11 Best AnyVan Alternatives in 2026 (Based on 184 Bad Reviews)

You're probably here because an AnyVan quote or an AnyVan moving day didn't go the way you hoped. Before I wrote a list of alternatives, I wanted to know why people actually leave AnyVan. So I read every one star and two star AnyVan review that customers posted on Trustpilot between 17 October and 6 November 2026. That came to 184 reviews (165 one star, 19 two star), and I sorted every complaint by theme.

Here's what came up most:

• Customer service, refunds and compensation. 89 of the 184 reviews (48%) say people couldn't get help, couldn't get their money back, or got a small goodwill offer after a bad move.
• Paying more on the day. 68 reviews (37%) describe a request for more money after booking: items the crew said weren't on the list, boxes, dismantling, time slots or rebooking.
• Late, no show or cancelled on the day. 41 reviews (22%).
• Damaged or missing belongings. 35 reviews (19%).
• The crew refused items or work. 26 reviews (14%).

One review can raise several problems, so the figures add up to more than 184. To be fair to AnyVan, its overall TrustScore stood at 4.6 from 209,322 reviews when I checked, and it had replied to 117 of the 184 bad reviews in my sample. That overall rating suggests most AnyVan moves go fine. This guide is for the times they don't, and for the jobs where a different kind of service fits better.

Quick Answer: The Best AnyVan Alternative for Each Job

Why People Actually Leave AnyVan (What 184 Bad Reviews Say)

I read each review in full and counted a theme only when the reviewer described it happening to them. A review that says "I paid for insurance" doesn't count as an extra charge, and a van that broke down doesn't count as damage. Every figure below comes from those 184 reviews and nothing else.

Problem 1: Customer service, refunds and compensation (89 of 184 reviews)

This was the biggest theme. Reviewers describe long waits on the phone, calls that dropped, emails nobody answered and chat replies that went in circles. When something went wrong on the day, several people say the office offered a small credit or a percentage of the cost instead of a refund. Reviewers mention offers of £10, £20 and £50, two of them against bookings of around £400, and one reviewer says a damage settlement came in £1,500 below the repair cost.

A few reviewers did get money back, often after they pushed hard. The pattern people describe is having to chase for it.

Problem 2: Paying more on the day (68 of 184 reviews)

AnyVan prices a move from the list of items you enter. Reviewers keep coming back to the same problem with that: nobody remembers every item in a home, and anything the crew finds that isn't on the list costs more. Some reviewers say they listed everything and still faced a bigger bill when the crew decided the load was larger than booked.

Here's what reviewers in the sample say the crew or the office asked them to pay extra for:

Several reviewers also say a driver asked them for cash directly, outside the AnyVan booking.

Problem 3: Late, no show or cancelled on the day (41 of 184 reviews)

Arrival windows matter more on moving day than on almost any other day, because you have keys to hand back and a new tenant or buyer waiting. Reviewers describe crews arriving three, four and six hours late, vans that never turned up, and cancellations hours before the move. One reviewer waited two days for a replacement crew. Another says a driver cancelled a Berlin to London job with less than 48 hours' notice after taking a £250 deposit.

Problem 4: Damaged or missing belongings (35 of 184 reviews)

Reviewers mention torn sofas, scratched tables, broken mirrors, a damaged fridge door, a hole in a wall, and items that never arrived at the new address. Most of these reviews also complain about the claims process afterwards, which overlaps with problem 1.

Problem 5: The crew refused items or work (26 of 184 reviews)

This one surprised me. Reviewers describe crews refusing to take a sofa or wardrobe, refusing to dismantle a bed, leaving items behind, or refusing to carry things into the right rooms. Some say the dismantling need came as news on the day, when the booking process never mentioned it.

What sits behind most of these complaints

AnyVan matches your job to a transport partner. You don't choose the crew, and many reviewers say the quality depends on who turns up. Several reviewers say the driver was great and the office let them down. Others say the reverse. That split matters when you choose an alternative: the question is how much control you get over who does the job and what you pay on the day.

Before You Switch: What AnyVan Does Well

A 4.6 TrustScore from more than 200,000 reviews doesn't happen by accident. In the same batch of recent reviews, happy customers praise live driver tracking, polite crews and easy booking. AnyVan also covers jobs a local man and van won't touch, such as vehicle transport and single items going the length of the country.

No alternative removes every risk either. Any platform that works with independent drivers, including URemovals, depends on the person who turns up. What changes from one option to the next is whether you can see who that person is before you book, how the price works, and what happens if the job runs over.

How I Chose These Alternatives

I picked options that answer the problems above, grouped by the job you need doing:

• Control over who turns up. Can you see the driver or company, their reviews and their cover before you pay?
• How the price works. Does the price depend on an item list, a survey, a van size or the time?
• What happens on the day. What does it cost if the job runs over or a slot changes?
• Fit for the job. A studio flat, a four bed house and one sofa need different services.

I've left out prices for other companies, because they change often and depend on the job. Check each one's current terms before you book.

If You Want One Place to Find a Mover for a Home Move

1. URemovals: Best for local flat and house moves where you want to choose your driver

URemovals is a man and van comparison and booking platform. You enter your addresses, home size, van size and the help you need, and the site shows upfront quotes from the nearest available drivers and removal companies. You compare price, profile, reviews, insurance level and completed jobs, then book the one you want.

• No item list. The quote comes from the van size, the number of helpers, stairs and the distance. If it fits in the van you booked, the crew takes it.
• You choose the driver. You see who is coming before you pay, rather than the platform assigning someone.
• Checks before listing. Every provider passes checks on their driving licence, hire and reward motor insurance and right to work before they can take bookings.
• Insurance level on every quote. Bronze, Silver or Gold shows what cover each provider holds. Silver adds goods in transit cover, and Gold adds public liability on top.
• Extra time in half hours. Charged at the same hourly rate you booked. You only pay for the half hour you actually need: a 3 hour booking at £40 an hour that runs 30 minutes over costs £20 more, not £40.
• Drivers near you first. Quotes come from the nearest available drivers, so the van spends less time driving to you and back, and you don't pay for that travel in the price.

How you pay: a deposit online to secure the slot, and the rest to the driver on the day. London prices start at £20 per hour. You can see real hourly prices from recent jobs on our London man and van page.

Watch out for: the quote is an upfront estimate, not a fixed price. If your move takes longer than booked, you pay for the extra time. Cover also varies by provider, so check the insurance level on the quote if you're moving valuable furniture. URemovals has completed more than 2,000 moves, which makes it far smaller than AnyVan.

Want a side by side breakdown? Read how URemovals compares with AnyVan, or see quotes for your move.

2. Which? Trusted Traders: Best for finding a checked local removal firm

Which? runs a directory of local traders, removal firms among them, that it assesses before they can carry the Which? Trusted Traders logo. You search by postcode, read customer reviews on each listing, and contact the firm directly for a quote.

Watch out for: you get quotes firm by firm, so it takes longer than booking on a platform, and the choice in smaller towns can be thin.

3. Shiply: Best for one bulky item over a long distance

Shiply works the other way round. You post a listing for what you need moved, and transport companies quote for the job. Drivers already making a similar trip can often quote low, because your item fills space on a journey they're taking anyway.

Watch out for: you wait for quotes rather than booking instantly, and collection dates can be less certain for a full home move with a fixed key handover.

Alternatives for a Full Service House Move

4. A BAR member removal company: Best for large homes, packing and peace of mind

The British Association of Removers (BAR) is the UK trade association for removal companies. Its members follow a Chartered Trading Standards Institute approved Code of Practice and must pass an external audit every year to keep their membership. BAR also runs an Advanced Payment Guarantee for customers who pay before the move. You can check whether a company belongs on the BAR website.

How you pay: usually a fixed quote after a home or video survey, which removes the item list problem altogether.

Watch out for: it costs more than a man and van, and good firms book up weeks ahead at the end of the month.

5. A local independent man and van: Best when you already have a name you trust

Plenty of excellent man and van firms trade on their own, through word of mouth, local Facebook groups or Google. If a friend recommends one, that recommendation is worth a lot.

Watch out for: you do the checking yourself. Ask for proof of hire and reward insurance and goods in transit cover, and get the price, the hourly rate for extra time and any extra charges in writing before the day.

Prefer someone local but don't want to do all the checking? You can find local movers near you on URemovals and see their insurance level and reviews before you book.

Alternatives If You Want to Do It Yourself

6. Self drive van hire: Best for small moves on a tight budget

If you have strong friends and a free weekend, hiring a van yourself is usually the cheapest way to move. Most UK rental firms let you drive a van up to 3.5 tonnes on a standard car licence.

Watch out for: fuel, the insurance excess and a long day of lifting. Not sure what size you need? Our van size calculator works it out from your rooms.

7. TaskRabbit: Best for lifting and assembly help without a van

TaskRabbit lets you book a helper by the hour in London and other UK cities. It works well paired with self drive van hire, or for furniture assembly after the move.

Watch out for: the helper usually doesn't bring a vehicle, so you still need to sort the van.

Alternatives for Single Items and Luggage

8. The seller's or retailer's own delivery: Best for something you just bought

Many of the AnyVan bad reviews in my sample involve collecting a single item from a seller. Before you book transport, ask the shop or seller whether they deliver. Large furniture retailers often deliver and assemble for a set fee.

9. Send My Bag: Best for students moving suitcases and boxes

If you're a student heading home at the end of term with a few suitcases and boxes, a luggage shipping service such as Send My Bag can cost less than a van. For student moves with furniture, see our student moving services.

Alternatives for Clearance

10. AnyJunk: Best for clearing furniture you don't want to move

Moving is a good time to get rid of things. A clearance service such as AnyJunk loads and takes away unwanted furniture and rubbish, which can also cut the size of van you need.

11. Your council's bulky waste collection: Best free or low cost clearance

Most UK councils collect bulky household items such as sofas, mattresses and fridges for a small fee, and some do it free. Check your council's website, and book early, because slots fill up at the end of the month.

The Cheapest AnyVan Alternatives

• Free: friends, family and a car for boxes, plus your council's bulky waste collection for anything you don't want to take.
• Cheapest with a van: self drive van hire, if you can do the lifting.
• Cheapest with help: a man and van with one helper, booked for the hours you need. Book a slightly bigger van rather than a second trip.

Moving in London? Our guide to cheap ways to move house in London has more ways to cut the cost.

How to Choose the Right AnyVan Alternative

FAQs

What is the best alternative to AnyVan?

For a local flat or house move, URemovals is the closest swap if you want to choose your own driver and avoid an item list. For a large house with packing, a BAR member removal company fits better. For one item over a long distance, try Shiply.

Why do people complain about AnyVan?

In 184 one star and two star Trustpilot reviews from 17 October to 6 November 2026, the most common complaints covered customer service and refunds (48%), extra charges on the day (37%), late or cancelled crews (22%), damage (19%) and crews refusing items (14%).

Why did AnyVan charge me extra on the day?

AnyVan prices a move from your item list. Reviewers say crews charged more for items they said weren't on the list, for boxes and packing materials, for dismantling, and for changing or setting a time slot. Check your booking terms and contact AnyVan directly about any charge you dispute.

Is AnyVan a removal company?

AnyVan passes your job to a transport partner, and reviewers often describe the crew as subcontractors. That's why many of them say the experience depends on who turns up.

Is URemovals cheaper than AnyVan?

Sometimes. For a single item on a long route, AnyVan's shared space can cost less. For a local move, URemovals often works out cheaper because you book the nearest driver by the hour and you don't pay extra for items missing from a list. Compare both for your own move.

Can I choose my own driver instead of the platform picking one?

Yes. On URemovals you see the driver before you book. With a Which? Trusted Trader, a local independent firm or a BAR member, you choose the company directly.

What is the cheapest way to move if not AnyVan?

Self drive van hire with friends doing the lifting costs the least. If you need help, a man and van booked by the hour for a small move usually comes next.

Conclusion

AnyVan works well for a lot of people, and its overall rating shows it. But the 184 bad reviews I read tell a clear story: the trouble starts when the item list, the assigned crew or the office lets someone down on the one day they can't afford it.

If that worries you, pick an option that gives you more control. Choose the driver yourself, know how the price works before the day, and check the cover. If you're moving a flat or house locally, compare upfront quotes on URemovals and pick the driver you want.

Method: I read all 184 one star and two star reviews of AnyVan that customers posted on uk.trustpilot.com between 17 October and 6 November 2026, and counted a theme only when the reviewer described it happening to them. One review can count towards several themes. Amounts come from the reviewers and we have not verified them with AnyVan. Overall rating and review count as shown on AnyVan's Trustpilot page on 6 November 2026.