MetEx House, 496a Great West Road, Hounslow, Middlesex, TW5 0TE  ·  Shipping since 1998
0800 096 38 39
HomeLuggage ShippingDo I Need to Be Home
🚗 Collection • Who Needs to Be In • Hotels • Student Halls

Do I Need to Be Home
for Luggage Collection?

Yes — someone needs to be present to hand over bags and sign the consignment paperwork. But it does not have to be you. Here is how collection works and what to do if you are at a hotel, student halls or an office.

The short answer

Does someone need to be at home for luggage collection?

Yes — someone needs to be present at the collection address when our driver arrives. This is not just a practical requirement. It is also part of the customs documentation process: the sender must sign the consignment paperwork and confirm the contents.

You do not need to be the account holder or the person whose name is on the shipment. Another adult can be present — a family member, a flatmate, a building concierge — provided they can sign on your behalf and the bags are ready and labelled.

💡 What to have ready when the driver arrives

Bags packed, weighed and labelled. Packing list ready. Air Waybill printed (we email it before collection). Someone to hand over and sign. That is it.

Collection hours

When we can collect and what affects timing

Within the M25 (Greater London): Within M25: Mon–Fri 09:30–16:00 • Outside M25: Mon–Fri 10:00–17:00. Weekend collections available subject to availability — these are for Greater London addresses only and a weekend surcharge applies. Call ahead to confirm.

Outside the M25: Within M25: Mon–Fri 09:30–16:00 • Outside M25: Mon–Fri 10:00–17:00. No weekend collections outside Greater London.

Our driver will give you an estimated arrival window the evening before. If your plans change and you cannot be there, call us as early as possible on 0800 096 38 39 to rearrange. Rescheduling with reasonable notice is straightforward. Rescheduling on the day is more difficult and may affect your shipment date.

Special cases

What if I am at a hotel, student halls, or an office building?

Hotel. We collect from hotels. Notify the hotel reception that a freight collection is expected, give them the Air Waybill reference and your room number, and ensure a member of hotel staff or yourself is available to hand over and sign. Most London hotels are familiar with this.

Student halls of residence. We collect from student halls. Coordinate with your halls reception ahead of time — many halls require advance notice for freight collections. Make sure you are present or have confirmed with reception that they will sign on your behalf.

Office or business address. We collect from business addresses. A member of staff can sign on your behalf. Confirm the collection reference with reception in advance.

Third-party address (friend, family member). We can collect from any UK address. The person at that address simply needs to be in and able to hand over the bags and sign the paperwork.

FAQs

Collection questions answered

Can I leave my bags outside for collection?
No — someone must be present to hand over the bags and sign the consignment paperwork. Bags left outside without a handover cannot be accepted.
What if I miss the collection?+
Call us on 0800 096 38 39 as soon as possible. We will arrange a new collection date subject to availability. If the driver has already made the journey and no one is home, a failed collection charge may apply.
Can the collection happen at a storage unit?+
This is possible but needs to be arranged in advance. Call us on 0800 096 38 39 to discuss. Someone must be present at the storage unit and the access must be possible within our collection hours.
Do you collect from anywhere in the UK?+
Yes — any UK mainland address. Scottish Highlands, Channel Islands and certain remote areas may have different collection schedules. Call us with your postcode to confirm availability.
What if I need a very early or very late collection?+
Our collection hours are fixed: M25 Within M25: Mon–Fri 09:30–16:00 • Outside M25: Mon–Fri 10:00–17:00. We cannot guarantee early morning or evening collections. Weekend collections within Greater London are available subject to availability and surcharge.

Ready to get a quote?

Tell us your postcode, destination, bags and collection date. Clear quote. No guesswork.

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Excess Luggage Co. • Est. 1998 • 0800 096 38 39
Get a Quote 📞 0800 096 38 39
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