinary Committee shall have the power to impose any of the following sanctions:

- Informal reprimand
- Written warning
- Re-inspection
- Improvement notice
- Fine
- Compulsory retraining
- Naming and shaming
- Suspension of services to the member
- Termination of membership

Any investigation or disciplinary action taken by the Association will be subject to periodic review by the Disciplinary Committee.

Disputes and Complaints

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As a consumer, if you ever enter into a dispute with a business that is a member of the British Association of Removers, the business must offer you Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR). This is a simpler, cheaper and faster alternative to going to Court. And the adjudications of the independent ADR body are binding on the business (although you are still free to go to Court afterwards).

Offering customers ADR is a mandatory and non-negotiable requirement for membership of the Approved Code Scheme - ensuring that only the best, most customer-centric businesses remain in the scheme. It also acts as a powerful incentive for any member business to treat you with respect, courtesy and fairness, at all times.

BAR's Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) :

Independent ADR Body	The Furniture & Home Improvement Ombudsman (FHIO)
Website	www.fhio.org
Phone Number	tbc
NOTES	Recourse to the independent ADR scheme is subject to certain limits, current details of which are available upon request from BAR. Please call: 01923 699 486, or email: consumer.affairs@bar.co.uk.

Complain about a BAR Member business

If you feel you have been mistreated by a business that is a member of the Approved Code Scheme, there are steps you can take. In the first instance, please reach out to them - explaining the nature of your complaint in clear and unambiguous language, and mentioning that you are aware of their membership of the British Association of Removers and the Approved Code Scheme. In most cases, this approach will ensure your complaint receives proper attention - and, ideally, a resolution will be forthcoming. If you are not happy with the result, they must offer you Alternative Dispute Resolution, or you can request it.

Only if this approach fails to bear fruit should you contact BAR, or their nominated ADR body (see their contact details, above) - who will then do their best to help you resolve your dispute with the business.

BAR's Advice :

BAR Members must have in place responsive and user friendly procedures for dealing with Customer complaints. The Member must ensure that all staff are instructed in the handling of complaints and their staff should always adopt a friendly positive approach and avoid a negative attitude when handling a complaint.

Members must ensure that all staff are able to provide the name and contact details of the member of staff to whom complaints should be referred and an acknowledgement of a complaint must be provided within 3 working days with an endeavour to resolve the matter within 8 weeks from the date of receipt of the complaint. If at the end of 8 weeks the matter has not been resolved the Member should advise the Customer of the availability of the BAR ADR service.

All members shall maintain a complete record of complaints from which an analysis of activities covered by the Code can be obtained. Members should take action based on this information to improve their level of service to Customers. Members should review their complaints log on a regular basis and make these available to an Association auditor upon request. Members shall co-operate with Customers, their advisors and the Association in the resolution of complaints and/or the handling of liability/insurance claims.

In the event of a dispute relating to the provision of a service covered by this Code, which cannot be resolved, either the Customer or the Member may refer it to the low cost independent Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) provided by the Association. Referral of a dispute to the ADR scheme does not prevent the Customer from taking subsequent legal action. The Member must accede to participation in the scheme if the Customer so requests. Under this scheme, the case will be determined by an accredited independent ADR organisation. Recourse to the independent ADR scheme is subject to certain limits, current details of which are available upon request from BAR

Complain about the British Association of Removers

In the interests of complete transparency and fairhandedness, if you represent a business and would like to complain about the way that the British Association of Removers operates as part of the Approved Code Scheme, please contact us at : ccab@tsi.org.uk

The BAR, is also accountable to its Code of Practice and, in the event of dispute with one of its Members over its management of this Code, is also subject to review and referral to the Approved Code Scheme (CCAB/CTSI) and its disciplinary processes. Where a potential breach of the management the Code has been identified through investigating a Member complaint, the BAR will normally endeavour to resolve the complaint before referring the matter to CTSI for their involvement.

Organisation Information

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Code Sponsor Name	British Association of Removers
Website	www.bar.co.uk
Contact Number	01923 699480
Email or Online Form	Online Contact Form (opens in new tab)
Contact Address	The British Association of Removers, Tangent House, 62 Exchange Road, Watford, Hertfordshire, WD18 0TG

Corporate Details (from Companies House) :

Registered Name	BRITISH ASSOCIATION OF REMOVERS (SERVICES) LIMITED
Company Reg. No.	01288441
Established	1976
Reg. Address	Tangent House, 62 Exchange Road, Watford, Herts, WD18 0TG

Return to the Approved Code Directory

PLEASE NOTE : We recently changed the consumer-facing name of the scheme from the Consumer Codes Approval Scheme (CCAS) to the Approved Code Scheme. However, some of our publicity and contractual materials (produced before June 2024) may still include references to the original name. Until we have adapted everything, both names remain valid - and we apologise for any confusion.