1st Move International Limited Reviews 

511
TrustScore 4.5 out of 5

4.4

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Review summary

Created with AI, based on recent reviews

Looking at 36 reviews, reviewers overwhelmingly had a great experience with this company. Customers consistently praise the service, describing the process as easy and stress-free, with belongings arriving safely and on time. The staff are frequently highlighted as professional, helpful, and communicative, providing excellent support and making the overall experience effortless. However, some customers also noted concerns regarding pricing and communication. Several reviewers experienced unexpected price increases or additional charges not clearly explained upfront, sometimes after items were collected. There were also instances where delivery times significantly exceeded initial estimates, and some mentioned issues with customs requirements or receiving incorrect quotations.

What people talk about most

Service

Consumers find service to be positive, with many reviewers describing it as amazing, easy, and stress-free... See more

Staff

Customers consistently note positive experiences with staff, highlighting their helpfulness, professionalism,... See more

Delivery service

People report positive experiences with delivery service, noting that belongings arrived safely and in good... See more

Price

Users describe ambiguous interactions with price, with some reviewers reporting significant discrepancies... See more

Customer service

Clients share ambiguous opinions on customer service, with some reviewers having excellent experiences,... See more

Reviews shaping this summary

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

1st Move International worked with me from the very first phone call explaining everything regarding the shipment of my belongings from the UK to the USA. They made the whole process easy and stress f... See more

Company replied

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Collecting and packing goods end of Sept - excellent. Keeping in contact - excellent. Quality of packing when left UK - excellent. Goods arrived in around 3 months, but Australian customs delayed ins... See more

Company replied

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Highly Recommend 1st Move International! We used them for our move from London to South Carolina (US) and it was smooth and easy. The team is extremely friendly and in communication the entire time. I... See more

Company replied

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

From the very first call to when we received our goods, the whole experience with first move was awesome. They were professional, proficient, responded to all our questions and were kind. They held ou... See more

Company replied


Company details

  1. #37 of 39 best companies in Removals company
  2. #3 of 3 best companies in Exporter
  3. #24 of 34 best companies in Logistics service
  4. #34 of 37 best companies in Removals Service
  5. #19 of 21 best companies in Shipping service
  6. #2 of 2 best companies in Vehicle Shipping Agent

About 1st Move International Limited

Written by the company

Here at 1st Move International, we have been packing, moving and shipping household goods, furniture and personal effects overseas for more than 25 years.

What We Do Best

Faster Shipping

Unlike other movers, we never have to wait for a container to be full before we can ship out your belongings.

Thanks to our unbeatable packing, we're able to ship using weekly consolidated container shipping services, allowing us to offer our customers faster, guaranteed weekly shipping from the UK.

Once packed, your shipment is immediately booked onto the next weekly sailing. No waiting!

Visit our website to learn more about how we can offer faster shipping from the UK.

Unbeatable Packing

Our packing methods are simply exceptional. We never ship items loose inside of a container. All shipments are carefully packed and arranged onto their own individual pallets.

Palletisation drastically reduces handling of individual items during the moving process, increases efficiency when loading/unloading and offers the absolute best protection for your prized possessions on their journey to your home overseas.

Visit our website to learn all about our safer packing procedures.

Clear & Accurate Pricing

Our packing allows us to measure your shipment exactly. We never have to estimate the volume of your goods and once packed, you will be provided with the EXACT volume of your shipment and a photo of your pallets will be sent directly to you. No guessing!

Our Services

We offer international removals services from the UK to the USA, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Dubai, Cyprus, Malta, Singapore, South Africa, the Cayman Islands, Singapore and many more popular destinations!

Get a Quote

Ready to start your move? Get a free quote on our website today or contact a member of our team.

1st Move International - Faster Shipping

Written by the company

Regular departures from the UK
1st Move International are shipping regularly to the USA, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, UAE and other key destinations worldwide.

Faster Shipping

Faster International Shipping

Here at 1st Move International, we do things differently than other, conventional, international removals companies. This helps us to overcome the additional pressures that are still being seen throughout the international supply chain world as a result of port congestion, causing delays in securing shipping containers and space with vessel operators.

Contact info

4.4

Excellent

TrustScore 4.5 out of 5

511 reviews

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Asks customers to review

This company invites their customers to review, whether positive or negative

Replied to 75% of negative reviews

Typically replies within 1 month

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4.4

All reviews

(511)

32 reviews in the last 12 months

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Companies on Trustpilot aren't allowed to offer incentives or pay to hide reviews. Reviews are the opinions of individual users and not of Trustpilot. Read more

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Moved from UK to NZ

Moved from UK to NZ, 1st Removal made it easy and hassle free.

11 June 2022
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Reply from 1st Move International Limited

Thank you for your review, we are glad to hear that we made your move easy and hassle free. I'm sorry we weren't able to achieve a 5 star review on this occasion however.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

The packers were excellent, BUT...

The packers were excellent - only one glass broken from a whole house lot moving from UK to NZ. My one gripe is that the delivery took much longer than I expected. My house was packed up on 23 Dec and goods delivered on 30 May. That is 5 months - not the 6-8 weeks I was told. The speed of delivery was the main reason I chose this company, so that was really disappointing.

1 June 2022
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Reply from 1st Move International Limited

Thank you for your positive comments in regards with our packing, it is our aim to limit any damages and we are glad that you were pleased with the result. In respect of the transit time, the packing was delayed due to the Christmas holidays and we released onto the next available shipment after receiving your payment and documentation. Your shipment actually departed on the originally booked vessel, but this was unfortunately delayed in transit to the UK before loading. Our packing process allows us to release onto the next available weekly sailing, without the need of waiting for other bookings to consolidate (which can cause a delay in departure) There were further hold ups with customs clearance and quarantine at destination, but we are glad you have now successfully received your shipment. Thank you again for your review.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Very helpful

Very helpful. Be ready for a mountain of paperwork and possible shipping delays which are out of their control

1 June 2022
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Reply from 1st Move International Limited

Thank you for your review, I am sorry that you felt you couldn't give 5 stars but appreciate your kind words in respect to how helpful we were. Thanks again.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Great service, great communication and excellent packaging.

Great service, great communication and excellent packaging.
Shipped some household items from UK to South Africa within 8 weeks from collection to door delivery.

Would recommend 1st Move to everyone.

25 May 2022
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Reply from 1st Move International Limited

Thank you for your review of your experience with shipping to South Africa with 1st Move International, and your recommendation. It is much appreciated, we are happy to help!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

I would give more stars if I could

I would give more stars if I could! 1st Move shipped 4 large pallets from the UK to the US for me and what seemed like such a daunting task to me, they handled awesomely! I had 2 collection addresses and I was already in the US and wouldn't be there for the collections. 1st Move collected everything from my storage locker facility, who also gave great feedback how the collection went. The whole process went very smoothly, and I was very impressed how everything had been wrapped for protection. I spoke to various people at 1st Move and everyone was always very friendly and helpful. I highly recommend 1st Move anytime. Thank you so much!

22 May 2022
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Reply from 1st Move International Limited

Thank you for leaving a review, and for your recommendation. You are very welcome! Thanks again.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Efficient and professional service

Efficient and professional service
Good and friendly communication from Tessa

18 May 2022
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Reply from 1st Move International Limited

Thank you for leaving a review of your experience with 1st Move International, your kind words have been shared with the whole team here.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

From start to finish the process to…

From start to finish the process to move our goods from the UK to the USA was seamless. Wonderful communication from everyone involved, and our belongings arrived in flawless condition.

Highly recommend!

8 May 2022
Unprompted review
1st Move International Limited logo

Reply from 1st Move International Limited

Thank you for sharing your experience with shipping with 1st Move International to the USA, we are glad that our packing process ensured that you belongings arrived safely.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Simple shipment to Canada.

I needed to ship what transpired to be a minimum sized load from London UK to Toronto Canada. The contents were from a family estate and had a profound sentimental value to me, very little value in terms of money. I was extremely nervous about this process which was not helped by reading poor reviews about the various companies that provide this service so in fact I had low expectations. I went with 1st Move because they sent me a followup email after my initial enquiry. They were not the cheapest company but I felt they were being upfront about costs. If you do your due diligence and research other companies and their reviews you will see some of the hidden costs that can transpire.
Anyway Tom the salesman was very helpful and Tessa the move coordinator the most helpful. I could not be there for pickup of the goods as I was back in Canada but my siblings were and everything appeared to go smoothly. I was kept informed of the progress of the shipment and got a picture posted on Facebook of my pallet. I picked up my shipment in Toronto (slightly delayed but no problem) as shipping to my home was extortionate. The goods were well wrapped and sealed which protected them from rain and moisture for the entire journey which was good. They also put in a great deal of effort to protecting the contents with two exceptions. Unfortunately on unwrapping the goods I found some extensive damage to a wooden chair which looked like it had been badly compressed so that the arms were fractured. The other casualty was an antique beer stein that had it's handle broken off. This latter damage was entirely preventable in my opinion. It, along with the other contents of that box, could have been better arranged and protected. Everything else was fine. How the chair got so badly damaged I have no idea. There were stickers all over the shipment saying not to double stack but I can't think how else this could have happened and the chair was on the top of the stack. So - not perfect. Considering the cost of this exercise I am a little disappointed. I did not put in an insurance claim as my purpose in getting insurance was to cover costs in case of a total loss. I couldn't face the usual hassle with the insurance company over items that had sentimental value and so were not replaceable. I would use this company again. I'm not sure the company itself could have changed or altered the outcome as once the shipment leaves their hands it is out of their control.

18 April 2022
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Reply from 1st Move International Limited

Thank you for your review, and for saying that you would use us again. I'm sorry that you weren't able to give us 5 stars, but thank you for your feedback in relation to the packing of your effects.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

The Shipping Experts

I needed to have my stuff shipped from London to South Africa. Oh boy! These are the best guys in the business of shipping. From the initial response to my quotation request to the time of shipment, the guys never set a foot wrong. The shrink wrapping they do is second to non. Goods arrived intact because of the way they shrink wrap them. No chance of any breakages from start to delivery, I highly recommend them any time.

16 April 2022
Unprompted review
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Reply from 1st Move International Limited

Thank you for leaving a review of your experience of shipping with 1st Move International. We are glad to be of assistance, and really appreciate being called the "best guys in the business" Thanks again!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

As advertised

Our shipping arrived on time and all in one piece with no extra charges. The movers in Cape Town we’re excellent and moved our items up 4 floors within an hour.

24 March 2022
Unprompted review
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Reply from 1st Move International Limited

Thank you for sharing your experience of shipping your personal effects with 1st Move International, we appreciate your kind words and have shared them with the team.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

Communications were great, but there are some crushed boxes…

Communications were great from the start of the move, right up until my crushed boxes were delivered. If you do go with this company, go with the 'professionally packed' option. Anything you pack yourself is not covered by insurance for damages, so from my experience it looked like there was not as much care take while transporting those goods. The professionally packed goods mostly came through ok, but the goods we packed ourselves were treated badly, those boxes ended up looking like another pallet had been dropped on them. I am spending a lot of extra time and effort repacking these for onward shipping, as the crushed boxes are no longer stackable or movable, many were broken open. This was not the usual 'settling' during transit, I have shipped internationally before and been able to reuse boxes, but not this time. I am waiting the result of the insurance claim, but have been sent a number of emails reminding me to review the service, so here it is.

19 March 2022
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Reply from 1st Move International Limited

Thank you for leaving a review of your experience with 1st Move International and advising that the communication was great throughout your move.
I assure you that we take care of all goods intrusted into our care and, whether or not "professionally packed" by us, we palletise for transport in the same way. This not only protects our customers cargo, but helps us to ship from the UK quicker than other international removals companies.
I have reviewed the photographs you have provided with your claim, and it would appear that our pallets have been broken down at some point in transit as they are shown loose in the back of the truck on delivery. This could possibly have happened during a Customs inspection.
We will follow this up with both the agent in Australia and the insurance broker to ensure a quick resolution to your claim. Thanks again.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

1st Move International handled a move from UK to USA

1st Move International handled a shipment of household stuff from Surrey UK to Boston USA for me. I thought they were amazing. It's a complicated thing to do, navigating customs review etc, but they made it so straightforward and easy to follow. Everything arrived ahead of scheduled and without damage - including glass and paintings. Super pleased with their service and I'd use them again.

9 March 2022
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Reply from 1st Move International Limited

Thank you for your positive review, and we are glad you are pleased with the service that you received from 1st Move International. Customs clearance and the whole shipping process can be tricky, and we are glad to have help make it straightforward for you. Thanks again!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

My experience with 1st Move was…

My experience with 1st Move was wonderful, very efficient and it arrived almost a month earlier than they initially expected. Everything was packed in their warehouse and arrived safe and sound. I would use their services again

8 March 2022
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Reply from 1st Move International Limited

Thank you for sharing your experience with 1st Move International. We are glad that, even in this time of unprecedented shipping delays, your goods arrived earlier than expected. Thanks again!

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

In my opinion there seems to be a lack…

In my opinion there seems to be a lack of knowledge as to what happens when your goods arive at the destination especially with regards to extra charges,or perhaps it is a lack of communication either way I would not use this company again

8 March 2022
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Reply from 1st Move International Limited

Thank you for leaving a review of your experience of shipping with 1st Move International, although you have not been able to give any positive comments. So that we can look into the issues that you have found on arrival at your destination please e-mail yourmove@shipit.co.uk attn: Mike and this will be investigated immediately. Even with shipments that are prepaid to door there are some costs that we cannot prepay, but these are noted on our quotation and other communication. Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience you have experienced with this shipment, and we will wait to hear from you further to resolve if possible.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Absolutely fantastic service from start…

Absolutely fantastic service from start to finish. Highly recommend and Would definitely use again. Super helpful friendly team with brilliant communication who helped us every step of the way guiding us through all paperwork rules and regs. Thanks so much
Denise & Simon from Grand Cayman 😊

1 March 2022
Unprompted review
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Reply from 1st Move International Limited

Dear Denise and Simon, thank you so much for your review. We are glad that you would recommend us and would use us again. Your comments have been passed on to our Super helpful friendly team, thanks again!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Great communication

Great communication, thorough and very helpful, pleasant experience!!

24 February 2022
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Reply from 1st Move International Limited

Thank you for your comments and for leaving a 5 star review, we appreciate it greatly.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Thanks for ur services the staff is in…

Thanks for ur services the staff is in my country, I tried some other companies, but thank god that I chose u ,
U was also very helpful.
I thank you again .

17 February 2022
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Reply from 1st Move International Limited

Thank you for leaving a review, and for your kind words which have been shared with the whole team at 1st Move International.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Fantastic the UK side, not so great on delivery in the USA

Fantastic the UK side, informed, picked up on schedule and kept me informed in terms of shipment and tracking.
Unfortunately the US side was not the case. I ended up helping the lone driver unpack the pallet and individually remove the boxes onto my driveway, Not in 1st moves direct control as it was a local freight company, but something to be wary of.
That said I would highly recommend 1st Move and did. a 1st class job UK side.

2 February 2022
Unprompted review
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Reply from 1st Move International Limited

Thank you for your review, and for your constructive comments in regards to the delivery in the USA, which we will follow up. We appreciate your recommendation, thanks again!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Peace of mind door to door service, responsive, attentive, helpful, a little expensive

Moving from the UK to Durban in South Africa - 8 cubit meters of household goods.

From the initial quotation, the insurance, picking up our packed boxes, wrapping our goods and shipping to South Africa, to maintaining contact with the overseas agent for onward delivery to our final destination address, the service provided was excellent. There were a ton of hiccups from us with regards to timing but they provided the necessary assurance and service. A little more expensive than some of the other companies that do not wrap your boxes together, but definitely worth it. Would use them again without hesitation.

30 January 2022
Unprompted review
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Reply from 1st Move International Limited

Thank you for leaving a review of your experience with shipping with 1st Move International. We are glad to hear that you would use us again, and you found the service excellent. Your comments have been shared with the whole team.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Second time I've used this company

Second time I've used this company; if anything, it was even smoother than the first time (which itself was an entirely satisfactory experience).

Service does everything it says on the tin. Would recommend.

10 January 2022
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Reply from 1st Move International Limited

Thank you for your review, and for leaving your positive comments regarding your experience with 1st Move International. Your recommendation is much appreciated. Thanks again!

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