[markynz]

We arrived a month ago in Nelson and are using John Masons as our shippers.
A little dis-spirited at present though as its still waiting in Liverpool docks !!

We had PSS, JM and Anglo pacific as quoters and all of them told us it would take 6-8 weeks to get here from time of packing ( 20th Aug ). As we had a shared container, they all then said it could take up to 12 weeks at the outside, which we were prepared to live with.
To find it still has'nt even set off yet though is incredible in my eyes ( 5 weeks down the line - and no word from JM yet ).

Has anyone had anything similar or can offer any advice ? I have been in contact with them and they are now back-tracking saying that 12 weeks was never an outside figure ( as we were told ), but just a guideline !!!

We miss our stuff !!

[Questor]

We're using JM as well, and we are also missing our stuff!

We had the shippers on the 23rd of June, and our stuff didn't leave till the 12th of August. It's scheduled to arrive on the 8th of October, which isn't nearly soon enough!

We didn't know that it hadn't left till I emailed Harvey at JM who said (in a rather curt email) that it was scheduled to leave on the 12th (This was after we'd been here nearly a month with no word) - I've emailed him twice more about things, and have had no reply as yet - not so good, you may think...

Saying that though, I think I'd still use them again - the guys who came to pack our stuff were really good, they obviously knew what they were doing, they answered my (fairly) stupid questions and they had a great sense of humour.
We have also had contact from the Moving Company since we've been here, and they've been really nice - which reminds me I must ring them and ask if everything's still on schedule - the only way I've been able to track anything is because the Moving Co gave me the container number and I searched online to find out who it was actually being shipped with. As far as we know it's somewhere between Le Havre (Which it left on the 23rd August) and here - although where is anyone's guess!

I appear to have rambled on a bit here, but JM were by some way the cheapest quote we had, and I think we can just about manage without our stuff for another couple of weeks, for the sake of saving about £800!

Jon

[markynz]

Yes, some valid points, especially the cheapness. I think the thing that gets me though is how they lead you to believe that it will only take 6-8 weeks ( 12 at the very utmost ), then you find out after 5 weeks that it hasnt even set sail yet.

I also agree that the 2 (!) guys we had to do all our stuff were absolutely fantastic. I've never seen anyone work so hard in years. 10 hours without a break has got to be worth mentioning.

[Stapleton-Gray]

We used John Mason too and everything seems fine. We sent everything around the 1st August and its already here in Auckland and is being delivered next week.
I guess it just is the luck of the draw, usually bad things happen to me, so I'm very grateful everything ran smoothly this time.

Sorry you guys are having a problem, but I would recommend John Mason, we thought their service was fantastic from start to finish.

[Jameelka]

We had Pickfords.
Were told it would take at least 3 months,may be even 4 to get to NZ, blow me it has taken 6 weeks!!! We have the opposite,we are not ready for the container!
Renting a 4 small bedroom house that is just not big enough for our stuff! we have a larger house from the middle/end of Oct but not earlier.Have asked Pickfords to contact the UK to tell them they mis-quoted timings to us,as we'll get charged for storage otherwise,over $400 per month,so waiting to hear back from them.Would have been great if we'd been prepared for it!
:exit

[Helen & John]

Hi

We used John Mason as well and we only had a part container, and that is where the difference is, as you have to wait for them to fill it with somebody elses stuff who is also having it shipped to same dock. They sail to Auckland more often than the lower north island like Welllington. All in all it took 16 weeks from them packing the stuff to us getting it here in Palmerston North.

Keep pesting Harvey, he will pull his finger out eventually. The other thing is as well, when you know your arrival date in port here, speak to Van Liners. I found them very helpful. Told them that our rental furniture was due to be picked up the week after the container arrived as we had only rented it on a 4 month contract, and she had the contained inspected by maf and delivered within one week from arriving in dock.

John Mason arent probably the most efficient, but considering their cost to others, they were fantastic at the packing end, and have to say we only had the corner off the computer table broken out of the whole lot we shipped. The guys at Van Liners were great too, very efficient, but things where you want them, unpack big items, take away all packing etc. They offered to unpack boxes, but i said we would do it.

I know you want your things, but try not to dwell on it, as it makes time seem to go slower, harder said than done i know cos I did as well.

Hope your stuff arrives soon,

Helen

[Charlosparky]

John Masons packed our stuff up on 1st Sept (shared container) They replied to my email today saying delivery expected 29th Oct, so thats about 9weeeks in all. I hope that is right, these extended delivery horror stories are worrying me. How do i get the container no and track it online? Gotta say they were also the cheapest by far ( and their guys work blooy hard too)

[markynz]

I have finally had contact from JM. The stuff has been shipped at last and due to arrive Nov 10, so thats just less than 3 months from when it was packed. Can you let me know the numbers for van lines anyone, so I can sort out from this end ?
Hooray !

[Smiler]

Markynz - Here's the number for NZVL - NELSON & BAYS 03 547 5698

Charlosparky - Ask them for the container number. They may have a tracking page on their website, if not NZVL do. If not just ask them what site they use to track. I can't remember what one we used, it was something like Ned Lloyd P & O. :(

HTH

[nippa&pippa]

we opt for john masons too, i was playing around with dates to get ideas when to start packing with man from JM came to give a quotes, i thought of 16th and 17th oct, so allow less time to wait for stuff to turn up as we fly out on 29th, next day we had call from JM that if we aims for 16th and 17th, they got a spare container space to go out to chch on 20th oct and expect to arrive in chch by 29th nov! :D that will give us just two weeks in rental house without any bed etc. Now after reading previous posts, i hope they mean it with arrival date! :roll

[markynz]

Thanks smiler :D

[Elyse]

we had a salesman called rob come down to us from john masons today,
some of the stuff he said didnt add up to what pss said.
So for example pss said under no circumstances should there be any rust on tools yet john masons said a little rust wont hurt.

Plus we found the salesman from john masons to be quiet stuck up and he talked to his shoes.

[mossum]

Hi All

Have to say that we found JM's faultless.

Our ship went to Timaru not Ch Ch as expected but absolutely no problem at all & the container was sent up to us by train - we have been well informed by JM when in in Uk & by the moving company here .

Perhaps we have been lucky ...

vic x

[Toto]

We used John Masons and found them to be excellent. The packers came from their Croydon office and we couldn't fault them, they were really friendly. Our container was put on a ship to Auckland and took just under 6 weeks to get there. The ship arrived on the exact day they told us it would and we received our container 4 days later. Nothing was broken and everything was still in good working order!! Would definitely recommend them. We also found Harvey to be very helpful.