[Nathan]

This is just a little vent.

Our contact at the shipping company quit and we're dealing with a new (and I mean really new!!) person.

Our contact at the pet shipping company quit and now we're dealing with someone who is apparently drastically over-loaded.

I find myself having to do way more coaching than I ever imagined I'd have to do for people we're paying a huge amount of money to do a job for us! Thanks to you folks, I think I understand most of what needs to be done.

OK, vent over!
:cheers
Nathan

[holland]

Nathan....Annoying isn't it...I can imagine how frustrating it is, when they have your pet and worldly goods....I find with most things at the moment that you have to 'steer' companies/people through everything to get the end result you want, its ridiculous, especially when you are paying our so much money.....feel for you...vent away!!

[Nathan]

We've been told repeatedly that half price air cargo is available to immigrants on AirNZ. Air Cargo at Air NZ says it's not true! Besides that, to ship cargo, I'd have to deliver it in person to one of their offices in Atlanta, Chicago, LA, NYC, etc.... and have it opened and inspected because I'm an 'unknown shipper'.

[holland]

Who told you repeatedly that half price air cargo is available to immigrants on AirNZ?? Somebodies got there facts wrong! I wouldn't leave it at that, I would be tempted to ring AirNZ again...and speak to someone else about your query...you never know!:nice1

Know its a pain having all of your stuff opened as you will be an unknown shipper, but surely its just the same inspections as MAF...they could also open up all my boxes!

Let us know how you get on...

Good Luck

J x

[Nathan]

Who told you repeatedly that half price air cargo is available to immigrants on AirNZ?? Somebodies got there facts wrong!
...
its a pain having all of your stuff opened...

Let us know how you get on...


Actually, the facts are essencially correct. The discounted rate comes to about US$6/kg, though. It's apparently open to all NZAir ticket holders, at least in US. But, you have to deliver the goods in person, which limits the offer to those who are in reasonable proximity to one of their offices.

As for opening the boxes.... Geez! I could care less. They can go through my fine washables if that's how they get their jollies, but I'm not going to drive 16h for that to happen. Apparently, the rule dates back to 1991 but wasn't enforced until late 2001.

:cheers
Nathan

[Nathan]

Our contact at the pet shipping company quit and now we're dealing with someone who is apparently drastically over-loaded.

Update....
My vet is coming in on his day off....twice.... to be sure everything his shop is responsible for is done right. How excellent!! :raebanana

I finally got through to the facilitator and she made the calls she needed to and got back to me. She's working at it and I guess I can't hold it against her for getting stuck with the extra work load....been there, done that.

It appears the kitties will be just fine.... not that I expect the little varmints to be the least bit appreciative! ;)

Why can't the world revolve around me?! Isn't it my turn!?:D

[holland]

Ha ha Nathan, Good News about vet checking over pets....you a bit slow on the uptake though, my cat has been working away at a sunday paper round since we started this whole process to pay for her fare!

J andG x

[Nathan]

The saga continues, and I need to vent again!!

I was informed 31.Aug that our container was inadvertently ordered for Charelston, SC instead of WV!!! ..but it should arrive 4.Sept anyway. OK, no biggie.

4th, no container. I was told it should arrive the 5th. 5th, no container. I was told it should arrive 6th. 6th, no container.

Late afternoon (too late to adjust any of my plans) the 6th I was told that they won't change the order from SC to WV so a different container was ordered out of Maryland! ..and it should be here the 7th.

I can't, and haven't been able to, reach anyone at the shipping company to confirm that the truck is coming or not. Meanwhile, I have all my worldly goods on 2 trucks for which I'm paying rent, and people show up to load and are sent home without doing anything! I keep having to ask them to come back tomorrow, delay the truck returns for another day, and extend the arrangement for a place to transload.

And I really have no idea if a container will arrive tomorrow or not!

What a fiasco!!!

[dilanium]

Out of curiosity, what pet shipping company are you using?

[Nathan]

Update....
I just got off the phone with the shipping company and the container won't be here tomorrow!
They don't even know if or when it might arrive monday.

Out of curiosity, what pet shipping company are you using?

I'd tell you when the kitties have safely arrived in Welly.

[dilanium]

okay. Thanks!

[SarahEDH]

hey Nathan & Christine -- hope something good is happening with the container issue? Thinking of you guys --

Sarah

[Nathan]

hey Nathan & Christine -- hope something good is happening with the container issue? Thinking of you guys --

Sarah

Thanks for the thoughts. I think we've cleared the issue up.

We decided over coffee Friday morning to switch to a different shipper. By noon all the new arrangements were made, contracts signed, we had the name of the truck driver delivering the container and his phone number, a detailed set of instructions and suggestions for packing/loading, and assurance that the container would arrive here Tues, ship out 22.Sept, and estimated NZ arrival 20.Nov.
It will cost us a little more, but the degree of professionalism we've encountered is worth it. We are confident 'she'll be right'.
(Christine posted parts of this in a differrent thread. I think it was the "shipping nightmares" thread.)

The whole thing has been a pretty good lesson in paying attention to the signs that things aren't right and in expending energy constructively.

Nathan

[SarahEDH]

thanks Nathan, I must have missed Christine's post --

Glad to hear you guys seem to be in better hands now, and I hope all goes well. Global Ocean Freight, huh? Another one to add to the Shippers' Hall of Shame :mad:

[Nathan]

We're in Welly now.

We arranged a warehouse with an indoor dock to transload from our trucks to the container. Weather had changed to rain, so we wanted a dry place....and it poured, so we were glad to be inside.(It would have been extremely difficult to get a container near our condo, so we laoded into rental trucks first.)

The driver was excellent. Thank you, James! James helped direct the loading, helped with the lifting, and only charged us for 4 out of the 6 extra hours he was parked. (...and his wife and new, 4th baby were waiting for him to get home!) The piano went on withoutn incident. My upright bass is safely atop the load. And everything fit, that's the biggest miracle!! (Tip your truck driver well!)

I'm so glad we're doing business with Upakweship. Alison and Cindy have been so woderful that we had to send them flowers!! Everything feels right now.

:cheers
Nathan