robtee

If you are considering UK moving companies, don’t use the one we used. We used the English firm, John Mason, to transport household goods from the UK to Australia. I wish we hadn’t. Not only did they break a piece of antique furniture, but crockery was broken (it had been placed in boxes not marked “fragile”) and plastic toys were discoloured (probably by heat-damage, I’d say).

Worst of all, the boxes were permeated by a noxious odour (I wonder if it was related to the heat the goods seem to have been subjected to). It makes my throat and chest burn. Years later, unpacked boxes still smell of I don’t know what.

Masons and their Australian agent OSS have been absolutely unhelpful. Without once ever coming to see if there was a real concern, they have dismissed my enquiries out of hand – despite the fact that I appealed to them on the basis that I was very worried about my child coming in contact with something potentially toxic. They just didn’t give a toss.

I had goods previously transported internationally by another firm. It was a simple process. They packed it. It arrived safely. It didn’t stink! We unpacked it on arrival. End of story. With John Mason, years later I’m still dealing with this. Our stuff has been ruined. I’ve had to throw away hundreds upon hundreds of dollars worth of books (as they seem to hold the smell most – clothes at least can be washed multiple times).

All I have ever wanted to know is whether the goods are safe to have around. I don’t know where to get that kind of assistance. As they work in the industry, they should have access to appropriate resources to investigate my concerns. Apart from the initial breakages etc involved in transporting my goods, the subsequent behaviour of both John Masons and OSS seems to me to have been arrogant and dismissive. In response to my courteous appeals to their common decency, I have received disregard. The world's a sad old place when that's so.

Would I advise anyone to use these companies as movers? No way. I wouldn’t get them to send a postcard down the street, let alone send one’s precious possessions anywhere.

Rob

moneypenny20

We and many others have found them to be excellent from start to finish. There will always be a few customers out of thousands who have a bad experience, it's the same with every business. Very odd first post though but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt.

steve_kelly_and_boys

i truly believe it is the luck of the draw with removal companies and was expecting some kind of problems

seeing as i had sent all of my possessions to the other side of the world

and you say that you are still getting problems all these years later , where have these boxes been stored since moving ?

another removal company me thinks

jothefw

I was thinking the same Moneypenny.

We used John Masons and very much would recommend them. It's a shame service can't be uniform but with human variations involved it's difficult.

moneypenny20

If they smelt noxious why would you keep stuff in them for years when you have children and you don't know if they're poisonous (the boxes not the children)?

robtee

Hi there,
Don't know why it's an odd post. I'm angry with Masons, and wanted to tell someone - at least to be heard by somebody.

Where was the stuff? I put half in a spare room, and half in storage (which has cost huge amounts of money - which shows how desperate I've been, that I've had to do it). I've unpacked most of the boxes in the spare room a small amount at a time - airing it for weeks. Some of it includes things from my mother after she died, so I am reluctant to just throw things away.

I am sure other people's experience has been different. I understand that. I'm just angry that I never got answers. It is just so unfair.

Rob

Pollyana

I can understand why you aren't happy, but I don't understand why you haven't unpacked everything and then if you need to store it, repack into plastic crates or something, so that at least the boxes are gone? Perhaps I'm reading it wrong but it sounds like you still have the original boxes in the houes even though you are concerned about the fumes?

lynh

We used John Masons, particularly because so many people on this forum recommended them and we did find them brilliant. We had no breakages or any other problems and it went very smoothly. Having said that it is always easy to provide good service when all goes well, so the real test would be to see if anyone here has had a good customre experience with John Masons despite breakages etc
I would still not hesitate to use them and recommend them

Gert Muller

Actually I find your post to be rather odd. I hope he doesn't really care if you give him the benefit of the doubt or not, I know I wouldn't....

Going back to the subject matter we used John Mason and found them to be fairly crap and like another poster said the real test is when something goes wrong and how they handle it. We had so much stuff broken and damaged, plus the packers had put their used tea bags and sugar in the packing boxes!! John Mason weren't interested and in the end we decided to move on as we had enough on our plate. Of course, I wouldn't recommend them because of that but its just the luck of the draw, depends on the individual packers that happen to be packing up your house on that day..... just keep your fingers crossed.

Alfresco

I think this is a wind-up. Someone with two posts complaining about a shipping company which has served loads of people well including ourselves.

Very suspect post.

Gert Muller

OMG! So because someone posted a thread saying they weren't happy with a particular shipping company you find that a suspect post because you were happy with their service?? I received rubbish service from John Masons and you can be sure there are other people out there who were not happy either. So what - doesn't make it suspect, give the guy a break.....

Alfresco

Whatever.

Pollyana

Its happened in the past you know - we've had to remove people from the forum for naming and shaming companies when we have found they actually work for the opposition So looking at it from all angles is always good.....

Vash the Stampede

We used Allied Pickfords, and had no trouble at all.

They're truly international, so you deal with the same company in the UK and Australia, which counts for a lot in my opinion.

It certainly made me feel more comfortable about the process, and meant we wouldn't have have to chase a third party if something had gone wrong (thankfully it didn't).

Gert Muller

I suppose I take things at face value. If that makes me naive and gullible so be it but I would rather be like that than be cynical....