[peebles16]

I hate waiting and am developing deep hatred for shipping companies :( Our container was supposed to arrive in port on 19th February then delayed until 25th February then 9th March. Now it's in Singapore and we don't yet have a ship bringing it to NZ :wah I now have no idea when it will arrive..

Is this par for the course? Can I/should I complain? Will it make any blooming difference?:(

Rant over - thanks for reading
Karenx

[jubjub]

Rant away.... I am not much help as ours trundled its way here without incident or delay (a rare thing these days it would appear!)

Take a deep breath, there are plenty here that have had the same issues and can help you a bit more than me!

[IanW99]

I hate waiting and am developing deep hatred for shipping companies :( Our container was supposed to arrive in port on 19th February then delayed until 25th February then 9th March. Now it's in Singapore and we don't yet have a ship bringing it to NZ :wah I now have no idea when it will arrive..

Is this par for the course? Can I/should I complain? Will it make any blooming difference?:(

Rant over - thanks for reading
Karenx

How are you tracking your container? Others on this forum have previously tried tracking their container to find it appears to go to some other country when in fact it changed ship and arrived at its destination on time.

Here's hoping :)

Ian

[Smiler]

That's a fair old delay....who's telling you there isn't a ship coming to NZ?

If it's your moving co in the UK complain to them, loudly, they should get it sorted asap!

Complain and get it off your chest though, that'll make you feel a little better.

I tracked ours travelling across the Channel between Harwich and the Hook of Holland for 3 weeks. :confused: I complained to the removal co, who'd given me the wrong tracking number. Duh!

[peebles16]

It's Allied Movers in NZ as we booked it through Auckland branch from UK. To be fair they have been good at keeping us up to date but blooming frustrating with the delays - the wee ones just don't understand why their stuff isnt here yet and are getting quite desperate:( Just feel that we'd be more settled with familiar things around us...

One of the reasons we went with them was that they seemed to turnaround shipment pretty quickly as we only shipped out 10th January... Stated on documentation that container was on express ship - clearly not :(

Feel nippy email coming on to greet them on Monday morning. Thanks for the responses folks, that 's why I love this forum - room to rant!

Cheers
Karenx

[zardell]

Can I/should I complain? Will it make any blooming difference?:(
Karenx



Canyou/should you complain? YES !!

Will it make any difference? Probably not, but Boy it will make you feel soooo much better. :D

Welcome to my world......

Julie

xx

[Sam B]

Yep, this happened to us, our container was nearly 2 months late, it missed it's connection somewhere apparently. It's not the moving companies fault at all, they have no control over the shipping bit I think. It was awful while we were waiting, but it was wonderful when it finally turned up.

[peebles16]

I did complain - in a very nice way obviously :) Basically they responded to email right away but no further information available about ETA - and SamB you're right all dependent on the shippers, movers don't seem to be able to do anything about it. Irritating as hell :(

Cheers
Karen

[peebles16]

So just had very nice and long chat with very personable bloke from CHC branch of Allied Movers.. So do I now have a date for my container arriving I hear you cry, in a word - NO :(
He was obviously working from the 'how to keep customer happy but provide no information' customer service handbook - ggrrr!! His theory is it got delayed at Southampton because of equipment delay funny that ,cos was supposed to be on ship from Grangemouth to Rotterdam to start with...

Well I thanked him for his kind interest in how we had settled in NZ, yes schools were great and yes enjoying the weather etc and stated I needed a date - perfectly reasonably request :yes After another 10 minutes of waffling he said might be in on 18th so he will pencil in delivery for 19th or 20th and then I asked him to confirm that this was March he was talking about and indeed next week... more waffling... yes that was a possibility???? I need to organise OH getting day off and some sort of cover for the kids - probably shouldn't jump the gun though eh????

AArrgghh - sorry for the rant but hate this..
Thanks for reading ramblings of mad woman - off to lie down now as far too early for cocktails :)
Karenx

[Tia Maria]

AArrgghh - sorry for the rant but hate this..
Thanks for reading ramblings of mad woman - off to lie down now as far too early for cocktails :)
Karenx

Its never too early for cocktails!

You could try requesting an email or fax of confirmation of a delivery date, or an explanation of why it is so late. Just state that you prefer to have things written down, for your records - this normally scares them a bit and makes them put in the effort to find out the truth, rather than forgetting about you the minute they hang up the phone!

Of course you might have to tell him about the rest of your life in NZ to get that far. Or you could say, well the kids would be fine if they had their beds, but they are in the container, and schools would be OK if the kids had their books but they are in the container, and you would enjoy this weather if you had your BBQ but its in the container. He may stop asking after that! :laugh

Cheers

Tia

[Smiler]

So just had very nice and long chat with very personable bloke from CHC branch of Allied Movers.. So do I now have a date for my container arriving I hear you cry, in a word - NO
He was obviously working from the 'how to keep customer happy but provide no information' customer service handbook - ggrrr!! His theory is it got delayed at Southampton because of equipment delay funny that ,cos was supposed to be on ship from Grangemouth to Rotterdam to start with...

Well I thanked him for his kind interest in how we had settled in NZ, yes schools were great and yes enjoying the weather etc and stated I needed a date - perfectly reasonably request After another 10 minutes of waffling he said might be in on 18th so he will pencil in delivery for 19th or 20th and then I asked him to confirm that this was March he was talking about and indeed next week... more waffling... yes that was a possibility???? I need to organise OH getting day off and some sort of cover for the kids - probably shouldn't jump the gun though eh????

AArrgghh - sorry for the rant but hate this..
Thanks for reading ramblings of mad woman - off to lie down now as far too early for cocktails :)
Karenx

That's good news? Yes/No? ;)

Talking to the Allied man sounds like a traumatising event to me.... Get a pina colada down your neck girl, it's never too early for cocktails at a time like this.....

Oh and rant away, you'll be too busy unpacking next week to do anything...:D

[Smiler]

Of course you might have to tell him about the rest of your life in NZ to get that far. Or you could say, well the kids would be fine if they had their beds, but they are in the container, and schools would be OK if the kids had their books but they are in the container, and you would enjoy this weather if you had your BBQ but its in the container. He may stop asking after that! :laugh

Cheers

Tia

Brilliant idea Tia... :nice1

[peebles16]

Cheers Tia and Smiler :D

I did ask him to confirm by email and he said he would as soon as he could??? I suppose it is or could possibly be good news but I just think the guy today was waffling a bit and I'm not a very patient woman :no

I know a lot of folks on here have waited a lot longer for there stuff so sorry if am making a big deal of it but ah you know what it's like just want my stuff around us so NZ can really start feeling like home...

Off to plan where furniture and artwork can go whilst counting down to cocktail hour :)

Karenx

[Sam B]

Karen - when I was waiting for my stuff, I drew out a floor plan of the house and drew on where every single piece of furniture would go. Made me feel better...

[peebles16]

OOh now that's a good idea. Can't remember size of all the furniture but sure I can use OH for the sofas as he was always lying stretched out on them - lazy oink :D

That's sure to keep me busy until it eventually arrives :)

Karenx

[Super_BQ]

Such cases of delayed shipping is more common than what most people think. I've had a container shipped out of Vancouver Canada near 2005 and was so impressed with the shipping that I emailed to the shipping company how professionally handled shipment went. The troublefree experience was simply due to - doing your homework! For matter of interest I had a rather expensive sports car shipped over to Chch.

During the same time we knew of others here that were also shipping their classic cars from overseas. Likewise with my uncle who had a container going out in Long Beach LA. They both had issues with shipping. From the container being stuck in Asia (with no ETA) to huge MAF issues upon arrival.

Like buy anything at the store, there are more expensive brands and cheap brands. Quite simply you get what you paid for and the same applies to shipping logistics.

However choosing a shipping agent is not cut and clear. The problem lies is finding out how they handle your container shipping - such as how often will the container change ships? What other carriers at the other end will be handling it? Which trucking agency will be responsible for moving it off the port? etc.. Why? Quite simply because the majority of these shipping agents are no more than.. shipping agents. They certainly don't own the containers and they don't have the same level "relationship" between other shipping agents that will move your container somewhere along the chain. It pays to deal with a 1 house outfit that does it all and not rely on other carriers to handle your container or at least reputable to be liable for any problems.

Going back to our experience, my uncle had local NZ Trans-Link to handle all the shipping. You would think the boat leaving LA would sail direct to NZ. This was far from the truth as his container ended up pretty much sailing around the Pacific Rim. It suffered a long journey travelling through Japan, China, and SE Asia for most part. Then to India and a brief stop in Australia - and then to NZ (I believe it was a 4 month journey). Although my uncle was not concerned on how fast the shipping was, when the container arrived, MAF had slapped the whole book at it. In fact the container was so unpresentable in the compound that container had to be chemically cleaned TWICE! On top of the Methyl Bromide treatment. The container must of sweated so bad that I was sure any wood furniture inside would of been ruined. Imagine the layers of mould growing inside the vehicle's interior. Yes at his own expense.

Was the shipping cost on his container cheaper than mine ex-Vancouver? Yes by at least 40%. But hindsight I was glad I did not choose the cheapest carrier and made sure the boat it went on was as direct sailing to NZ as possible. 3 weeks total journey. I went to the effort of choosing what container I wanted (Hamberg-Sud) and brand new. Furthermore I had the container pre-crated inside so the car was properly fixed. Partitioned walled inside using certified MAF approved wood. Plus the the methyl bromide treatment + certificate. I was present to overview the whole process in the compound. Right to the point where the container was sealed and photographed.

More importantly, I had all the proper documentation. So upon arrival, MAF officer was quite impressed in the condition of the container and how well (or how easy I made his job). We could not see 1 drop of sweat that landed on the car's bonnet (vented container) He told me cases where he saw containers flipped upsidedown and upon opening of the container... well you can imagine the damage. I presented all the custom clearance documents and certificates as proof that the container was properly handled prior to shipping. REMEMBER, these are things your shipping agent usually does as many others know, doing it yourself or getting others to do the job for you are 2 different things.

So as a lesson, it's almost paramount that you ask the shipping agent exactly what they're doing. How many sub-agents down the line. Truckers and rail way loading / unloading. Even request what kind of container you want be it vented, sealed, air conditioned, with lockable mounts, GPS trackable etc. Actually thinking about it, when I looked to ship the car out of Vancouver, these were standard questions that the shipping agent askd me.

BQ

[peebles16]

Great post SuperBQ and am sure lots of folks who are looking at shipping companies will appreciate your advice and comments. Just worth pointing out our choice for shipping agents wasn't the cheapest, we booked through agent in NZ for continuity, we had ship timetables and until it arrives I can't comment on how successful a process it's been - other than to say i'm not the most patient woman in the world, it's a month late and so can it just blooming get here :D

Karen

[Flo jo]

I really feel for you as we too are victims of Allied Movers crapness. It has been 18 weeks since we gave them our visas to start shipping our container. It keeps getting delayed & they only inform you of this when you ring them up to ask if the ship has docked.

I don't want to depress you but we were told by Wellington branch that Allied Movers are unable to book anyone in for delivery until the ship has physically docked & then it can be between 5-10 working days for customs to clear it before they can even think about delivering it to your house. Our contact in Wellington sent us the MAF & Customs forms early so that it was all completed for when the ship docked as I think she's had enough of me now. See if he will send you the paperwork ahead so that you may be in the front of the queue when your container has finished its cruise.

I really want my son's stuff now so that he may settle a bit easier with a few more of his favourite things around. I'll regret saying that when I've tripped over his toys for the millionth time!!!

[peebles16]

Well apparently our ship arrives 3pm tomorrow and container is booked for delivery on Thursday :) We completed the MAF forms before we left the UK and the bloke from the Christchurch office told me what boxes they want to inspect and asked if I knew which box wooden carvings where in? So they seem to know what they are doing.. OH has booked day off and told Allied Movers that we'll claim for loss of earnings if it doesn't pitch up - looks like am not the only impatient one in this house :D

Anyhow if it appears I won't need to post on the forum you'll hear me whooping up and down NZ :laugh

Karenx

[Flo jo]

fingers crossed for you. I'm sure it will all be fine. Let us know how you get on - if not only to give me some faith that our stuff will turn up eventually.

[JandM]

Good luck, Karen.:)

[peebles16]

Thanks folks :)

Latest update is ship is getting in early hours of tomorrow morning and delivery still scheduled for tomorrow afternoon... Believe it when I see it (: Better blooming come as my eldest has just had major hairy fit by far the worst outburst I've had from in years - all because I couldn't tell him yes to "100% mummy will my transformers be here when I get back from school" He went ape - very upsetting for all involved and lots of tears today from the grown ups and the kids :( It's more than just his toys he's been really unsettled from the move and getting familiar stuff around hopefully will help... I know loads of you are in the same boat so sorry if it sounds like am whining..

Hoping I'll be posting from the sofa tomorrow

Karenx

[Smiler]

Thanks folks :)

Latest update is ship is getting in early hours of tomorrow morning and delivery still scheduled for tomorrow afternoon... Believe it when I see it (: Better blooming come as my eldest has just had major hairy fit by far the worst outburst I've had from in years - all because I couldn't tell him yes to "100% mummy will my transformers be here when I get back from school" He went ape - very upsetting for all involved and lots of tears today from the grown ups and the kids :( It's more than just his toys he's been really unsettled from the move and getting familiar stuff around hopefully will help... I know loads of you are in the same boat so sorry if it sounds like am whining..

Hoping I'll be posting from the sofa tomorrow

Karenx

Oh he must really want his things around him (and you must too) I hope all goes well for tomorrow and you can sit on your sofa at last. :raebanana

D x x

[shakyle2906]

Thanks folks :)

Latest update is ship is getting in early hours of tomorrow morning and delivery still scheduled for tomorrow afternoon... Believe it when I see it (: Better blooming come as my eldest has just had major hairy fit by far the worst outburst I've had from in years - all because I couldn't tell him yes to "100% mummy will my transformers be here when I get back from school" He went ape - very upsetting for all involved and lots of tears today from the grown ups and the kids :( It's more than just his toys he's been really unsettled from the move and getting familiar stuff around hopefully will help... I know loads of you are in the same boat so sorry if it sounds like am whining..

Hoping I'll be posting from the sofa tomorrow

Karenx


I hope so too Karen!

It must have been so upsetting for you and hubby, you feel like the wicked witch of the north!

I was lucky with Kyle (please dont think i am rubbing it in). It wasnt as bad as i had thought it was, he asked for favourites and i was lucky my sister kept a few little things and posted them over for me, but it cost me a small fortune.

It was so tough when i had to gut his bedroom ready for the move, he came home and was heartbroken and i was a terrible mummy!

It was tough when we got here and he had very little to play with. They are so used to their toys, and if your kids are like Kyle, even though they have a load of toys, they know each one.........

Good luck and i am sure things will work out.

Thinking of you and know what youre going through!


Sharon
xx

[peebles16]

I did the same as you Sharon kids had their favourite toys in luggage that came over with us it's just the other stuff that's taking too long.... It's a month late now and I know folks have waited longer but I just want to sort my home out and get our stuff in the right place...

Oh look I said NZ was home - ooh maybe it is ???

Karenx

[peebles16]

Well Allied Movers been on the phone again - didn't want to answer cos knew it wouldn't be good... The ship is in but don't think it's likely that'll be unloaded by the end of the day :( MAF guy won't work past 5pm although Allied Movers seem to be happy to unload later... So although he said they are trying their level best it's all down to the staff at Lyttleton port and where in the ship our container is.. Looking like no container for us today - am gutted to be honest and really don't know what I'm going to say to the wee man when I pick him up from school... I know that it's here and that 's good and next Tuesday not that far away but still 6 year olds just don't get it!

Karenx

[Smiler]

Well Allied Movers been on the phone again - didn't want to answer cos knew it wouldn't be good... The ship is in but don't think it's likely that'll be unloaded by the end of the day :( MAF guy won't work past 5pm although Allied Movers seem to be happy to unload later... So although he said they are trying their level best it's all down to the staff at Lyttleton port and where in the ship our container is.. Looking like no container for us today - am gutted to be honest and really don't know what I'm going to say to the wee man when I pick him up from school... I know that it's here and that 's good and next Tuesday not that far away but still 6 year olds just don't get it!

Karenx

Oh Karen, that's sad news. :wah

Is there any chance of a bit of 'bribery' for your son. Buying him a new toy to say sorry for the delay from the "ships captain" ;) or something?

I guess it won't be unloaded or delivered over the weekend either now? :mad:

Hugs to you D x

[peebles16]

Oh thanks Smiler nope they won't deliver till next week and I've just realised that am meeting someone on Tuesday to talk about possible job opportunities for me :(

I've just been reading this back and realised I've lost the ability to be rational about it all of this... we've been managing fine with the stuff we do have in the house but it's been a particularly bad week for us emotionally I suppose and I seem unable to get this into perspective. It's only a few days delay but I actually felt physically sick this morning when the guy phoned - suppose the title of this thread is very apt.. I'm feeling far from normal at the minute :(

Karenx

[peebles16]

I can't believe I'm actually posting this but container is outside by house :D :D

Can you hear me whooping up and down the house :yes Just waiting for the crew to arrive from Allied Movers ETA 20 minutes and we'll be unpacking - yippee!! MAF coming on Tuesday instead to check boxes identified so no worries there..

SO, SO HAPPY - silly I know but thanks folks for reading my mad ramblings helped keep me sane :nice1

Cheers
Karen

[Tia Maria]

woo hoo!!!

:clap

Cheers

Tia

[ncalfamilyguy]

congrats...and tell the young one he has to unpack all his other stuff before he can play with his toys!..... just joking. How strange it must be to uncover all of the items you once thought you could not live without! Everything included, how long do you say was door to door service?

[Sam B]

Yee-HAR What a lovely Easter surprise - SOOO pleased for you

[shakyle2906]

Karen

So so so so very pleased for you all:raebanana :raebanana

Been thinking of you all day, keeping everything crossed for you.

Just think, in a few days you will all be settled, its like Christmas opening all your stuff again i remember, and we only had 12 boxes and 6 cases!!

Glad you little ones are happy, its great to see them happy isnt it!

Keep in touch inbetween your packing..............

Sharon
:raebanana :raebanana

[benandclare]

Fantastic news Karen, see you Sunday :raebanana :raebanana

[Smiler]

I can't believe I'm actually posting this but container is outside by house

Can you hear me whooping up and down the house Just waiting for the crew to arrive from Allied Movers ETA 20 minutes and we'll be unpacking - yippee!! MAF coming on Tuesday instead to check boxes identified so no worries there..

SO, SO HAPPY - silly I know but thanks folks for reading my mad ramblings helped keep me sane

Cheers
Karen

Oh that's brilliant news! Yay! :raebanana :raebanana :raebanana

I hope little one is enjoying all his toys and that you are loving unpacking all your stuff.

It must be like Christmas at Easter!

D x

[peebles16]

Will be there with bells on Ben :D

Thanks for all your support folks with my slight over-reaction to late container tis really appreciated :) To say we are ecstatic would be slight understatement... Now to lie on my sofa and indulge in some of NZ's finest vino - bliss :D

Karenx

[shakyle2906]

Hope you had a good time unpacking..................

How are the kids today ? In their element i suppose.

Isnt is lovely to have your own stuff around you again! We only had 12 boxes and the 6 cases we brought and that was heaven...........

Good luck with the rest of the unpacking, at least you have a nice long weekend to get things sorted.

I am sure things will go well for you also on Tuesday with your job enquiries!

Now, not too much wine, there unpacking to do...............

Take care and again, so so happy for you!

Sharon:raebanana :raebanana :raebanana :raebanana