Shared container - pros and cons?
 

We're currently deciding between Allied Pickfords and John Mason. Both are offering a shared container at a similar price (we're waiting for a complete cost before we try to haggle them down).

Has anyone used a shared container before? Can you offer any advice/suggestions/horror stories? :eek:

Ta.

Re: Shared container - pros and cons?
 

From what I have read, shared containers can be slower as they have to handle to contents more.

They send a furniture van to the house as opposed to 'the' container. The boxed and wrapped goods will be moved to storage and then into a container when there is enough other 'stuff' to fill it.

Is speed a factor in your move??

Just give http://www.fnworldwide.com/ a try, they were great for us and our family just moved recently and also found them very competitive.

Re: Shared container - pros and cons?
 

Thanks. Speed is not a major factor, as our house will be fully furnished when we move in. But I don't want it dragging on forever!

Re: Shared container - pros and cons?
 

On the 11th May John Mason collected my stuff Perth bound in a shared container. In terms of packers & packing it went without fault. My stuff came to 245 cubic feet.

The main downside is that I have to wait for someone who also wants to share a container with John Mason and ship to Perth so it takes longer. As h2oskineil mentioned if you have a sole container then the container comes to the house and it immediately goes out for shipping. With shared a lorry comes to the house and it is kept in a warehouse until they have a conatiners worth of shared goods ready for dispatch.

Re: Shared container - pros and cons?
 

Oh great. So it could take months. :(

Re: Shared container - pros and cons?
 

It depends how lucky you get, you might time it right and find someone wants to share a container the same time as you with whoever you decide.

I sent my stuff off a month a half prior to flying out as I was able to. I was told 12 weeks but I am preparing myself for it to be 16 hopefully from when my stuff was collected not from when I arrive in Perth but we'll see.

Re: Shared container - pros and cons?
 

I have a friend who used shared use container. It left her house mid december and only got here in April!! That was England-Perth. Company said they didn't have many people shipping that way, so that's why it took so long!!
We were sole use - picked up on 5th Nov, arrived 15th Dec!!
There is also a lot more 'handling' with a shared use, so more opportunities for things to get broken or go walk abouts!

Re: Shared container - pros and cons?
 

We used a shared container with Pickfords without any problems, you might find your half fills someone elses so no wait, ours took about 12 weeks door to door :thumbup:

Re: Shared container - pros and cons?
 

Looks like it all comes down to the luck of the draw.

:blink:

Re: Shared container - pros and cons?
 

Our stuff left our house in UK on 24th Jan this year and went to John Masons and sat there until 1st May when it was shipped, it arrived in Perth yesterday and will probably be another couple of weeks until it clears quarantine & is shipped the 450km to our house - don't ship anything this way that you may need quickly as it does take it's time!!

Re: Shared container - pros and cons?
 

Don't do it mate... If there's anyway you can afford a full box for yourself then do it... 25 years in the transport industry in the UK before moving over here and I've my fair share of horror stories for you... basically there's a lot more handling involved with a shared box, at both ends, and all the problems that can go with it in terms of breakages, pilferage, etc... Pick a quiet time for your chosen shipper and your stuff can sit for weeks in a dirty warehouse... :( Although it can be a bit of a lottery in the shipper stakes, John Mason and Doree Bonner would be my pick of the bunch... just my 2 c...

Re: Shared container - pros and cons?
 

Thanks for that. It'll all come down to cost, unfortunately. We might have to go with a shared container whether we like it or not. :( But I'll remember your tip about John Mason.

Re: Shared container - pros and cons?
 

Vash i have been with Allied pickfords here in Adelaide for 6 months now, after 27 years at GRACE , Allieds are high volume movers from UK and europe so a shared "can/box" will not besitting in the Uk for very long.
But a FCL is the way to go if you can afford it, the other aspect is you get A,P in the UK ,and you get A/P in Adelaide,.
With most other companys it is luck of the draw who delivers your box here, except for CROWN who have a depot in Adelaide.........good luck with what ever you chose....................mm;)

Re: Shared container - pros and cons?
 

Another great recommendation, thanks mm! :)

Re: Shared container - pros and cons?
 

We're looking at September for the move. Is this a busy or quiet time in the removal industry? :confused:

Re: Shared container - pros and cons?
 

We used a shared container - our stuff was packed beginning September and we arrived mid November. We would not have spent the extra on a sole use container, just didnt seem worth it and to be honest it didnt take very long to arrive, we travelled for September and had a furnished apt for October and so it suited us not to arrive to quickly. I think the England to Sydney route is probably quite popular, so quite a bit of traffic. Its probably worth using one of the bigger and more popular companies, there would be a quicker turnaround as they have more customers.

Re: Shared container - pros and cons?
 

Vash, I would be interested in what costs you have been quoted for your shared container when you get them in. We have our stuff sitting in storage in the UK at the moment as we left it there rather than ship it when we moved here in January in case we didn't settle in here but are looking to ship it over soon. We are not too worried about timescales, as we have been without it for 5 months already. Total space is 450cuft. Do you know how much space yours is going to need?

Re: Shared container - pros and cons?
 

We've been told that our stuff will take up 3/4 of a container, if that helps. John Mason have quoted us £2,650 as a base price (before insurance and charges/taxes at the Aussie end) while Allied Pickfords have given an estimate of £2,500-£3,000 (though we have yet to see what this would incorporate).

I've read on the forums that Letton Percival are the best people for insurance, since they charge less than the movers. Can anyone confirm this?

:)

Re: Shared container - pros and cons?
 

We used Pickfords to move some stuff from my late FIL house. So none of it was urgent but I don't recall it taking a long time to get here- certainly no more than about 10weeks door to door. (Surrey to Melb). Cost was 1000 quid for about 1/4 or 1/3 container

However one unique item did go missing....turned out it was delivered to someone else and we had to tell Pickfords that it had turned up, while they still thought it was missing.

Re: Shared container - pros and cons?
 

We used Crown relocations (stuff was packed last week and shipped last Friday).

They were very efficient, however we did take the step to use a full container with sole use even though we could half fill it.

The reason for this was to try and limit the theft of our items following some of the threads on here.

Total cost was just over £4000 with insurance, and a little piece of mind. Dont get me wrong, things could still go missing however we have a container with a sealed key which I have a photo of and we are present the other end when the seal is broken.

Its a shame we have to do this as shipping isnt cheap and the last thing you want to worry about is some thieving git nicking your possessions.

I will keep everyone posted on if things arrive in one piece but sorry to hear you have had something taken (I read about one major culprit on hear who has already been mentioned, however I wont name any names (stupid rule if this is rife tbh))

Cheers

Sean and Rach

Re: Shared container - pros and cons?
 

The busy period in Australia commences ,from The end of Nov till the end of March . most of your military postings are done in this period, school teachers ,bank managers , stock company employees, and general corperate postings , during the summer vacation...............mm;)

Re: Shared container - pros and cons?
 

Ta.

:)

Re: Shared container - pros and cons?
 

Price for 3/4 of a box will be almost identical to a FCL... LP are deffo the ones to go for AFA insurance is concerned...

Re: Shared container - pros and cons?
 

Which city or state? Perhaps another poster with similar time frames, destination and origin could team up with you?

Re: Shared container - pros and cons?
 

Adelaide. Good suggestion!

:)

Re: Shared container - pros and cons?
 

Terrific, thanks.

:)

Re: Shared container - pros and cons?
 

Once you comit ,to a FCL , you cannot add to the container.........mm;)

Re: Shared container - pros and cons?
 

Well, it looks like we'll be going with a shared one.

Re: Shared container - pros and cons?
 

OK, I KNOW THIS MIGHT BE DUMB BUT IS A 20FT CONTAINER A SOLE OCCUPANT OR IS IT SHARED? Sorry, typed badly again there!:D
We are about to book shippers Vash and i think its really tricky.... Take it/ leave it/ cheap or costly?
My friend reccommended John Masons but have read mixed reviews on here.
Anyway, is a full container40ft and a half 20ft and therefore shared? Thats my question!
Lou :):)

Re: Shared container - pros and cons?
 

Boxes come in all sorts of sizes, but the main ones are both 20' and 40'... so depending upon how much stuff you have you can get a sole use 20', sole use 40' or shared use of one of them...

Re: Shared container - pros and cons?
 

Bit of an update re my shared shipment with JM, It left the UK on Monday
(1st) and is apparently going to reach Perth on the 29th June where it will be with Aqis for 2 weeks so scheduled delivery date at this stage is the 17th July. Just to give you an idea, although the dates provided are just an estimate & can easily change. But if this does indeed turn out to be the case then it's alot quicker than I expected.

Re: Shared container - pros and cons?
 

Good stuff!

:)