claireg3

Now things are getting really serious and we are having to sort out the shipping of our stuff I was wondering if anybody had any recommendations/ advice re shipping insurance. we are planning on using John Masons to actually ship the stuff and their insurance comes in at about 4% of the value of goods shipped.
Has anybody used a company not linked to their shippers?

Its all a bit scary this now:scared:

Thanks for any advice

Claire (currently enjoying a very nice red wine or 3)

Ben.M

I'm using PSS but as previous posts on this forum have suggested that insurance is not worth the paper it's written on I'm just going to insure the items of value. The only condition is that breakables cannot be more than 30% of the total items insured but that's not a problem for me. Don't know if this is the same for all shippers but if you don't want or need to insure everything it's worth asking about.

Ben

mashiraz

Hi we used JM's insurance and needed to claim for damaged washing machine. Unfortunatel thay are much more expensive here and we only put down the UK value of replacement. However they paid out quickly and efficiently and we had no issues with them.

Just make sure you insure at replacement value here. We only listed the key items at risk, ie might rust or smash.

Don't worry ours all arrived untouched by the journey and it was fun putting it all in the new home. We even saw the ship dock...

Mash

Loopy

We used the insurance firm linked to Masons (don't remember it being as much as 4% though, check to see if it's negotiable). Had to make a small claim, a bike got scratched & my dressing table was stored on it's end and got a bit of a bashing, got quotes for repairs (that's the time consuming bit & I was tempted not to bother), but they paid up fairly quickly. They did refuse to pay out for something else, but we weren't really bothered, just pleased our stuff had arrived safe and sound.

Where are you heading for?

loopy

HiddenPaw

I took out insurance for everything, and I had to use it because I had a lot of stuff damaged.

What we weren't prepared for is the "we will replace or repair damaged items". Of course the person who chooses whether to replace or repair is the insurance company, not you! We had wooden furniture so badly damaged that we were told that it (the entire item) would have to be stripped back to bare wood and re-finished. They couldn't gurantee it would look anything like the original so I asked for it to be replaced - they wouldn't replace it.

We insured the whole shipment as I couldn't imagine losing all our stuff and it not being insured - we just wouldn't have had the money to buy everything from new. Think I would have chewed my nails off from worry while it was in transit if I hadn't had insurance!

Even tho we didn't get our furniture replaced we did get a cash payout, paid directly to us, so we were able to choose who we wanted to do our repairs (rather than the insurance company paying the money direct to the furniture repair company). The furniture repairer who the insurance company sent round to do a quote told me that they would pay the moeny to him (the repairer) and he offered me a back hander - said I could have all the repair money if I gave him a cut. I was absolutely fuming that he had the cheek to say that to me!!! But fortunately no money went via him.

I think our removal nightmare was a one-off - we got treated really badly by the removal firm in the UK, which is where all the damage happened (we had Kent at this end and they were fantatsic). We are probably moving back to UK and this time have done so much research into the process to prevent the same nightmare happening again - have already decided to use Kent/John Masons.

Best of luck with the move - I know it's nerve wracking but hope it all goes well.

rob&kim

Hi,

Thanks for your post - it was most informative.

We are just about to make a decision on which firm to go with and to decide on what is to be insured. Reading your thread has helped.

I was interested to note that you are moving back to the UK. For all us hopefuls wanting to move to Oz, can I ask why you are moving back?

Kim and Rob.

HiddenPaw

Mainly cos we are expecting our first baby. But also Oz doesn't suit us. We realised the things that make up our quality of life (inlcluding family, countryside, less working hours, more holidays/leisure time) are in the UK
Plenty we liked about Oz, but also plenty we didn't. But it's different for everyone - I guess it boils down to what you want out of life.

Good luck with your venture
HP

yafm

Hi Hidden Paw good to hear about Kent being so good as we are using PSS and they use Kent at the australia end. Just another relaxation of our panic but it all helps. Thanks

Incidentally someone on the thread gave an insurance company who do removals cheaper and she said better than the ones attached to the removals firms (as Mr Mover says) they keep the money and it goes into their coffers) It was one of the same companies who do the one way travel insurance unless anyone can ppost it do a search on travel insurance

Most of the other companies offer two grades 2.5% with an excess or 3.5 without or thereabouts and we are told it is negotiable

claireg3

Thanks for that loopy. I'll be getting in touch with Masons today to check when they can move us and how much the insurance will be.
We are heading for Perth and we can't wait although at the moment I feel sick at the thought of everything we now have to sort out.

Claire

HiddenPaw

Kent were brilliant when they delivered and unpacked our stuff here. We have just had them round for a talk about moving back. They really impressed us ahead of 2 other big international movers.

We just had to make sure they didn't use the company in the UK that we had probs with in the first place!