jomac
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I can't believe how often it seems these companies do stuff up and cut corners! Like I said, we paid for a private container and maybe the other people who had stuff in our one did receive our belongings, but I just meet dead ends all the time. I think what happened is the sub contractor only put half our belongings in the right container and the rest went elsewhere. We have been chasing this up a year and only just getting answers now. apparently they have nothing of ours in storage. But I also don't think they are doing the best investigation work either! I can't even get the names of the other containers that went on the same boat as the sub contractor has reportedly gone out of business. The forward freighter here also failed to tell us they had only unloaded 56 items. They sent an email to the company in Oz but didn't even think to copy us in, even when I queried it at the time.
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To be honest, I too was so shocked that so much went missing, even large pieces of furniture could go - but it's odd as it's like half the sofa was delivered and the cushions etc are missing! A bed frame, but not the mattress. It was all labelled, wrapped and a sticker with a bar code. There would also have been enough personal paperwork and photos in there to put together a trail. I might threaten to report to the police actually. Good idea!
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Hi, thanks for the nice comments and advice. I am prepared to spend time on this and your suggestions give me a good place to start. There are so many gaps I need to fill and don't know where to begin or even the whole process. My hope was that they may be left in a warehouse somewhere, but I guess that's hope. Even if the items have been destroyed I need to try to build up a picture of what has happened so I can put together a good legal claim. The sentimental and personal items made up the bulk of the shipment and I am beyond sick to the stomach.... However, I'm living in hope!
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We arranged for our household belongings to be shipped from Australia to London last year. Became aware during delivery to our UK address that many items were missing. We have finally heard from the shipping company Metromovers, they have made a huge error in that they sub contracted the job to another company who did not put all our belongings into the correct private container we paid for and actually used a shared container, therefore most items have been lost. Possibly even shipped to other countries. The sub contractors have gone out of business, so it's getting hard to put together a trail. We are talking about huge items of furniture - parts of sofas, beds, washing machines etc, but most importantly irreplaceable and sentimental personal items. They have accepted liability, but that is not good enough. I am more interested in getting my belongings back. My wedding dress, photos, childhood belongings are among some of the missing items.Can anybody with inside knowledge give me advice about how I can go about finding any of these things? Out of 126 items, we received 56, meaning 70 items are missing. The company responsible has said they are investigating, but I know they will not go about it with as much determination and passion as I will. Has this ever happened to anyone else?I am prepared to exhaust every possibility and do have the time to spend on this.ANY advice or help appreciated!Thanks
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I am now resident in Australia (will be permanent in 2 years, subject to still being married to Aussie Hubby!) having moved out here last year. I have been offered the opportunity to do some work for a UK based company, where I will research potential opportunities for links to business out here. Question is, where will I be expected to pay tax on this particular income? Is it UK or will it be Australia, where I already pay tax on employment I have out here. I phoned the HMRC, but was left on hold for ages while the guy tried to find out, and eventually got cut off. Please don't advise me to call them again!!!
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Hiya, I used Anglo Pacific, mainly because they are based near to where we were in London and they were convenient for me to pick up boxes as and when I needed them. They charged approx 600 pounds for 14 boxes to be taken door to door (West London - Gold Coast). Shipping time will be 2 months and I expect mine to be delivered in October - hopefully with everything in one piece!
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Hi Martinandbianca, Yes it is hard to not know. I asked my CO if he was able to grant it in August so I would only have to leave the country once, but he sent a standard reply that processing times are currently 5-6 months and he would advise me when it was time to grant my visa. Sods law, the day I got back from Fiji I was emailed to say my visa was ready to be granted and I had to leave the country! If I had booked my Fiji visa trip a week later we would have only left once. I wouldn't even try to think about jobs just yet, I applied for a few before my visa was granted and didn't even get a response. A few other Brits here on the GC feel they are 3rd in line to the Aussie and then Kiwi job applicants, so it's a bit hard. Good luck with your applications :smile:
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Hi All, Just an update for the timeline and stats... Had my Aussie Temporary residency granted and activated this week. Was notified by my C/O in early August that the visa was ready to be granted, but as I was in Australia already on a tourist visa, I was expected to leave for at least 3 working days as my initial application was made offshore. Arranged a short trip to NZ, the day I arrived in NZ, received an email from my C/O to say the visa was ready and gave me my visa number and explained I am now free to travel to and from Oz when I like. I found the whole process to be pain free and very smooth and relatively simple - we did it all ourselves, no agent. We have been lucky with our C/O and even luckier that he allowed me to remain in Oz with my husband on a tourist visa since May (had to do a quick flit to Fiji in August at the 3 month stage, but no hardship there!) The fact I had to leave twice has been very expensive, but we factored that into our budget and were fortunate the timing for my visa trips was during low season. The whole process took just 5 months. We are now settling into life on the Gold Coast and expecting a new addition to the family next year Good luck to all!
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Hiya, yes, we do have to be offshore when it is granted and my CO already made sure we understand that we will have to be out of the country a few days before. He said he will email me a few days in advance and then I will have to leave, which is cool. I can go to a friend in NZ and we have allowed for all that in terms of our budget etc. He has given us permission for me to stay in Oz and to apply for our daughter's citizenship there (we will also be flying to Singapore for Husband's business in a while too, so that means I won't be in Oz for 3 months straight anyway). Lots of people go there on tourist visas and wait it out, just feel lucky that we are able to do so!
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Yes we requested it straight away and he gave me permission the same day to travel on a tourist visa. We were meant to apply ages ago, and I had to give up my job so they could find a replacement, so I have been sitting around in London, with hubby in Oz for months, so the quicker we are there and our place rented out, the better it will be all round. Yes it's an expensive process:arghh:!!
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I don't have my visa either, but our CO seems really relaxed and has given us the all clear to enter Oz on tourist visas while we wait for the spouse to process and our daughter's citizenship application (which we will do in Oz) ..... we leave next Sunday!!! My place is upside down trying to pack and have some repairs/painting done in a week. I must be crazy, but this whole process is totally crazy really. Mixed emotions, feeling very sad to leave family and friends, but all falling into place at last!
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Hi Tracy, I used Knightsbridge for my meds. The examination was pretty quick and routine. I was asked to provide another piece of information about a minor condition I have, and there seemed to be no drama related to that either. I did however, make it very clear that I wanted a copy of my report in case the original went missing. When I rang Knightsbridge to ask for the copy, I was told there wasn't one and the post it note saying 'please copy' must have fallen off my file, and it had already been sent to Australia House. I had my medical done in October 2010 and sent the visa application off in March 2011, so was a bit worried my docs my get lost in the system, but my CO says it's all there. Hope it all goes well with you at Knightsbridge! Jo
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Hello, I have recently submitted my application for spouse visa, and my CO wrote back to say that they will not continue with my application unless our daughter has been registered as Australian by descent, or we have an Aussie passport for her, so probably best to get those for your kids before you apply. Apparently it only takes a short time. Jo
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Hi Mjandmum Thanks for that, yes it would be helpful to know what they said to you about living with your partner on a tourist visa. I am only worried that I may initially get in to Oz fine, then have to leave after the 3 months, then be refused entry back to Oz when I try again for the next 3 months. That would be a disaster as we are taking a gamble it will work and starting our daughter in school there too. If I get refused entry again and have to return to UK, we will have no school place for her! It's a big worry... Hubby is too optimistic! You can PM me if you wish. Thanks Jo
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Good luck with the job chat. Let us know how you go! Thanks for letting me know about the time frame for the descent and certificate. We will apply later this week, when my hubby arrives from Oz. I asked my CO about applying for a 6mth tourist visa, and he seems to think it's ok to do that, but I ahve to admit, I'm either really thick, or his emails are answered very ambiguously, so feel like I'm not really getting a straight answer!! :confused: