John Masons. (why i would not use again)
Jan 28th 2007, 6:33 am
#1
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John Masons. (why i would not use again)
Some people may think that what i have to say is sour grapes but i will leave u to make your own mind up.
Booked our flights to Brisbane for the 8th NOV and decided to get some qoutes for shipping. Had a John Masons round from John Masons in Liverpool. He was very charming and told us we had enough to fill 3 qaurters of a container. Told us it was 2800 for 3/4 or 3600 for a full container of our own. Told us average time a 3/4 container takes before leaving is 3 weeks. So we booked them as it sounded a good deal.We called them to arrange a date for pick up and they could only do it on the 24 Oct. ok we thought at least it wou;d get away earlier so we sat on kitchen chairs with small portable telly and the bare basics .Only one double bed for me and wife two girls on camp beds. Container left Southampton on the 27th NOV. 4 weeks after being picked up.Container arrived 3 Jan and cleared customs on the 18th.We where then told by Ridgeways removals who do the deliveries over here in Brisbane that they could not deliver until the 29 of January. 11 dAYS OF MORE WAITING.I told them that this was unacceptible to wait 11 days and that it was there problem if they dont have enough men and vehicles to do all thier deliveries.What made it worse was the friday sat and sunday before the monday was a long weekend for Australia day and would give us ample time to unpack change plugs etc . I wanted it delivered on the Thursday but they wouldnt budge.Called John Masons in Liverpool but all they would do is say there was nothing they could do. I did point out that it was them i paid to mve my furniture and not Ridgeways but they just hid behind the terms and conditions in the small print.They said they would do what they could but after the phone call they did not even answer my e mail sent 2 days later.the icing on the cake was that they told me it was being laoded on to a lorry and being taken to thier wharehouse in Maroochydore which is 10 minutes from my house on friday the19th of Jan.Called the Maroochydore wharehouse to see if they could do anything and they told us to call every day in case they got a cancellation.SO we did and guess what ! on Tuesday we got a different person on the phone who told us our furniture was still in Brisbane and wasnt being moved to Maroochydore until the Thursday. We had been given false hope and had had no intention of trying to get it to us before the long weekend. So our furniture arrives tomorrow morning when i have to work and the first day of school for te new term (JUST GREAT.)And the thing that shows how unjustified it is is that our friends the Birchways from this site had thier stuff picked up 2 weeks after ours and recieved thiers the Thusday before Australia day.So if you are listening John Masons dont bother answering my email as i will not be requiring your services ever again.
Booked our flights to Brisbane for the 8th NOV and decided to get some qoutes for shipping. Had a John Masons round from John Masons in Liverpool. He was very charming and told us we had enough to fill 3 qaurters of a container. Told us it was 2800 for 3/4 or 3600 for a full container of our own. Told us average time a 3/4 container takes before leaving is 3 weeks. So we booked them as it sounded a good deal.We called them to arrange a date for pick up and they could only do it on the 24 Oct. ok we thought at least it wou;d get away earlier so we sat on kitchen chairs with small portable telly and the bare basics .Only one double bed for me and wife two girls on camp beds. Container left Southampton on the 27th NOV. 4 weeks after being picked up.Container arrived 3 Jan and cleared customs on the 18th.We where then told by Ridgeways removals who do the deliveries over here in Brisbane that they could not deliver until the 29 of January. 11 dAYS OF MORE WAITING.I told them that this was unacceptible to wait 11 days and that it was there problem if they dont have enough men and vehicles to do all thier deliveries.What made it worse was the friday sat and sunday before the monday was a long weekend for Australia day and would give us ample time to unpack change plugs etc . I wanted it delivered on the Thursday but they wouldnt budge.Called John Masons in Liverpool but all they would do is say there was nothing they could do. I did point out that it was them i paid to mve my furniture and not Ridgeways but they just hid behind the terms and conditions in the small print.They said they would do what they could but after the phone call they did not even answer my e mail sent 2 days later.the icing on the cake was that they told me it was being laoded on to a lorry and being taken to thier wharehouse in Maroochydore which is 10 minutes from my house on friday the19th of Jan.Called the Maroochydore wharehouse to see if they could do anything and they told us to call every day in case they got a cancellation.SO we did and guess what ! on Tuesday we got a different person on the phone who told us our furniture was still in Brisbane and wasnt being moved to Maroochydore until the Thursday. We had been given false hope and had had no intention of trying to get it to us before the long weekend. So our furniture arrives tomorrow morning when i have to work and the first day of school for te new term (JUST GREAT.)And the thing that shows how unjustified it is is that our friends the Birchways from this site had thier stuff picked up 2 weeks after ours and recieved thiers the Thusday before Australia day.So if you are listening John Masons dont bother answering my email as i will not be requiring your services ever again.
Last edited by raven; Jan 28th 2007 at 6:40 am. Reason: names
Jan 28th 2007, 6:42 am
#2
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Joined: Feb 2005
Location: Mountain Creek,Sunshine Coast
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Re: John Masons. (why i would not use again)
Some people may think that what i have to say is sour grapes but i will leave u to make your own mind up.
Booked our flights to Brisbane for the 8th NOV and decided to get some qoutes for shipping. Had a John Masons round from John Masons in Liverpool. He was very charming and told us we had enough to fill 3 qaurters of a container. Told us it was 2800 for 3/4 or 3600 for a full container of our own. Told us average time a 3/4 container takes before leaving is 3 weeks. So we booked them as it sounded a good deal.We called them to arrange a date for pick up and they could only do it on the 24 Oct. ok we thought at least it wou;d get away earlier so we sat on kitchen chairs with small portable telly and the bare basics .Only one double bed for me and wife two girls on camp beds. Container left Southampton on the 27th NOV. 4 weeks after being picked up.Container arrived 3 Jan and cleared customs on the 18th.We where then told by Ridgeways removals who do the deliveries over here in Brisbane that they could not deliver until the 29 of January. 11 dAYS OF MORE WAITING.I told them that this was unacceptible to wait 11 days and that it was there problem if they dont have enough men and vehicles to do all thier deliveries.What made it worse was the friday sat and sunday before the monday was a long weekend for Australia day and would give us ample time to unpack change plugs etc . I wanted it delivered on the Thursday but they wouldnt budge.Called John Masons in Liverpool but all they would do is say there was nothing they could do. I did point out that it was them i paid to mve my furniture and not Ridgeways but they just hid behind the terms and conditions in the small print.They said they would do what they could but after the phone call they did not even answer my e mail sent 2 days later.the icing on the cake was that they told me it was being laoded on to a lorry and being taken to thier wharehouse in Maroochydore which is 10 minutes from my house on friday the19th of Jan.Called the Maroochydore wharehouse to see if they could do anything and they told us to call every day in case they got a cancellation.SO we did and guess what ! on Tuesday we got a different person on the phone who told us our furniture was still in Brisbane and wasnt being moved to Maroochydore until the Thursday. We had been given false hope and had had no intention of trying to get it to us before the long weekend. So our furniture arrives tomorrow morning when i have to work and the first day of school for te new term (JUST GREAT.)And the thing that shows how unjustified it is is that our friends the Birchways from this site had thier stuff picked up 2 weeks after ours and recieved thiers the Thusday before Australia day.So if you are listening John Masons dont bother answering my email as i will not be requiring your services ever again.
Booked our flights to Brisbane for the 8th NOV and decided to get some qoutes for shipping. Had a John Masons round from John Masons in Liverpool. He was very charming and told us we had enough to fill 3 qaurters of a container. Told us it was 2800 for 3/4 or 3600 for a full container of our own. Told us average time a 3/4 container takes before leaving is 3 weeks. So we booked them as it sounded a good deal.We called them to arrange a date for pick up and they could only do it on the 24 Oct. ok we thought at least it wou;d get away earlier so we sat on kitchen chairs with small portable telly and the bare basics .Only one double bed for me and wife two girls on camp beds. Container left Southampton on the 27th NOV. 4 weeks after being picked up.Container arrived 3 Jan and cleared customs on the 18th.We where then told by Ridgeways removals who do the deliveries over here in Brisbane that they could not deliver until the 29 of January. 11 dAYS OF MORE WAITING.I told them that this was unacceptible to wait 11 days and that it was there problem if they dont have enough men and vehicles to do all thier deliveries.What made it worse was the friday sat and sunday before the monday was a long weekend for Australia day and would give us ample time to unpack change plugs etc . I wanted it delivered on the Thursday but they wouldnt budge.Called John Masons in Liverpool but all they would do is say there was nothing they could do. I did point out that it was them i paid to mve my furniture and not Ridgeways but they just hid behind the terms and conditions in the small print.They said they would do what they could but after the phone call they did not even answer my e mail sent 2 days later.the icing on the cake was that they told me it was being laoded on to a lorry and being taken to thier wharehouse in Maroochydore which is 10 minutes from my house on friday the19th of Jan.Called the Maroochydore wharehouse to see if they could do anything and they told us to call every day in case they got a cancellation.SO we did and guess what ! on Tuesday we got a different person on the phone who told us our furniture was still in Brisbane and wasnt being moved to Maroochydore until the Thursday. We had been given false hope and had had no intention of trying to get it to us before the long weekend. So our furniture arrives tomorrow morning when i have to work and the first day of school for te new term (JUST GREAT.)And the thing that shows how unjustified it is is that our friends the Birchways from this site had thier stuff picked up 2 weeks after ours and recieved thiers the Thusday before Australia day.So if you are listening John Masons dont bother answering my email as i will not be requiring your services ever again.
Jan 28th 2007, 7:05 am
#3
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Location: Keep true friends and puppets close, trust no-one else...
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Re: John Masons. (why i would not use again)
To be fair it does sounds like most of the fault is with Wridgeways at this end
Jan 28th 2007, 7:15 am
#4
Fighting my corner
Joined: Aug 2005
Location: Adelaide, South Australia
Posts: 11,948
Re: John Masons. (why i would not use again)
Yep, that's how I read it.
Jan 28th 2007, 7:19 am
#5
Back to WA! Yay!
Joined: Sep 2006
Location: Madeley, WA
Posts: 975
Re: John Masons. (why i would not use again)
Sounds very frustrating for you. I hope it all arrives in once piece and you dont have to start working with them on making claims.... once its in your house and all done and dusted at least its there.
Jan 28th 2007, 7:46 am
#6
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Jan 28th 2007, 7:52 am
#7
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Re: John Masons. (why i would not use again)
I wouldn`t touch them with a barge pole but for very different reasons
The packers came and went and we realised after they had been that we had a considerable amount of jewellery missing. £4,000 plus to be exact. We gave them the benefit of the doubt and assumed that it had been packed by mistake. WRONG!!!! We received our belongings and only one box had been checked by customs - which incidentally was a box from the lounge, and so therefore if it had been packed, it would still be there. I have reported this to both the police and someone at John Masons. They guy at Masons informs me that if the police can do something and prove one of their men stole our jewellery, then they will do something about it. What F***ing chance have they got of that?????? I too used the ones from Liverpool and am totally gutted and pi$$ed off. I can`t claim from the insurance as we obviously don`t have the insurance from the UK any more and I can`t claim from here as it was DEFINITELY stolen before we left the UK. Unfortunately we have got to put it down to expreience
The packers came and went and we realised after they had been that we had a considerable amount of jewellery missing. £4,000 plus to be exact. We gave them the benefit of the doubt and assumed that it had been packed by mistake. WRONG!!!! We received our belongings and only one box had been checked by customs - which incidentally was a box from the lounge, and so therefore if it had been packed, it would still be there. I have reported this to both the police and someone at John Masons. They guy at Masons informs me that if the police can do something and prove one of their men stole our jewellery, then they will do something about it. What F***ing chance have they got of that?????? I too used the ones from Liverpool and am totally gutted and pi$$ed off. I can`t claim from the insurance as we obviously don`t have the insurance from the UK any more and I can`t claim from here as it was DEFINITELY stolen before we left the UK. Unfortunately we have got to put it down to expreience
Jan 28th 2007, 8:20 am
#8
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Re: John Masons. (why i would not use again)
I wouldn`t touch them with a barge pole but for very different reasons
The packers came and went and we realised after they had been that we had a considerable amount of jewellery missing. £4,000 plus to be exact. We gave them the benefit of the doubt and assumed that it had been packed by mistake. WRONG!!!! We received our belongings and only one box had been checked by customs - which incidentally was a box from the lounge, and so therefore if it had been packed, it would still be there. I have reported this to both the police and someone at John Masons. They guy at Masons informs me that if the police can do something and prove one of their men stole our jewellery, then they will do something about it. What F***ing chance have they got of that?????? I too used the ones from Liverpool and am totally gutted and pi$$ed off. I can`t claim from the insurance as we obviously don`t have the insurance from the UK any more and I can`t claim from here as it was DEFINITELY stolen before we left the UK. Unfortunately we have got to put it down to expreience
The packers came and went and we realised after they had been that we had a considerable amount of jewellery missing. £4,000 plus to be exact. We gave them the benefit of the doubt and assumed that it had been packed by mistake. WRONG!!!! We received our belongings and only one box had been checked by customs - which incidentally was a box from the lounge, and so therefore if it had been packed, it would still be there. I have reported this to both the police and someone at John Masons. They guy at Masons informs me that if the police can do something and prove one of their men stole our jewellery, then they will do something about it. What F***ing chance have they got of that?????? I too used the ones from Liverpool and am totally gutted and pi$$ed off. I can`t claim from the insurance as we obviously don`t have the insurance from the UK any more and I can`t claim from here as it was DEFINITELY stolen before we left the UK. Unfortunately we have got to put it down to expreience
I can't recommend Doree Bonner enough. They used Grace at this end who are excellent imo.
Jan 28th 2007, 8:34 am
#9
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Location: came back to oz after moving back to uk but not settled here so uk here i come, last time im moving
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Re: John Masons. (why i would not use again)
I am new to this site but i noticed that on the front page was a Forum heading "why i would never use John mason again" so i looked as we had used them back in may 2006 and we had had big trouble with them.
We had them collect all our furniture two weeks before we left the UK on 4 may 2006 so it would be there soon after we had arrived in OZ, we were told when we booked them that our container would leave a week before we left and it would take 5/6 weeks to arrive in OZ, so we rented a house in Brisbane for four weeks so when we moved out of that rented house to our new longer rented home our goods would be here,
HOW WRONG WE WERE.
We phoned john mason at the airport in the UK the day we were leaving just to get an update but i was told by the head office at liverpool it had been delayed a week or two, i was really anoyed that my plans were going wrong, we arrived in OZ and gave it a week and called them again but our goods still had not left,im not sure the exact day our goods did leave but I WAS GETTING NO WHERE CALLING JOHN MASON, even when they did get to OZ the company that john mason used
K*** International blamed the customs for many delays so it took longer to get our goods and after TWELVE WEEKS from the date we had our furniture picked up from our house in the UK it was delivered to our new home in Mango Hill, but again it was not finished as they had mislaid my mountain bike, they said it had been sent for cleaning, funny that it was picked out as it was NEW, i think they just pull one item from each shipment as they charge you $55.00 to clean my bike,so it makes good money for them, after all this it was another two weeks to get my bike.
We would recommend that you sell your furniture in the UK, save the money on shipping aswell, only ship personal items, and the money you save you can furnish your new home with all the goods from the shops in Australia,so you dont get the hassle with shipping companys and you will have you new furniture and all other goods here in your new home ready and waiting for you,and if you look at my link yes i have set up a company helping UK people move here, but i only thought of this because the BIG problems my family and i had with waiting for our shippers to get my goods to me.
We had them collect all our furniture two weeks before we left the UK on 4 may 2006 so it would be there soon after we had arrived in OZ, we were told when we booked them that our container would leave a week before we left and it would take 5/6 weeks to arrive in OZ, so we rented a house in Brisbane for four weeks so when we moved out of that rented house to our new longer rented home our goods would be here,
HOW WRONG WE WERE.
We phoned john mason at the airport in the UK the day we were leaving just to get an update but i was told by the head office at liverpool it had been delayed a week or two, i was really anoyed that my plans were going wrong, we arrived in OZ and gave it a week and called them again but our goods still had not left,im not sure the exact day our goods did leave but I WAS GETTING NO WHERE CALLING JOHN MASON, even when they did get to OZ the company that john mason used
K*** International blamed the customs for many delays so it took longer to get our goods and after TWELVE WEEKS from the date we had our furniture picked up from our house in the UK it was delivered to our new home in Mango Hill, but again it was not finished as they had mislaid my mountain bike, they said it had been sent for cleaning, funny that it was picked out as it was NEW, i think they just pull one item from each shipment as they charge you $55.00 to clean my bike,so it makes good money for them, after all this it was another two weeks to get my bike.
We would recommend that you sell your furniture in the UK, save the money on shipping aswell, only ship personal items, and the money you save you can furnish your new home with all the goods from the shops in Australia,so you dont get the hassle with shipping companys and you will have you new furniture and all other goods here in your new home ready and waiting for you,and if you look at my link yes i have set up a company helping UK people move here, but i only thought of this because the BIG problems my family and i had with waiting for our shippers to get my goods to me.
Jan 28th 2007, 8:46 am
#10
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Posts: 246
Re: John Masons. (why i would not use again)
Completely agree we haven't even got this far but having furnished a property in Spain it was no hassle and compared to a neighbour who shipped her stuff from Holland much much easier/cheaper we are aiming to go with one trunk with cds & dvds (hubbies collection could take longer to replace than I have left in my lifetime! 
) and personal photos.
I am not being funny but the guys who shipped jewellery
I would have taken it in my hand luggage - anything that valuable you can't risk leaving with someone else. My worst fear is my favourite "possesion" kinda - my pooch - if I could I'd drive to Oz so she was with me or take her on the plane and buy her a seat next to me (it would be bloomin cheaper) I would be sooo much happier.
Thanks for the advise guys re shipping we have heard loads of good things about Dorree Bonner in Hucknall Notts and suspect we will get them to take our trunk think we might see if they can fly it out since the boat trauma in Devon - don't want to see my belongings being trekked up the beach - hope none of your guys stuff was there.
) and personal photos. I am not being funny but the guys who shipped jewellery
I would have taken it in my hand luggage - anything that valuable you can't risk leaving with someone else. My worst fear is my favourite "possesion" kinda - my pooch - if I could I'd drive to Oz so she was with me or take her on the plane and buy her a seat next to me (it would be bloomin cheaper) I would be sooo much happier.Thanks for the advise guys re shipping we have heard loads of good things about Dorree Bonner in Hucknall Notts and suspect we will get them to take our trunk think we might see if they can fly it out since the boat trauma in Devon - don't want to see my belongings being trekked up the beach - hope none of your guys stuff was there.
Jan 28th 2007, 8:53 am
#11
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Posts: 10,158
Re: John Masons. (why i would not use again)
Completely agree we haven't even got this far but having furnished a property in Spain it was no hassle and compared to a neighbour who shipped her stuff from Holland much much easier/cheaper we are aiming to go with one trunk with cds & dvds (hubbies collection could take longer to replace than I have left in my lifetime! ) and personal photos.
I am not being funny but the guys who shipped jewellery I would have taken it in my hand luggage - anything that valuable you can't risk leaving with someone else. My worst fear is my favourite "possesion" kinda - my pooch - if I could I'd drive to Oz so she was with me or take her on the plane and buy her a seat next to me (it would be bloomin cheaper) I would be sooo much happier.
Thanks for the advise guys re shipping we have heard loads of good things about Dorree Bonner in Hucknall Notts and suspect we will get them to take our trunk think we might see if they can fly it out since the boat trauma in Devon - don't want to see my belongings being trekked up the beach - hope none of your guys stuff was there.
) and personal photos. I am not being funny but the guys who shipped jewellery
I would have taken it in my hand luggage - anything that valuable you can't risk leaving with someone else. My worst fear is my favourite "possesion" kinda - my pooch - if I could I'd drive to Oz so she was with me or take her on the plane and buy her a seat next to me (it would be bloomin cheaper) I would be sooo much happier.Thanks for the advise guys re shipping we have heard loads of good things about Dorree Bonner in Hucknall Notts and suspect we will get them to take our trunk think we might see if they can fly it out since the boat trauma in Devon - don't want to see my belongings being trekked up the beach - hope none of your guys stuff was there.
Jan 28th 2007, 8:58 am
#12
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Re: John Masons. (why i would not use again)
Swings and roundabouts I guess. I went with John Masons and personally I could not recommend them enough. From the moment we contacted them for a quote to getting our stuff, everything went smoothly, even to the point that they phoned us the day before we left to say they had managed to get all of our stuff onto a ship that would get to Sydney earlier.
I loved being able to track online where our stuff was and just found it all worked as I had hoped.
I think with most things in life, you have to be prepared that it doesn't work out for everyone, would be good if it did but I don't know anything that works for everyone.
To all other people looking for quotes, be unbiased and make your own judgements.
I loved being able to track online where our stuff was and just found it all worked as I had hoped.
I think with most things in life, you have to be prepared that it doesn't work out for everyone, would be good if it did but I don't know anything that works for everyone.
To all other people looking for quotes, be unbiased and make your own judgements.
Jan 28th 2007, 9:07 am
#13
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Posts: 1,615
Re: John Masons. (why i would not use again)
We left the jewellery in the wardrobe as we were taking it with our hand luggage. When we got the jewellery box after the packers had been, we realised that there were several pieces missing. Rather than point the finger and accuse someone of stealing it, we hoped rather than assumed that it had been packed by mistake. What a BIG MISTAKE that was
Jan 28th 2007, 9:08 am
#14
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Re: John Masons. (why i would not use again)
That`s right.
We left the jewellery in the wardrobe as we were taking it with our hand luggage. When we got the jewellery box after the packers had been, we realised that there were several pieces missing. Rather than point the finger and accuse someone of stealing it, we hoped rather than assumed that it had been packed by mistake. What a BIG MISTAKE that was
We left the jewellery in the wardrobe as we were taking it with our hand luggage. When we got the jewellery box after the packers had been, we realised that there were several pieces missing. Rather than point the finger and accuse someone of stealing it, we hoped rather than assumed that it had been packed by mistake. What a BIG MISTAKE that was
Jan 28th 2007, 9:19 am
#15
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Location: Keep true friends and puppets close, trust no-one else...
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Re: John Masons. (why i would not use again)
Thats fine, I appreciate that you paid Mason's and they should be sorting it out. However the dodgy service would appear to be largely from Wridgeways, and my interest here is to prevent the forum from becoming involved in a legal wrangle! By all means, name and shame, but if this is likely to go to court we just need to be very careful about the accuracy of the info that appears on here.
Last edited by Pollyana; Jan 28th 2007 at 9:23 am.