Leelee1986

Hello,

I'm not sure if this thread exists elsewhere (sorry if it does, I'm new to all this!)

Me and my husband are moving from NYC to Leeds, United Kingdom and are looking to ship some things. We are only looking to ship personal effects, no furniture and we are estimating approx 60 cubic feet - which is the measurement international shipping companies use?? We are looking for a door to door service with a reputable company...but we also don't want to pay over the odds...not that we know how much that is!!

Does anyone have any recommendations? Used a company that was great?

I've done a little googling and am convinced every company is a scam - thanks internet!!

Anyone had experience with UPAKWESHIP?

ANY help would be greatly appreciated! All this in and amongst immigration filing! Oh, the joys!

Pollyana

Hi and welcome to BE

I'll move your post into our forum for ee mving back to the UK - we have some posters in there who should be able to help as they have come back recently from the US

dunroving

I don't recall any specifics, but there have been loads of posts on upakweship. Just try using the search function and hopefully some of the threads will have personal experiences.

ottotheboar

The door to door is where most of the rip offs occur. 60 cubic feet is around two pallets.
I do not know about NYC but there is LTL (less than load shipping) from Port Elisabeth in NJ.
If it were possible to drop off your pallets there and pick them up in the UK it should be a lot cheaper.
I do realize it may be easier said than done but maybe worth comparing quotes.

kirstyp

I love this remember though that more people will take time to write negative reviews than positive ones, and you only usually get one side of the story.

There are definitely things you can do to prevent yourself getting scammed, like checking for professional certifications...Check out this guide to how to choose an international removals company for more tips.

UK companies typically work pricing out on volume (cubic feet), US companies sometimes work on weight instead. You can work out your volume using this calculator we shared recently. http://britishexpats.com/forum/overs...ulator-855263/

If you're looking to only move a small volume then a shared load service could work well for you if you're not in a hurry? Ask your selected mover if they offer this service - this will be the most cost effective for a small load.

You of course have options for DIY... so can find companies that offer self load or port-port only services, but be sure to weigh up the work associated vs. the cost - include things like documentation and customs clearance in your evaluation.

Hope that helps!

yellowroom

One thing I would also note - you need to allow for packing materials in the volume you calculate. A factor of 1.5x seems common.

So if your belongings measure a total of 60 cubic feet, they will measure more when packed, so budget for 90.

Paul M B

It cost around $400 to get a crate of my wife's belongings from California to the UK.

Leelee1986

Thanks all...I will post an update once we have shipped and received the goods at the other end!