Leaving Belgium

Etat de Lieux

In the 20 years I've been living and working in Brussels with the expatriate community, one issue has dominated the relocation procedure - the etat de lieux. The problem starts when you move to Brussels, because if no one has told you what to expect then how can you know what is the best procedure to follow.

Most landlords and their agents will kindly suggest that you share the cost of the Expert-Géometres, and on face value it looks to be a good offer. What you are not told is: 

1. The Expert's fees before you agree so that you know what your share will be.
2. That you are entitled to have your own Expert present.
3. That the Expert chosen by the landlord might be the same Expert who handles all the landlord's properties and who might be forgiven for having the landlord's best interest before yours.
   

Many customers' that I've moved have not been aware of their rights to appoint their own Expert, and some have paid sums equal to the Expert's full fees and not just 50% as was agreed. But most of all, people are frightened about the inspection because they have heard that landlords are looking to keep some of the deposit. When you have your own Expert the first thing you gain is peace of mind. Your Expert will represent you on the day of the inspection and will have to negotiate any costs for repairs etc. with the landlord's Expert, thus avoiding a worrying face to face stand off with the landlord also gain because there's no way the landlord can rip you off with outrageous charges.

The Union Belge des Géometres-Experts is the official organisation representing the profession. Their web page allows you to enter the commune in which you live and then provides a list of local Experts. Remember that your Expert should be fluent in the language the etat de lieux was written in. If you are leaving Belgium, you must have notified the landlord, by registered mail, of your intention to appoint your own Expert no later than 15 working days before the rental contract expires.



Capital Worldwide Limited
Web site: http://www.capital-worldwide.com
Email: moving@capital-worldwide.com
Phone: 02 535 7430

Carbon Neutral Moving

This is the first certificate we've received for offsetting our customers cumulative carbon footprint for the period November 07 - January 08.

The Carbon Neutral Company is well accredited, and you can read their policies and offset programmes on their web site.

I accept that some of the scientific claims being made about carbon offset programmes are unreliable, and as I'm not a scientist I am unable to work out whether carbon offset actually helps our planet, but I do believe that if everyone did something then the cumulative effect could have an impact on climate change. Planting more trees can't be a bad thing.

I do believe, however, that if a company makes a claim that it is offsetting its customers carbon footprint, then at least the process should be made transparent. Which is why I've published the certificate on my Blog, and will continue to do so every three months.

Peter McEwan

Capital Worldwide Limited
Web site: http://www.capital-worldwide.com
Email: moving@capital-worldwide.com
Phone: 02 535 7430

Moving between UK and Belgium

Brussels parking signs

Not the greatest photo I will admit, but this is what a Brussels parking sign looks like.
I'm still surprised to hear that UK movers try to avoid the cost or the hassle of arranging parking permits for moves into Brussels. If a lift is involved then you certainly will require a parking permit, because without one there's nothing the police can do to move a car that is preventing a lift from being positioned outside your apartment.

The parking charge vary according to the commune into which you are moving: the most expensive is Brussels, which charges a massive euro 110 for one days parking. Ixelles, a favourite commune for expats, charges euro 100 for one day. Some say that there's no point because people will ignore the signs. However, the fine for having a car towed away is something like euro 500, so they ignore the signs at their peril!!

If you are moving out of Brussels then its your mover who arranges this for you. Be careful, though, because some companies do not include the cost in their quote.

I don't think there's anything left to say about moving signs....oh yes: the signs are usually positioned 25 - 30m apart, but some people, during the night, come out and narrow the distance to allow them to park their car. This can result in some very funny and not so funny situations.

Peter McEwan

Capital Worldwide Limited
Web site: http://www.capital-worldwide.com
Email: moving@capital-worldwide.com
Phone: 02 535 7430

Moving from Belgium to the UK

Belgium's removal companies price-fixing scandal hurts us all

Just because my company has not been implicated in the recently exposed price-fixing scandal, that has cast a dark cloud over most of Belgium's top removal firms, is no reason for me to gloat. All customers, be they corporations, institutions or private individuals, have been harmed by this scandal, and it wouldn't be unfair of them to view all removal firms as slightly dodgy.

The European Commission has cashed in on the scandal and secured 32 million euro from a fine imposed on the guilty parties, but what about all the companies, institutions and private individuals who have paid more than they should have for their removal service, how are they going to be compensated for years of being cheated?

My company was once a supplier of international moving services in Belgium to some of the biggest multi-national firms in the world: Cocoa-Cola Company, Huntsman, Dow Corning, etc. Gradually, over time, I lost the right to service these firms, partly because of stronger marketing, which I can accept in this the-strongest-survives economy, but also from resistance from Belgian lower management who felt no loyalty to my firm even though they had received nothing but excellent service. However, my company was replaced by none other than the firms that have now been fined for price-fixing. But you know something, I don't believe for one moment that the Belgian lower management even cared.

There is something that my fellow director and I can be proud of: Capital Worldwide was never a part of the price-fixing circuit, and if there's any doubt then just look at the European Commission's press release (see previous post), for you won't see our name there.

Peter McEwan

Capital Worldwide Limited
Web site: http://www.capital-worldwide.com
Email: moving@capital-worldwide.com
Phone: 02 535 7430

Belgian removers price fixing scam

Belgian movers fined for operating a price fixing cartel

In a press release issued by the European Commission, seven of Belgium's leading international movers, excluding Capital Worldwide, fixed the prices quoted to their customers for their international moving requirements. The full press release can be found here:

IP/08/415
Brussels, 11 March 2008
Antitrust: Commission fines providers of international removal services in Belgium over €32.7 million for complex cartel
The European Commission has imposed fines, totalling € 32 755 500, on Allied Arthur Pierre, Compas, Coppens, Gosselin, Interdean, Mozer, Putters, Team Relocations, Transworld and Ziegler for fixing prices, sharing the market and bid rigging for international removal services, in violation of the EC Treaty's ban on cartels (Article 81). The cartel operated for almost nineteen years (from October 1984 to September 2003). Cartel members fixed prices, presented bogus quotes to clients and compensated each other for lost bids. Allied Arthur Pierre's fine was reduced by 50% because it cooperated in the investigation under the Commission's 2002 Leniency Notice. The case was investigated on the Commission's own initiative.

Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes said: "Clients of international removal companies have been cheated for almost two decades. Fortunately, the Commission discovered this cartel on its own initiative, demonstrating that the Commission has independent means to detect cartels and is using them successfully."

The Commission started an investigation at its own initiative with surprise inspections, carried out at the premises of Allied Arthur Pierre, Interdean, Transworld and Ziegler in September 2003 in Belgium. The inspections proved particularly successful and abundant evidence of cartel activities was obtained.

What annoys me most about this, is the way my company has been muscled out of working for such companies as Huntsman, Coca-Cola and other multi national by the very companies that have been fined for price fixing!! Of course, I now know why - I wasn't part of the scam.

Capital Worldwide Limited
Web site: http://www.capital-worldwide.com
Email: moving@capital-worldwide.com
Phone: 02 535 7430

Moving from Belgium to England

Outside lifts and parking spaces in Brussels


I often meet clients who have a story to tell about when they first moved to Brussels, and the most common issue is the removal firm failed to take into account the need for an outside lift or a reserved parking space. Result, damage caused to the stairs or walls by trying to fit furniture into spaces not designed for that purpose or frantic calls to a lift company, or a truck that can't park anywhere near the building.

When flat hunting, unless someone specifically points out to you that your mover will have to supply a lift, how would you know about such things? After all, in the UK outside lifts are deemed by the Health & Safety Executive to be too dangerous, so most British people will have never seen one before. But that's where your mover comes in. Most removal firms are professional in what they do, the problem is that all movers claim to do European work and most fail to take in account the access at the destination address. Most apartment buildings in Brussels do NOT permit furniture to be moved up or down the stairs. Older buildings have narrow stairs making it physically impossible to move furniture. However, most apartments have large windows that open into the apartment, and if there's a balcony the job of positioning a lift is made that much easier. Parking the removal van and lift truck can be made easier by reserving space with the police. Your mover can and should arrange this for you, and if he doesn't know a firm in Brussels give him Capital's details and we'll do it.

Check your quote to ensure the mover has allowed for a lift and/or parking permit, unless you are moving into the suburbs where generally these issue are not a problem.

Capital Worldwide Limited
Web site: http://www.capital-worldwide.com
Email: moving@capital-worldwide.com
Phone: 02 535 7430

Removals from Belgium to England

VEHICLE UPDATE

We will have a removal van available for the collection of part and full loads from Belgium on 28th January for delivery to all parts of the UK.

***** Special rates available ******

Call Peter McEwan

Capital Worldwide Limited
Web site: http://www.capital-worldwide.com
Email: moving@capital-worldwide.com
Phone: 02 535 7430