Going Coastal

Hello All,

I've had a bit of further frustration with my shipping: I got an email Friday morning to say that US customs had put a "7H NII" hold on my container.

It's currently heading into LA, for it's inspection now I guess, but was off the coast of Mexico having already traveled through Panama and into many US ports along the Eastern Coast since leaving Southampton August 19th.

I did receive an email a week ago to say that it was scheduled to spend a week in LA and would then be transferred to a different ship and therefore arrive in Vancouver a week late. I wonder whether this change may have triggered the hold? My goods are coming to Canada, I am not "importing" them into the states so all the research I've done last night and today into this hold has me very confused.

Has anyone else had something like this happen?

When I went to the bank to pay the examination fee (as the shipping company who's charging me would not accept credit card) the teller suggested to me to get in touch with US customs as it might be a scam. The official I spoke with on the phone also thought it sounded fishy and suggested I call Canadian authorities. CBSA said to get back in touch with the shipping company asking for more info.

That took it to later in the day Friday and so they have not yet returned my phone call or email.

Anyone else's experience or advise would be greatly appreciated!

Steveh27wp

Hi. It doesn't feel right to me. Destination Canada..surely, even though there is a change of ship, it would remain on the docks in a bonded area for reloading on to another ship. Someone will probably come along soon who will be able to give you a much better answer.
Hope all goes well,
Steve

Juggernaut1064

well i worked with cans in the UK and here, household goods always get pulled, thats doesnt mean this isnt a scam but it isn't unusual either.
DO NOT pay anything because ive never ever heard of the owner being charged for an inspection. Keep hammering away on the phone or contact the company you originally used in the UK and get them to chase it up they'll have numbers that you cant get and will get answers.

rivingtonpike

Our container had to change ship in LA or San Fran and it cost us £200 or $200 (ish). We went with PSS. They said it was very unusual for this to happen. But some friends of ours who moved 9 months before us and also used PSS had exactly the same thing happen to them. I don't think it's a scam but I think PSS pulls a fast one to get cheaper shipping - knowing that your container is going to get transferred and you'll have to pay for it!

Juggernaut1064

may i ask what you have brought over in your can ?

Going Coastal

Hi Juggernaut,
It's just household goods -furniture, clothes, kitchen stuff...
We've paid $350 CAD for the inspection and "admin fee" as it seemed there was no other way.
Rivingtonpike, we went with GB Liners. They said the route used depends on ship's schedules and fuel prices at the time.

Going Coastal

It just gets worse!
When my goods left the UK, they were scheduled to arrive in Vancouver on Friday the 26th.
Now, due to a trucker shortage in LA, apparently, my container didn't get moved after its inspection in time to make the boat is was scheduled on this Saturday and now has to wait until Thursday for loading -so it won't arrive in Vancouver until the 10th of October.
Meanwhile, I'm now waiting for a bill for the demmurage charges
What a ridiculous system!

Going Coastal

This whole shipping process has been a fiasco.
A week before I was set to move, GB Liners called to say they had decided not to accept the fact I was insuring with Letton Percival. After some arguing they rescinded that but it already stressed me out.
Then, when the movers were all ready and waiting for the container to arrive, we got a call to say it was in the wrong city -must have swapped the "U" in my old postcode for an "L" is my only guess. It was rescheduled then for the following day, and late, so the movers were in a really grumpy mood and handled my boxes much more roughly than I was happy to see.

MarkG

Sadly, that's normal. Mine was weeks late, not all of it turned up, and the contents list had magically changed somewhere between the UK and Canada.

I suspect the problem is that we all want the cheapest possible shipping, so they hire the cheapest possible workers and contractors. I was just glad to get most of my stuff, before I actually needed it.

Former Lancastrian

Not trying to be nasty but why pick a shipper using this route?
Im pretty sure the ports of Halifax and Montreal handle thousands of container ships from the UK which is about a 9 to 11 day crossing.

withabix

The charge will be for the haul to/from the bonded warehouse inspection location, unloading and re-loading. Probably includes an Inspection fee as well.

My 40' container was emptied, inspected and reloaded in Montreal - full contents including Land Rover. They found all of our bottles of spirits and carefully re-loaded them in a box on the passenger seat of the Land Rover!!

The shipper won't pay for it until you pay them. Your container won't be released until payment is made. It won't be in your original bill because it isn't guaranteed to happen. Ours customs inspection cost $1200 inc taxes. I was pre-warned this was likely, but it still feels like legalised robbery.

As others have posted - I am surprised at the Panama route being used because of the distance, time and presumably cost. Mine went from Liverpool to Montreal and onward via rail - it was less than 3 weeks from leaving Carlisle to unloading in Kelowna.

rivingtonpike

Ours went via Panama, as did some friends of ours who live here on the Island. We didn't want our stuff to turn up for 8 weeks while we looked for a house to put it in (which we did). It took 8 weeks door to door - as quoted. It just suited our circumstances.

Going Coastal

Former Lancastrian, like Rivingtonpike said, "It just suited our circumstances."
We decided to travel around the UK for a few weeks, saying our goodbyes to friends etc. We're now staying with my parents while we look for jobs and then a new house of our own so most of our stuff's going into storage here. I'm really just wanting my warmer sweaters and dive gear right now!
We were told that the time to Vancouver would be much the same (I was quoted 4-6 weeks and told 5 when I paid and booked) but that having the container go the long route would allow us to stay in the UK while it was underway.
I was just told that we needed to land in Canada before our stuff did. Nothing was said about US Customs or changes of ship. Had I been aware of the possibility, we may have reconsidered.

pip_is_fab

Oh the ups and downs of shipping!

Ours is currently "on hold" in Montreal. Only found this out because the Canadian part of the process got in touch to say who the point of contact with them was.
The bit about this that surprised me though was that it was in Montreal in the first place as we were told it was going via Panama, as this is allegedly the faster/cheaper route to Vancouver! It is now going by rail to Vancouver. In doing this it will actually pass through the city we live in, then our items (it's groupage) will be delivered to us by road.

No indication of how long it will be held in Montreal, needless to say, i've assumed the original eta in Vancouver of 6th Oct is now out the window!!

withabix

It will take a week to get to Vancouver.

Ours was held in Montreal last year for 3 days, plus the 7 days across to Vancouver and then arrived in Kelowna after another 2 days.

Our container was cleared through CBSA at Kelowna Airport.