debtay

Hi, has anyone got any comments to make on the condition their household goods arrived in eg. any missing or damaged items?

I wanted to get a feel for how insurance claims are received and how easy it is to get any claim settled !

I thought the companies packed the shipping container at your own home and then it was sealed but I've also heard that they pack the container elsewhere. Lots of potential for things to "disappear" or become damaged if you ask me!!

I'm thinking about getting quotes from Brittania and Pickfords, plus a few others, for a move to Auckland, NZ

Any info. greatly appreciated, thanks

Pollyana

From my own experience - they should pack at your home, in which case you are covered for damage. If you self-pack, you are only covered for loss.
I was told that "damage" has a big excess, and only covers stuff damaged on shipping - NOT stuff damaged by customs/ quarantine.

The only stuff in my consignment with damage is -
1) a small chest of drawers - in opening the package, AQIS damaged the base
2) a cut in the back of a large teddy bear - caused as above as he was at the top of the box.
3) a soup bowl, and a plastic tea tray - obviously had been unpacked and re-packed by AQIS
You can tell which packages they open cos they are resealed with white tape not brown parcel tape.

I'm very impressed, the damage could have been much worse - as the original removal firm dropped my video recorder down a flight of stairs, and its undamaged, I think that says something for my packing skills!!

Companies used - ALS of Hove for removals ( ) ***** ******** for shipping ( ) and OSS in Brisbane ( )

HiddenPaw

your container is only sealed at your home if you pay for a full container. If you go 'groupage' (i.e. only pay for the space you use) then your container is not locked at your house. Chances are, your goods will be packed at your house and put on a removal van, taken to a warehouse where they will be offloaded and then put in a container. Same on the other side - taken from the container to warehouse, warehouse to removal van, removal van to new residence.
Even if your container is sealed at your house, customs may open it on the other side and unload anything they want.

insurance? I've posted about my bad experience several times so I wont type it all again. Even tho the insurance wasnt worth the paper it was written on with regard to the damaged items, I would still always get insurance for total loss

good luck

debtay

Hi, thanks for your replies. I'm going to give ***** ******** a miss, I've been following some of your threads about them and feel that the market place is wide enough for me to afford NOT to get a quote from that particular company! .

Thinking about it, our last move (within the UK) was with Brittania any they SHOULD have packed for us but they only turned up with 2 men so my hub spent a very long day doing the packing for them!! They also forgot the trolley for the piano. That's what you get for going for the cheapest quote I guess.

From what you say I think that we shall try to get a full container, even if means taking all the junk with us just to fill it, rather than have the security risk of having other people dipping into it at will. Ideally I'd like it sealed on the drive and reopened by customs....must remember to get rid of wicker, pine cones etc.

Sounds as if customs open boxes with knives so I'll make sure that there is good padding at the top of each box.

I have a few high-value little nick nacks, photograph albums, granny's plates etc. that I wouldn't want to trust in a container. Would it be better to take these over separately? What do people advise for them?

Hiddenpaw, I'll look up your comments on insurance and do some indepth research on this.

Out of interest, how well do upright pianos transport? is it better to sell and buy new perhaps?

HiddenPaw

Hi Deb
Britannia wa who we had probs with - my hubby and I spent ALL day packing (because Britannia were so incompetent), when one of us really should have been overseeing what the packers were doing. Lots of stuff was poorly packed by them and got damaged (funnily enought, the stuff we packaged arrived in perfect condition!!)

debtay

That's interesting, there's a lot to be said for packing yourself. I think you're more likely to do a proper job of it. Brittania had a bit of a cheek though because we'd paid for the packing.

We've moved a few times now and I think that there is a reality gap between the suit who comes round to do the quote and those who do the grafting on the day!. Maybe they should spend a few months on the vans first and learn the job. lol

Just did the online quote with Masons so we'll see how that goes.

VickyW

I was wondering about packing sentimentals like wedding photos and sons baby tapes, what do people advise - container or luggage on plane?

Cheers Vicky

snowhite

My hubbie is going to buy the largest hand luggage allowed and will pack it with our paperwork and very sentimental photos.He doesnt even trust the airport not to loose something.:scared:

debtay

packing stuff in hand luggage sounds an excellent idea to me. I had also thought of scanning photos onto a CD as a back up.