For safety and efficiency, Expo Hire cannot accommodate customer collections from our warehouse. This ensures a streamlined process for all our customers.
For safety and efficiency, Expo Hire cannot accommodate customer collections from our warehouse. This ensures a streamlined process for all our customers.
Expo Hire frequently receives questions about why we do not offer customer collections from our warehouse. While some companies provide this service to help customers save on delivery costs, we believe our delivery service is the superior option for you, and here's why.
The primary reason Expo Hire does not offer customer collections is the significantly higher risk of damage to your hired equipment when you transport it yourself compared to when our professional drivers deliver it. Delivering event hire equipment is a specialised task, especially when dealing with large quantities of furniture and decor. Our drivers possess years of experience in safely loading, securing, and unloading vans. They understand the precise weight distribution and securing methods required for different types of equipment. The vehicles we use are specifically chosen for their suitability in carrying our product range.
Contrast this with a customer attempting to load equipment into their own vehicle. While some individuals may have appropriate vehicles and experience, this is not the norm. We have encountered situations where customers arrive in small hatchbacks to collect items like banqueting tables, with no clear plan for how to fit them securely. It becomes evident that customer collections present a substantial risk of damage.
Even seemingly smaller items, such as crockery and glassware, can suffer significant breakage. Boxes and crates that are not properly secured within a vehicle can shift during transit, leading to breakages by the time you reach your destination. This can result in unexpected costs for damaged items.
Insurance is another critical factor often overlooked with customer collections. Many personal vehicle insurance policies have specific clauses that restrict the use of the vehicle, including the transportation of commercial goods. If your vehicle is involved in an accident or is stolen while carrying hired equipment, your insurance policy could be invalidated due to unauthorised use. This could leave you personally liable for the full cost of replacing the hired equipment, in addition to any damage to your own vehicle.
Customer collections often present a false economy. While it might seem cheaper to avoid a delivery charge, the actual cost of collecting hire equipment involves more than just the absence of a carriage fee. It incurs a real cost in terms of your valuable time and potential expenses.
Expo Hire operates as an online business and does not maintain public-facing showrooms or customer service facilities at our operational warehouses. To accommodate customer collections, we would need to dedicate staff and space specifically for this purpose. These additional overheads would inevitably be reflected in our hire charges, increasing prices for all our customers.
Our delivery charges start from £40 plus VAT, and this fee includes comprehensive delivery tracking for all orders. This transparent pricing structure means you can be confident that we will handle the loading, transportation, and delivery of your order, ensuring it arrives in perfect condition and ready for your event.
Every order placed with Expo Hire is delivered by our own experienced drivers using Expo Hire-branded vehicles. This ensures a professional and reliable service from start to finish. We understand the importance of timely and careful delivery for your event.
Before your scheduled delivery date, you will receive clear communication regarding your delivery window. Our drivers are trained to handle all types of event equipment with care and precision. They will deliver your items directly to your specified location, saving you the effort and risk associated with self-collection. This allows you to focus on other important aspects of your event planning.
For example, if you are hiring tables for a large event, our drivers will deliver them to the designated drop-off point, often directly to the venue entrance. Similarly, if you require chairs, they will be delivered stacked and ready for placement. This professional handling minimises the risk of damage and saves you considerable time and physical exertion.
We take pride in our delivery service, which is designed to provide you with peace of mind. By choosing delivery, you are not just paying for transport; you are investing in the safe arrival of your hired equipment, the protection of your insurance, and the preservation of your valuable time. This approach ensures your event can proceed smoothly without the added stress of equipment transport concerns.
Choose from our vast range of catering hire, furniture hire and exhibition hire products. Select from the categories listed below or use our great search function above.
