What Is FIDI And FAIM Quality Certification And Why Is It Important For International Removals?

FIDI FAIM is the leading quality standard for international removals and ensures your move will be handled with the same high standards of service both in the UK and in your destination country.

Moving home is one of the most stressful and daunting events you will face in your lifetime.  Factor in the additional complications you face when moving your life and belongings to a completely different country, it makes sense to choose a removal company that are experts when it comes to international moves. When searching for international removal quotes from the UK or when looking for a reliable removal company you will often see FIDI Global Alliance and FAIM certification mentioned. PSS International Removals are not only a trusted UK FIDI partner throughout the world, handling both removals both into and out of the UK, but we also hold FIDI’s coveted ‘Top Performer Status’. Here, we explain what these are and why they are important.

FIDI and FAIM Explained

FIDI (Fédération Internationale des Déménageurs Internationaux; The Federation of International Movers) are a global umbrella organisation for international moving and relocation businesses. Using an international removal firm accredited by FIDI ensures you will be choosing a company that deliver exceptional service, working to the highest quality standards. FIDI offer accreditation to successful applicants through its FAIM certification. FAIM Accredited International Mover members are required to meet over 200 quality service delivery requirements. The testing criteria ensure that every aspect of service has to meet their rigorous and demanding standards. Standards cover all aspects of an international removal business, from general administration, vehicle and warehouse maintenance, staff training and procedures, and packing and shipping expertise through to customer damage claim management should an accident happen whilst your belongings are in transit. Members must also perform a minimum number of international removals per year to ensure they continually meet the standards. It doesn’t stop there. In order for PSS to continue to qualify for FAIM quality certification our entire business goes through an independent audit every three years (PSS’s audit was conducted by Ernst and Young, a leading assessment auditor). The company’s entire operation is assessed to ensure we continue to perform in accordance with the worldwide common standards FIDI set for its members. Choosing a FIDI FAIM member offers you the security of a uniform, quality-minded service throughout your entire international move.

From Source To Destination

PSS are a leading international removal business, and we work with trusted fellow FIDI FAIM removal members in your destination country to handle your move. Our top performer status ensures we have many international FIDI partners happy to work with us to offer you the same quality of service in your destination country as we offer within the UK. We are also chosen as the preferred FIDI FAIM UK Partner by many leading international removal firms to handle the arrival of goods in the UK for their international customers. They understand and recognise the importance of offering their clients a trusted FIDI FAIM accredited removal business for their belongings arriving in the UK. We are the preferred choice of many expats seeking to return to the UK and also for residents abroad seeking a new life in Great Britain, to handle their UK side of the move. Choosing PSS for your international move gives you the assurance that every step of your move is handled in accordance with FAIM quality standards.  FIDI Quality Certification requires us to meet exacting standards in over 200 quality benchmarks.  Using a FIDI FAIM accredited removal company ensures you are trusting your move to removal companies handling many international removals every year. We guarantee independently assessed financial integrity to be there no matter how many months your move may take, and treat each of our customer’s belongings as if they were our own. PSS International Removals also offer you payment protection under the BAR Advanced Payment Guarantee Scheme. BAR offers full protection for your payments should a business fail, your deposit is fully protected.  In much the same way as ABTA protects your travel, our membership of BAR protects your international move. We offer this peace of mind and security to you in addition to meeting the rigorous financial integrity required by our FIDI membership.  We also carry many other accreditations showing our commitment to quality service within the removals industry.

What Is FIDI?

FIDI is an international federation for international removal and relocation companies.  They are a global alliance dedicated to ensuring quality within the international removal businesses.  Their FAIM quality accreditation guarantees their members offer the highest level of service.

• They currently represent over 600 independent international removal companies in more than 100 countries around the world.
• FIDI certify personal and business relocation members
• All FIDI members offer the same service indicated by FAIM accreditation with over 200 rigorous quality requirements for both customer service and business operations.
• Every accredited member must pass regular 3 yearly independent auditor assessments for their international moving activities to continue their membership.  Membership is terminated should any company fail any of the assessment criteria.
• Every FIDI member will hold the FAIM Certification.
• All FIDI members must adhere to a mandatory anti-bribery and anti-corruption charter.
• FAIM Plus recognises those working to ISO 9001 certification.

What Is FAIM Quality Certification?

FAIM standards developed by the FIDI Global Alliance ensure that every one of their members is assessed and judged using the same criteria, no matter where in the world they are based.  Continued membership and FAIM quality certification are only given or retained by international removal companies that continually meet the rigorous standards set, standards which not only examine the quality of the service provided but financial health and supply chain management also.

What FAIM Criteria Are Members Subject To?

FIDI members are all assessed using more than 200 qualifying criteria that must be maintained throughout their FIDI membership and for FAIM accreditation.  FAIM accreditation ensures that all members have reached the same high quality of service, covering the following aspects:

• Facilities, equipment and technology
• Customer service, staff qualifications and effective training programmes
• Honest and trustworthy employees through pre-employment screening
• Permits, licences and approvals held for all business activity
• Quality Management
• Responsibility for data security for all personal and sensitive data with full anti-trust and anti-bribery compliance
• Clear and thorough quote and contract commitments
• Insurance and damage claim procedures
• Financial integrity and stability
• Customer feedback

Audits by leading assessment auditing firm Ernst and Young are carried out every three years to ensure that FIDI Quality Certification criteria continue to be met.  Here at PSS, we take our membership seriously and ensure our business operations and processes are fully compliant and worthy of our membership of FIDI and FAIM accreditation at all times.

Why Should You Move using a FIDI FAIM Accredited Removal Company?

The security of service, especially when your move involves more than one country, is essential when it comes to international removals.  Completing a move within the UK can be a difficult process with many horror stories when the wrong removal company are chosen, and moves abroad most certainly are more difficult. We don’t want to put you off making such a move, but choosing an accredited international removal company gives you peace of mind that only experts in international removals will be involved. This is the most effective way to minimise any risks and potentially expensive mistakes and to avoid further costs down the line if something goes wrong. FIDI member surveyors are trained in accordance with FIDI guidelines to accurately access the volume of your consignment, ensuring the amount quoted is accurate and avoiding potential additional expenses you could face above initial quotations when a mistake is made. Members can also advise on what you can and can’t take to your destination country, to ensure you are not faced with fines, quarantine, cleaning or disposal charges where items do not meet the destination country’s entry requirements. FIDI FAIM members are the experts to turn to for international removals, not just for the physical movement of your belongings, but to offer many additional services that you may require as a result of the move.  Although the additional services may vary between members, their expert highly trained staff and high quality network partners can advise or offer assistance with moving considerations that you may face such as:

• Help with immigration
• Visas and work permits
• Moving your car or pet
• Home and office searches
• School and community information
• Language and cultural training

An international move requires a service that goes further than loading and driving a removal van. Choosing a business that specialises in providing high quality international moves and doing so often, means they have the experience to deal with whatever occurs.  If you are selected for a customs check, face delays due to shipping or face additional restrictions in your destination country that occur after you book your removal, using the services of an accredited FIDI FAIM removal company will ensure that you have the best possible people to assist you.

Why Can International Moves Be Risky?

Firstly, we should say that the majority of international moves run smoothly, with no hiccups. However, using a FIDI FAIM company for your move certainly reduces or removes many of the risks associated with international removals. The worst case scenarios you could potentially face could include:

• Delays – you may possibly be subject to customs delays or they may choose to examine your shipment. Using a FIDI member for your move will ensure that your documentation is completed and submitted properly, with no missing or incorrect information. Correct paperwork will certainly make any custom checks smoother and avoid any delays that paperwork issues can cause when filled in incorrectly.
• Financial Failure of your moving company – international removal takes longer than a standard UK-only move. You need to know the future of your removal company is secure.  If your moving company goes out of business whilst your goods are in transit, you may face ridiculously long delays and a large bill, or worse never be able to get your goods back.  With international removals taking from a few weeks to several months, you could be at risk for some time.  Using a FIDI FAIM partner for each leg of your journey will give you the security of knowing they have met the rigorous financial integrity standards set by the FAIM awarding body.
• Damage or loss of your effects – your effects need to be able to withstand being moved many times as part of their journey, to survive the rigours of the sea and a shipping container. It is essential that your belongings are packed by experts in international removals.  FIDI partners will not use unsuitable shipping containers to save money, they know the value of your property and want it to arrive in the same condition it leaves you.  Poor packing with inadequate materials and careless handling are the main reasons for damage, but this is something that all FIDI partners are trained to avoid. They offer excellent attention to record-keeping to avoid losses, and security at its highest level to protect your belongings whilst in their care, so you do not suffer through poor protection of your property.
• Damage to your home or office at the origin or destination – lack of care and failing to protect your property when your belongings are moved in or out can lead to damage.  If you are due to leave on your journey, dealing with damage caused by inadequate protective measures and lack of care, is both inconvenient and potentially costly.  FAIM certified companies will protect the building with the same care and diligence they give to the items they are moving.  PSS can offer a self-pack or full export packing service for one or all of your items, including your car.
• Loss or misuse of your personal information – When you move from one country to another you will also entrust your removal company with your personal data. Lack of security systems and insensitive handling of your data can lead to security breaches and improper use of your personal and potentially sensitive data.  When you choose the services of an accredited UK FIDI partner such as PSS, you can be sure that the highest levels of data security are employed throughout your move. Our systems are also checked as part of our continued FIDI membership to ensure that our data security measures are effective. All FIDI member employees face pre-employment checks and understand the importance of protecting client data.

How Do FIDI FAIM Certified Companies Reduce These Risks?

FIDI removal companies must comply with over 200 quality requirements relating to international moves throughout the world.  This standard is not a one-time check. Every three years, every FIDI member is independently audited by Ernst and Young auditors to ensure that the international movers’ business continues to meet required standards. If any member fails the audit or membership requirements they will immediately lose their certification and membership. You can be sure that your FAIM certified removal company will be doing all they can to minimise the risks involved in your international move. Their tried and tested systems and procedures are in place to reduce the likelihood of something going wrong, Each mover will adhere to strict rules and standards set as part of the FAIM accredited international mover status they hold.  Rules cover things such as:

• Procedures – covering client contact and removal operations. PSS provide clear and transparent contracts and documentation to clients to outline our service and explain clearly what you should expect of us.  Our procedures make sure we eliminate any loopholes throughout our sales and move coordination process to prevent mistakes and misunderstandings.
• Operations – our operating procedures and practices are reviewed and checked regularly for effectiveness. We check our legal and safety compliance and ensure we have the appropriate operating permits and licences in place when and where they are required, and that our facilities and equipment meet all of the required legal and welfare obligations.  We also ensure that all of our suppliers at the destination meet all of the legal and service requirements expected.
• Vehicles – our vehicles must be capable of the demands placed on them for international moves.  We carefully monitor that they meet all legal operating, licensing and tracking requirements.  Regular safety checks and maintenance are carried out, as well as theft protection, fire protection and driver training.
• Warehousing and Facilities – we ensure that our facilities are maintained, safe and fit for purpose and have effective security and fire precaution measures in place.
• Staff – we ensure every member of our team has access to quality training to carry out their job.  Our continuous staff assessment ensures that each team member offers the exceptional level of service that we demand, whatever part they play in your moving experience.  We ensure that our teams are trained where required in manual handling, customer service and the skills and understanding required to safely pack, move and transport your belongings. Our teams have the highest integrity and do not engage in corruption or bribery.
• Data Protection – we ensure our IT systems and paperwork handling procedures are secure and offer suitable protection to keep your personal data safe.
• Financial Stability – PSS realise protecting your money is a priority and understand that one of the biggest risks you take is handing over your deposits often months in advance and risking the company becoming insolvent or disappearing when it comes to moving day.  PSS offer you peace of mind by protecting your deposit through our voluntary membership of the BAR Advanced Payment Guarantee Scheme. Protection guarantees your deposits and advance payments in much the same way as ABTA protect your travel payments. Our financial security is verified by the regular audits carried out by our continued FIDI FAIM accreditation but, for our clients, we understand the importance of offering this additional protection.

What Other International Removal and Shipping Accreditations / Associations Should You Consider?

Whilst FIDI FAIM accreditation is certainly one of the leading marks of quality in the international moving industry worldwide, there are other accreditations and associations you should look out for. For example, the British Association of Removers (BAR) is the leading association and quality standard for UK companies and its code of practice is recognised by Trading Standards. Members also offer an Advanced Payment Guarantee Scheme which is the removals equivalent of ATOL or ABTA. But for international moves make sure that the company is a member of the BAR Overseas Group. Other important associations include the International Association of Movers (IAM) and the Movers Trading Club. For European movers, it’s a good sign if the company is a member of Euromovers or Demeco International. As you might expect, PSS is a member of all these associations and you can find out more on our international removals accreditation page.

Help for your international removal with a UK FIDI FAIM Certified Mover

If you are looking for a FIDI FAIM certified company in the UK for your move, then there is no one better than PSS International Removals. PSS are one of the very few UK companies to be recognised with FIDI’s “Top Performer Status”. This enables us to attract the very best FIDI partners throughout the world to successfully manage your international move. If you’re looking to move internationally with confidence, why not get in touch and let us handle your property with the care and attention such a job requires. You can visit our international removals page for more information or go directly to our online cost calculator to get a no-obligation quote.

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