Shipping Companies - What questions to ask/What to look out for

[cronemeister]

Hi

 

We are just about to start ringing around shipping companies to get them to come out and give us some quotes for moving our home contents (the vast majority of) from Newcastle UK to Victoria (Bairnsdale to be precise).

 

Can anyone advise on the types of questions we should be asking them and also on anything to look out for and pick out from what they tell us?

 

Do all of them package everything up for you and do they like wrap every cup, bowl plate and glass in bubble wrap stuff. We don't have fine china or crystal glasses or owt like that, but the whole point of shipping stuff out there is so we don't have to buy out there. I guess insurance would cover breakages etc, but would we have to ask about this ?

 

Gonna get the following to come and do quotes:-

 

John Masons

PSS

Crown

Doree Bonner

Whites & Co

 

Seems like these are the main ones that people on here have used in the past.

[walkerfamily123]

Hi

 

Gonna get the following to come and do quotes:-

 

John Masons

PSS

Crown

Doree Bonner

Whites & Co

 

 

we are just down the road from you in Hartlepool. Also try a company called http://www.atlantisltd.co.uk/ based in Leeds. Make sure that all the companies come out and do a visual inspection of what you want to take. All quotes includ packaging on UK side and unpacking Aus side.

Insurance by the companies themselves is around 3% of the value, use a company called http://www.lettonpercival.co.uk/emigration-insurance/ as they are far cheaper.

[sully7669]

Hi I am at the moment packing all the boxes myself as our removal man said it would cost a fortune, so he has given me the inventory forms and i am listing them myself.

It is not as bad as you would think. I have sold house and it is all going into storage, so it will all be ready for container when requested.

[Guest adamvagley]

Hi Cronemeister,

 

I'd be interested in who you ended up going with and what you thought of their service...

 

Cheers,

Adam

[Guest sabink]

Same here Cronemeister

[Guest]

Try Robinsons, you will be surprised

[Jars]

 

I'd be interested in who you ended up going with and what you thought of their service...

 

 

 

Ditto!

[cronemeister]

Hi Cronemeister,

 

I'd be interested in who you ended up going with and what you thought of their service...

 

Cheers,

Adam

 

Same here Cronemeister

 

Well I've got 5 shipping companies coming out in the first 2 weeks of June so I will let you all know the costs quoted and who we decide on.

 

Having spoken to the guy from Crown at length on the phone they seem a decent outfit. They are also based in Melbourne so they literally handle everything. Some of the other companies ship your stuff for you and arrange it all, but at the other end your stuff is passed to another company. Now I'm not saying this is a bad thing, and it might be quite the norm and I'm sure a lot of people have not had any bother with it. It could also be Crown's major selling point for you to go with them when their quote comes out higher than the others. Only time will tell I guess but I got a good impression from the guy I spoke to and it wasn't all sales schpeel as I made him fully aware that I was getting other companies out.

 

Can't wait to start ringing them back to tell them the quotes I've received to see how much they are prepared to move from their original quotes !

 

I've got the following coming out:-

 

Crown

PSS

Doree Bonner

Robinsons

John Masons

 

Will keep you all updated once I get more info.

[Guest Duffman76]

Hi Cronemeister,

 

Looking forward to seeing your quotes as i live in Newcastle UK also and making the move to Brisbane around July/August, so looking for a decent company to ship my goods across.

 

Simon

[Danny&Em]

Yeah,,, great post... Let us know how you get on,,, inc the do's and don'ts! Will give me an idea of what will be on this summers car boots sale... Ta la. D

[cronemeister]

Hi everyone.

 

Well all 5 shipping companies have been out. I've started a new thread rather than replying multiple times to the numerous threads I've posted on.

 

You can find it here..

 

http://www.pomsinoz.com/forum/transport-shipping/152567-my-shipping-company-quotes-experience.html#post1935850885

 

I've also arranged for Whites and Co and Anglo Pacific to come out so I can see what they are gonna charge me as well.

 

Tomorrow I plan to email all of the companies and send them the spreadsheet I've pulled together that shows all of the quotes that I have received from the 5 companies to see who will move on price and by how much.

 

I will keep you updated on who moves and who doesn't etc.

 

How are you all getting on with things yourselves ?

[cronemeister]

Yeah,,, great post... Let us know how you get on,,, inc the do's and don'ts! Will give me an idea of what will be on this summers car boots sale... Ta la. D

 

Hi Danny&Em

 

In terms of do's and don'ts, the only advice I could give you on my experience with the companies I've had out is this.

 

1. You can't take wicker items, or any similar type items such as hessian etc. They will be destroyed in Oz and you will be charged for the privilege

2. Try and de-clutter as much as possible before you get the companies out. Chuck out, charity shop or sell anything you aren't going to take with you so the estimator can see exactly what you are taking. I know this may not be possible, but just do your best.

3. If you are buying new flat pack stuff to take out, it will have to be unpacked so the shipping company can pack it in their packaging. If you take brand new out of the box stuff with you, you may get charged import tax on it as it may look as if you're taking stuff to sell. The stuff you have needs to give the impression that its been used or was for your own personal use.

4. Try and show everyone round your rooms in the same order. This makes it easier to cross reference the inventories when they come through. I'm trying to put everything on a spreadsheet to make it easier to digest.

5. You could try measuring a few things yourself just to get an idea of how they assess everything.

6. Make sure your quotes specify a full door to door service and include all fees and charges, apart from the ones that the shipping companies can't include - I think the only one is the AQIS fee, which is the customs inspection fee which you have to pay in Oz to have your goods released ($440 approx).

7. Don't just accept the cheapest quote. Go back to each company and play them off against each other. Some people on here have sent generic emails to all companies giving them all sight of each others quotes, some people prefer to contact them individually and tell them the cheapest quote they've got...its personal preference.

8. Explore insurance yourself. The shipping companies I've had out range from 2% to 3% of the total value of your goods. Try and estimate the replacement cost of your goods yourself to get an idea, in particular any significant items, and remember that you need to pay $$$'s to replace them so you should calculate the replacement cost accordingly.

 

That's all I can think of for now, if I think of any more I'll post back.

[PollyGirl]

We have had 3 quotes with 2 giving the same 414 cubic feet measurement and between £2025-£2474 how do they work out this price????? The 1st quote was 365 cu/ft for £1995. But I know if they pack up and the measurement is more I will be charged, but what I need to know is if I reduce the amount we take will we get money back????? Willing to leave the sofas behind.

We are only taking a flat pack table, 6 chairs and a sideboard, 4 guitars, 1 mirror, 4 pictures, clothes, crockery , cutlery, some books, cd's, ornaments and duvets, sheets. Going to try and condense in to 30 tea chests. Any ideas?? just need to keep the cost down. :err:

[cronemeister]

We have had 3 quotes with 2 giving the same 414 cubic feet measurement and between £2025-£2474 how do they work out this price????? The 1st quote was 365 cu/ft for £1995. But I know if they pack up and the measurement is more I will be charged, but what I need to know is if I reduce the amount we take will we get money back????? Willing to leave the sofas behind.

We are only taking a flat pack table, 6 chairs and a sideboard, 4 guitars, 1 mirror, 4 pictures, clothes, crockery , cutlery, some books, cd's, ornaments and duvets, sheets. Going to try and condense in to 30 tea chests. Any ideas?? just need to keep the cost down. :err:

 

If you are rationalising what you are taking since having the estimators, then you should email them all back listing the items from the inventory's they took that you are no longer taking and ask them to re-quote.

 

I think the price is worked out based on the packaging. If you're under 700 cu/ft then I think the general rule of thumb is that this would go as a groupage shipment and one company I had out said they work it out as £5 per cu/ft. Not sure if that's the same for all though.

 

I've saved a boat load of space by putting all of our dvd's onto external hard drives and our music has gone the same way. We have very few CD's or DVD's in our house now...just a few box collections that we like to keep.

 

You can also pack soft items into sideboards and drawers etc, so if you were taking any bedroom furniture with you (doesn't look like you are), you can leave the clothes etc in the drawers and they just get wrapped up as they are.

 

If they estimate what you've got, and they've seen everything that's going then if it's wrong and they've underestimated then it's their fault and you should not have to bear the cost of this. You should check this out with them though. The estimators do this time and time again, and they will generally all tell you that they are generally accurate. Quite how we've got one estimate back for 630 cu ft and another for 980 cu/ft is beyond me mind.

 

I'm tempted to email back the cheapest company (630cu ft) and say that they can have my business if they will put it in writing that if they have underestimated then they are responsible for packing and shipping the excess at no cost to me....in the same container as the rest of my things !

 

Good luck, and let me know how you get on.

[PollyGirl]

If you are rationalising what you are taking since having the estimators, then you should email them all back listing the items from the inventory's they took that you are no longer taking and ask them to re-quote.

 

I think the price is worked out based on the packaging. If you're under 700 cu/ft then I think the general rule of thumb is that this would go as a groupage shipment and one company I had out said they work it out as £5 per cu/ft. Not sure if that's the same for all though.

 

I've saved a boat load of space by putting all of our dvd's onto external hard drives and our music has gone the same way. We have very few CD's or DVD's in our house now...just a few box collections that we like to keep.

 

You can also pack soft items into sideboards and drawers etc, so if you were taking any bedroom furniture with you (doesn't look like you are), you can leave the clothes etc in the drawers and they just get wrapped up as they are.

 

If they estimate what you've got, and they've seen everything that's going then if it's wrong and they've underestimated then it's their fault and you should not have to bear the cost of this. You should check this out with them though. The estimators do this time and time again, and they will generally all tell you that they are generally accurate. Quite how we've got one estimate back for 630 cu ft and another for 980 cu/ft is beyond me mind.

 

I'm tempted to email back the cheapest company (630cu ft) and say that they can have my business if they will put it in writing that if they have underestimated then they are responsible for packing and shipping the excess at no cost to me....in the same container as the rest of my things !

 

Good luck, and let me know how you get on.

 

Thats a good idea about making them put it in writing if they made the mistake, my problem is that my OH is already in Oz and I am sure they think they can take advantage, funny though because I don't take fools gladly. I am going to spend tomorrow morning, haggling wish me luck!! Thanks for the advise! :jiggy: