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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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:
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Hey Pin up, I thought I would add my bit. We submitted 3 different 888s 1 from a friend of mine in london, 1 from a friend of Hubby who lives in London and 1 from hubby's aunty in Oz, who we have stayed with on many occasions. I included numerous photos, dated and named the people in them and where it was to show we spend time in both places, with family members and friends too. I also had lots of our emails in my archive and took screen shots of my inbox just to show the subject heading, dates and who they were between. That way, you don't need to disclose any personal content. I only sent in a few pages from over the years as there were loads. I also photocopied joint invites, cards and letters we had received, as well as any other documentation I thought would show we are a genuine couple. I agree about the phone calls, ask provider to write a letter. As a long shot and you probably have tried, but what about online billing as that keeps itemised bills for over a year? Or how about copies of bank statements to show the cost of the phone bills? If you are anything like us, your extortionate bills will reflect your long distance calls! Hope that helps! Jo
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Hiya Amanda, I have asked if we can go on a tourist visa, and I already have a 3 month visa valid from when I was there in August last year, but allows multiple entry for 12 months. I will be leaving there in July for a few days with my husband to go to Singapore for his work, then returning again to Australia, where I plan to stay until my spouse visa is granted. I expect I will have to apply for another 3 month tourist visa by then as my current one will be out of date. Beginning to sound complicated now, I may just apply for a new 3 month tourist visa now that is valid for 12 months!! I was very clear about clarifying with my CO that I was allowed and his response was: I can confirm that you are able to travel to Australia if you are granted a tourist visa whilst your application is being processed and this will not affect your migrant visa application. I guess the important thing in that sentence is IF you are granted a tourist visa. (and he wrote in another email that I will be assessed against the visa criteria for that subclass - but I haven't heard of anyone being refused a tourist visa!) He also clearly stated that I must leave Oz for 3 days for my spouse visa to be granted and I can go anywhere in the world for that. It's a lot of messing around and personally, I would be satisfied to wait in London til the spouse visa is granted, as we have to take our daughter out of school 8 weeks before the end of term, but my husband wants us there. My head is done in too! I notice you too have a child. Is she a registered aussie citizen by descent yet? They will not continue with my application til we have registered our daughter or showed them her aussie passport. You may be able to apply for a 6 month tourist visa, best to ask CO your options. I emailed my one the day I first heard from him as others have reported not hearing back for ages. Hope that helps, Jo
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Hey Sam, Good to have you part of the crew! Keep us updated on your progress. Good luck with it all, us lot on the same time line might have to start our own thread! Jo
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I feel the same as you! At the moment, I am OMG, I'm scared, because it's suddenly all happening now, but also cos Gold Coast couldn't be more different from london. Would much rather Sydney. My hubby also has family that he wants to be near to, but sometimes a bit full on for me! Also sad to be leaving family and friends, but aren't we all I guess?! :confused:
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Hi Tracy Of course you are very welcome to join in the conversations about our time line and keep us up to date with your progress, it's great to see how we are all getting on with our applications. I'm busy packing up my stuff now as I have been given permission to go out there on a tourist visa and we leave in 4 weeks today, all being well. Not selling my home though, and only working freelance now, so it's going to be a busy few weeks here! Where are you headed once you get the visa? Jo :jiggy:
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Oh my goodness, what a lot to deal with! Congrats on the new job. Got to be careful of employers hearing about plans for travel etc. I had to pack in my job in Jan so they could find a replacement, but they let me do lots of freelance work which is great. My case officer is AB and has already responded with my request to travel to Australia in May while my spouse visa is being processed. I think he says we can go! Yes we front loaded and they have my meds and cleared them. Have a great weekend and Good luck with Monday! :eek:
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I got assigned my CO and he wrote to me today asking for more info. Police check - already applied for and waiting and my daughter's aussie passport. OMG, the ball is rolling fast now! Bet it stops for ages tho...... Have you heard anything yet?
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We are heading to the Gold Coast. How about you?
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I would be annoyed at your agent too. They should have let you know the progress of your application and consulted you before responding. I can empathise with you about your family being apart, we have a 7 year old and, for various reasons, have spent most of her life living in separate countries from my husband. We have tried to tie my visa being granted in with the school terms, and it's very difficult to pre empt what they may say about processing times. It's hard not to get stressed and frustrated about these things that hugely impact on our lives, but over which we have no control. Keep strong and if I were you, I would be on that agent's case!
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Me too! My docs arrived Oz House on Monday, and payment was processed the same day. Funny how there isn't a 5-6 month wait for that bit!!
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I've just tracked mine and it has arrived at Oz house too! All systems go, I hope! We have mostly lived apart since Aug 2009, but luckily, my hubby works for himself so he is able to travel over a fair bit. Costing a fortune though!