Removal Firms from UK to Melbourne
Mar 21st 2005, 2:15 pm
#1
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Joined: Mar 2005
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 389
Removal Firms from UK to Melbourne
Can anyone suggest a good removal firm for our impending move?
Testimonies would be good as it is our first overseas move.
We have been looking at Britania and another member Flumper mentioned Crown.
Any other suggestions welcome and websites if possible
Testimonies would be good as it is our first overseas move.
We have been looking at Britania and another member Flumper mentioned Crown.
Any other suggestions welcome and websites if possible
Mar 21st 2005, 2:32 pm
#2
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 582
Re: Removal Firms from UK to Melbourne
I used John Mason. http://www.johnmason.com/ Was very impressed and move went without a hitch, think basic quote was about £3600 for a 20 ft container packed by them, then add on insurance and customs charges here and was about £4100 total.
The company they used here in Melbourne, Kent International, were of a similar high standard and were very helpful and proactive at getting in/keeping in touch.
There were a couple of minor breakages which is bound to happen moving a whole house 12,500 miles, however John Mason handled the claim very quickly and paid out in full with no quibbles.
The thing I liked about Mason's the best was that they assign you a move manager to be a single point of contact for the whole move, makes things go a lot better.
From experiences friends have had moving both in the UK and abroad I wouldn't touch Allied Pickfords with someone elses bargepole, I have heard at least half a dozen horror stories about broken stuff, rude staff who haven't got a clue what they are talking about and then friends who moved to Scotland told them to go an inspect their new property as they didn't thin a truck would fit. They were told they had looked and no problems, moving day the truck turned up, couldn't get up the steep narrow drive so stuff taken off to depot to be unloaded into two shipments. The cheeky b**gers then doubled the insurance despite having been paid for an agreed value not for a capacity. They refused to release the stuff till the money was paid and my friends were left with nothing for three days whilst the bank sorted out the funds. When they spoke to a Pickfords manager he just told them it was tough and go and find a hotel.
The company they used here in Melbourne, Kent International, were of a similar high standard and were very helpful and proactive at getting in/keeping in touch.
There were a couple of minor breakages which is bound to happen moving a whole house 12,500 miles, however John Mason handled the claim very quickly and paid out in full with no quibbles.
The thing I liked about Mason's the best was that they assign you a move manager to be a single point of contact for the whole move, makes things go a lot better.
From experiences friends have had moving both in the UK and abroad I wouldn't touch Allied Pickfords with someone elses bargepole, I have heard at least half a dozen horror stories about broken stuff, rude staff who haven't got a clue what they are talking about and then friends who moved to Scotland told them to go an inspect their new property as they didn't thin a truck would fit. They were told they had looked and no problems, moving day the truck turned up, couldn't get up the steep narrow drive so stuff taken off to depot to be unloaded into two shipments. The cheeky b**gers then doubled the insurance despite having been paid for an agreed value not for a capacity. They refused to release the stuff till the money was paid and my friends were left with nothing for three days whilst the bank sorted out the funds. When they spoke to a Pickfords manager he just told them it was tough and go and find a hotel.
Mar 21st 2005, 2:38 pm
#3
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Joined: Mar 2005
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 389
Re: Removal Firms from UK to Melbourne
Thanks for that flying banana, I will check them out
Mar 21st 2005, 3:52 pm
#4
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Joined: Apr 2003
Location: West Melbourne
Posts: 462
Re: Removal Firms from UK to Melbourne
Hi there
A search of this forum will readily reveal that for any firm that is recommended there are nightmare stories. It was interesting to see that the recommendation you recevied had Kent as the agents on the Australian side. PSS use them too.
We're off the Melbourne in May and have booked our shipping. Allied Pickfords has cost us about GBP3,300 for a 20ft container. There are potential savings to be made on insurance by not taking the shipping firm's own suggested insurance, but shopping around elsewhere.
For instance, Allied Pickfords were charging just shy of 3 percent of replacement value for insurance, and other firms charge a similar amount. Letton Percival is a brokerage that offers similar insurance for 1.53 percent of replacement value. There are several threads that mention them, and I've read no criticisms so far. Check out http://www.lettonpercival.co.uk/ or call Brian Naughton on 0151 236 4568. He didn't give me a hard sell and seemed knowledgable (and no, I do not work for them!).
Neil
A search of this forum will readily reveal that for any firm that is recommended there are nightmare stories. It was interesting to see that the recommendation you recevied had Kent as the agents on the Australian side. PSS use them too.
We're off the Melbourne in May and have booked our shipping. Allied Pickfords has cost us about GBP3,300 for a 20ft container. There are potential savings to be made on insurance by not taking the shipping firm's own suggested insurance, but shopping around elsewhere.
For instance, Allied Pickfords were charging just shy of 3 percent of replacement value for insurance, and other firms charge a similar amount. Letton Percival is a brokerage that offers similar insurance for 1.53 percent of replacement value. There are several threads that mention them, and I've read no criticisms so far. Check out http://www.lettonpercival.co.uk/ or call Brian Naughton on 0151 236 4568. He didn't give me a hard sell and seemed knowledgable (and no, I do not work for them!).
Neil
