[Lupin]

This shipping lark is going to bore me to tears, I can tell already! :uhoh

After much deliberating we have decided we will ship our wordly belongings, tatty and potentially worthless thought they might be. Three reasons
1) most (but not all) of our stuff is second hand and/or rubbish so we can't sell it to make money to buy over there
2) to actually replace it all would cost more than the shipping costs unless we work very hard to rummage for similar junk and then we might break even, but probably better the devil you know in this scenario :laugh
3) we all hate shopping and really hate the sort of shopping that requires more than dash-and-grab mentality
4) we don't want to spend our first weeks (months) shopping (see 3)
5) given that there is potentially small (or no) financial gain in starting anew, it might ease homesickness for the children to have familiar junk around them.
6) bit anxious about renting someone elses container for the piano and 3 stringed instruments (plus 3 children's violins).

Obviously that's six, not three but I got carried away.
So I've searched the shipping threads and have contacted crown, pickfords, john masons, anglo pacific, white and company and brittania for quotes. I have emailed them as I hate phoning.
Have I missed a worthwhile shipper? Any of those not worth touching with a barge pole?
I'll update this thread as we go along.

Thanks Vanessa..have emailed mark chudley for a quote also :)

[Vanessa]

Hi,
You should give Mark Chudley a call, he is a lovely bloke, local to you. We were going to use his company, then my OH got a job with a company that is shipping our stuff for us. I know other people have used him and he is highly recommended! Cheaper than some of the others you have contacted too!

[firstkings]

We also contacted ALLIED in NZ. They then geot a firm in the UK to do this side of the move for them. At the mo' they are one of our cheapest quotes, because it is in NZ$ and the exchange rate is quite favourable.

Cheers

David

[Smiler]

Lupin

Just a thought: it might be better to have then round for quotes.

Ok the sales man rep might be different to the rest of the company, but you can show them your stuff and they can give you a quote based on what they see, rather than a form filled in on a website, especially when it comes to the piano and precious instruments. :D

Just check that that White and Co aren't sending you Curtiss though, which is part of their company.

[meely&paul]

ALLIED MOVERS NZ DO NOT USE YUK YUK YUK!!!!!!!! :wah

They lost our container and have just found it in Wellington,have now tried to charge us $600 to deliver it! plus $400 Maf fees! :wah

They then contracted the removal out to conway removals, who also wanted $150 per hour! l think not!

we payed nearly £8000 for door to door delivery inc insurance,explained the situation to conways and they are now billing allied movers :laugh

we contacted Maf and are paying them direct $130 what a big difference to Allied's Maf fees! no surprise there! anyway container arrives on monday after waiting over 3month yeehaaaa kids are pleased l just hope all is well,really need a nice glass of wine now as paul fell at work and slipped a disk in his back very painful!

oh well enough moaning, for now anyway

meely

[Lupin]

I wasn't very clear in my post, but don't worry Smiler I intend on having them round to see it all. I want some advice about a few things as well.

Meely, is that Allied Pickfords then?

Also, you have mail :)

[meely&paul]

Hi Lupin,our agent in the uk was andrew porters then allied movers in nz,so lm not sure if allied pickfords is the same company or not,will try and find out.

meely

[meely&paul]

thanks for pm Heather :)

meely

[Avalon]

Hi Lupin,our agent in the uk was andrew porters then allied movers in nz,so lm not sure if allied pickfords is the same company or not,will try and find out.

meely

No - they are NOT the same company.

We have Allied movers as the NZ subcontractors for one of our loads. No problems with the delivery - but the office staff were bad. If anything is going to let you down - its them. so be careful.

As ever - my advise is ALWAYS ASK WHO THE NZ SUBCONRACTOR IS...

It really doesnt matter how good the UK side of things sounds: time and again its the NZ company you deal with that will screw you over if they can. The Moving Company generally gets a whole load of bad press - and I wouldnt advise anyone to go near NZ Van Lines. There is an exceedingly high chance you will bitterly regret it.

Also - always be aware of the age old Maf fees scam. If you can - get the MAf fees out of your contract and arrage to get your good delivered to you unexamined - and then get MAF to come visit you in the home. AND PAY THEM DIRECTLY. Migrants are still getting scammed. Be aware that John Mason (who we used for one of our shippments) STILL use NZ Van Lines - DESPITE being fully aware that thier customers are being scammed. If you want to use John Masons - make sure they are not going to use NZVL. If Thats who they want to use and you decide against going with JM - please etell them its because they refuse to stop using NZVL. I really think JM should be ashamed of themselves for supporting this scam :mad:

Sorry - rant over. But you do need to be aware of what is happening. Too many people are starting thier new lives being taken for a ride. Its not a good start.

HUGS

[Lupin]

Thank you Avalon. That is all excellent advice. :nice1

When they come I will check who they use at the NZ end (and rule out anyone using The Moving Company or NZ van lines) and arrange to pay for MAF to inspect myself.

From thread trawling it appears the consensus opinion is that it would be better to arrange insurance through Letton Percival, rather than accept the shippers insurance. Anyone disagree?

[Lupin]

Sorry FirstKings....I missed your post. :o

As meely is having a nightmare with Allied, I don't think I'll include them as potentials though. Have you already contracted them?

[mossum]

Also - always be aware of the age old Maf fees scam. If you can - get the MAf fees out of your contract and arrage to get your good delivered to you unexamined - and then get MAF to come visit you in the home. AND PAY THEM DIRECTLY. Migrants are still getting scammed. Be aware that John Mason (who we used for one of our shippments) STILL use NZ Van Lines - DESPITE being fully aware that thier customers are being scammed. If you want to use John Masons - make sure they are not going to use NZVL. If Thats who they want to use and you decide against going with JM - please etell them its because they refuse to stop using NZVL. I really think JM should be ashamed of themselves for supporting this scam :mad:

eeek I have JM this morning !!! I will be sure to inform him of NZVL tactics & see what he says ! Lordy I'm getting in a tis' now :laugh

vic x

[Smiler]

Sorry Lupin didn't mean to infer you wouldn't. Like Avalon, I see the word shipper sometimes and then the red mist drops down....................................:laugh :laugh

We used LP Insurers for our shipping nightmare and they were excellent. Do a forum search, there's a few posts about them.

You really have to make a point about paying MAF directly and get sommat in writing if you can. :nice1 What the UK shipper may mean is that you can pay for MAF fees separately, but that's not the same as paying them directly. It just means the NZ shipper takes the MAF fee, adds their chunk, doubles it and charges you $$$, whilst holding your stuff to ransom.

HTH

[starkhorn]

If you can - get the MAf fees out of your contract and arrage to get your good delivered to you unexamined - and then get MAF to come visit you in the home.


Hi,

MAF will allow you to do that i.e. allow your container into NZ without them examining it first? Do you have to arrange that with MAF or with the shipping company?

Also I guess this is only possible if the entire container is yours, i.e. it doesn't work if you are using groupage shipping?
I mean if you are sharing a container with someone else because you don't have enough stuff to fill a container.

Cheers
Starkhorn

[Avalon]

Hi,

MAF will allow you to do that i.e. allow your container into NZ without them examining it first? Do you have to arrange that with MAF or with the shipping company?

Also I guess this is only possible if the entire container is yours, i.e. it doesn't work if you are using groupage shipping?
I mean if you are sharing a container with someone else because you don't have enough stuff to fill a container.

Cheers
Starkhorn

Yes they will. I didnt get this - so I have to say Im not entirely sure how you arrange it. but it IS quite common. The shipping company should be able to tell you how to do it. Or someone on here will know anyway.

Also, Im really not sure how it applies to Groupage. If that is your case - and no one one here can answer - just get hold of MAF. They may take a while to answer - but they are quite helpful. May just need a bit of nagging.

And MAF are aware of the scam - so they should be getting used to Migrants asking them for direct inspections.

[starkhorn]

I read the below on the MAF website. LCL /FAK stands for Less than Container Load/Freight for All Kinds consignments.

I assume that LCL is a groupage shipment then i.e. one where I'm sharing a container with someone else?

From the below, it seems that the MAF inspection has to be done at the port.

Cheers
Starkhorn

"If the container is to be unpacked at a private residence, the container must be placed on a hard sealed area. Consignments of personal effects shipped as LCL or FAK must be inspected at a transitional facility, not a residence, if inspection is required."

[Smiler]

Hi,

MAF will allow you to do that i.e. allow your container into NZ without them examining it first? Do you have to arrange that with MAF or with the shipping company?


They won't allow you to do it if you have vehicles though, it all has to be done at the shippers then.