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

Moving Belgium to Scotland

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 2008Antitrust: Commission fines providers of international removal services in Belgium over €32.7 million for complex cartelThe 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