Business Contract Work Terms & Conditions

Last updated: [14th July 2026]

1. Who you are booking with

The Van Man Co. Ltd (“we”, “us”) arranges your work as agent for one or more independent contractors (“the contractor”), and handles your booking and payment on the contractor’s behalf.

The work itself is carried out by the contractor(s) we assign. Your contract for the work itself is with the contractor, who supplies the service to you. Your contract with The Van Man Co. is for arranging and managing your booking.

Contractors are independent businesses — not employees, agents, or partners of The Van Man Co. They operate their own vehicles and staff, under their own insurance. Larger jobs may be carried out by more than one contractor.

2. Your booking confirmation

The scope of work — dates, times, vehicles, routes, stops, and price — is set out in your booking confirmation. Where these terms and your confirmation differ, your confirmation applies.

Work not listed in your confirmation is not included.

3. Price

The price stated in your confirmation covers the work described there only. It is based on the information you provided at the time of booking and on the work being able to proceed without significant delay or obstruction.

Any change to the agreed scope — additional stops, collections, volume, dates, or addresses — must be agreed with us before the work is carried out and may change the price.

4. Additional time, waiting and delays

Where your confirmation states included hours, additional time beyond them is charged at the overtime rate stated in your confirmation.

Delays outside the contractor’s control — including no access, goods not ready, or waiting caused by you or third parties — are chargeable at the rate stated in your confirmation.

5. Access, parking and sites

You are responsible for suitable access and parking at each address, including permits where required.

Unless your confirmation states otherwise, parking charges, tolls, congestion and clean-air-zone fees incurred in carrying out the work are passed through at cost.

Where goods are delivered to or collected from a third-party site (for example a storage facility), you are responsible for ensuring the site will accept or release the goods at the scheduled time. Delays or refusals at third-party sites are treated as waiting time under section 4.

6. Goods and loading

Goods must be ready to move on arrival unless preparation or packing has been agreed in advance.

The contractor may decline items that are unsafe to move or that were not declared at booking. Hazardous or prohibited goods may not be moved unless expressly agreed in writing.

7. Multi-day work

Each day of a multi-day booking runs to the schedule in your confirmation. If a day overruns or is rescheduled, later days may need adjusting; we will agree any changes with you as early as possible.

Changes to individual days follow sections 3 and 4.

8. Payment

Unless your confirmation or invoice states otherwise, payment is due in full before work commences.

We collect payment as the contractor’s agent and pass the contractor’s share to them.

Where payment is made by invoice and you book in the course of business, we reserve the right to charge statutory interest and compensation on late payments under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998. Invoice queries must be raised within 7 days of the invoice date.

9. Changes and cancellations

We know plans change. If you need to change the date, time, or scope of your booking, tell us as early as possible — we will make reasonable efforts to accommodate changes, but cannot guarantee availability.

Where the scope of work is reduced after booking, contractors and vehicles may already have been reserved for the affected days. Charges are based on the work as booked, and a reduction in scope will not necessarily reduce the price; any reduction is at our discretion and will be agreed with you.

Unless your confirmation states otherwise: cancellation more than 7 days before the first scheduled day is free of charge; within 7 days we may charge up to 50% of the affected days’ price; within 48 hours, or on the day, the affected days may be charged in full.

Postponement is subject to availability.

10. If we cancel

If we cannot assign a contractor to your booking, we will tell you as soon as possible and you will not be charged for the affected work.

We are not liable for the cost of any alternative arrangements you make.

11. Insurance

The contractor holds goods-in-transit and public liability insurance covering the work. If anything is lost, damaged, or destroyed during the work, or there is damage to property or injury to any person, any claim must be made against the contractor’s insurance.

Damage must be noted at the time and reported to us within 48 hours. We are not liable for goods packed by you, or for pre-existing damage.

12. Our liability

To the extent permitted by law, our liability to you is limited to the total amount you have paid us for your booking, and we are not liable for indirect or consequential losses.

Neither we nor the contractor are liable for delay or failure caused by events beyond reasonable control (severe traffic, weather, vehicle breakdown, site closures). In the event of breakdown we will seek to arrange a replacement vehicle as quickly as reasonably possible.

Nothing in these terms excludes liability for fraud, or for death or personal injury caused by negligence. If you book as a consumer rather than in the course of business, nothing in these terms affects your statutory rights.

13. Complaints

Email info@thevanmanco.co.uk or call 0330 043 0885. We acknowledge complaints within 2 working days and aim to resolve them within 14 working days, connecting you with the contractor where the issue relates to the work itself.

14. Data protection

Personal data is handled in line with our Privacy Policy and UK data protection law. Booking details are shared with assigned contractors so they can carry out the work.

15. Changes to these terms

We may update these terms from time to time. The version in force on the date of your booking confirmation applies to that booking.

16. Governing law

These terms are governed by the law of England and Wales, and disputes are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.